tilted behaviour

I was hoping that today would be a long day of poker as I was playing two events . . . and boy was I right!

Arriving at Crown for the midday Event 6: $125 No Limit Holdem, I took my seat in the main side of the tournament floor grouped with some real obvious amateur players – and with a 10,000-chip starting bank and 20-minute levels – I was hoping to exploit this.

Early on I raised to 325 holding A♣ Q♠ after three players limped in for 50. One limper plus the big blind came along, and on a A♠ 10♠ 2♠ flop the big blind checked and the limper fired out 500. I made it 1,375 to prompt a fold from the big blind and a call from the limper. I really was unsure where I sat in the hand after he called the raise; maybe he had two pair or possibly Ace-King, and when he checked the 9♦ on the turn I checked behind. The river fell a repeating deuce, and I totally missed value here when he rolled over A♦ J♠.

Now up to 12,000, that would soon rocket to 20,000 after playing a fairly sizeable pot with Aces against Ace-Queen and King-Queen on a Queen-high board. I then moved up to 24,000 after eliminating a player holding A♥ Q♥ after all the money went in preflop against his 10♠ 8♠.

I went fairly card-dead and was unable to squeeze or do anything due to the limp and stack-off happy players on the table until I found a double with Ace-King against Ace-Jack with 120 players remaining. ‘Carwash’ George Cotaidis was moved to my table, and thankfully it livened things up as I had someone to exchange friendly banter with while the cards remained . . . dead!

As the structure jumps speed up, I found myself with just eight big blinds, and pushed after finding J♥ J♣ under the gun. Carwash made the call next to speak with A♦ Q♠, and when the A♥ landed on the flop I was eliminated from the tournament in 78th/257 place.

I only had an hour break before the next tournament began and decided to grab some dinner before taking my seat in Event 8: $340 No Limit Holdem Terminator.

Every player had a $100 bounty on their hand, but with a 15,000-chip starting bank and 30-minute levels you would think it would be hard to accumulate terminator buttons in the early going . . . however the action was quick and fast.

My starting table featured Vic Champs Champion Albert Amato, The Poker Star contestant Sally Snow and Steve Topakas. So right off the bat I had something to look at (Sally obviously . . . and not Steve LOL), and people to talk too.

The play early on was terribly! Players opening to 8x and getting six callers etc. Both Albert and I just looked at each other shaking our heads. I just tried to remain tight and solid early due to the loose nature of the table, but managed to chip up to 16,900 when I called a preflop raise with A♥ 8♥ and check-raised an Ace-high flop in a multi-way pot.

It wouldn’t be until the sixth level until I found a hand after a player limped for 400 and I made it 1,500 with Q♦ Q♠. A player that had been playing very loose and seeing a lot of flops then made it 5,000 from the button to put the action back on me. I only 12,700 left in my stack and was unsure of where I sat in the hand, but felt that I was ahead most of the time. I decided to ship it in, but when he rolled over Kings, I was sick to my stomach . . . well until a Queen-ball landed on the flop . . . bad play, but a bit of luck doesn’t hurt!

Then – like most tournaments of late – I decided that peddling an eight big blind stack would be great fun, and proceeded to peddle for about three hours. Paul Rochford and Nobbi Tanaka were both moved to my table with a substantial chip stack each and played with ruthless aggression. With forty-odd players remaining a player in early position shoved all in holding Ace-Queen and I made the call from the big blind with Ace-King. We both flopped an Ace and I raked in the pot only to leave him with a single 500-denomination chip as I chipped up to 52,500 – of course someone else would take his $100 bounty with some junk hand two hands later.

An orbit later I looked down at A♦ A♠ under the gun and made it 7,500 to go with blinds at 1500-3000. Albert was the only caller, and when the 2♠ 3♥ 5♠ flop fell I thought for a little before pushing out a bet of 9,500. Albert called, and when the 6♦ landed on the turn I paused for around thirty seconds before checking. Albert pushed all in, and I quickly called to be ahead of his 10♠ 10♦. The river blanked and I had soared to 106,500 in chips.

