Bovada $2K NLHE 6-Max

Two and a half hours since I joined the game and the tournament is halfway over (in terms of the number of hands dealt; less than 20% of the field remains). We’re in Level 12, late registration has ended, and the money bubble is just about to bust at 24 players. There were 143 entries.

HAND 161			300/600/60
PLAYER	POSITION	CARDS	CHIPS	START	PRE-FLOP	POST-FLOP	PRE-TURN	POST-TURN	PRE-RIVER	RIVER
50	UTG	92	78.9K	14	–	–	–	–	–	–
133	CO	2J	9.3K	21	–	–	–	–	–	–
105	D	8K	18K	27	–	–	–	–	–	–
19	SB	3A	24.2K	35	–	–	–	–	–	–
5	BB	83	69.5K	4	–	–	–	–	–	–

SB raises the ace to 1.5K and BB folds.

HAND 162			300/600/60			549		J		8
PLAYER	POSITION	CARDS	CHIPS	START	PRE-FLOP	POST-FLOP	PRE-TURN	POST-TURN	PRE-RIVER	RIVER
50	BB	J3	78.8K	18	–	–	–	–	–	–
133	UTG	QT	9.3K	26	–	–	–	–	–	–
105	CO	32	17.9K	7	–	–	–	–	–	–
19	D	6A	25K	25	61	78	–	87	–	100
5	SB	2K	68.9K	24	39	22	–	13	–	0

Seriously, is it fair that the same player gets [ah] two hands in a row? Even if it is just a crummy ace? D raises to 1.5K and gets a call from SB. UTG really should be in there with the Portland Nuts—and he would have won if he’d gone to the river—but D and SB check it down to the river and the ace takes it.

HAND 163			300/600/60			45A
PLAYER	POSITION	CARDS	CHIPS	START	PRE-FLOP	POST-FLOP	PRE-TURN	POST-TURN	PRE-RIVER	RIVER
50	SB	TK	78.2K	43	59	76	–	–	–	–
133	BB	K7	9.2K	6	14	11	–	–	–	–
105	UTG	K7	17.9K	6	–	–	–	–	–	–
19	CO	9Q	27.5K	31	–	–	–	–	–	–
5	D	97	67.2K	14	28	14*	–	–	–	–

D opens to 1.6K with the suited one-gapper and I call with the best hand by far, along with BB who is in pretty bad shape. We both check the flop, though, and let D steal the pot.

HAND 164			400/800/80
PLAYER	POSITION	CARDS	CHIPS	START	PRE-FLOP	POST-FLOP	PRE-TURN	POST-TURN	PRE-RIVER	RIVER
50	D	36	76.4K	17	–	–	–	–	–	–
133	SB	67	7.5K	13	–	–	–	–	–	–
105	BB	8K	17.8K	28	–	–	–	–	–	–
19	UTG	42	27.4K	12	–	–	–	–	–	–
5	CO	JQ	70.8K	30	–	–	–	–	–	–

CO raises to 2K and everyone folds.

HAND 165			400/800/80			97Q		5		7
PLAYER	POSITION	CARDS	CHIPS	START	PRE-FLOP	POST-FLOP	PRE-TURN	POST-TURN	PRE-RIVER	RIVER
50	CO	KA	76.4K	30	74	14	–	8	–	0
133	D	QK	7K	18	26	86	–	92	–	100
105	SB	J6	16.9K	14	–	–	–	–	–	–
19	BB	T4	27.3K	23	–	–	–	–	–	–
5	UTG	96	72.3K	14	–	–	–	–	–	–

Just one of those things. I open to 2.4K, short stack on the button shoves, we go HU to the flop, and the flop doesn’t go my way. I need an ace and it doesn’t show up.

HAND 166			400/800/80			367
PLAYER	POSITION	CARDS	CHIPS	START	PRE-FLOP	POST-FLOP	PRE-TURN	POST-TURN	PRE-RIVER	RIVER
50	UTG	J3	69.3K	22	–	–	–	–	–	–
133	CO	28	15.5K	13	–	–	–	–	–	–
105	D	AT	16.5K	32	59	7	–	–	–	–
19	SB	2A	26.5K	7	–	–	–	–	–	–
5	BB	67	72.2K	26	41	93	–	–	–	–

The suited ace min-raises and gets called by BB, then gets out-flopped by BB, who check-raises D from 4K to 14.8K. D gets the message and folds.

