Prairie Band Fun Time

Well hello there. Sorry to be away awhile. Not much poker to talk about until today.

I went up to the Prairie Band Casino north of Topeka. Formerly Harrah's. Me and a buddy went to play in the 1 a.m. $35 buy in $20 re buy tournament. Let me just say the people playing there were way less than good. What do you expect from a 1 a.m. tourney?

The first hour I saw AK once, raised and took the blinds. I folded for 30 minutes after that and finally saw QJ in mp. It looked like the nuts after the crap I was folding. I raised and got 2 callers. I have played 2 hands in about an hour and get called. I c-bet and took it down. I then limp in mp with;T9os and see a flop of 973 rainbow. Sb raises and I push for 2 times his raise and he calls with ATs in spades, no spades on board. I double up into the break. I add on and have $55 invested. I have 2700 in chips after starting with 1200 so I feel OK about my position.

I get back after the break and go on a tear. I get AK 3 out of my first 6 hands. I bust a lady who had bought in for $115. AK took down her JJ. There was a guy who was just killing the table. He had shown down good hands the whole way and was just outplaying us all. I look down at my best hand of the tourney, KK. I limp utg knowing that the shortie to my left was going all in every other hand and that the big stack loved playing for peoples stacks. I got my wish and the shortie pushed. Big stack raises to isolate and it is folded to me. I think for a second, almost sure I was ahead. I push all in for about 2k more and the big stack instant calls. Now he was priced in, but I thought he would at least think about it. I thought he had AA. I flipped over my kings, and he groaned. He had JJ. Shortie had A3 diamonds. The flop came out and the beautiful door card was a king. I had to sweat runner runner diamond possibility, but in the end almost doubled up. The big stack just lost it. He was still the chip leader of our table and maybe 2nd in th tourney. He went on super monkey tilt. All in every hand until he busted. Literally gave almost every chip to one guy at our table. He went on to chop for the win.

A little later I pick up JJ in the bb. Utg +1 raised 3x the blinds. I just call along with another player. The flop came out J73 os. I stare at the the board trying to keep my heart in check. How am I going to play this? I look up and then realize the table is waiting for me. I was first to act. I chuckle a bit and check. The raiser pushes all in, other guy folds and I instant call. Jacks hold and I am the chip leader going to the final table.

Top 6 pay and we get there quick as me and one other had most of the chips.. We get to 6 and an old regular wants to even chop. The other big stacks says it's up to me and I say I would like to play a bit more. You know, I had 20k and 4 of the players had 4k or less with 300/600 blinds.. I pointed at the chip leader and told him he was stupid if he wanted to chop. He just chuckled. Ever time someone went out the old guy asked for the chop like we were crazy for not doing it. Every time someone went out, they did so at the hands of a me or the other big stack. I was not about to give up that much equity. We finally get 2 handed heads up and then I ask for the chop. 1st was $505 and second was $258. I told him it was a good chop. He had me out chipped 45k to 35k. Blinds were 2k/4k. Two blind steals in a row made me the chip leader. It was a crap shoot. He said yes and we each got $386. I was a better short hand player than him and he said so. If the chips had been reversed I would have played on. It marked my first "win" and cash at a live tourney.

Next day we played at Harrah's KC. I have a question, if anyone cares. Board of T973 rainbow. You hold QQ. And you are almost positive that the villain in the hand is on an OESD. There is $100 in the pot. Do you over push for $400 all in to price them out or bet about the pot and see what happens?

Oh and I was playing $1-2. I am in the big blind and it gets folded around to the button who bets $15. Small blind calls. I look down at AA. I count out $50 to raise. I put it out on the table and looked down to see that I had inadvertently placed a black chip on top. I told the dealer it was a mistake and he said it was a binding bet. I was outwardly upset and said I did not mean to do that. It was true. I wanted a call. I thought the button was betting with a decent hand and wanted the action. The button thought a minute and announced all in. Sb folds and I obviously call. I turned over my hand telling him I was not angle shooting. I felt horrible. He had QQ I won and he told me my protesting at putting that black chip in convinced him I was weak. I apologized again and took his chips.

Peace

MT