FTOPS Event 13: $200 Rebuy NLHE

I was in for the minimum, but that’s about all that went right with this tournament. For the next hour and a half, I was catching absolutely nothing. AK, JJ, and TT were the best hands I saw. I won the AK with a re-raise, my JJ ran into QQ, and my TT ran into AA when I had 20 BBs. I also had a tough starting table with a couple of good tourney regulars and Spirit Rock/Mohatma, who as many of you know used to crush the biggest NL games a few years ago. It’s a shame, because this was a deep tournament (the minimum after the rebuy period was good for 150 BBs) with a great structure.

I skipped Event 14, which was Stud, because that’s one of my worst games, I don’t particularly like it, and limit tournaments last freaking forever.

Boring stories, so I’ll give you a good one from my cash play on the side. I de-polarize my range and totally valuetown this guy:

Full Tilt Poker, $10/$20 NL Hold’em Cash Game, 5 Players
LeggoPoker.com – Hand History Converter

CO: $8,688.50
BTN: $3,530
SB: $4,580
Hero (BB): $6,062
UTG: $10,311

Pre-Flop: A A dealt to Hero (BB)
UTG raises to $70, 3 folds, Hero raises to $262, UTG calls $192

Flop: ($534) 8 8 6 (2 Players)
Hero bets $350, UTG calls $350

Turn: ($1,234) Q (2 Players)
Hero bets $950, UTG calls $950

River: ($3,134) T (2 Players)
Hero bets $2,000, UTG calls $2,000

Results: $7,134 Pot ($3 Rake)
Hero showed A A (two pair, Aces and Eights) and WON $7,131 (+$3,569 NET)
UTG mucked 3 3 (two pair, Eights and Threes) and LOST (-$3,562 NET)

Basically I think he expects my triple barrel to be either a bluff or a huge hand. So I just keep firing, planning to fold if he raises turn or river but expecting to be ahead of his call-down range. After the hand he types, “Wow”which I take as a compliment. Then he goes on,

“Guess that’s why I play deep.” I ask if he’s serious.

“You can’t wait to go broke with AA this deep.” Bitch you can’t wait to go broke with 33! Totally confirmed my read of what level he was on. The best thing is that he’s saying he plays deep because of the implied odds when he hits a set, but he’s got bad reverse implied odds if I can get him to call me down like this, so really it’s not nearly the spot he thinks it is.

He went on for a while like this.