Sick and Re-sick

OK, I am officially gutted.

I decide to play the second $1500 WSOP event. I was slightly undecided after a very bad day at Caesar’s yesterday – two tournaments for no result and a shocker in the $2/5 cash games.

However, I’m here for the series so I reckon it is the right thing to do. After leaving Barry at Caesar’s where he is deep in the $550 mega-stack and playing well, I head to the Rio and buy in.

Good decision as they are near to capacity and probably will sell out before I would get there in the morning.

Actually I am feeling good about my over/under on the main event runners now – got $100 with Barry and $50 with CharlieT – I’m on 7,500+.

Anyway, I get some sleep and set off a little behind schedule. As I get in the cab there is a shout from the taxi line “I need to get to the Rio for the World Series!” I signal “OK” and my fellow player hops in. She picks up the cab fare (I did offer), which is a nice save.

I think the LV taxis are fairly reasonable but since you have to take a cab everywhere, the fares don’t half add up!

Turns out she is on the table next to me. That’s coincidences for you.

Anyway, I am feeling good for this one and make steady progress. I have learned something from the prior tournaments this trip and play better positionally and also value bet my good non-nut hands much better. I am also careful not to put my whole tournament in jeopardy without a very good spot. I fold AQ at least twice to a re-raise. Once I did so having put 35% of my chips in already and I fight back from there till a key moment arrives.

A new player arrives and after observing for a couple of rounds I see he is making a lot of open raises in position. I pick up pocket 9s when he makes it 900 to play (150/300/25). I like my hand against his range and I push for 3,750 more. Folded back to him. I am totally at ease with my move whatever happens, so I just stare into space and wait. He dwells and calls with AQo(not a good call in my opinion). The flop comes 9 high and I am on nearly 10k. Happy days!

I am playing well, I feel. I have a good image at the table – the only hands I have shown are this pocket 9s hand and pocket Kings (bit of a sickener – lost to KTo who hit running cards to river a straight – he was a short stack fortunately).

The antes are now getting significant (200/400/50) and so I am making selective raises in position to sweep up the pre-flop money. I am making smaller raises than I used to – something I have learned works well.

I am 5th to act with Qd4d. I make it 1,100. Of course I am folding to any raise. It is folded to the Big Blind – a pretty solid player and definitely capable of moves. In fact, he moved on me earlier - he raised (he had been raising marginal hands like KJo) and I re-raised with AQo. He pushed and I folded - a tough fold for me at the time, but it had worked out for the best.

Back to this hand: He thinks for a bit before calling 700 more. Flop Jd8d3h. He checks. I conclude that I can continue to represent a big hand and I have the diamonds as back up. I bet 2,400. He looks uncomfortable, looks, thinks, asks how many I have left (about 7k) and announces “all in”.

Now, not 10 seconds later the young kid (did I say kid, I meant “git”) who is not involved says “can we call the clock”. Why, I have no idea. The table consensus (incorrectly) is that he cannot as he is not in the hand. I think they thought he was out of line as well.

Back to my decision. This player has absolutely shown he can move in like this on a semi-bluff and he probably puts me on a solid hand that I can let go here. I must admit I was afraid of a check raise when I saw the board but I thought since I have two relevant cards he is less likely to have a hand suitable for a semi-bluff check-raise.

I don’t think he makes the move without some kind of hand or draw but now I have a really interesting decision.

I really do not think he has a big hand like a set or AJ or an overpair. Of course he can have 2 pair or some kind of combination. Whatever he has, I must be live. One worry is the nut diamond draw because then I have very few outs and I am losing now. Best case would be two low diamonds.

I think most likely case is that my Queen and the diamond draw is live. I think I have the odds to call. I also can fold and try to fight back again. Now, meanwhile, the git has made 3 attempts to get a ruling on whether he can call the clock and the floor is called and agrees he can (now) call time and so it is.

I take this as a sort of sign, and make the call. “Good Call” he says looking a little chagrined.

He has Ad8h (second pair with an overcard and a blocker to the flush).

The turn is Kd.

“No more diamonds” say I.

River 3d.

The End.