I Have Been Astined

I am not an English lit. major so I have no idea if I am using the correct form of "Astined", but I think I know what it must feel like to be him. The deck hit me pretty hard in last nights riverchasers event. I got AA 4 times, KK twice, and quite a few other big hands. I did not really get paid off big with the big hands as I had to manage the pot size a few times, but it kept me in the ballpark for a late run at the final table to the title. I was playing a lot more aggressive late than I normally play, but I was getting a bunch of medium strong hands, that I am comfortable raising preflop. I think I raised preflop 5 times straight at one point with three tables left.

Having said all this, I think I was still playing very well. I made some huge laydowns, and folded a bunch of hands preflop when we were shorthanded, that most people would go right to war with. I got heads-up with AlCantHang, and he had a big lead, but I made some semi-heroic all-in calls, and it was over very fast. Below are my stats from the tourney. In about 300 hands, I only showed losing cards twice (not to bad). Still a pretty tight 12% of flops even while being Astined.

I guess all of the key hands were very late. I was last at one point with two tables remaining, but rallied back to a decent stack. I had a pretty good read on BuddyDanks raising range, and I pushed all-in for 18k+ over a 4,500 open. I had a good but not great hand, but I thought I could push him off, and we would be coinflipping otherwise. He folded. On the next hand, there was an open push for 10k, and I had QQ and smooth called. There were about 4 behind, so this may not have been the best play (Pushing was the other option), but I guess I was going for a near triple up. That has to be scary when I smooth call that big of a bet preflop with my image, and the rest of the table folded as a result. Open pusher had ATo, and my QQ held and I took over the chip lead. At that point I played it the way I always do when I have chips late, which is very different than most people play it. I sat back and picked my spots, rather than get overly aggressive and donking off my chips. This has worked for me many a time, and it worked again last night. I am basically hanging around until we get to 3-4 handed, but willing to scrap if I think I have the best of it. I play very shorthanded (2-4) pretty well, and shorthanded (5-7) not so well, so I guess I am minimizing my weakness as much as possible. We got down to three handed, and the three key hands are listed below.

Full Tilt Poker Game #2930933594: Riverchasers Online Poker Tour (22093219), Table 6 - 1000/2000 Ante 250 - No Limit Hold'em - 0:25:06 ET - 2007/07/13
Seat 3: Blinders (27,343)
Seat 7: AlCantHang (107,601)
Seat 8: jade2002 (24,056)
Blinders antes 250
AlCantHang antes 250
jade2002 antes 250
AlCantHang posts the small blind of 1,000
jade2002 posts the big blind of 2,000
The button is in seat #3
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Blinders [Ac Ks]
Blinders raises to 6,000
AlCantHang folds
jade2002 raises to 23,806, and is all in
Blinders calls 17,806
jade2002 shows [Ts Tc]
Blinders shows [Ac Ks]
*** FLOP *** [Ah 8c Qh]
*** TURN *** [Ah 8c Qh] [9d]
*** RIVER *** [Ah 8c Qh 9d] [8d]
jade2002 shows two pair, Tens and Eights
Blinders shows two pair, Aces and Eights
Blinders wins the pot (49,362) with two pair, Aces and Eights
jade2002 stands up

Not much to talk about there. The hand basically played itself.

Full Tilt Poker Game #2930938411: Riverchasers Online Poker Tour (22093219), Table 6 - 1000/2000 Ante 250 - No Limit Hold'em - 0:25:36 ET - 2007/07/13
Seat 3: Blinders (52,649)
Seat 7: AlCantHang (106,351)
Blinders antes 250
AlCantHang antes 250
AlCantHang posts the small blind of 1,000
Blinders posts the big blind of 2,000
The button is in seat #7
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Blinders [Td 8c]
AlCantHang: crap
Blinders: gg
AlCantHang has 15 seconds left to act
AlCantHang: now i'm dead
AlCantHang raises to 5,000
Blinders calls 3,000

I am not folding T8 heads up this deep to that sized raise.

*** FLOP *** [Qs Tc 6c]
Blinders checks

Figure I am good, and Al will c-bet

AlCantHang checks

He let me down

*** TURN *** [Qs Tc 6c] [9h]
Blinders bets 7,000

Time to extract some value

AlCantHang raises to 101,101, and is all in

I was not a believer here. All c-bets the Queen I am pretty sure, and he does not push with a monster. I figure he has the 9 or the 9 gave him a good draw, and make a pretty quick call for my entire stack.

Blinders calls 40,399, and is all in
AlCantHang shows [9c Ks]
Blinders shows [Td 8c]
Uncalled bet of 53,702 returned to AlCantHang
*** RIVER *** [Qs Tc 6c 9h] [4s]
AlCantHang shows a pair of Nines
Blinders shows a pair of Tens
Blinders wins the pot (105,298) with a pair of Tens

Full Tilt Poker Game #2930949278: Riverchasers Online Poker Tour (22093219), Table 6 - 1200/2400 Ante 300 - No Limit Hold'em - 0:26:42 ET - 2007/07/13
Seat 3: Blinders (107,998)
Seat 7: AlCantHang (51,002)
Blinders antes 300
AlCantHang antes 300
AlCantHang posts the small blind of 1,200
Blinders posts the big blind of 2,400
The button is in seat #7
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Blinders [Qd 8h]
AlCantHang: i've never claimed to be a poker player
AlCantHang has 15 seconds left to act
AlCantHang raises to 4,800
Blinders calls 2,400

Can't fold that to a min-raise heads-up

*** FLOP *** [8s 6c As]
Blinders checks
AlCantHang bets 45,902, and is all in

Again, I don't see him pushing with the Ace. If I am wrong, I am dead, but am willing to take the chance and end it now.

Blinders calls 45,902
AlCantHang shows [8d 7s]
Blinders shows [Qd 8h]
*** TURN *** [8s 6c As] [Qc]
*** RIVER *** [8s 6c As Qc] [6s]
AlCantHang shows two pair, Eights and Sixes
Blinders shows two pair, Queens and Eights
Blinders wins the pot (102,004) with two pair, Queens and Eights
AlCantHang stands up

I think Al played great the whole way, and even played these last two hands very well. I just had the luck on my side plus was getting Astined left and right. It felt great.