Wednesday, January 13, 2010
First CMPPA Tournament
Saturday was the first tournament of the Central MN Poker Players Assoc. (CMPPA). We had 19 members turn out. Not too bad for the first. Tournament was 15,000 in starting chips and 30 minute blinds, so lots of time to wait for good hands which of course I did not! LOL! The playing level was good with the few non patient players getting knocked out early. I made it to final table as short stack and was able to get a few chips to play with. There were only a couple of hands to talk about. My first was at final table in small blind. I have pocket 10's. Min. bet is under the gun and moves all in with a very short stack. If you don't remember min bet guy go back and reread a few of my posts. It's great that he is all in as I am sure that I will have the best hand when I call. On the button is a very sold player who reraises a whole bunch to try and get heads up. I put him on AK or a big pair otherwise I think he just calls. I think for a long time and fold because he had me covered. Min bet guy has pocket 4's and other has pocket 9's. My hand would have won a big pot, but I still ok with folding there as most times I would be dominated. The hand of the night was at 4 players in the tournament. There is one small stack, one medium and two big stacks. I didn't see how the early played out but at the turn the first player to act moves all in. He is the second stack at the table. The big stack is also in hand and goes into a long thought process. Finally he pulls his card protector and says he is going to flip a coin. He flips and it lands on the calling side and he calls. He turns over the nut flush draw with no pairs. The all in turns over the king high flush draw and losses. Now I can see the bet to try and win but I can't see calling off most of my chips with a flush draw with one card to go and no pairs let alone do it with a coin flip. It worked out for him as he had the best hand, but lets make the call by using your skills of reading and deduction not by a coin toss. If I have to toss a coin to decide I am folding. I am not knocking him it was his way of making the decision, I just don't agree with the move.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
My week in Poker. (so far)
It has been a very busy week for me. My wife has been feeling better and I have wanted to go and play a tournament at a casino. Bar poker is a great social outlet and helps with the itch to play poker but nothing is better then putting your money on the line in a cash tournament.
Monday - Drove to Milacs to play there $60 buy-in game. The temperature in MN was -5 that day. 18 players due to cold weather with 5 players reentering. They were paying 5 places. I was very card dead all night but did manage a double up with aces in the second hour. Folded a lot with not a lot of hands that I could have won. Made it to final table as one of the short stacks and was waiting to push all in. Did manage to take down the blinds a couple of times, but was down to 2400 chips with blinds at 600-1200 with 7 players left. There was one other player that had 2000 in chips. I am know looking for any ace to push in. I look down at one ace and decide to push in. Player under the gun moves all in. Good I am thinking at least I won't have to play with more then one player. Guy to my right immediately pushes all in. Wow! Now what do I do. I look at my other card and it is a four so I have A-4 suited. I think about it and fold as I have 5 more hands and I must be way behind the way the hand played out. Both players turn over K-Q. What the ????! Of course I would have won the hand and announced it to table. The dealer whom I have known for years says how can I fold my hand. Oh well at least I am not out. Two hands later other short stack moves in and both the blinds call. Both check the flop and it looks like a check down. There was K on flop. Turn brings a Q. Small blind makes a bet and big blind raises. SB moves all in and BB calls. SB has the most chips. Go SB!!! He turns over K junk. BB turns over a Q. SB holds up and knocks out two players and I make the money. I have replayed the hand many times. How does BB reraise with second pair that close to bubble. Good for me I cashed.
Tuesday. Ran my bar game. Made final table and folded my way to 6th. I am in second overall in points. I have been playing well on Tuesdays.
Wednesday. Went to Hinkley for the night. I took a day off of work and met my daughter, her boyfriend, my mother inlaw and father inlaw thier. Hinkley has a $70 buy in with 7500 in starting chips and 50 players. I started really well doubling up by 1st break. I was on the button in one hand and limped with K-5 suited. SB raised about 3 times and there were several callers when it got to me. They was enough chips in pot so I called. Flop is Q-5-4. SB bets out 200 into a pot with 3000 in it. He must have a set of queens. Everyone fold to me. There is so much money in the pot I decide to call the 200 and fold if I don't improve. Turn is a 3 of my suit giving me second pair with a flush draw. He bets 800. Again a very small bet into a big pot, he got queens. I call hoping to catch my flush or fold. River is a 2 not my suit, but it puts 2-3-4-5 on board. I quickly make a value size bet of 1200. He goes wild and folds his queens face up into the muck and goes on tilt about not playing the hand very well. Any way, I win a big hand that I had no business being in the first place. During second hour I have lost a few chips but still a decent stack. I have JJ. Player to my right who is playing tight raises 3 times the blind. I reraise about 2 times her raise. She calls. Flop is K and two unders. She checks. I bet about the pot and she reraises all in. I start taking it out. I don't think she has AK because I am sure she would have bet the flop with it. She must have a monster, so I fold my jacks face up hoping she will show. She shows 2-2 and hit a set on the flop. It was a nice getaway by me but cost me half my chips. Raised a couple of more times and lost and soon was out when I pushed with A-10 and BB had A-Q. There was one 2-6 spread cash game so I sat down for an hour, but it was a waste of time. The only one winning was the casino. Most pots were only $10-15. By the time you tip and pay rake it was a losing proposition. Played a lot of blackjack and hit a nice win on a slot machine to make it a profitable and fun trip.
