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| Coconut Creek Poker Room |
2nd - Absea98
3rd - GMOgolf
Bubble - T3chlady
Congratulations to Rjmech on his 34th NPP victory!
And now a report from T3chlady on her tournament experience in Florida while on vacation. Take it away Lady and thank you!
T3chlady: I arrived in Coconut Creek Florida (near Pompano Beach north
of Fort Lauderdale) on December 28 with plans to stay through the holidays and
return home January 9.
On a lark and because I was missing my Thursday night poker at
the house, I decided to enter Day 1 of a two day holiday Tournament being
sponsored by the Isle Casino at the Pompano Race Park.
There were 1180 entries, so the 8 flights in the day 1 challenges that
had started on Wednesday and continued through Saturday. The Main event (Day
2) was scheduled for Sunday January 6.
In Day 1, the tournament would end at 10% of the entry or at
level 16. Entry fee was $200. Day 2 guaranteed a prize pool of a minimum
of $100K.
So at 6:00 PM I sat down at a table of tough looking younger
mostly male players and played my game. The only really remarkable hand
the entire evening was when I was about 20 BB in the middle of the tournament
and really needed more chips to continue. I was in the middle of a 10
person table and was dealt AQo. I raised and was called by the BB.
Everyone else folded. Flop was 89T rainbow. BB pushed and I thought
about it for a minute but with two overs and knowing that if I didn't collect
some chips soon I called. I had him stacked so if I lost the hand I would
be severly crippled but not out of the tournament. We were in the 8th
level and there was 10 minutes left in the rebuy period. Well, lucky me
hits my A on the turn and knocked out my opponent. The table was buzzing
because of the "reckless" call I made. I still think it was a
calculated risk so I did it.
We had started with 20K chips and now I had about 60K.
 |
| Day One chips |
The rest of the evening was rather unremarkable except that
I had a short hot streak near the end of the tournament in levels 14-16 and
ended up with 140K chips. I was about 6th in my flight and made it to Day
2. They bagged and tagged everything and sent us home at 2:30AM after 8
hours of play. Blinds were 30 minutes.
I had a couple of days to recover and Sunday I went to the
casino with hopes that I could have a pretty good payday. They were
paying 98 people with prizes beginning at $395 and 1st place at $31K. The
first $1K prize was at 27th place. 128 people started the tournament at
Noon Sunday. It wasn't too long before we were approaching the money
bubble. I had about $200K in chips and just wanted to cruise into the $$
but I caught KK with 100 players left. I made a big raise out of position
and everyone folded so I got a few more chips. About 15 minutes later we
were into the money, when the guy next to me made a really bad call and was
eliminated.
I played my game, not too aggressive but careful to pick my
spots and not pass over a hand that had potential. I was UTG with 88 soon
after and I had 160K in chips and raised all in. Bully big stack called
with Q8o and my 8s held (much to his chagrin). He was really annoyed with
me but once again I needed chips to keep moving ahead in the tournament and
this was one of those pivital points where you really have to win a showdown.
I shoved for fold equity mostly and was willing to take the prize money which
at that time was $450
Now I had 320K in chips and could breath a little more but I
was concerned about bully big stack and how he might treat me on subsequent
hands but I decided not to use him as an excuse for not playing my hands
straight. It was going to be whatever it was--- cant change that.
So a couple of hands later I get KK again and raise 3x BB. Bully big
stack went in the tank and after a very long time folded. I smiled and
took the blinds and ante (about $25K).
I forgot to mention that this tournament as well as most
tournaments that I have played at this level now use the Big Blind Ante method,
where the Big Blind pays a second BB as the ante for the whole table. It
speeds up play and in actual dollars is virtually the same. When then
blinds come around and you are the big blind, you put in that amount as the
ante and then the same amount as your BB. So blinds of $5K $10K cost the
BB $20K and the SB $5K if antes have been activated.
The "TV" hand that ended my tournament run was
this:
I had JJ in 3rd from the button. Mr bully big
stack raises UTG to 31K. I call. Two more callers. (On retrospect maybe I
should have shoved here but I didn't think Mr bully big stack was going to play
this hand any differently so I wanted to see the flop).
Flop is J 3c 4c so I have top set. Whoo
hoo!
Mr bully big stack puts in a bet of another 31K. Not
big enough for me to think he has a made hand so I put him on the club flush draw.
I raised to 100K.
Button shoves. Small blind shoves. Mr bully big
stack shoves. So I do too!
Everyone turns their cards up.
Button has 33 for bottom set.
Small blind is on a flush draw with 5Q clubs.
Mr bully big stack has AT clubs for the nut flush draw.
I'm ahead at this point and have to avoid a club but alas,
the 2 of clubs shows up on the turn and I'm out in 56th place for $575.
Mr bully big stack had the nut flush and collected 1.2M
chips. WOW
Anyway I was happy to make the money, unhappy that the 2c
had to make an appearance. Cripe there were only 7 clubs left!!! 6
were in play. I was statistically ahead but it wasn't to be.
So I guess I have to go back to my regular job!
Hope everyone enjoyed their holidays. I have a few
more days sunshine before I fly home.
T3chlady
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