Poker: Another sponsored tournament, at last !

It has been ages since my last sponsored game for Black Belt Poker (BBP) (see http://sceaga.blogspot.com/2010/06/poker-ecoop-vi-30020-tournament.html for write up) and have been chomping at the bit to have another crack at the $250k weekly tournament.  My first (and only previous attempt) was back in May (http://sceaga.blogspot.com/2010/05/poker-my-first-sponsored-tournament.html) but this has been suspended during June due to the WSOP so tonight is my first opportunity to get another sponsored game as a BBP Green Belter , so have been getting excited and really looking forward to it.

So here I am again, playing in the $300 +$20, $250'000 Guaranteed No Limit Hold' em Sunday tournament, starting at 7pm.

There are 724 players registered and the top 80 players get paid.   We start with 5000 in chips and 30/15 blinds (blinds go up every 15 mins)

First hand I get 99 in button and call a raise from mid position player, then get re-raised from SB   The Q74 (2 spades) flop doesn't suit me all that well, specially when the SB bets out 3/4 pot.... so decide to let it go.   In the next couple of hands I get 44, then 33 but don't get any joy on the flop.   AJo raise it up from late and see Kxx flop in position but get resistance on flop and bet into on the river, so let it go again (having seen 4 out of 5 flops I guess I don't have much respect :-) )

The end of level 1 saw me with 4268 chips with 5105 being the average and 641st of 709 remaining players, abbreviated to:

End L1:  4268/5105   641/709

Table is quite aggressive and not getting any decent cards, so fairly quiet level for me

End L2:  4148/5269   571/687

At last get decent hand with AKo on SB   One raiser from button and BB folds leaving us heads up.   The K84 flop looks safe for me, so checked and got the bet I was hoping for.  Decided to raise as not sure about the player and he folded, which I kindof expected.

Then I get moved to different table, which is always annoying, so have to start building up my knowledge from scratch

End L3:  4948/5543   352/653

First hand this level and on BB with ATd   get raise from button and re-raise from SB so decide to dip out.   K63 flop comes with 2 diamonds.   SB bets 1000 and called by button, then of course the 9d comes  then the button bet pot to SB check (who then folds) so would've got some action as well !  Very annoying :-)

End L4 (first break): 4748/6063   367/597

Phew, made it to the first break....at least I'm making a game of it, even if I can't get above my starting stack !

First hand on new level... get AA on button.... make std raise and blinds folded.  Typical !!

few hands later, get ATd again, this time from mid position so was able to be first in and raised.  Get called from late but all else fold.  The J88 flop comes with 2 diamonds, so decide to cBet but get called.   T comes on the turn so bet out again and get called.  The A on turn improves my hand, and fairly sure I'm ahead but would be happy to check down to showdown, however the other player goes all-in so have a decision.  Luckily I make the right decision and call as he has only 99 and I take a huge pot !

End L5: 9947/6522  84/555

First hand get AJo UTG and decide to limp   Several limpers to the SB who raises, but call.   783 doesn't help but SB checks so lead out and he calls.   2 comes on the turn and SB checks.  Decide to bet out again but get re-raised all-in so end up folding having stuck in a load of my newly won chips and am back down below starting stack again !  

Get AA again on BB this time... get min raise from mid player so re-raise and he folds... oh well, maybe next time.

End L6: 5127/7448   311/486

Get AKs from late.   Get min raiser UTG, who I'd raised before, so decide to raise again.  This time he calls.   Flop comes AA3 and am happy to see him bet out half pot.  Min re-raise and get put all-in so of course call and happy to see him with 77 so I double up !   Phew, nice that being so patient has paid off... will try to hold on to these chips this time !

End L7: 9665/8360   138/433

Raised AQo after limper, who then calls   He bets out pot on 644 flop making it difficult to continue so have to fold

End L8 (2nd break): 7135/10402  225/348

Blinds are now 400/200 with 40 ante so starting to hurt with my stack size !

ATs and raise... get one caller.   Nut flush draw on flop, so bet out and take the pot, which I'm happy enough with

Been quite aggressive table with lots of raising, so when see KQo in mid decide to have a go while I can.  Typically the shorty on the table all-in calls me with 43s and I think ooohhh ohh, but luckily my K high holds up and I take a small pot.   Probably hasn't done my table image any good as my raise was effectively a steal ;-)

Couple of hands later I have AJo in BB and aggressive player with large stack on button raises.  The SB folds, but I decide to re-raise and test him out, but he calls.   The A54 diamonds flop isn't fantastic for me, but with 5700 in the pot and I've 6000 behind can't let him have a go at a free card and am probably ahead so decide to push all-in.   He insta calls with 9-6 diamonds (of course) and the A on the turn proves to be a false hope with a blank on the river sending me out in 292nd place.

I was a bit gutted and although was disappointed, overall did think I was playing OK and was in control (well, as much as you can be in this game!) until it all blew up in my face :-) 

August will be my last month as Green belt (for a while anyways) and have enough points to play just two more big tournaments…. just gotta decide whether to play two Sunday $250k GTD and have  a few points left over, or blow it all on one Sunday $250K GTD and a Monthly Mega $1 million GTD !!