HAND 167			400/800/80			7JK		T		J
PLAYER	POSITION	CARDS	CHIPS	START	PRE-FLOP	POST-FLOP	PRE-TURN	POST-TURN	PRE-RIVER	RIVER
50	BB	Q7	69.3K	18	31	16	–	13	–	0
133	UTG	73	15.4K	6	–	–	–	–	–	–
105	CO	83	10.8K	12	–	–	–	–	–	–
19	D	2A	26K	28	–	–	–	–	–	–
5	SB	9K	78.5K	36	69	84	–	87	–	100

SB limps in against my BB and we’re HU to the flop. I make bottom pair with some backdoor draws on the flop and call a 1K c-bet. That slows SB down enough that I don’t have to pay on the next two streets as I pick up an open-ended straight draw, my two pair outs are negated by his own straight draw, and he gets a straight flush draw. [7s] on the river might have been costly.

HAND 168			400/800/80
PLAYER	POSITION	CARDS	CHIPS	START	PRE-FLOP	POST-FLOP	PRE-TURN	POST-TURN	PRE-RIVER	RIVER
50	SB	8T	67.4K	23	–	–	–	–	–	–
133	BB	92	15.3K	14	–	–	–	–	–	–
105	UTG	7Q	10.7K	10	–	–	–	–	–	–
19	CO	KQ	25.9K	31	–	–	–	–	–	–
5	D	J4	80.7K	22	–	–	–	–	–	–

CO raises to 2K and everyone folds.

HAND 169			400/800/80			AK4		6
PLAYER	POSITION	CARDS	CHIPS	START	PRE-FLOP	POST-FLOP	PRE-TURN	POST-TURN	PRE-RIVER	RIVER
50	D	8T	66.9K	15	–	–	–	–	–	–
133	SB	AT	14.4K	23	36	62	–	82	–	–
105	BB	QJ	10.6K	34	41	14	–	5	–	–
19	UTG	3A	27.4K	17	23	24	–	13	–	–
5	CO	39	80.6K	11	–	–	–	–	–	–

The suited ace raises to 1.6K and gets called by both blinds, so the hand involves all of the smaller stacks, on the cusp of the money. SB checks his top-pair-decent-kicker, BB bets 1.6K on a single-ended straight draw, UTG comes along with top-pair and some backdoor straight sraws, and SB moseys back into the party. Both blinds check the turn, UTG bets out 3K, then SB shoves the rest of his 11.2K stack. BB folds and UTG times out and is folded automatically.

HAND 170			400/800/80			269		2		9
PLAYER	POSITION	CARDS	CHIPS	START	PRE-FLOP	POST-FLOP	PRE-TURN	POST-TURN	PRE-RIVER	RIVER
50	CO	JQ	66.8K	37	50	56	–	34	–	0
133	D	34	24.1K	11	–	–	–	–	–	–
105	SB	88	7.3K	29	50	44	–	66	–	100
19	BB	4T	21.1K	11	–	–	–	–	–	–
5	UTG	67	80.5K	12	–	–	–	–	–	–

I open to 2.4K and SB shoves for just over 10% of my stack. I call, and it’s an actual coin-flip going to the flop, none of that 45/55 monkey business. With the over cards and the higher spade draw on the flop, I’m actually ahead in equity, but it doesn’t come through, and I double SB.

HAND 171			400/800/80			Q3J		K		J
PLAYER	POSITION	CARDS	CHIPS	START	PRE-FLOP	POST-FLOP	PRE-TURN	POST-TURN	PRE-RIVER	RIVER
74	UTG	K4	56.9K	20	–	–	–	–	–	–
50	CO	78	59.5K	8	–	–	–	–	–	–
133	CO	74	24.1K	7	–	–	–	–	–	–
105	D	79	15.7K	8	–	–	–	–	–	–
19	SB	TT	20.3K	48	87	98	–	94	–	100
5	BB	49	80.4K	9	13	2	–	6	–	0

SB raises to 2.4K and gets a very speculative call from BB. BB inexplicably calls another 2.6K on the turn, with the bottom end of a gut-shot straight draw that would be beat by any ace SB might have, if it came through. They both check the river, and SB takes the hand. The sixth player at the table indicates that we’re now in the money, with four tables of six players.

