SmoothCaller Plays a Big One at the Rio
So here we are - my first blog since last week's WSOP trip. I'm a little behind, and have no great excuses - just been swamped with the ol' 9-5 work and getting back into the swing of being home again.
My "big one at the Rio" is the $225 daily cash tourney they run each night at 11:00 pm during the Series. I got into it last year on a single-table $50 satellite and had so much fun that I had looked forward to it all year. Of course, Harrah's is looking to rake maximum buck this time, so their smallest SNG's were $175...winner takes $1500 in entry chips plus $120. Not a bad outlay at all, but the lines were horrible and we spotted quite a few pros lurking about the tables (our friend sat right next to Stacey Matuson, with Umberto Brenes backed up behind her). So I decided to pass on those and just buy right in.
Thursday night was our second night in Vegas, and Texter and I were still recovering from our marathon 1/2 NL session at the Palms from the night before. He'll tell you all about it, but let's just say it was one for the books. After getting to be at 8:30 that morning and sleeping 'til 2, I was slightly less energized to play that night. But as the day wore on I felt the itch creepin' in...so after dinner with Dad, Texter, and his wife at Noodles in Bellagio (great food by the way), and about 30 minutes at the UltimateBet party, I hurried over to the Rio...
...only to stand in line with about 20 other people. Some were registering for the next day's Main Event, some for that night's $225. I finally sat down at 11:30, at the start of the second round - $25/50 blinds. Even though they only give you $1K in chips, the 30 minute rounds are nice for some added play. Still, you have to accumulate chips early or you're pretty much done. With 180 total players, top 18 paying out, and first prize of $12K, it was on.
My first table was pretty easy to read. No real crafty players, and a lady who loved to check-raise with the nuts. Directly on my left was that guy we all know - Mr. "I love to lay down big hands to show how smart I am". So he's talking the whole time, laughing and commenting about other people's play, and I'm figuring him out. About 40 minutes into play, the player across from me picks up AA and shows it after a big pre-flop re-raise. I made some comment about how I'd love to see those as I'd had to throw pretty much everything away so far. Mr. Folder on my left had earphones, but I know he heard me.
Very next hand I look down at the best thing I've seen all night - pocket 7's. In mid position, with about 750 in chips left and one caller, I push. Mr. Fold takes out his earphones and just sighs real huge..."Oh man, did you pick up those aces??" The call was about half his stack and the longer he took the more I expected a call and a race. "I don't know how I can get away from this hand!" he kept saying as he played with his chips. He studied me, groaned, and finally, after what seemed like an eternity, folded. Once everyone thankfully folded around to me, he said, "show me the aces - I folded Queens." So I happily turned over the 7's. After about 3 other people asked him why the hell he didn't call, myself included, he went into a huge rant about my neck pulse going crazy and how I pulled off the greatest acting job of all time. If he says so...I was just freakin' happy to pick up the blinds and antes.
After that I went on a big rush - knocked out 66 with my 10-10, busted QJ with KQ, and got moved about 4 more times over the next 3 hours. My stack was up to around $6K and there were 40 players left, so I felt really good about my chances. Then as luck would have it, Mr. Fold gets moved back to my left. He said, "You owe me!" and I promised to pay him his $225 buy-in if I won the whole enchilada. He laughed and got back to folding. Just a few hands later I pick up AK UTG and push it in - at this point, there was about $650 in the pot pre-flop, so I'm happy to take it down right there, and my table was pretty tentative anyway. Here we go again...Mr. Fold looks up at me and asked "Big Pair?" I just pull up my jacket collar to cover my neck pulse and stare forward. After an eternity, he again folds and I rake the pot. "I had 10-10, and was just hoping you had something like AK..but your pair had me dominated." If he only knew...I threw those right in the muck and applauded his astute reading capabilities.
That was to be the end of my domination as I dwindled down to $3600 with the blinds at $300/600 and a $75 ante. With 26 players left, and an M of about 2 (if you don't know about 'M' run out right now and pick up Harrington on Holdem - better yet, signup with one of our sites and get it free! ;) ), I picked up 44 in early position and shove it all in. Two big stacks call me with AQ and AJ, and spike one of the remaining two Aces to send me packing. I've pondered this play for awhile now, and decided I'd do it again. While racing for your tournament life is never fun, you have to push your edges near the bubble sometimes, especially when the blinds are running you down.
So 4.5 hours later, the long walk back to the Gold Coast never seemed so.......long! But I was happy with the way I played and knew that I got lucky a few times to make it even that far.
