HORSE! [04.30.2007]
Lately I�ve been talking about WSOP tourney selection strategies with friends, and I�ve mentioned that I plan on playing lots of non-holdem events. Almost everyone responded the same way.
�I didn�t know you played mix games�.
I actually started off as a limit holdem player, and I�ve done my share of dabbling in a bunch of mixed games. I actually think I�m pretty good at horse.
Yesterday (Saturday) I played my first ever live horse tournament. It was a $3,000 buyin, and it had 64 entries.
Things started off great. There were only 320,000 chips in play, but I had 75,000 chips when there were still three tables left. I was running hot (and playing well).
Any of you that have been reading my blog since the beginning will recall that I occasionally get bad migraines, even while playing poker, and that�s one of the main reasons I stopped playing many international tournaments.
Unfortunately, I got a really bad one at the table last night. I played really poorly for the last 90 minutes of the night, and dropped down to 36,000 chips. I wouldn�t say I completely donked off 40,000 chips, but I did make a bunch of loose calls that I definitely shouldn�t have, and I didn�t win a single one of those hands.
The migraine itself was really bad. The pain could have been worse (and usually is), but I was a lot more nauseous and sensitive to sound than normal. I just couldn�t concentrate. I was contemplating just leaving early (which in hindsight would have been better), but the night was almost over, so I stayed. Of course, when the last level ended, the players complained about coming back the next day without even being in the money, and the floorman gave them an extra level. I was the only objector, so the floorman went with the majority opinion, but I think he eventually saw how sick I was and compromised by ending the night halfway through that level.
Before play was even over, I took two Excedrin PM, and within minutes of getting back to my hotel room at the Bellagio (boy did that walk from Caesar�s to the Bellagio suck), I was passed out.
This morning I was super well rested and ready to play.
I had one super key hand in limit holdem. I raised QJs preflop. A blind called. Flop: A72. He check called a bet from me. Turn: 6. He led out. I didn�t think he would play an ace like this, and I had a flush draw, so I decided to raise thinking I most likely had 15 outs, as well as some crucial fold equity. Unfortunately, he 3 bet me, and I called. Luckily, I rivered my flush, and my opponent still led into me and even called a raise.
That hand was so �ugly� that one of the spectators was kicked out after dropping a few f-bombs trying to articulate how lucky I was. Lol. I don�t regret how I played the hand. I had a read, and a big draw, so I made the play I thought was best.
The only other crucial hand I can recall was in Razz. On 5th street, I had 346 showing, and my opponent, Joe Simmons, had something like 579 showing. I had a six already, and Joe paired on 6th street, so he was drawing dead. He must have assumed I paired a hole card, because he called me down anyway. The final pot was pretty big.
I definitely ran good, and hit more than my fair share of pots, but I also think I played well, and pulled off a few nice bluffs.
I got heads up against an Asian Lady named Spring. She was a cash limit pro, and her best game was coming up: O8B, so I decided to take her up on her chop offer. I made off with $51,000, which I�m happy about for my first ever live horse tournament.
The floorman had told me there wouldn�t be any Cardplayer points for this because it had less than 100 players, but it turns out the minimum is only 60 players. I should get 180 points for the second place that I have recorded, although it would have been nice to know that there actually were Cardplayer points when we discussed the details of the chop. Oh well, it�s not many points anyway, and I don�t think Spring was trying to mislead me or anything.
-Thanks for reading!
� Justin Bonomo
