DADI Does Vegas

I played in the DADI Blogger tournament Monday night. I made a pretty good run, but fell a little short as usual. My first table was 7 handed initially, with a guy two to my left sitting out. I was getting decent cards, but not great early on. I was playing hyper-aggressive with my decent cards and managed to win 12 of the first 40 hands at the table, while only going to showdown once. I was stealing the blinds, stealing from the guy sitting out. Restealing from guys trying to steal from the sitting out guy, and bluffing post flop quite a bit. Not really my normal early tournament routine, but I had established a great table image while running my stack up to about 3700 early. If I could catch a big hand, I was going to get paid big time, as I am sure the rest of the table figured they were on to me. Unfortunately, I got pulled of the table before I could make a big score.

I get moved to a new table, and started catching some great cards after about 1o minutes. I make a standard preflop raise with TT, and a shortsack pushes in over the top. I call, and my TT holds up against A9o. I get AK, and raise with 2 callers, flop Broadway, and win a nice pot. I pick up KK early, make a standard raise and a shorty goes all-in with the hammer. I call and luckily win when Aces pair on the board to fight off a 2 that flopped and 7 that rivered. My stack is now north of 10k, and I am in 3rd place. There were 78 entries.

I get moved to a new table. This ones got Bobby Bracelet. I chat it up with him a little bit, asking him why he is not 5 or 6 times confirmed after the infamous mansion party. He responds that "Thrice Confirmed Huge Junk" rolls off the tounge better. I don't want his junk rolling off my tongue that's for sure. I pick up AK, and make a standard raise. Bobby calls. Flop comes K high rainbow and I make a standard continuation bet. Bobby pushes and I call. He has KJ, and does not get help. Ooops, I just knocked out Bobby Bracelet. We get to the second break, and I am sitting nicely in 4th place, and playing very well.
















The third hour would not be so kind to me. When the blinds get big things really have to go your way, as there is little room for error. I get blinded down to about 9500 in chips. Blinds are 200/400, 6-handed and I pick up 88 one off UTG. I make it 1500. One caller from late position. Flop comes down KTx and I am hating the flop. Caller has about 3800 left, and I have him easily covered. There is enough in the pot that I feel I have to make a stab at it. I bet 2000 which is half the other guys stack. I figure if I am ahead he has to fold, but if he pushes he really has to be ahead, because he has to figure I am going to call 1800 more with a pot that big. Other guy pushes, and I fold as planned. Other guy shows a set of tens. I am amazed I didn't give him a full double-up. My stack is down to about 6200, and I am in trouble for the first time in the tournament. I get moved to a pretty tough table when we get down to 12 players. Preflop raises on nearly every hand, and I am pretty card dead. I get blinded down to 4500 in chips, and push-in early with A4o. I get called by QTs and my lead holds up. Whew, I am back to 9500 and have bought some time. I am still card dead. Blinds now 400/800 with 11 players left. My stack is back down to 4900. My M is about 3, and my effective M is about 1.5 on this 5 handed table. I am going to have to make a move here, If I want any shot of making the final table. It folds to me in the SB, and I have 95s. Not really the hand I am looking for, but I have pot odds if the BB is not paired. Also, I still have enough of a stack for folding equity. I push, and Drizz tanks. I really think he is going to fold, but he calls with KTo. Bummer, he had a decent hand. Anything less and I think he folds there. I don't catch help and am eliminated in 11th place. I still like the move I made there. If I can continue to make those types of moves, I will break through one of these times.