West Palm Beach Main Event

Today was the $1,600 buyin main event here in West Palm Beach.  There is two starting flights for this event, Day 1a 11:00am start and Day 1b 7:00pm start.  This tournament has such a good structure with 20,000 in starting chips.  I have not done well in this tournament in the past, only having one min-cash in it in Louisville.  I decided to play Day 1a, and registered around 12:00pm.

Hand 1

I played the first few levels fairly tight, not winning any pots, but also not losing many chips.  Then at the 150/300 level I still hadn't won a pot and was down to around 13,000 chips. 

With the blinds at 150/300 I raised to 650 in late position with Js7s.  The big blind flats, as expected he never folded, and the flop is Jh6s6d.  He checks and I decide to check behind.  In this spot I'm sure I have to best hand, but at this point I don't think I will ever get three streets of value from a worse hand.  The turn is the 9s.  This is a good card for me as it gives me a backdoor flush draw and I already have top pair.  He leads for 1,100.  I decide to call as there isn't any point in raising as he will fold all nines and call with every hand that has me beat.  The river is the As and he checks.  This is a good and bad card for me.  It is good for me because it completes my flush, but it is also an overcard to his hand, his most likely holding being a nine.  It is going to be hard for me to get him to pay me off at this point.  I decide to bet 1,300 fully expecting him to fold.  Well he snap calls and I win my first pot of the tournament!

Hand 2

The next hand took place at the 300/600 level.  I started this hand with around 14,000 in chips.  The guy under the gun limps for 600 and it's folded to me on the button.  I have 3h4h and limp, the small blind limps and the big blind checks.  The flop is the KsKh3c.  Check, check, check to me and I decide I'm checking behind and basically letting whoever wants it on the turn to take it.  However, the turn is the 2s and they all check again.  This time I decide it's very likely I have the best hand so I bet 1,600.  The small blind folds and the big blind raises to 3,400 getting the UTG limper to fold.  I can fold right here and let him run me over, but I just didn't feel like he had a hand so I call.  The river is the 6c, he bets 4,400 immediately, I konw he is weak, I snap, he mucks.  Now we are over 20,000 chips for the first time all tournament!

Hand 3

The one thing you want to avoid in tournament poker is being on the wrong end of a "set over set" situation.  If you are on the right end it is going to be very profittable, but the wrong side is going to break you every time as you will see here. 

The blinds are now 400/800, the last level of the day before bagging up and playing Day 2 the following day.  A guy raises to 1,600 in early position and I call with 9s9d.  The small blind and big blind both call.  Taking the flop 4 ways I am basically trying to flop a 9 or I am done with the hand.  The flop is the Ad9c5d!  This is one of the best flops for my hand especially when the original raiser bets 3,200 on the flop.  He most likely is holding A10-AK or complete air.  I decide to play my hand fast and I raise to 8,300 on the flop.  Both the small blind and big blind get out of the way.  The original raiser has me covered and moves in, I call and he shows me the only hand I don't him to show me, AsAc!  Sigh, good game, eventually I will run good in one of the big ones.