On day #1 finished 19 of 342 in the $10,000 Free Roll after getting crippled by a bingo player with 10-5 off suit to my AK suited. He was just going all in every hand for over an hour and I finally had to gamble with him. Carlos flopped trips and my shot at a $500 seat in the Main Event was all but over. One good thing is Carlos lasted less than an orbit when the tournament chip leader finally busted his A2 with AA.
Day #2, I finished 12 of 87 in the first $340 NLHE when once again my AK ran into a bingo playing Khe San vet, at least thats what his greasy old ball cap said, and his 10-7 suited. I raised from MP with AK and as he did the entire event jams all in from the BB. Everyone else had folded to this move but this time I had him way covered and even if I lost I would be a mid stack with lots of time before the blinds hurt. Of course Mr. PTSD rivered a runner runner river flush. Bad news for me though since from then on out I never saw a remotely playable hand. I blinded out without even an A2 off for a Hail Mary play.
Day #3 starts at noon with another #340. Here is hoping I crack the bubble.
Wrap Up:
In every event I finished on or near the bubble in 5 of 7 tournaments. Feeling completely snakebit I played my “A” game in every event only to become the victim of horrible suckouts on late coinflips which determined whether I ran deep or bubbled. Three seperate times I had a much weaker short stack player jam the turn on me with TPNK (Top Pair No Kicker). Each time I sat there mid stacked with TPTK (Top Pair Top Kicker) a straight and flush draws. Each time the shortie caught two pair on the river.
The most remarkable beat occured on day #5 in the second level when I caught KK on the Button and raised the pot with 3 limpers. One little old man repopped me. My gut said fold he has AA but my internal gambler took over and convinced me he had AK. So I call and the flop comes AK7 and the old man bets. I immediately shove my stack. The old man tanks for so long another player called the clock. He calls and flips over AA. Yep my gut was right.
Here is a poker tip and point of etiquette for you to take to your next tournament. If your gut says you are beat you probably are so fold. On etiquette, especially in live play, do not slow roll or apologize ahead of time for really bad calls. Live players remember slow rolls like the phone number of their first girlfriend and will pay you back tenfold one day. As far as apologies go please don’t do it. Everyone knows you made a horrible call and all it does is reinforce your image as a weak player. Just rake the pot.
All was not lost however bad my tournament fortunes ran. I earned all my entries through satellites and a very loose 1/2 NL cash game brought me back to even for the week. As far as Harrah’s Horseshoe in Elizabeth Indiana is concerned the place is a class act poker room. With a professional staff of supervisors, floor bosses and dealers every event was smoothly ran and a pleasure to be in. There are plenty of tables and comfortable chairs, a soft drink fountain, restrooms and frequent visits by a waitress. The room is huge, accomodating over 350 players at the start of one event, and clean with flat screen televisions and tournament monitors every where I looked.
Great events Harrah’s
