Jeff's Poker Tournament Disaster

So Jeff has his second poker tournament party at his house last Saturday. The first tournament he had was $120 buy in with 30 players and I came in third place. I actually thought I could have won it if I had been a little more patient. Anyways it was good for around $600.

This time the buy in was $150 with $100 rebuys. We were starting with $2000 in chips and the blinds started at 10-20. I recognized a lot of the faces so I was confident that I would do well.

The very first hand someone went all in and got busted out so it looked like people were going to play loose and gamble it up. I played a standard game and did not lose a hand for the first two hours. I did make a couple of semi bluffs but my reads were good and my opponets laid down their hands.

At the first break I was at 4975. This was the last chance for rebuys or add ons. I noticed that our table seemed to have all the big stacks and the other tables had lots of short stacks. I had been playing very well against my opponets on my table so I figured it would be a good investment to buy an additional $2000 in chips with a $100. This was the same strategy I used last time.

We consolidated down to two tables and most of the big stacks seemed to remain on my table. The first hand was a show down between the guy on my immediate right and the guy two seats to my left. They both went all in, one with KK and the other with AA. The guy on my left had the Aces and of course they got cracked when a King fell on the flop. He had the KK hand covered by about 2 to 1 so he was still alive.

The very next hand involved this player and me. I was two off the button and it was folded to me. I had A-4 of hearts. I decide to raise and try to steal the blinds. The button (the AA loser) calls and the blinds fold. Heads up to the flop. The flop is Q-4-4 rainbow. Since there are no flush draws and I know my opponet is steaming, I decide to check and see if I can trap him. He falls for it and puts the rest of his stack in the middle. I call with approximately $3,000. He gets a pained look on his face and says "I was just bluffing". He turns over J-9 of clubs. There is one other club on the board. Sure enough he goes runner, runner flush and takes my pot. That's right it was my pot! I played it perfectly and I was a 94% favorite on the flop, dammit!

That erased my add on plus a little more, and put that opponet almost right back where he was before. He was one of the better players so I really wanted to put him out, plus it was my first chance at winning the $20 bounties that were offerred for knocking people out. All right calm down. I still have a lot of chips.

Two hands later I get K-J off suit and decide to limp after one other person has bet. The button calls and we have a family pot. The flop is Q-10-5. I have an open end straight draw with one of them to the nuts. The guy on my right (same guy who won with KK vs AA) makes a bet of $700. This was a little high and I gave it some thought. Basically I thought if I get the straight, I might break him. With his bet I am putting him on a pair of Queens or maybe 10's. I call and the button calls. I still have no idea what the button has. The turn is a K. I am very happy to see that card. Now I realize that there is a straight on the board. I think to my self, the button would have raised with AJ right?

Well the guy on my right bets 1000 into the pot. Interesting but I am still not worried about him. Now I want to win the pot right now. The button only has about 1500 left. I think to myself that if I go all in I don't think these other guys will call with the straight on the board. Plus there are no more rebuys so players are a little afraid to put all their chips in the middle. Surprisingly the button calls my all in and the guy on my right does as well. The button has the AJ for the nuts and the guy on my right just has a pair of 5's. The river is a 5 and I am out.

Thinking back, I should have just put the button all in. The guy on my right was not going to reraise and as I figured out, I had him beat with my Kings. Of course the 3 of kind 5's he gets on the river, he's going to bet and then I'm probably screwed.

Oh well.