HAND 172			400/800/80			8JQ		6		6
PLAYER	POSITION	CARDS	CHIPS	START	PRE-FLOP	POST-FLOP	PRE-TURN	POST-TURN	PRE-RIVER	RIVER
74	BB	42	56.8K	9	11	2	–	–	–	–
50	UTG	TT	59.4K	25	41	28	28	17	–	0
133	HJ	3A	24K	17	–	–	–	–	–	–
105	CO	87	15.7K	17	–	–	–	–	–	–
19	D	33	25.7K	8	10	5	–	–	–	–
5	SB	JK	75.3K	24	38	65	72	83	–	100

I open to 2.4K and get called by D and both blinds. I c-bet 5K, SB check-calls, and the other two players drop. SB picks up all of their equity. We check down to the river and he takes the pot.

HAND 173			400/800/80			55T		6		5
PLAYER	POSITION	CARDS	CHIPS	START	PRE-FLOP	POST-FLOP	PRE-TURN	POST-TURN	PRE-RIVER	RIVER
74	SB	JT	54.4K	8	–	–	–	–	–	–
50	BB	JK	51.9K	17	–	–	–	–	–	–
133	UTG	68	23.9K	13	–	–	–	–	–	–
105	HJ	77	15.6K	18	–	–	–	–	–	–
19	CO	QA	23.2K	20	33	16	–	8	–	0
5	D	QQ	87.9K	25	67	84	–	92	–	100

You’d think the queens would be further ahead in this hand, but with all of the over cards, they’re just a little better than the ace-queen. HJ min-raises and CO 3-bets to 4K. D pops it up to 23.1K, just enough to put CO all-in to call. HJ folds his paid and CO calls. The board runs out a full house for D. Player 19 takes 22nd place.

HAND 174			400/800/80
PLAYER	POSITION	CARDS	CHIPS	START	PRE-FLOP	POST-FLOP	PRE-TURN	POST-TURN	PRE-RIVER	RIVER
74	D	TT	53.9K	44	–	–	–	–	–	–
50	SB	Q2	51K	7	–	–	–	–	–	–
133	BB	47	23.8K	11	–	–	–	–	–	–
105	UTG	A4	13.9K	25	–	–	–	–	–	–
5	CO	Q2	114.2K	13	–	–	–	–	–	–

UTG limps in along with CO. D raises his tens to 7.2K. Everyone folds.

HAND 175			400/800/80			837		5		9
PLAYER	POSITION	CARDS	CHIPS	START	PRE-FLOP	POST-FLOP	PRE-TURN	POST-TURN	PRE-RIVER	RIVER
74	CO	42	57K	13	24	16	–	0	–	0
50	D	T8	50.6K	17	–	–	–	–	–	–
133	SB	35	22.9K	14	–	–	–	–	–	–
105	BB	96	13K	22	30	36	–	92	–	0
5	UTG	JT	113.4K	33	46	48	–	8	–	100

UTG limps and CO comes along. BB checks his option and gets handed what looks like a great shot to get out of the basement, with the flop filling in what he needs for an open-ended straight draw. Everyone checks. BB makes the nuts on the turn. He just checks. UTG checks his gut-shot draw, and CO bets 3.2K with zero equity. BB just calls, leaving 8K behind. I think he should have shoved here. He has the absolute best possible hand at the moment and he should know it. There are no flush draws. If anyone is going to put any money in at this point drawing to a higher straight or a full house, now’s the time to get them to do it. UTG just calls. Then the [9s] showws up on the river. BB bets 1.6K. UTG knows he’s got the nuts and bets 9.3K. BB goes all-in to make the call after CO folds, but now he’s dead. Player 105 goes out in 20th place for a min-cash.