Friday. Ran my bar game, but don't play in this on. It is a big crowd and they drink a lot, so I feel it's better to not play and play crowd control. LOL! As you all know I am very big on following all the rules when I run a tournament. Last night I did something that may have been right for the game at the time, but after thinking about it I would have done it differently next time. There is an alcoholic that plays every Friday. He drinks a lot and is an any ace guy. If he has an ace he is not folding no matter the situation. He will call off all his chips with nothing but an ace. Last night he had a big chip stack and was bearly function able at the table. I see his hand and he has 10-7 of hearts and flop was 3 hearts. He makes a decent size bet and only one player calls. Everyone on table knows that caller has the ace of hearts. Turn is fourth heart and caller makes a big bet. Any ace guy calls with his flush that he flopped. River is nothing. Ace of hearts guy makes another big bet and of course is called because I had flopped a flush guy wasn't going to lay it down. He turns over his 10-7 and announces that he had flopped it. The other guy turns over his ace and then throws his other card face down in the muck. He is pulling chips in and I say to him. You just mucked your cards. Annie of Annies Aces is on the table and agrees. I decide to let it go with a warning mostly because of who was in the pot. It was the wrong thing to do and if it happens again I will call the cards mucked. It was a night of bizarre happenings, because earlier someone that knows better took their chips with them on break and I should have pulled them but gave a warning. Now both these players made the final table and wouldn't if I have not made the decisions that I had. It just goes to show that there is a lot of responsibilities in being a tournament director and your decisions can effect an out come.
Today is the CMPPA tournament so I am sure that I will have more to write about soon.
Monday - Drove to Milacs to play there $60 buy-in game. The temperature in MN was -5 that day. 18 players due to cold weather with 5 players reentering. They were paying 5 places. I was very card dead all night but did manage a double up with aces in the second hour. Folded a lot with not a lot of hands that I could have won. Made it to final table as one of the short stacks and was waiting to push all in. Did manage to take down the blinds a couple of times, but was down to 2400 chips with blinds at 600-1200 with 7 players left. There was one other player that had 2000 in chips. I am know looking for any ace to push in. I look down at one ace and decide to push in. Player under the gun moves all in. Good I am thinking at least I won't have to play with more then one player. Guy to my right immediately pushes all in. Wow! Now what do I do. I look at my other card and it is a four so I have A-4 suited. I think about it and fold as I have 5 more hands and I must be way behind the way the hand played out. Both players turn over K-Q. What the ????! Of course I would have won the hand and announced it to table. The dealer whom I have known for years says how can I fold my hand. Oh well at least I am not out. Two hands later other short stack moves in and both the blinds call. Both check the flop and it looks like a check down. There was K on flop. Turn brings a Q. Small blind makes a bet and big blind raises. SB moves all in and BB calls. SB has the most chips. Go SB!!! He turns over K junk. BB turns over a Q. SB holds up and knocks out two players and I make the money. I have replayed the hand many times. How does BB reraise with second pair that close to bubble. Good for me I cashed.
Tuesday. Ran my bar game. Made final table and folded my way to 6th. I am in second overall in points. I have been playing well on Tuesdays.
Wednesday. Went to Hinkley for the night. I took a day off of work and met my daughter, her boyfriend, my mother inlaw and father inlaw thier. Hinkley has a $70 buy in with 7500 in starting chips and 50 players. I started really well doubling up by 1st break. I was on the button in one hand and limped with K-5 suited. SB raised about 3 times and there were several callers when it got to me. They was enough chips in pot so I called. Flop is Q-5-4. SB bets out 200 into a pot with 3000 in it. He must have a set of queens. Everyone fold to me. There is so much money in the pot I decide to call the 200 and fold if I don't improve. Turn is a 3 of my suit giving me second pair with a flush draw. He bets 800. Again a very small bet into a big pot, he got queens. I call hoping to catch my flush or fold. River is a 2 not my suit, but it puts 2-3-4-5 on board. I quickly make a value size bet of 1200. He goes wild and folds his queens face up into the muck and goes on tilt about not playing the hand very well. Any way, I win a big hand that I had no business being in the first place. During second hour I have lost a few chips but still a decent stack. I have JJ. Player to my right who is playing tight raises 3 times the blind. I reraise about 2 times her raise. She calls. Flop is K and two unders. She checks. I bet about the pot and she reraises all in. I start taking it out. I don't think she has AK because I am sure she would have bet the flop with it. She must have a monster, so I fold my jacks face up hoping she will show. She shows 2-2 and hit a set on the flop. It was a nice getaway by me but cost me half my chips. Raised a couple of more times and lost and soon was out when I pushed with A-10 and BB had A-Q. There was one 2-6 spread cash game so I sat down for an hour, but it was a waste of time. The only one winning was the casino. Most pots were only $10-15. By the time you tip and pay rake it was a losing proposition. Played a lot of blackjack and hit a nice win on a slot machine to make it a profitable and fun trip.
