A Virtual Chip and a Chair

Ignition Black Spade Poker Open Main Event Satellite

The Black Spade Poker Open 6 is running on Ignition Casino, and I popped into one of the  $33 satellites for the $450 $300K GTD Main Event next month. One seat was guaranteed, the game got 15 entries (with $30 of the entry going to the prize pool), so it just made the nut with no overlay and no extra money.

I was a few minutes late, I started off with 1500 chips at 30/60 but let’s just say that anything that happened in the first 35 hands didn’t matter.

Hand 36 [8s 8h] CO 2,515 75/150
HJ opens with [9s 9h] and I call. SB has [kh ks] and squeezes for 2,515. BB and HJ fold, I stupidly call for almost all of my chips, and the board runs out [ah 4c 4h 6h ts], leaving me holding a bit more than a couple hundred chips. Whoops!

Hand 40 [ks tc] BB 150 100/200/20
I’ve had three abysmal hands in a row, and here I’m all in for three-quarters of a big blind. Action folds to the button (Player 6 in this anonymous tournament), who raises to 600 with [4s 4c]. SB folds and the board runs out [6h 5s 7h 7d ah] just missing a straight and giving my tens a win.

Hand 41 [tc th] SB 500 100/200/20
CO (Player 6, again) opens to 600, I’m already in for a third of my chips and put the rest in. He shows [ts js], the board is [9h ah 6c 2d 9s] and he doubles me up again.

Hand 48 [9s ks] SB 915 125/250/25
We’re short-handed with only thee players out of the blinds. They fold and I shove. BB has nearly five times my chips and defends with [7d 4h]. We both pair on the flop and I avoid another loss: [9d 7s 3s ac 5h].

Hand 51 [ac jh] UTG 1855 125/250/25
We’re five-handed. I shove and take the pot.

Hand 53 [kc js] SB 2055 125/250/25
UTG raises to 500 with [9c as] off a stack of 9000. Nobody calls. I shove and he folds.

Hand 55 [td ts] CO 2880 125/250/25
I open with a shove and the button re-shoves for 3250. He has [qd ac] and we’re heads up going to the flop. I hit a set but have to dodge a gutshot draw in the river.: [9c tc 4d kd 7d].

Hand 60 [7s 7c] UTG 5645 150/300/30
Middle pairs. I sort of hate them, but we start the hand with only four players, so I raise to 900. SB has [js ac] and calls, BB has [4d 4h] and comes along as well. The flop is [td ah 8h], it’s checked to me and I bet 1000. SB calls with his ace and the BB folds. I shut down on the [kc] turn when it’s checked to me; the river is [jd], SB checks, I check, and he (Player 6) takes the pot.

Hand 64 [7s ad] BB 3175 150/300/30
We’re on the second hand with just three players (having lost a short stack between this and the previous hand I entered). The button min-raises [kd jd], SB calls with [ac 6s] and nearly 100bb. I shove and they both fold.

Hand 66 [ah 2h] BTN 4255 150/300/30
I shove and the blinds fold [6h 3c] and [js 9c].

Hand 69 [kd 7h] BTN 4255 150/300/30
I shove a crummy king, SB reshoves for another 1100 chips, and he has [jd jh].The board runs out [3c 3d 7s ac 7c] and I boat up to beat the jacks.

Hand 70 [kh 5d] BB 8840 150/300/30
We’re still 3-handed. BTN shoves for 1066, SB folds, and I call for 766 on top of the big blind. This time the chips go the other way after a [ks 5c 6d 6h 2h]. My flopped two pair gets busted by trip sixes on a runout of [ks5c 6d 6h jh].

Hand 74 [ks kc] SB 7204 200/400/40
One of those annoying times when action folds to your big hand, you raise, and the short stack just has [3s th] so he doesn’t call.

Hand 78 [ac 8c] BTN 7524 200/400/40
I raise to 1200, SB folds, BB shoves 13K and I know I’m behind but cross my fingers. It works, as I’m right about being behind [qs qc], but the cards give me the literal nuts: [7d 4h 6c 2c kc]. We’re still at three players.

Hand 79 [qs 7s] BB 15288 200/400/40
The short stack has only 1852 chips and puts 1600 into the pot preflop with [9h 8h]. Both of us in the blinds come along, though Player 6 in the SB is down to 5360. The flop is [6h ks 7c] and I figure my middle pair is good enough to call the last 200 or so chips the button puts in after the blinds are both checked. The turn is [4d] and the river is [2c], he misses his straight and my pair of sevens holds (SB folded [qh 9s]).

Hand 80 [3c kc] BTN 18780 200/400/40
It’s the first hand of heads-up and Player 6 is the big blind. I have a 4.5:1 chip advantage. Just over 40 hands ago, I was all in for less than the big blind and I doubled up twice through the player I’m now facing. I have a good shot at the $450 ticket to the $300K guarantee. There is no second prize. I raise to 1200 and he folds [9c 8h].

Hand 81 [7s 6s] BB 19220 200/400/40
Player 6 raises to 1280, with just 2000 behind. He has [kh 9h] and I start off behind roughly 40%/60%. The flop is [5s 2h as], which actually gives me the lead by about 10%. Even if he has top two pair, my odds haven’t gotten any worse. We both check. The turn [7h] gives me a pair. He has a flush draw, but he’s still behind 70%/30% and even if he wins I’ll still have a substantial lead. I check, he shoves, and I call. The river is the [8c], my pair wins the hand and I’m playing the $300K next month.