HAND 176			500/1000/100
PLAYER	POSITION	CARDS	CHIPS	START	PRE-FLOP	POST-FLOP	PRE-TURN	POST-TURN	PRE-RIVER	RIVER
74	UTG	56	52.9K	15	–	–	–	–	–	–
50	CO	K3	50.5K	33	–	–	–	–	–	–
133	D	6T	22.5K	22	–	–	–	–	–	–
5	BB	Q9	131K	30	–	–	–	–	–	–

The small blind is dead. Big stack gets a walk on the first hand of the new level.

HAND 177			500/1000/100
PLAYER	POSITION	CARDS	CHIPS	START	PRE-FLOP	POST-FLOP	PRE-TURN	POST-TURN	PRE-RIVER	RIVER
74	BB	74	52.8K	16	–	–	–	–	–	–
50	UTG	7Q	50.4K	24	–	–	–	–	–	–
133	CO	5K	22.4K	14	–	–	–	–	–	–
5	SB	AK	131.3K	46	–	–	–	–	–	–

Dead button. CO takes a stab at the pot with the worst of the four hands, and SB raises to 22.3K, putting him all-in to call and leaving SB with nearly 110K if he wins. CO folds.

HAND 178			500/1000/100			8A7		4		T
PLAYER	POSITION	CARDS	CHIPS	START	PRE-FLOP	POST-FLOP	PRE-TURN	POST-TURN	PRE-RIVER	RIVER
74	SB	JA	51.7K	29	45	87	–	98	–	100
50	BB	K2	50.3K	23	–	–	–	–	–	–
133	UTG	99	20K	30	55	13	–	2	–	0
5	D	8Q	134.9K	19	–	–	–	–	–	–

UTG shoves his nines and SB is the only caller. He hits the ace to take the lead away immediately, then gets the flush on the river. Player 5 would have won it if he’d taken the risk. Player 133 is out in 19th place and we’re down to three tables and 18 players.

HAND 179			500/1000/100
PLAYER	POSITION	CARDS	CHIPS	START	PRE-FLOP	POST-FLOP	PRE-TURN	POST-TURN	PRE-RIVER	RIVER
50	BB	95	49.2K	6	–	–	–	–	–	–
52	UTG	57	34.9K	18	–	–	–	–	–	–
121	CO	J8	43K	23	–	–	–	–	–	–
141	CO	2K	9.2K	29	–	–	–	–	–	–
140	D	T8	16.4K	19	–	–	–	–	–	–
135	SB	95	18.3K	5	–	–	–	–	–	–

My new table doesn’t have any of the players from my other table on it and I’m table chip leader again, even though I’m way behind the tournament leader. My hand’s not impressive, but everyone folds and I get a walk!

HAND 180			500/1000/100			7TA
PLAYER	POSITION	CARDS	CHIPS	START	PRE-FLOP	POST-FLOP	PRE-TURN	POST-TURN	PRE-RIVER	RIVER
50	SB	9K	50.2K	18	26	9	–	–	–	–
52	BB	55	34.8K	21	40	5	–	–	–	–
121	UTG	7T	42.9K	21	–	–	–	–	–	–
141	CO	Q4	9.1K	11	–	–	–	–	–	–
140	CO	Q5	16.3K	6	–	–	–	–	–	–
135	D	TK	17.7K	24	34	86	–	–	–	–

D limps in and I raise to 3K. BB and D call. D opens bidding for the flop after a couple checks, and we give it up in the blinds.

Summary

Over this set of 20 hands, the money bubble has broken and the tournament as a whole has lost seven or eight players off of what were five partial tables in hand 160. Now we’re at three tables, and there may have been eliminations already at one or both of the others.

I don’t have much information on the players at the new table. I do know that player 5—before I was moved off of his table—continued to be very active. I’ve been dealt 53 hands with him at the table. He’s committed money to the pot voluntarily on 30 deals (57%), and he’s put in a pre-flop raise 15 times (28%), winning 13 of 16 showdowns. My own stats seem weak by comparison: VPIP 31% and 22% PFE, though I have won 15 of 21 showdowns.

Tomorrow is the Calendar Planner, so the next batch of hands appears on Thursday.