BIG DEAL

So, as it turns out, I will be going to France after all for the internet gaming symposium. I was able to work it out and still hook on to the away team. Better yet, since the other guy who is going has to miss a week of work, the spending cash increased by $500 to $2500. I'll arrive in Nice on November 5th and depart on the 10th. I found a flight for $730, so I have a bundle left over to spend on Cuban cigars and escargot.

This morning, I settled into my recliner and turned on the ALDS game four and decided to use some of my Nice money to buy in to the $320 Big Deal tournament at PokerRoom. I didn't tell Marci how much I paid to get in, but when I started to get some chips I promised her that a top ten finish would buy us a leather couch. Twice on the day I got pocket rockets, and both times I got no action. I played very smart though, and was in 2nd place when it got down to 30 remaining, and the payout structure.

The cards ran cold for awhile until I was officially second division, in 10th place with 17 remaining. I then did the only thing that I came to regret later. I tried to steal the blinds with a 3x raise from late position with 55. No problem with that, but the big blind raised me $8K and I should have folded. I called like a stooge, attempting to hint that I was strong, and hoping for a check down. However, I was out of position, and with 12:1 odds of hitting a five on the flop, I should have never called off that eight grand. The flop came K97 offsuit, which is a nothing flop unless he's got AK or a higher pair, but I could only check, and when he bet, I could only fold. I wish I had folded to his reraise and kept that $8K.

I was the short stack with 15 to go, but if I could hold out for top ten, there was a pay jump of $200. I got a couple of strong hands and played them passive-aggressively, letting the big stack try to push me around before going all-in. I was able to get a few extra chips that way than if I had been the aggressor. Finally, I made the final table, and the couch was on promise. How I went out is fodder for the pundits:

I folded KQ in early position, and generally folded everything now that each paid place was a jump of $300+. I was the short stack, but there were two others not too far ahead of me. I could continue folding and folding and waiting for a premium hand, or I could take an occasional stab at the antes and try to increase my stack. When it folded around to me in the cutoff position, I decided to push with A5. I made a 3x raise and the big blind came back with an all-in bet. I knew I was likely beat, but the math dictated a call even if he had a better ace. I could have folded and guaranteed my survival, but I went with the numbers and made the call. He had AK and we both hit our kickers, but I was out in tenth place.

I'm not sure if I love or hate the way I played it. I had two opportunities to lay down the hand. If I had folded preflop, I would still have had $25k or so, with blinds at $2k/4k, and could have hung on awhile longer and maybe found some big hands. By taking a stab at doubling up, you can argue I was trying to get into a position where I could win the tournament. If I had folded to his reraise, I really would have been crippled, and I would have just been playing to move a slot or two up the payout. I feel like I was basically committing myself to the hand with my preflop raise, and I was willing to die with it if necessary. I'm no more than a 3:1 underdog unless he has aces, and the pot was giving me better odds than that. Plus, there was the chance he was trying to avoid a flop with an inferior hand, like KQs. So, I risked it and lost, but still got paid $1085 and enjoyed a classic ALDS game four.