FTP 17k

Played in the Full Tilt 17k last night. With 832 runners, I finished 23rd, earning a meager payout of $72. Notables in the event included the WSOP bound Hoyazo (the third person out???), Easycure, and Joe Speaker.

I haven't played an FT guarantee event in quite a while. The 17k starts at 9 locally. If I get deep into the event (like we all plan to), I know that I will not much sleep, maybe 4-5 hours. Thus I usually avoid it. But after having dinner with some friends and having a couple of Mickey's Big Mouths surging through the system, I figured to hell with work, it is just a Friday. I can sleep in.

I have nothing big to report here in terms of play. I more than tripled up in the first hour but playing tight aggressive. I made some good reads on people chasing flush draws, knowing my pair of jacks would be good. Thanks for the pot size bluff at the end there! The only thing that prevent me from entering the first break with 9k in chips was the short stack hitting his 2 outer.

In the next two sessions, I stole where I could. I felt very card dead. I was never short stacked and folded quite a bit. If I did get something playable (like a small pocket pair or two paint), it would generally be raised ahead of me, leaving me with no option but to fold. It didn't matter because I wouldn't have won those pots anyways.

Once we got into the money, I was moved to a table that had the chip leader. This guy may very well be the biggest LAG I have ever seen. He used his chip stack well. He played pretty much every hand. It it was connected, suited, had an ace, or two face, he played it. Always with a min raise when it came to him. Always. If he caught any piece of the flop, he was going to showdown. He rarely folded. Small pocket pair? Sure, call the all in bet. Doesn't matter if has have 2 2, he wants to play. His chip stack bounced up and down like a yo yo.

But for the most part, it was always growing. He was constantly putting pressure on the players. If someone else raised, he would min-raise right back. The worst part, is he was having the flops hit him silly. Raise with 10 2 soooted. Flop two pair. 9 5 soooted, flop trips. Pair of 3s up against Big Slick? Don't worry, it would hold up. Each and every time. It was amazing and disgusting to see. He didn't suck out. He just had the flops hit him very well.

I went out when I pushed with A 9o from the big blind and ran into his 6 6. I could have waited another round (M of 4.5) but was getting tired and felt my A 9 was potentially the best hand there with what he had previously shown. It felt good to get deep in a big tournament again, though I had planned to be up until 2 in the morning and taking down more than a grand.