Why I cannot make it to the Vic on April 17th...

[ThinkerJE]

Oh forgot, full details to follow, too tired (ie drunk) to do now...

[duke3016]

[Swinebag]

have fun

and.....

try winning something this time

glad to see you took my advice!!

[lukybugur]

Glad I read back a page to find out you were in Vegas ... was beginning to worry about you turning into Ger (being drunk at noon on a Thursday)

GLGLGL Mate! Get it won!

[ThinkerJE]

Okay megastacks event 1 at Caesars Palace, $340 buy in, 20k starting stack and a 40 mins clock.

Only 143 runners after the 4 hour re entry period that was a bit disappointing, although it is still early days.

23,000 at 1st break (end of level 3)

Playing good solid poker.  Call a raise on the button with AQ and 4 to a flop QJ2 which the raiser bets and I re raise to 700 in position.  2 callers and all check the turn J, river A and the original raiser bets 1,500, I put him on AK and call to win a nice early pot (good read).  I raise the button with KK and BB calls.  Flop A76 and it goes check check, turn 7, check check again, river 2 and he checks.  Figure he does not have an ace and bet 350 for value, he calls and mucks, value betting is an area of my game that has definitely improved and this was a good spot.  Crazy table in general, trying to keep out of trouble, started 6 handed and one guy has knocked 3 out by end of level 2 and is up to 80k.  Example hand was only the 3rd of the tournament on a board 975,3,6 betting goes crazy post river and an all in shove by 99 is called by A4!!!!!  Mad 45k pot at 25-50 with no one holding the nuts, mad, the 99 guy (who was french) went off on one, I still don"t understand how it did not go check check.

[ThinkerJE]

30,500 at 2nd break (level 6)

Make call in BB with 44 and 4 players see a 456 (2 spades flop).  I donk bet 2,200 hoping to get raised but original bettor just calls.  Turn 6 to house me up and it goes check check.  River 4 for quads and I bet 3,500, he chuckles to himself before calling and mucking a 6.  I call in SB with AT (spades) and 3 see a flop 237 (2 spades), raiser leads out and I semi bluff check raise to take it down 10k pot without showdown then moved tables.  Raise UTG with AK to 2,200, a flat from mid position is followed by BB shove for 20k, I fold and mid calls (JJ) vs TT (king on flop but still good fold).  2 hands later there is a raise from mid position and a 3 bet from the button, I"m SB with AK again and fold again, no need to gamble (he showed jacks).  Still playing solid on a loose table, need to get grooving as blinds go up, 83 players left in.

[ThinkerJE]

39,500 at dinner break (level 9)

44 players left (18 get paid).  No hands.  Major conflict and the first time I was all in as follows.  I raise with AJ (clubs) and get one caller who has position on me.  Flop QT7 (1 club) and I c bet 5k with my middle pin draw and he calls.  Turn 3 clubs and I move all in for 22k with nut flush draw hoping to take it down and sensing weakness in his flop call.  He tanks and finally calls (damm need to hit).  He has 78 (clubs) and is ahead with bottom pair but I have 16 outs to win and the magical Q clubs on river wins a 60k pot.  Hate his play, I think my play was aggressive but I was right about him being weak, he probably thought his flush draw would be good and decided to gamble.  Then I donk off a quarter of my stack with a case of bad timing (or bad play - you decide).  There is a raise from mid position from an active player and a flat from the button.  I squeeze from the BB (K4 off although cards don"t come into it) thinking I can get them both to fold.  Mid shoves the lot and I dwell for the cameras before folding and claiming a mid pair and not wanting to race at this stage (I lie good).  Then get blinded away on active table managed to pick up blinds with QQ but no other hands.

[ThinkerJE]

95,000 at 4th break (level 12)

25 players left (18 paid).  The button makes a min raise and the SB calls, great value for me in BB with JT and call.  Flop 789 rainbow and SB shoves all in for a massive over bet (he has me covered), I dwell to entice the button before calling.  Button quickly folds and SB shows QT and no jack means I double up, happy days, you have to love when someone shoves into you when you holding the nuts (this is not the last time this happens in this tournament).  Then next orbit the same guy bets half his stack UTG and I am in next position with KK, I raise to put him all in and he tanks (phew no aces then).  He finally calls with QJ () and a flop AK7 gives him 4 outs but no suck out and I win another nice pot.  He actually only had 2 outs as another guy folded TT after my 3 bet.  I raise in SB with QQ and BB calls (he always defends so no need to slow play).  Flop 7A7 (not great) and I check and he bets and I call.  He may have an ace although I think he would have re raised pre flop, more likely a medium pair, and my call looks fishy.  Turn 3 and it goes check check.  River Q to house me up and I value bet 15k, he states he "has no idea where he is" and folds (don"t think he had an ace).  The river was nice although I was planning to value bet the river anyway regardless as I was sure I was ahead.  Blinds just gone 2k/4k (500) so well in this, nothing stupid now, no thinker blow up.

