Poker Connection

As many of my poker colleaugues know, the game of No Limit Holdem is a difficult one to excel at. Sometimes I sat back and think we are at a sanctuary most of our playing days, with birds here and birds there, fish here and fish there and even I admit that I am sometimes part of that scenery. The truth is that I never approach major tournaments with that sort of perspective. It is hard for many to believe, but that is the truth.

Contrary to what most believe, I am a very intuitive and calculating player where the majority of my game resolves around pot odds, implied odds and chip management. I firmly believe that 3rd and 4th raises = strength and I also believe that the odds given to me will determine my call, raise or fold outcome.  What I cannot predict is the uncontrollable choices of my competitors, which are sadly to say, the ones I fear most,especially when they are the wrong ones. As you, these are the situations I rarely come out winning.

If our cards don’t hold up, or we cannot win a race, get ready to put on your coat, pack your headset and head back home or off to the next one.

Before I got to Borgata, I was feeling good about my 6th place finish at Blue Heron in the annual 2k Championship. I was running good and thing were nice. Yeh I took some bad beats and I lost some races, but they were for less than 20% of my stack, so overall, minimal damage.

Then came Borgata and what an event that was. Do not miss the next one if you have an opportunity to play it. $3000 buy-in with $50,000 start chips and a blind structure that would never seem to go up. Just awesome and beautiful for those who love deep deep stack events.

My plan was to simply double my stack every day and see what happened from there. Day 1 ended with $118,000, Day 2 ended with $248,000 and Day 3…. wow what a day. I found myself sitting there with over $850,000 chips. I was in the zone like you could not imagine at this point, they were all in fear. My objective at this point was to ensure a money placing and get in the top 100 and not blow a gasket. Well, I was calm, cool and collective and finsihed Day 4 with the lead and $4,720,000 chips a cool $900,000 ahead of Bill Edler.

I do not need to explain much more, but I will say that I did not blow any gaskets or lose my cool at any point, but here is how I go out in 8th.

I slowly built my lead to $6,600,000 when we are 12 players remaining and then one player on the other table makes the most ridiculous call on 4th street for his $5,100,000 chips and hits a 1 outer to take the tournament lead with just under $11,000,000 chips. We finally get to final table and I hang around the $6.6m to $7.0m mark for about an hour and then it happens.

Player with $4,100,000 in middle position raises to $600,000 off blinds of $100,000 – $200,000 with a $25,000 ante. All fold to me in SB and I find 10 10. I tank for about 2 minutes thinking about every option I have (except folding) and I come to the conclusion that I do not want to call and see overs on the flop, I cannot fold, I can only go All In and put him to the test and remove all pressure from me and place it on him. I lose, I am still sitting with $2,500,000. I take it down right there, I pick up $1,100,000 in chips.

He tanked for more than 4 minutes. I knew after 10 seconds that he was in trouble and he knew it. On the 5th minute he gasps and says what I fear ” I Call”. And I only fear this because I know it is the first bad call I am faced with in 5 days for more than pot or implied odds. This one is the one I cannot win anymore. Sure enough he shows AQ off and when the cards hit the felt he hits an ” A ” on the turn and I am crippled severely. Next hand I play, I am all in with 33 to AA and put on my coat, pack the headset and head home.

That hand has kept me up many a night thinking and I have heard many say ” Fold” or just Smooth Call… I played it right except for maybe one way. I could have raised to 2.4m and let him know that no matter what, I am not folding to an all in from him. That may have had him thinking differently. That is where the saying ” We Never Stop Learning ” comes in to play.

Next Stop: Off to Monte Carlo in April for the EPT Championship!

Talk soon and good luck on the felt my friends!!

” The Cannon”