If you haven't read the first 3 parts, I'd suggest starting there:
Wynn Poker Tournament in Las Vegas: Part 1 Wynn Poker Tournament in Las Vegas: Part 2 Wynn Poker Tournament in Las Vegas: Part 3
Just to recap, we are in the 4th level and I have 3150 in chips when the following hand comes up:
Blinds: 75-150, betting rounds of 150-300
5 limpers in the pot, I had 7-9 clubs on the button, and decided to see the flop with the other 7 players.
Flop is: 5 clubs, 6 clubs, 7 diamonds
Another great flop for my marginal button hand, I flopped top pair, with a straight flush draw. Everyone checked to Seat #1 (player to my immediate right), who bet 150, I immediately raised to 300, trying to isolate the bettor and also because I believed I had the best hand, everyone folds, original bettor calls.
Turn: King of Hearts
Seat 1 checks, I fire another 300 hoping to pick up the pot right there, seat 1 calls.
River: 2 of hearts
Seat one checks, I check behind, and get the privilege of looking at Ace – 7 off suit, a really marginal junk hand.
So my stack decreased by 750, and I had a chip count of 2400 when the following hand came up the very next deal.
One limper, Seat 1 (same guy from previous hand) raises, I look down at pocket 10’s, and make it 3 bets, everyone folds around to seat one who now makes it 4 bets. In the course of 4 hours, I hadn’t seen this guy make it 4 bets one single time (and he had played and raised a lot of pots). I was putting him on two aces or two kings, but most likely aces.
Flop: Jack, Ten, Four (rainbow – all different suits)
Gin Rummy, I got lucky with the worst hand and I’m going to win a bunch of chips ! Donkey bets, I raise, he raises, I raise, he raises, I raise, he raises. Yikes, 7 Bets so far on the flop, I really believe I still have the best hand, because my reads are usually very solid, I just didn’t believe this guy had three jacks based on the information I had previously observed about him.
In a Cash Game I probably would have not stopped, betting, I would have gotten all in with this hand. But tournaments are different, and sometimes you need to save a few chips even when you believe you have the best hand. Before flat calling the 7th bet on the flop, I counted my chips, to figure out what my best options were. I had 750 left, If I flat called the turn and the river ( I would have 150 left) not much but enough to play another hand. If my read is off, and he really does have three jacks, at least I get to see one more hand instead of going bust, and the most it costs me is 150 in a 4500 pot. I decided to flat call
Turn: Ace
Donkey bets, I flat call as previously planned
River: Queen (making any King a one card straight)
To my surprise the Donkey checks, and I check behind now believing he actually did have three jacks, presumably he must have thought I had pocket Kings (not a very good read, considering I put 7 bets in on the flop)
Donkey turns over pocket Aces, for three Aces on the turn. I don’t show my hand.
The Donkey’s check on the end saved me another $300, so I have a total of 450 left. (This is another good reason, why saving a few chips in a tournament is sometimes a good play, because the board could come scary, and the idiot Donkey might let you save some chips.)
Analysis, even though I lost the hand, I think I played this hand perfectly. I really don’t see how I could have played it any better. That’s poker, sometimes you play good, and still lose. All you can hope for as a poker player is to put money into the pot with the best of it.
A couple hands later I picked up King Queen off suit in late position and got two callers, but I didn't make anything and my tournament day was over.
I don’t believe in luck much, but I’ve sure been unlucky in a lot of the tournaments I’ve played recently.
Jason
Aka “The Good Karma Kid”