[ThinkerJE]

198,000 at 5th break (level 15)

14 left and we are IN THE MONEY!!!

Very cagey now as we approach the final table, major double up hand was all in pre flop QQ vs AK (which held).  Then there is a mid raise and I wake up with AA in SB.  I posture a bit then flat to trap and entice a squeeze, BB shoves all in, mid folds and I snap call, AA vs KK (so sick) and it holds to win a monster pot.  Still playing good, picking my spots, final table the next goal.

[ThinkerJE]

478,000 at end of day 1 (halfway through level 17)

I go to the final table 2nd in chips and in very good position.  Managed to find some spots to pick up chips without showdown.  UTG shoves for 100k and I wake up with QQ in SB.  It holds against AJ.  Playing really aggressive, 3 betting a lot and not getting called.  Other major pot occurred when the chip daddy raised UTG and got a flat from mid position, button 3 bets and I find AA in BB (deck smacking in the face again) and I 4 bet to take it down.  Could not call here as did not want multiple action, but the raise also gives my hand away, still a nice pot to take down.  Really pleased with my play on day 1 and I have chips going into the final table and still plenty of play to be had structure wise.  Normally I am short stacked so determined to put them to good use.  Final table starts at 2pm so beer and pai gow until 4.30am seem like the only natural preparation to take (I could not sleep anyway, still way too wired).

[ThinkerJE]

651,000 at next break (end of level 20)

Final table, 6 players left, good seat draw with big stack to my immediate right.  Only major hand saw me raise UTG with AQ, mid stack ships the lot from mid position and I tank before finally making the call.  AQ vs AJ and it holds.  Playing good, not many showdowns, trying to keep away from chip daddy, 3 short stacks clinging on, the other 3 of us are picking on them all the time.  Good standard of play and lots of room with the structure, won"t get silly for a couple more levels yet.

[ThinkerJE]

The tournament ends halfway through level 22 with yours truly finishing 2nd for $7,074.  Well pleased with the result, my best cash ever in Vegas (and the cause of  lots of form filling but it is well worth it).

No major hands, duckin n divin, avoiding the big stacks until I raise 88 on button and SS calls in BB with A5, pair holds.  Then 4 handed, UTG shoves with KJ and wake up yet again with AA in SB, it holds and we are 3 handed.  1 monster stack and I am in 2nd with SS having 7 BB"s.  I shove the SB with QJ after the chip daddy folds, BB finds AQ but I manage to suck out on a KT2,9,3 board and we are heads up.  I have about 40% of chips as we begin but donate some on the next hand.  I call in BB with A3 and we both check the 663 flop.  Turn is another 6 and I check call 100k.  River T and I check call 200k, he shows QT for a better house.  Probably played it too weak should have raised either pre flop or bet the flop, anyway he has a 2-1 chip lead now.  I make it 90k from button with A8 and he calls, flop AT7 rainbow and he checks and I bet 120k, he raises to 240k and I think.  Bigger ace (unlikely as he would re raise pre flop), no real draws except 89 or 2 paint cards, a ten is very likely as he wants to find out if I have an ace and win it there.  I figure I am ahead and put him on a ten and shove all in.  He snap calls, my read was half right, he did have a ten, but he had a seven to go with it.  No help on turn or river and I finish 2nd.  Not too disappointed still a top result.

[ThinkerJE]

As a side note the guy who finished 3rd was Alex Dovzhenro (ie the QJ vs AQ suck out).  I really liked his play at the final table and it is easy to see why, check out his record;

http://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/player.php?a=r&n=2244

[ThinkerJE]

Just after 9pm Vegas time and I"m off out to party, beer and pai gow tonight, more poker tomorrow, probably, maybe, depends when I get back later...

[Mikeyboy9361]

Well played James, great result and report.