David Williams' Blog
Sunday, June 12, 2005
Event #10, $2000 Limit Holdem
Coming into today I was very excited. I played too fast in the first limit Holdem event and was on the rail rather quickly. I examined how I played, and decided it was not optimal. I was going to focus, and not screw around today. I thought back to the limit holdem event I won at the Bellagio 5 Diamond event in December and was going to try and go back to that. I got plenty of rest the night before and slept in late. Noah Boeken is staying with me, and we decided that it is more important to be rested and eat something than to play the first level of the limit event. With the blinds at 25-25 and a stack of 2000, we estimated that we would only lose 150 for that extra hour of sleep and getting some lunch. We strolled in with 20 mins remaining in the first level and when I got to my table the first thing I did was count my stack. Yup, 1850, just as I figured. I was in seat 1 and Mimi Tran was in seat 4 (a very tough limit holdem player) and Howard Lederer was in seat 10.
My first hand was QdTd and it folded to me two from the button. I decided I was going to raise to see how loose the guys behind me were. The first one folded and the guy in seat 3 on the button called. My friend Leslie from Amsterdam made it 75 and I called along with the button. The flop was AJ3 and Leslie checked, I figured he was afraid I had an Ace and might fold so I bet, the button called and Leslie raised. Now I knew I was in a bad spot, but I called the 25 raise since the pot was so big and if a K came, my hand was very disguised and I could play a big pot. The button also called. It's almost as if I willed the card out of the deck, because I was thinking "BLACK KING", and that is what came. Leslie bet 50, I made it 100 and the button called. Leslie made it 150 and I made it 200. The button folded and Leslie called. I was praying for a blank, I didn't want a spade or mainly, the board to pair. The river was a 7 and Leslie checked and called my bet. I turned over the nuts and he didn't look very happy. He showed me JJ. I felt pretty bad for him, it was pretty sick, but "That’s poker".
I folded for a while and then when I was two before the button, it folded to me, I raised w/ 3c4c and the same guy who was in the pot w/ me and Leslie on the button called, as did Mimi in the small blind. I am pretty lucky, the flop was 347. Mimi bet 25 and I raised her to 50. I didn't want to mess around and get tricky since I had bottom two, which is easily beatable. The button folded and she called. The turn was a 4!!! I got that feeling I had at the Bellagio limit event, when the deck is running you over and you make every hand you play. I felt like this was going to be my day. She checked and called my bet. The river was a 6, I was thinking I wanted a 6 or a 5 so she might make her straight. Yup, she bet out. I knew she made a straight so I raised. She thought for a second, and just called. I turned over my hand and she says "I was drawing dead on turn, and got there!" She took it well. I like Mimi alot. Most people would be mad that I raised w/ 34 and won a nice pot, but she accepted it and laughed it off. The level came to an end, and in 20 min I went from 1850 up to 3200. Good level.
After that I never really got or made any hands and chips just slowly disappeared. I raised with 55 once only to flop a set with 3 spades on the board. A guy check raised me and I 3 bet, putting him on a big spade with maybe a pair. The turn was a spade and he bet out, I just called praying for the board to pair. The river was ANOTHER spade, so my set went to playing the board. He bet and I folded obviously and he showed me the Ace of spades. That hand hurt. My chips slowly went away and in the 5th level the blinds went to 100-200, playing 200-400. I had 1600 chips and was under the gun. I folded the entire round and the next, to go to 1000 in chips, never seeing a flop. On my button a guy raises his 4th hand in a row to 400. I figured he was just playing his rush and when it folded to me on the button I made it 600 with As9s, leaving myself 400, but knowing I have to play this hand until the end. He called and the flop was KT8. He bet 200 into me and I only had 400 and called. The turn was a 3 and he bet me all-in, 200. I knew I had to call, since the pot was so big and he would bet no matter what, but I just felt like I was crushed. I finally got the courage to call and he made a frown. What??? Was I ahead??? He turned over QJ for no pair. He needs any of 3 Aces, Q, J, or 9, since I had an A and a 9. He had 12 outs. I felt like this was it, I was going to double up and be back in it, but the river was a J. He paired and won.
