Tournament month

"I did what I had to do because it was the right thing to do...but even an ordinary secretary, or housewife, or teenager can, within their own small ways, turn on a small light in a dark room" Miep Gies


It’s been quite a while since I’ve posted, but I am going to try to keep an ongoing blog this month.

There are so many great tourneys this month going on in Vegas between the World Series at The Rio, Binion’s Poker Classic, and The Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza events, plus the Bellagio Cup. So I’m dedicating the month of June to live tournaments. I’m going to try to play one almost every day. I plan to play a few World Series events, many of the Binion’s ones, and probably a few of the Venetian ones.

Today I went to Binion’s for the first event which was $150 buy in No-limit Hold’em. My compliments go out to Binion’s for putting together what seems like it will be a truly great series of tournaments. Registration went smooth, the tables were set up nice, chips were nice, and the tournament was run very smoothly with tables being broken down and players reseated very orderly. Overall, it seems like the staff at Binion’s has done a great job. The tournament had a nice turnout, 281 players. More on Binion’s another day, as I will be playing many more of these events.

As to the tournament, I didn’t pick up much to play the first 3 levels. You start with 4000 chips and blinds 25/50, 30 minute levels. I raised an AT in late position and was reraised from the SB and folded, later I raised an AK to 350 from UTG during 50/100 and was re-popped to 1000. I was certain this player would not do this with AQ but would commit more chips on an ace or king board with a hand like JJ or 88, he was that type player. There was no chance he was laying down a pair for a preflop reraise, so I flat called and the flop was 894 and I gave up when he bet strong. I was sure he had a hand like QQ. I ended the first 3 levels with 2100 chips when we went to break.

The second session was more successful. When I got low, 4 players limped into the pot on my big blind and with 750 in dead money out there, I pulled the squeeze play raising all in with my 68o. Everyone folded. Soon after I raised an AK and all folded and I showed, a few hands later I raised an A9s after a limper who I did not think would call and took it down, and in my BB I bet a safe K32 flop with A5 in my hand and took it down, and I was back up to around 4800.

With AT in my next big blind, an interesting hand came down. I decided to check the option after the UTG+1 limped and the SB completed, as I had too much to raise all-in and an awkward amount left if I raised smaller, plus the UTG+1 limper was a decent player so I was catious. Flop came T64 two clubs. The SB checked and though I wanted to check-raise cause I though the UTG+1 might bet air or a hand like JTs, I thought there was too good a chance that he might check behind and my hand needed to be protected. So I bet 1000 into a pot of about 1150. I was surprised to be called in both spots. The turn was an 8. I was trying to figure out if both players could be drawing here, but the only draw on the flop was the flush draw. Possibly one guy with a hand like JT/QT/KT and the other drawing? I had about 3200 left and decided my hand was likely good so I went with it. Both players thought a long time and folded. I ended level 6 with around 8500.

My table was a lot of fun, and I was chatting it up quite a bit, making jokes and inventing new games. Sometimes I am like this at the table, and sometimes I stay pretty quiet. I guess I like to mix it up a bit. Several players to my left were decent if not pretty good, and a few to my right were not so great. We talked about inventing a new game with two dealers and two hands in Hold’em where you keep one hand in reserve and can later switch a card for a fee. Needs work, but has potential. I suggested that the game needed a name, so one guy at the table asked my name and decided to call it “Murf’s fucked-up Hold’em.”


After the second break, with blinds 300/600 and 50 ante, I called blind from the big blind when a girl moved in for 1700. With 3000 in the pot and me closing the action on an all-in, it was a no brainer for 1100 more. I had J3o and she showed A9 and I turned a jack to win. After winning another blind battle, our table got moved. I raised a couple times and took down blinds. With about 12000 chips at 400/800, I contemplated a reraise from the BB with 55 against a mid position raiser, but decided to pass. Soon after came my downfall, I reraised with 99 from the SB against a button raise, and he called with AK and won the flip, dropping me to around 7000. On my next BB, the button went all in and I called with A7. He showed 89o and spiked an 8, crippling me to 1000 chips. The next hand I had the SB so I was in for 600, and had to call the other 400 with 23o against the UTG raiser. He showed AK and held and I was out in 75th place.

Overall, I’m very happy with my play today. Hopefully I can say that each day, and have faith that that will be enough to make a couple nice scores. Today’s event paid 28 spots and $10,000+ to first place.

Tomorrow is the $150 pot limit Hold’em event which should be fun. Quite a bit more forced post flop play in PL compared to NL, so I look forward to that. I think I should be stronger against the field in PL than NL.