However once we were just a table away from the money, play really began to stall. Nobbi played super aggressive and three-bet anytime I opened lightly. With just twenty-five players remaining play stalled for about ninety-minutes, and that was also timed with a dead run of cards. Now with just twenty-two players remaining – and just two spots off the money – the fellow short-stack on the table pushed all in. I had 8,000 committed in the big blind and only 30,000 or so behind and decided to make the call holding 6♦ 6♠ knowing that I would be unable to limp to the money. Unfortunately he rolled over Jacks and I was unable to catch my two-outer like earlier and exited the tournament in 22nd/213 players at the ripe old time of about 5am in the morning – all just to bubble and receive no terminator buttons!

With a Twenty20 Cricket match that day, I decided to drive back to Geelong to get some rest in my own bed.

I headed into Crown early today . . . well early for me as it was just after Midday . . . to take care of my poker urge.

I sat down on a $2-3NLH table with my $200 and turned it into $302 in about thirty minutes after making two-pair against two players. Peter Aristidou and George Cotaidis were cashing out and asked me join them for some lunch before they played the PokerNews Cup Super Satellite at 2pm.

The Super Satellite was a direct satellite into the PokerNews Cup Main Event with a buy-in of $70 with $50 rebuys. I sat down with $300 worth of $25-denomination chips just in case I felt like getting a bit crazy with the rebuys.

I was in for one rebuy before slowly chipping up nicely before being rivered in a huge pot by Karl Krautschneider when he made a flush against my top pair. Once the rebuy period had ended I decide to do a triple add-on for $150 to see my stack soar to around 9,000 from the original 1,000.

From then onwards I played fairly solid poker before being moved to the feature table with just twenty of the original forty-two players remaining. I then lost the majority of my chips to an old Asian guy when I turned the nut-straight in a raised pot and he turned a flush.

Both Peter and I made the final table along with the old Asian guy, Joe Cabret, cash game player Crazy John and a handful of weak players.

I offered an Insurance Swap with Peter whereby if one of us wins a seat then we pay the non-seat winner a sum – in this case $250. Peter turned it down, and we went straight into the final table with myself sitting fairly low on chips.

I lost a key flip with nines against King-Ten and was left with just one big blind. I waited several hands until finding sixes in early position and managed a near triple. Eventually as play hit six-handed we made a deal whereby the $1560 put away for forth was split $560 for fourth and $500 for fifth and sixth. Being the shortest of the players I was happy to agree, and getting the insurance for my efforts so far was better than a kick in the ass.

With nothing really to lose I started getting really aggressive shoving at any chance I could get to add to my stack. I built it up to around 30k with blinds at 3,000-6,000 as we lost the old Asian guy in fifth. I continued my aggression – especially pushing on Crazy John’s big blind – until the action was folded round to me in the small and I sweated a red Ace. I moved all in and Crazy John instantly called turning over fours. I peeked down to see another red Ace and was more than ecstatic at the possibility of locking up another seat for the Main Event.

Alas . . . not one, but both of the fours would land on the flop and turn to see me bubble for a seat yet again – but at least this time I would collect some money for my efforts.

As most of you know, I won my seat to the 2009 Melbourne Poker Championships Main Event via a $50+5 satellite . . . and today is D-DAY!

After being hooked up with a swag of Full Tilt gear, I geared up, stuck some patches on my Tilted Behaviour jumper and made my way downstairs to tackle the felt. Once at my table, I was seated with a fellow online qualifier, as well as Eugene Poudel, Joe Cabret and ‘Carwash’ George Cotaidis along with fellow PokerNetworker’s Luke ‘Eddy’ Edwards and John ‘JCSydney’ Caridad (on my right and left respectively).

With a 20,000-chip starting bank and 40-minute levels and an expected 800-plus field I was always going to try and chip up and give myself the best chance of collecting a payout just that little bigger then Heath’s from the other day! However things didn’t get off to a good start when I made it 175 after a limper holding A♣ K♦. Joe Cabret bumped it to 475 from the small blind, and once the limper passed I made it 1,350 to go. Cabret then pushed it further to 3,750 total and I was put to a decision. My thinking was that if I six-bet to say 8,000 I can probably make Jacks and worst fold; however due to the Repechage nature of the tournament Cabret may gamble.

I eventually mucked and received a tap on the back (from myself) as Cabret later said he had Kings. Near the end of the level I missed a straight draw with two over’s in a raised pot and finished the first level with 17,425.

