Such Zees [12.17.2006]
Such Zees.
For the past two weeks, I�ve been playing amazing poker: great reads, practically no mistakes. I just couldn�t be happier w/ my play (and I have pretty high standards).
Today, I have to admit, was an exception. My brain just lapsed for almost 2 hours. I didn�t make any terrible plays. In fact, I didn�t make any plays that I�m confident were incorrect (although there were a couple I think should have gone the other way). However, I�m really unhappy w/ myself, simply for making a ton of decisions without thinking. Most of them (possibly even all of them) were good decisions, but it doesn�t matter. There is no excuse to making an important decision without first thinking about all the necessary factors.
After my open ended straight flush draw got there (I shoved the turn with 15 outs, a terrible player made a terrible call with one pair, and luckily I hit on the river), I had around 560k chips. This was fairly early on, early enough to be a big stack. I blinked my eyes, and was down to around 240k.
During the break, I went outside, put my hoodie on, blasted a couple of crucial songs on my ipod, and snapped myself right out of the funk I was in. After that, I�m happy to say I was back to the A+ poker I had been playing all throughout this trip.
I got really lucky on one hand� well sort of. 3/6 blinds. UTG made it 18k. I had KK in the SB and reraised to 55k. UTG called.
Flop: A62
Ugh, terrible flop, right?
I checked, UTG checked.
Turn: rag
I checked again, UTG moved all-in, and I folded my kings face up.
UTG flipped over pocket aces!
Turns out, the ace on that flop saved me! If UTG just moves in preflop, I have to call, and am almost out of the tournament (My stack was slightly bigger than his).
Ok great! I�m free rolling now! (Sort of. actually, I don�t really like that expression in this context very much, but any positive thought at the table is a good one)
So I was down to 200k, when this hand came up during 5k/10k blinds:
Michael �The Grinder� Mizrachi, aka the player of the year limps utg. It folds around to the SB who calls, and I check T2o in the BB.
Flop: T83 w/ 2 spades
SB checks, I bet 20k, and they both call. Uh oh.
Turn: T
Ok, I have trips. SB checks, and I bet out 60k. Grinder calls after some minor pondering, and the SB folds.
River: K (no flush possible)
Ok, what now?
Grinder called two of my bets, so he could have me beat. He could have a ten if he limped ATs, JTs or T9s utg, but the board is kind of draw heavy, so he probably raises me at some point, right? He could have a set. 3�s are possible, and so are 8�s, but somewhat less likely because he probably raises them preflop.
I could just check, but if he has me beat, he�s going to move all-in, and I will have to call because the chance I�m ahead is just too high.
I figured if I check intending to call an all-in, it�s better to just bet all-in myself because his most likely hands are 1 pair hands, and I don�t think I have any bluff equity in this spot even if he does have a hand like J9s or empty spades.
It took me about a minute to figure out that I had to move all-in there. After that, I did something I almost never do at the table. I figured I had waited so long already, I might wait another 30-45 seconds to really make it seem like a bluff. Normally I make my decisions at the table pretty quickly, but this seemed like a fine exception. So after a pause, I pushed all my chips in.
Mike did some hemming and hawing, asked for a countdown, and called all-in. I flipped over my hand, and he mucked! He later said he had 98. I have a feeling that some people will criticize Mike thinking that�s a terrible call, but the truth is I could just as easily have spades or a missed draw myself. I play a pretty aggressive style, with and without hands, so it�s hard to tell when I have one. FWIW, Grinder is easily one of the best five tournament players on the planet, and possibly the best. He�s almost a 100% lock to win Player of the Year at this point.
I was at just below 500k when a HUGE hand came up that I�m sure a lot of you read about.
5/10 blinds
MP opened for 30k. CO called, and I called w/ KTcc on the button. The BB came along as well.
Flop: KQ5 with 2 spades
It checked to me, and I bet 70k. It folded to the CO who checkraised me to 210k.
My first reaction was that I was beat. Such a strong bet and all I have is top pair with a mediocre kicker (at best). After a second or two, I realized how fishy his line of action was. If he has a big hand like two pair, or bottom set, it�s pretty bad to check in his spot, given how draw heavy the board is. He can�t have a hand like KK, QQ, or AK, because he definitely would raise those hands preflop. I�m a bit worried about KQ and 55, but he really can�t check those on the flop. The more I thought about it, the more I thought he was making a move on me because he thought I was weak, and well, because he had 1.2 million chips.
For a second, I kind of doubted myself. What if he has a hand? Is this how I want to go out of the tournament? Losing a huge pot with top pair no kicker? Fuck it. If I don�t go with my read here, I can never respect myself as a poker player again. I�m all-in.
He was clearly upset when I moved all-in, but that didn�t mean anything. He could have something like KJ. He asked for a countdown, did some mental math, and talked about the rough spot he had gotten himself into. It was about 250k more for him to call, and there was already over half a million in the pot. If he had an ace high flush draw, he probably would have called by now with so many outs. So I figured he had a king, and I was hoping for a fold.
Eventually he called, and I was completely shocked to see him flip over QJ of clubs. He missed his 5 outer, and somehow, I had over 1 million chips. I felt back in control of the tournament again. Play ended for the day not long after that hand.
Despite a small speed bump today, I�m in great shape again (3rd in chips with about a million). There are 33 players left, and while it�s still in the middle stages, I really like my chances.
Ok, I�m exhausted after a long day of tough thinking, so I�m gonna end this abruptly and relax before a tough day tomorrow.
-Such Zees.
� Justin Bonomo
P.S. There�s coverage @ pokerwire.com, worldpokertour.com, cardplayer.com and who knows how many other sites. I hope you guys are rooting for me!
