HAND OF THE DAY: 08.21.08

$55 MTT turbo edition, first hand:

I am utg with 9-9 with a starting stack of $1500 and $15/30 blinds. I limp to see what develops. There are three others who take the flop. I did not record the particulars of the hand at the time but I'm recreating it now from memory. The suits are unimportant as there was no flush draw.

FLOP: 8-7-3
ACTION: * / B ($80) / x / R ($240) / x / C
ANALYSIS: It's a good flop, giving me an overpair with backdoor straight potential. I bet 3/4 of the pot to try to discourage anyone from getting fancy. When I am raised, a part of me wants to get out cheap as this is the first deal and the paltry starting stack coupled with the rapidly increasing blind structure dictates that I must win the first pot I contest or risk being severely crippled. I make the call since the true strength of my hand is pretty well concealed behind my open limp and I am beating him if he thinks A-8 is the nuts.

TURN: 8-7-3 / J
ACTION: * / B ($480) / C
ANALYSIS: The jack doesn't help me other than to bring me closer to that back door straight, but when he bets so aggressively, it makes me suspicious. I'm just not putting him on J-8 and I don't think he'd be so eager to price everybody out if he had flopped a set. I still think he has A-8 but I'm also beginning to think that 8-7 is more than a little likely based on his eagerness to end the hand. I decide to make the call but I will hope to check it down and will be forced to fold to a significant bet on the river, giving him credit for the 8-7.

RIVER: 8-7-3 / J / 3
ACTION: B ($750 all-in) / C
ANALYSIS: Well, I was hoping to see a jack, nine or three on the river and here is the trey. I can now beat 8-7 and half my starting stack is in the pot already so the shove is a no-brainer. If he has 8-7 he will likely call and if he has me beat, I was calling anyways. He calls and shows T-9 for the straight. Wow, I had never really considered that hand since I was holding two nines myself. I guess holding the blockers made me discount his big bet when the draw card came on the turn. I put him on a couple of hands that gave me a 50/50 chance of having him beat before the river and when the board paired the bottom card, then I was confident enough to risk my tournament life. Give me a $3k starting stack and I don't bust out here, but I tend to play my hands fast in a turbo event and this time, I was the first player eliminated.