Friday. Ran my bar game, but don't play in this on. It is a big crowd and they drink a lot, so I feel it's better to not play and play crowd control. LOL! As you all know I am very big on following all the rules when I run a tournament. Last night I did something that may have been right for the game at the time, but after thinking about it I would have done it differently next time. There is an alcoholic that plays every Friday. He drinks a lot and is an any ace guy. If he has an ace he is not folding no matter the situation. He will call off all his chips with nothing but an ace. Last night he had a big chip stack and was bearly function able at the table. I see his hand and he has 10-7 of hearts and flop was 3 hearts. He makes a decent size bet and only one player calls. Everyone on table knows that caller has the ace of hearts. Turn is fourth heart and caller makes a big bet. Any ace guy calls with his flush that he flopped. River is nothing. Ace of hearts guy makes another big bet and of course is called because I had flopped a flush guy wasn't going to lay it down. He turns over his 10-7 and announces that he had flopped it. The other guy turns over his ace and then throws his other card face down in the muck. He is pulling chips in and I say to him. You just mucked your cards. Annie of Annies Aces is on the table and agrees. I decide to let it go with a warning mostly because of who was in the pot. It was the wrong thing to do and if it happens again I will call the cards mucked. It was a night of bizarre happenings, because earlier someone that knows better took their chips with them on break and I should have pulled them but gave a warning. Now both these players made the final table and wouldn't if I have not made the decisions that I had. It just goes to show that there is a lot of responsibilities in being a tournament director and your decisions can effect an out come.
Today is the CMPPA tournament so I am sure that I will have more to write about soon.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Happy New Year
I hope that you all had a great new years eve. Except for having to work early on the first I know that I did. Had a nice time at my brother inlaws celebrating my mother inlaws birthday. It was a quiet fun evening with six of us in attendance. We watched the hangover, ate and had a couple of drinks.
The first members only event of the Central MN Poker Players Assoc. (CMPPA) is this coming weekend the 9th. Membership is $50 per year and gets you into members only tournaments with cash prizes. We will also be doing a few poker classes and do what we can to promote poker in the Central MN area. More info is online at www.cmppa.com
I ran a couple of tournaments this week which were uneventful. I got knocked out in both just before final tables. Cards were a little cold and was able to last by making good plays.
This has been more of a bowling week for me. In had league on Monday night and my son filled in again for one of my teammates. It was the end of the first half and as usual the lane condition was different again and everyone bowled bad. Yesterday I went and bowled a local tournament that only allows you to use one bowling ball for the whole tournament and puts different lane conditions on 8 different lanes. It was quite a challange. My daughter and I bowled with my son watching. He was in 1st place after the first few weeks. I bowled very well and am in 1st place with one day to go, so hopefully I will hang on and win the $400 1st prize.
Today is my Jr Traveling tournament, the CMJTT. www.cmjtt.com for more info. It is the start of my 9th year running these youth bowling tournaments. The kids pay an entry fee and get payed in college scholarship money. Last year I gave away over $8000 in scholarships.
My wife is recovering from her surgery and is getting a little bored at home. I don't think she realized how much I am gone each week between work and running poker tournaments. I do seem to be busy all the time which I like. It's too bad that none of these things make me very much money. LOL! Sorry honey. Who knows maybe someday it will all payoff.
Here's to us all having a prosperous 2010!
The first members only event of the Central MN Poker Players Assoc. (CMPPA) is this coming weekend the 9th. Membership is $50 per year and gets you into members only tournaments with cash prizes. We will also be doing a few poker classes and do what we can to promote poker in the Central MN area. More info is online at www.cmppa.com
I ran a couple of tournaments this week which were uneventful. I got knocked out in both just before final tables. Cards were a little cold and was able to last by making good plays.
This has been more of a bowling week for me. In had league on Monday night and my son filled in again for one of my teammates. It was the end of the first half and as usual the lane condition was different again and everyone bowled bad. Yesterday I went and bowled a local tournament that only allows you to use one bowling ball for the whole tournament and puts different lane conditions on 8 different lanes. It was quite a challange. My daughter and I bowled with my son watching. He was in 1st place after the first few weeks. I bowled very well and am in 1st place with one day to go, so hopefully I will hang on and win the $400 1st prize.
Today is my Jr Traveling tournament, the CMJTT. www.cmjtt.com for more info. It is the start of my 9th year running these youth bowling tournaments. The kids pay an entry fee and get payed in college scholarship money. Last year I gave away over $8000 in scholarships.
My wife is recovering from her surgery and is getting a little bored at home. I don't think she realized how much I am gone each week between work and running poker tournaments. I do seem to be busy all the time which I like. It's too bad that none of these things make me very much money. LOL! Sorry honey. Who knows maybe someday it will all payoff.
Here's to us all having a prosperous 2010!
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