Chasing Chris Ferguson

Finally!!! After many tournaments, I made the final table last night! The game was NLH on PokerStars $2.20 buy-in with 1,335 entrants.  So 5 hours after I started….

I found myself facing off against the other 8 players at the goal line, the final table.  It had been a long battle through the card dead phases which seemed to go on forever, and the goofy play.  I can’t say the Card Fairy was sitting on my shoulder, but at least she wasn’t pooping on my head either.

The first playable hand I had was Jc10c in the BB. I didn’t raise and neither did anyone else. Flop was 10d 8c 3h and I bet $200 and got one caller. Turn was the 10h and I checked, the caller bet and I put him all-in. He was playing 10-5 of spades. The river was a blank and I busted him and had $2400 in chips.

There were a couple of hotshots in the game, at least one on every table. The raised on the button if no one else had raised, every time. They also bet if no one else did when they were last. This is a good play…sometimes. But do it every time and you are prime meat for a trap. I guess they don’t think anyone notices they do this?  They are so easy, check the nuts to them and they are sure to think you have nothing and bet.  So was the case with the guy I had the J-10 against. Then I had the same senario with A-10h. I opened the pot with a raise and got re-raised by a hotshot.  I called, flop was A-10-5 rainbow.  I bet, he raised, I flat called. Turn was a sweet 10 so I checked again, he bet, I raised and he went all-in with his 7-8 of clubs.  He had no win so I guess he did all he could to bluff me, he picked a bad hand to do it in.

The only bad beat I got was when I had AhKh in the BB and the only caller was the SB. Blinds were 300/600 and I raised him $800 and he called.  I guess he thought I was trying to blow him off? The flop was 4-2-K with 2 hearts, he checked, I bet, he called. Turn was a heart, he checked, I bet $3k and he called, river was a 2, he bet all-in and I called and he showed a 2-4 offsuit for the FH.  Of course I was surprised, the last thing I expected was a preflop call with 2-4 off.  Luckily I had enough chips that I wasn’t wounded badly by the hand.

Another AK got smacked by 3-3, but I got even when I had A-K again against the same player and she was all-in with a 10-10 and the board made me Aces up. She was busted.

Along about the 3rd hour there was a dork “DJL ADV” at my table who never shut up with his trash talk. Sure I muted him, but that didn’t stop him from playing out the time clock every hand and requesting time. These damn tourneys are slow enough without that crap. He had a short stack, like 20k and thankfully was moved.  At one point I was 2nd until another A-K got cracked for 100k. When I made it to the final table the dork was there with a zillion chips. He was behind me and telling everyone if they called he would put them all-in. Yeah whatever.  Card dead at the final table but at least I made it! So I mucked my way into 7th. The only hand I played wrong, or the only wrong hand I played was the last one. And I  it up to pure fatigue and long lost patience.

The donk never shut up at the final table either, but all I saw was **** as I blocked his chat.  The thing that just sent my patience off to Antartica, was he still requested time every single hand and took 14 seconds (1 sec from the max) AND never played a hand! If anyone said anything to him he was worse.  It was past 4:30 a.m. at this point, and I had more than had enough. I was on the button and the guy in front of me went all-in for 50k and I had 65k. I had A-9 of spades and I knew he was taking a shot, so I called. I was right, he had 7-8 diamonds. Problem was the BB called us with AcQh.  The flop was Ah-9h-4s which I liked…until runner runner heart flush came and the Qh took it. If I hadn’t called I would have at least finished 6th and made $20 more.  But if the BB hadn’t called I would have almost doubled my chips too.  I honestly didn’t think anyone else would call the all-in and I had him beat, that’s what I get for thinking! I was happy to see the dork came in 2nd, with all those chips *tsk*tsk*!

I was okay with my finish though, very happy to pump up my bankroll and I was more than ready for bed! Here is the email from PokerStars:

PokerStars Tournament #74369835, No Limit Hold’em
Buy-In: $2.00/$0.20
1335 players
Total Prize Pool: $2670.00
Tournament started - 2008/01/27 - 02:00:00 (ET)

Dear PokerHack07,

You finished the tournament in 7th place.
A $72.10 award has been credited to your Real Money accountPokerStars Tournament #74369835, No Limit Hold’em
Buy-In: $2.00/$0.20
1335 players
Total Prize Pool: $2670.00
Tournament started - 2008/01/27 - 02:00:00 (ET)

This entry was posted on Sunday, January 27th, 2008 at 11:37 pm and is filed under Uncategorized.