Oh well. I felt like I played better than I did in the first limit event, but the hands weren't there when it counted. Making the hands in the first 2 levels really doesn’t matter. You just want to have chips in level 3 and that’s when you need to make you hands. I still don't feel like I played my best, not sure why. Just couldn't get settled and in a groove. I watched Noah make a run, but he got knocked out late in the day. While waiting I played a $525 single table satellite and ended up getting $2120 of the $5120 even though I was out chipped 2.5-1. I took the deal and was pretty happy to have a victory, even if it was a chop and a small one.
I gotta get some rest for the $2000 Pot Limit Holdem event tomorrow. I'll try and write later about some interesting things that happened in the first few events.
My first hand was QdTd and it folded to me two from the button. I decided I was going to raise to see how loose the guys behind me were. The first one folded and the guy in seat 3 on the button called. My friend Leslie from Amsterdam made it 75 and I called along with the button. The flop was AJ3 and Leslie checked, I figured he was afraid I had an Ace and might fold so I bet, the button called and Leslie raised. Now I knew I was in a bad spot, but I called the 25 raise since the pot was so big and if a K came, my hand was very disguised and I could play a big pot. The button also called. It's almost as if I willed the card out of the deck, because I was thinking "BLACK KING", and that is what came. Leslie bet 50, I made it 100 and the button called. Leslie made it 150 and I made it 200. The button folded and Leslie called. I was praying for a blank, I didn't want a spade or mainly, the board to pair. The river was a 7 and Leslie checked and called my bet. I turned over the nuts and he didn't look very happy. He showed me JJ. I felt pretty bad for him, it was pretty sick, but "That’s poker".
I folded for a while and then when I was two before the button, it folded to me, I raised w/ 3c4c and the same guy who was in the pot w/ me and Leslie on the button called, as did Mimi in the small blind. I am pretty lucky, the flop was 347. Mimi bet 25 and I raised her to 50. I didn't want to mess around and get tricky since I had bottom two, which is easily beatable. The button folded and she called. The turn was a 4!!! I got that feeling I had at the Bellagio limit event, when the deck is running you over and you make every hand you play. I felt like this was going to be my day. She checked and called my bet. The river was a 6, I was thinking I wanted a 6 or a 5 so she might make her straight. Yup, she bet out. I knew she made a straight so I raised. She thought for a second, and just called. I turned over my hand and she says "I was drawing dead on turn, and got there!" She took it well. I like Mimi alot. Most people would be mad that I raised w/ 34 and won a nice pot, but she accepted it and laughed it off. The level came to an end, and in 20 min I went from 1850 up to 3200. Good level.
After that I never really got or made any hands and chips just slowly disappeared. I raised with 55 once only to flop a set with 3 spades on the board. A guy check raised me and I 3 bet, putting him on a big spade with maybe a pair. The turn was a spade and he bet out, I just called praying for the board to pair. The river was ANOTHER spade, so my set went to playing the board. He bet and I folded obviously and he showed me the Ace of spades. That hand hurt. My chips slowly went away and in the 5th level the blinds went to 100-200, playing 200-400. I had 1600 chips and was under the gun. I folded the entire round and the next, to go to 1000 in chips, never seeing a flop. On my button a guy raises his 4th hand in a row to 400. I figured he was just playing his rush and when it folded to me on the button I made it 600 with As9s, leaving myself 400, but knowing I have to play this hand until the end. He called and the flop was KT8. He bet 200 into me and I only had 400 and called. The turn was a 3 and he bet me all-in, 200. I knew I had to call, since the pot was so big and he would bet no matter what, but I just felt like I was crushed. I finally got the courage to call and he made a frown. What??? Was I ahead??? He turned over QJ for no pair. He needs any of 3 Aces, Q, J, or 9, since I had an A and a 9. He had 12 outs. I felt like this was it, I was going to double up and be back in it, but the river was a J. He paired and won.
Oh well. I felt like I played better than I did in the first limit event, but the hands weren't there when it counted. Making the hands in the first 2 levels really doesn’t matter. You just want to have chips in level 3 and that’s when you need to make you hands. I still don't feel like I played my best, not sure why. Just couldn't get settled and in a groove. I watched Noah make a run, but he got knocked out late in the day. While waiting I played a $525 single table satellite and ended up getting $2120 of the $5120 even though I was out chipped 2.5-1. I took the deal and was pretty happy to have a victory, even if it was a chop and a small one.
I gotta get some rest for the $2000 Pot Limit Holdem event tomorrow. I'll try and write later about some interesting things that happened in the first few events.
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