LA Poker Classic

(12th generation european starlings)

On my way over to the casino today, while I was waiting to cross the street, I felt a somewhat large raindrop land on my head. Upon feeling the moisture in my hair with my hand I gazed up to a completely blue sky. Following further investigation I noticed there was a bird on the power lines above me and my hand was brown; I put two and two together and was rather dismayed. I'm not much for foreshadowing but...


Hands from the 1000nl event (2500 starting chips, 490 entrants, 160k for first)

Level: 50/100
My Stack: 3900
UTG raises to 300 and I smooth call in MP with AsKs followed by a SB call. Three ways to the flop it comes out Js 5d 2s and the SB bets out 700. UTG raisers reraises to 2100 and I decide to ship it in. SB decides to call and after some hesitation so does UTG raiser. SB has J5; UTG has AJ. [a spade turn gave me a healthy stack early on]


Level: 300/600/75
My Stack: 20k
Folds around to me in the small blind and I decide to limp with an A4o to which the BB raised 1500 on top. I called rather quickly and the flop came out Ad 8s 4d. I checked and he bet out 4k to which I quickly shoved (trying to make it look like i have a draw). He tanked for some time saying, "I just cant put you on an ace" and eventually called with JJ. [safe turn+river and doubled for the full amount]

Level: 1000/2000/300
My Stack: 67k
After folding for three orbits or so I decide that an UTG steal would be really good EV since the blinds were really tight there and I would get respect for a premium hand. So I go with the play {any two here} and raise to 6k with Q2o UTG and get two callers to my surprise. The flop comes out Ad Kd Jd (I forgot my suits here and had to double check - not sure if they picked up on this) and having the Qd decided that just going all in was the best play. MP folds and big stack on button tanks, asks for a chip count, and than calls with KJ. [river Ts put a dagger in his heart]

*Note: this hand really shocked the room. At break everyone was talking about it in the bathroom, people kept hounding me for raising Q2o UTG, it was definitely a hand to be remembered by. [sorry to end a sentence with a preposition]

KEY HAND
Level: 1500/3000/500
My Stack: 127k
Folds around to SB who raises to 8500 with a 60k stack and I look down at Ah 8h in the BB. After long deliberation I go all in and he calls pretty fast with an unsightly A9o. Maybe a flat call would have been better here, maybe 3x looks stronger and he might fold, maybe I just needed to let him have the blinds; not a fun spot. [no help had me down to average with two tables left]

Level: 1500/3000/500
My Stack: 66k
Folds around to A9o guy in SB who yet again opens for 8500 (this was the fourth time in a row - maybe that meant he had a bigger hand this time or was he just doing it with any two?). I look down at J8o and decide to go all in quickly and confidently. He asks for a chip count and after a minute of deliberation calls with KQo. [no help and I get to wash the 12th place bird poop out of my hair]