The Big Letdown

Last Saturday was the 20 seat WSOP freeroll on FullTilt. I worked hard for a month putting in tons of hours on FullTilt to accumulate 10,000 pts to qualify. It would not be my day.

With about 680 entries it would be a 34-1 shot at getting a seat. I decided that I would need to loosen up a bit early and try to get some chips rather then waiting till the blinds got large to start making moves. Not my typical tournament strategy, but at 34-1 some adjustments were required. I played some extra hands and watched my chip stack slowly go down. There was a maniac about 3 to my right that was constantly raising preflop and then trying to push people off hands. I call one of his preflop raises with AJ. Flop comes QJx, and I call him down to win a nice pot and get up to about 2300 in chips (2000 to start). I bleed off some more chips, and call him again with AJs in a blind. One other caller as well. Flop comes J high two clubs (I have hearts), and I check planning to check raise. Other guy checks and maniac bets 300 as planned. I check raise to 600, other guy pushes all-in, and the maniac calls. I have over 1/3 of my chips in play, but I have to let this one go. Other guy has a set of 5s, maniac has a J and the flush draw. Flush draw hits on the river. I can dodge bullets, but my stack is starting to get crippled. With about 1200 in chips and blinds at 30/60 I pick up JJ and open for $225 and get one caller. I am planning on pushing if the flop is low. Flop comes Qxx, and from out of position I make a $320 continuation bet. Other guy reraises enough to put me all-in. If I fold I am down to 700 in chips and will need to triple up just to get back where I started. If I call and win, I will have about 2600 in chips which is about average. An A or K on the flop would have scared me more then a Q. I figure there's a decent shot I am still ahead, and that if I fold, I would be about 100-1 on getting a seat. I call and other guy has AQ. I am out in the first 1/2 hour. I hate tournaments! In a cash game, I can let that go easy, but Tournaments require you to play stupid at times.

I played in an OCPT special event tourney on Friday night. We had 16 entries and a $760 prize pool. I was hanging in there early against a very aggressive table. I raise 4x preflop and get a couple of callers. Flop comes KQ5, and I reraise an early position better. We end up going all-in, and the other guy has Q5, and I have to rebuy. These fish are playing like this and its working! Chris, is playing like a maniac. He is calling all-ins with any two cards and sucking out like mad. He is also raising a lot and pushing people around. I am begging to get in a hand with him. I get all-in preflop vs. Ken with AQ vs. AJ, and he sucks out a four flush. Another rebuy, and I never seem to do well in these things when I rebuy a lot before the break. The Final table forms shortly after the break. I am sitting on about 410 chips after the add-on.

Maniac Chris opens for 300 (blinds 20/40), and I pick up AK. I would much rather make a big reraise with AK and get called by Chris, then call his big preflop raise. I put him on a small pocket pair or possibly a decent Ace. I figure I have a coinflip at worse, and a double-up would put me in great position to go deep. My stack is actually a little light due to all of the other rebuys. I make the call. For some reason we end up tabling our cards even though, I am not all-in yet. Chris has 88. I miss the flop, Chris puts me all-in and I fold. I go all-in a few hands later with K8o as the blinds approach. Ryan calls with KQ, and Chris calls with Q5. LOL. Well at least my 8 is live for the triple up. I end up catching the 8 on the river, but it fills Chris's gutshot, and me and Ryan are eliminated. That guy must have a horseshoe up his ass, and has a massive chip lead when I go home. The only saving grace was, he donked it off and ended up getting 5th, for a small payout. Larry who hosted, ended up rallying back for the win and a $300.