Parkway Bar & Grill 2/25

Tonight was my regular Monday game at Parkway. This was the first game I played in on the DPT and remains my favorite. I have placed 3rd twice and can consistently make the final table which is usually my first goal. There are some pretty good players here which helps my game as you don't get better unless you play against superior competition.

I was feeling good about tonight's game after my profitable Saturday and my good game on Sunday. I did not finish in the "money" on Sunday but I was very happy with my play and felt like that I was getting my confidence back. I had been in the middle of a long run of dead cards and was beginning to wonder if I really knew how to play this game.

I had decided to play a bit more aggressive from now on. Even though I can usually make the final table I am usually the short stack or very close to the short stack when I get there. I figured that I needed to be more aggressive earlier in the tournament and build up my chip stack even if it meant making a mistake and busting out early I had to alter my style. I also figured that if I thought my play had become to predictable that surely everyone else at the table had me figured out.

I picked up a couple of small uncontested pots early with some timely raises then I got my hand of the night. I was in the big blind and I picked up AQ offsuit. A total of 3 players call and so limp in rather than raise when the action comes back to me. The flop comes out K J x. I check because I am on the nut straight draw with 2 cards to go and the players behind me will probably bet and that will help me define their hands. The first player to act bets $200 and the
other 2 players both call. Now I am getting great odds on my draw and it is an easy call. The turn card is a blank and I again check. The next player goes all in for the remainder of his chips which was about $550. The player next to him folds and the small blind next to me calls. Even though my pot odds is low I call because of my plan to be more aggressive. Unless one of the other two players has more than a pair of Kings I have multiple outs. If I hit the 10 I have the nuts and will crush everyone. I call and the river is a 10 giving me the straight. The small blind checks to me and I go all in, which makes the player already all in to lose his mind as he now knows he is beat. Unbelievably the small behind calls my all in. The first player had top 2 pair K J and the small blind had a pair of jacks with a weak kicker card. I was shocked that she would call my all in based on the cards and my betting pattern but I did not care. I just knocked out one player and crippled another and now was the dominant chip leader.

I feel this hand was the poker gods squaring up with me after my clash with the pair of 4's on Sunday. In that case the player who beat me had the correct odds to call me and then got just the card he needed. I can't be mad at that and I have to realize that as a 3 to 1 favorite if he wins then the next 2 times it happens I should win. I guess tonight was more of a suck out on my part but it has happened to me plenty of times and I was due. I had a legitimate hand and I was playing more aggressive so it was a good play. Not sure my opponent felt the same way but hey thats poker right?

Other hands of note was my A 10 vs a pair of 7's. There was an older lady who came in late to the tournament off the wait list. We run two tables and the first 20 who sign up play and everyone else is on the wait list. As people are eliminated folks on the wait list take their seats. She came in and promptly played the "this is my first time" and "how much to call and how much is this chip game". I didn't buy it for a second. If you know enough to say you don't know what you are doing then you know what you are doing. She really changed the face of the table though with her crazy erratic play. She played and showed total crap and came over the top several times with crazy raises. It was enough for her to quickly build up some chips although I remained the chip leader. I had to play cautiously since she was so aggressive and I knew she would almost always raise so I wanted to have a good hand and then try to crush her. My A 10 suited presented such an opportunity. It played out just like I figured, I call she raises and I call. Flop comes out Q 10 x. I bet my middle pair and she calls. Turn is a blank, I bet bigger and she calls again. She is doing a good job of not giving me any information. I am praying for an A on the river in case she has the Q. River card is a jack and I check. She bets and I reraise to put her all in. She calls and I figure she has the Q but she has pocket 7's. My pair of 10's take her out and everyone at the table is relieved. I almost felt bad because she looked at me like I just robbed her. I admit I had set my sights on her because her play was just bringing down the table which was playing really well.

My two mistakes hands were when I did not call a big raise with A 10. Everyone else folded to me and I folded. I later looked back at this hand as a mistake because I am sure I had the best hand preflop because his raise was so high in comparison to the blinds that I am sure he was saying "I am raising this much because I really don't want a call". I think he had KQ or KJ. I should have called him because if the flop hit an Ace I would have been well ahead. My second mistake was when I got pocket 8's. There had been a raise in front of me and instead of just calling I tried to push back and I reraised. What I was not paying attention to was the fact that the original raiser was low on chips and my reraise just made him go all in in response. I called as it was good odds and another player called which spooked me. The original raiser had Q J and hit a queen on the turn and won. This pot tripled him up and he was healthy again. I was still doing well but this mistake would further cost me as this player would move to the final table with me as the chip leader. The only consolation I take is that the flop
would have saw me bet since they were all low cards under my 8's. I am sure he would have moved all in at that point as well so the result would have been the same.

We moved to the final table and my cards dried up. The blinds picked away at me since I had nothing to play and folks were raising me off of them. I made two costly mistakes here again and they cost me the tournament I am sure. The first was a minimal mistake but I wish I would have played the hand differently. I was in the big blind with 7 2 of spades. The other 2 players fold and the small blind calls. I check and the flop comes out with 2 spades but no 2 or 7. The small blind checks and so do I. The turn is a J and again the small blind checks and so do I. The river is a Q of spades which gives me a flush but it is a low flush for me. The small blind this time bets out $500. I call and he shows Q J for 2 pair which my flush crushes. My mistake was that I should have reraised him all in on his $500 bet. I just figured that he had made a higher straight than me. I had vowed to be aggressive and here was a perfect example of not taking a chance. I would have gone out in 4th had I lost but if I won I would have been chip healthy again. 4th place turns out to be how I went out anyways.

My next mistake was with A 10 again. I raise and get a caller who has been playing pretty loosed and winning a lot of pots drawing out. Flop comes out and does not hit me. He checks and so do I. Turn and river both miss and we have checked it down. He bets $1000 and I fold. He had shown down hands like K 3 earlier and I did not want to risk losing to a pair of 3's or 4's. He showed an Ace to indicate that he missed and was just playing Ace high. Again had I reraised him all in he may have folded. At worst we probably would have chopped the pot or my 10 kicker may have been enough. What was worse was that if he had called my all in and I won he would have been out and I would have made the money. Also had I eliminated him the next hand would not have happened.

I get pocket 10's and go all in as I am seriously short stack at this point after being blinded off. The same loose player calls me and shows pocket Q's. No 10 on the flop, turn or river and I am gone in 4th place. If only I had knocked him out when I possibly had the chance.

Overall I am pleased with my more aggressive play but I made too many mistakes at the final table. At least I realize them which means I am learning and getting better. I just need to ensure I do not repeat them. I need to continue my aggressiveness and be more willing to gamble.