I opened the first pot of the 50-100 level with 5♣ 5♠ and folded on the flop, however next hand I was dealt 9♥ 9♣ and continued my typically laggy approach opening to 250. Cabret was my only caller on the button and when the 9♠ 3♠ 2♥ flop fell he called by 325-chip bet. When the 5♦ fell on the turn I didn’t give him too much credit for a straight, but knew he was capable of making a play if he sensed weakness. Consequently I lead out for around half pot to 600, and was near immediately raised to 2,600. I wanted to get as much money in the pot as possible from Cabret if he was bluffing, and unless I filled up I wasn’t planning on raising. I splashed the pot with my call and when the K♥ came on the river I quickly checked before Cabret made it 3,000 to go. I called and raked in the pot to push over 23,000 when Cabret tabled his losing K♦ Q♦.

I played Jacks out of the big blind really bad when an all diamond Ace-high flop fell, and let the preflop raiser take the pot holding a smaller pair with a straight-draw and position. In the next level I took down a nice pot when I flatted Cabret on the button with K♠ K♣ with Caridad also coming along from the small blind. The flop of K♦ Q♦ 9♣ was checked to me to see my bet of 1,100 only called by Caridad. I think I may have missed some (to a lot) of value here when we both checked the 3♥ on the turn to see the 5♠ land on the river. I was soft so I just called his 3,500-chip bet on the river to see him table A♦ 8♦ for a busted flush draw.

Now up to 30,000 I was dealt A♣ J♦ on the final hand before the break and opened to 500 finding two callers including ‘Carwash’ George Cotaidis. The flop fell down A♠ 8♠ J♥ and my 1,200 bet was called just by Cotaidis, and when the 6♥ fell on the turn he also called by 3,500-chip bet. The river landed the 3♠ and I checked, as did Cotaidis. Now thinking I was definitely good I rolled my cards only to be shocked to see Cotaidis table a set of eights as I slipped to 23,000.

The next level I barely played a hand until the final one when I limped behind three other limpers holding Q♥ 10♥ in the cutoff. Caridad bumped it up to 1,600, and once everyone passed, I made the call. The flop fell down A♦ 8♥ 9♦ and I checked to Caridad who fired for 3,000. Yeah yeah I understand all I have is a gutshot, but I really felt I was ahead in the hand and decided to call and float, while also planning on taking the pot away from him on the turn. I really didn’t like the K♣ on the turn and checked to Caridad who moved all in for around 9,000. I tanked for over four minutes debating to call with just Queen-high . . . and let me say for the record that I was not Hollywooding! Eventually I mucked after my kahuna’s shrunk up into my stomach . . . and they kept going when Caridad tabled J♦ 10♦ for just Jack-high (but with a massive combo-draw)!

Now down to 17,000 I missed my nut flush draw against a 10-high flush draw; however he rivered a pair to take the pot. On the final hand of the level I folded top pair when a player put me all in for tournament life, and after getting called time on me I folded for him to show me an over-pair of kings. During the 200-400 (25) level I stole a few blinds and ante’s to see me sneak my 12,000-chip stack into the 300-600 (50) level. Five hands in Cotaidis min-raised in middle position and was met with one call before Edwards made it 5,200 out of the small blind. I looked down at A♣ A♦ in the big blind, stacked my chips, checked them once more and slid my stack in. Cotaidis and the caller folded as Edwards stated, “I have to call” and tabled Q♠ Q♥. The flop of course brought a queen and I headed to the rail!

Melbourne Poker Championships – Main Event Chip Stack Graph

Overall I was fairly happy with the way I played. I got unlucky in the end, but that’s just poker for you, and it didn’t bother me too much.

I think that keeping a live hand history, although time consuming, is still a benefit and aid to improving my game as I have an avenue of review. I can see which levels I may be leaking chips and which I need to pick things up. Hopefully one day it may be a several day hand history that includes a final table, a tournament win and a nice WSOP bracelet.

Make sure to keep checking Tilted Behaviour as we wrap up the Melbourne Championships with the conclusion of the Main Event as well as my Eight Steps of Enlightenment and near-daily recaps from the 2009 World Series of Poker!