Poker : Deep Stack tournaments

I have recently be playing in “Deep Stack” tourneys on my Wednesday night "online poker night"   This is where you get 5000 starting chips and the blinds go up every 30 minutes, so you need to be prepared for the long haul if you do any good !

First attempt was 6th May in a $11 deep stack tourney.  This had 1026 players and I crashed out in 660th place after 90 minutes

Then decided to switch to the $22 deep stack tournament , so on 13th May sat down for a nice game for a couple of hours as there were only 152 players.   As it turned out, I did pretty well, so after 8.5 hours playing ! I finished in 6th place and took a nice $152 prize

Last week I played the $22 tournament but things went against me and finished 59th of 135 so a very poor showing

This week I did have had some more success !!  Seems my temperament is more suitable for the patient, long, drawn out game

From my 5000 chip starting point, I got some good hands early on and had built up my stack, which was just as well, as I ended up all in on the turn having flopped two pair and some clown with his flush draw hit his 1 in 6 chance to put me down to around 1200 chips !   As the blinds were so low, I managed to keep calm and play on, and was lucky to very soon double up with a good hand, then tripled up when I got lucky having gone all in pre-flop with a speculative hand and got 4 callers !

From then on, I just tried to maintain above average chips, but was going up and down a bit.... but over time was pretty well in control.  

One hand in the middle stages that stuck out was when I got A-Ks on the Big Blind.  There was a raise then a re-raise all-in and as the original raiser had a load of chips, decided he was likely to call even if I went all-in (which I seriously thought about) so decided to fold.   The original raised had T-T and the original all-in had A-6 so was happy with my choice when the blank flop came down, but when the A then K came, I was not so pleased.   I know made the right choice, but when the outcome would have been in my favour (like tripling up!), it still hurts...

As we got into the last 40 players, I had some good hands and felt I was playing well... and managed to get myself up into the top 6, where I pretty much stayed (with my normal loose aggression when I get a lot of chips!) until the end

After 5.5 hours play !  I am in first place with 102'131 chips out of 19 players (Avg = 37'631)

At the next break after 6.5 hours, I am still in 1st with 140'488 and 11 players left (avg=65'000)

Next break after 7.5 hours, I am still in 1st place, with 176'133 with 9 players left.   Avg=79'444   I want to now build up to and maintain stack of 178'750 which is the average stack for my target of a 4th place finish

8h 25mins into the game,  I drop to 2nd place – having dropped down to 134'533 chips (8 players left ) but suddenly it all goes nutty and chips leader takes out another player as well !   Chip avg=102'142  Couple of hands later and another player get really lucky and takes out someone else... I am now 3rd place from 6 so am getting excited…..

Next break (8 hr 45 mins)  I am 3rd now out of 6 players with 119'133 (Avg = 119'166 !! )  Starting to buzz now, but from drinking too much water I think !!

After 9 hours,  I am 5th of 5 players with 99'559 (avg = 143'000)  All to play for and blinds only at 4000/2000   News flash... just as I am writing this, I win a decent hand and now jumped to 3rd place with 140'509

Hit the 9.5 hour mark and a key hand.  I am in BB with A-Q (5000/2500 blinds) and button goes all-in   He normally flat calls good hands, so decided to call (I would also have about 40'000 chips behind)   Turns out he has 8-4s and neither of us improve, so I take him out and we are now down to 4 players and I am chip lead again at 267'128 (avg = 178'750)

Has it really been 9hr 50mins !   I am now 2nd of 4 players left , so have hit my target finishing place.   I have 236'996 (Avg=178'750) and the blinds are now 6000/3000    I am up and down a bit, was 1st for a while, then 4th, worked up to 3rd, then hit some cards and got aggressive and got to current 2nd place     Lynn is probably snoring her head off by now, but my adrenalin must be flowing... still drinking a load of water (it is very hot and muggy tonight) so also having to go to the loo every half hour as well !

After a 10h 25m slog we are now head up !!   I have 293'000 v’s my opponents 422'000  (357'500 avg)

Lost big pot with  my Q-4 against K-6 on a A-K-Q flop !    but a couple of hands later I have doubled up,  then managed to get back to about 307'000   Then my A-A holds up and win a bit more to take us almost dead even in chips

Then we have the key hand... I have J-5 in BB call a raise of 14'000....  flop comes J-T-3 so check and re-raise all-in when he bets.  He calls and shows A-T so I am way ahead.    The turn is a safe 6, making me about 90% certain to win the hand……. but the A on the river takes me out in 2nd place !!

After 850 hands and 10 hour 45mins playing time, I won $457.60 for 2nd place (first was $657.80)  

It is amazing how your expectations change during the tournament, most of the way through I would have taken a cash finish were it offered, but then being chips lead a lot of the time you hope to make the final table (9 players) then on the final table, still at the top of the chip count, you then hope to take 4th… having got to 4th I was gunning to win it…. and on the last hand thought I pretty much had won it !  It is a bit gut wrenching to get so close to the win, but ultimately happy to take 2nd place.  I am happy with my play and the luck evened out so can’t complain too much :-)

These deep stack tournaments may suit my temperament, but they certainly take time !     Mind you, the hourly rate of $40 isn’t too bad I suppose.