No big deal. Time for some sleep to get ready to wander the Main Event on Friday.
My "big one at the Rio" is the $225 daily cash tourney they run each night at 11:00 pm during the Series. I got into it last year on a single-table $50 satellite and had so much fun that I had looked forward to it all year. Of course, Harrah's is looking to rake maximum buck this time, so their smallest SNG's were $175...winner takes $1500 in entry chips plus $120. Not a bad outlay at all, but the lines were horrible and we spotted quite a few pros lurking about the tables (our friend sat right next to Stacey Matuson, with Umberto Brenes backed up behind her). So I decided to pass on those and just buy right in.
Thursday night was our second night in Vegas, and Texter and I were still recovering from our marathon 1/2 NL session at the Palms from the night before. He'll tell you all about it, but let's just say it was one for the books. After getting to be at 8:30 that morning and sleeping 'til 2, I was slightly less energized to play that night. But as the day wore on I felt the itch creepin' in...so after dinner with Dad, Texter, and his wife at Noodles in Bellagio (great food by the way), and about 30 minutes at the UltimateBet party, I hurried over to the Rio...
...only to stand in line with about 20 other people. Some were registering for the next day's Main Event, some for that night's $225. I finally sat down at 11:30, at the start of the second round - $25/50 blinds. Even though they only give you $1K in chips, the 30 minute rounds are nice for some added play. Still, you have to accumulate chips early or you're pretty much done. With 180 total players, top 18 paying out, and first prize of $12K, it was on.
My first table was pretty easy to read. No real crafty players, and a lady who loved to check-raise with the nuts. Directly on my left was that guy we all know - Mr. "I love to lay down big hands to show how smart I am". So he's talking the whole time, laughing and commenting about other people's play, and I'm figuring him out. About 40 minutes into play, the player across from me picks up AA and shows it after a big pre-flop re-raise. I made some comment about how I'd love to see those as I'd had to throw pretty much everything away so far. Mr. Folder on my left had earphones, but I know he heard me.
Very next hand I look down at the best thing I've seen all night - pocket 7's. In mid position, with about 750 in chips left and one caller, I push. Mr. Fold takes out his earphones and just sighs real huge..."Oh man, did you pick up those aces??" The call was about half his stack and the longer he took the more I expected a call and a race. "I don't know how I can get away from this hand!" he kept saying as he played with his chips. He studied me, groaned, and finally, after what seemed like an eternity, folded. Once everyone thankfully folded around to me, he said, "show me the aces - I folded Queens." So I happily turned over the 7's. After about 3 other people asked him why the hell he didn't call, myself included, he went into a huge rant about my neck pulse going crazy and how I pulled off the greatest acting job of all time. If he says so...I was just freakin' happy to pick up the blinds and antes.
After that I went on a big rush - knocked out 66 with my 10-10, busted QJ with KQ, and got moved about 4 more times over the next 3 hours. My stack was up to around $6K and there were 40 players left, so I felt really good about my chances. Then as luck would have it, Mr. Fold gets moved back to my left. He said, "You owe me!" and I promised to pay him his $225 buy-in if I won the whole enchilada. He laughed and got back to folding. Just a few hands later I pick up AK UTG and push it in - at this point, there was about $650 in the pot pre-flop, so I'm happy to take it down right there, and my table was pretty tentative anyway. Here we go again...Mr. Fold looks up at me and asked "Big Pair?" I just pull up my jacket collar to cover my neck pulse and stare forward. After an eternity, he again folds and I rake the pot. "I had 10-10, and was just hoping you had something like AK..but your pair had me dominated." If he only knew...I threw those right in the muck and applauded his astute reading capabilities.
That was to be the end of my domination as I dwindled down to $3600 with the blinds at $300/600 and a $75 ante. With 26 players left, and an M of about 2 (if you don't know about 'M' run out right now and pick up Harrington on Holdem - better yet, signup with one of our sites and get it free! ;) ), I picked up 44 in early position and shove it all in. Two big stacks call me with AQ and AJ, and spike one of the remaining two Aces to send me packing. I've pondered this play for awhile now, and decided I'd do it again. While racing for your tournament life is never fun, you have to push your edges near the bubble sometimes, especially when the blinds are running you down.
So 4.5 hours later, the long walk back to the Gold Coast never seemed so.......long! But I was happy with the way I played and knew that I got lucky a few times to make it even that far.
No big deal. Time for some sleep to get ready to wander the Main Event on Friday.
posted by Texter at
1:05 PM
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