7/4/06 $5,000 No limit

This was a very exciting tournament, even though I wasn’t really expecting much, or pumped up about it to start. Basically had no hands for a really long time, then Allan Goering (sp?) joined the table, and the fireworks began. On more than one occasion I raised preflop and he flat called. I bet the flop and he wrecklessly just went all-in for 3,500 or so into a pot of 1,000. This was getting pretty frustrating, but I told myself to just maintain patience and I would catch him. After taking a beat in an unavoidable situation, he got short stacked, and the following hand came up. A player in middle position with a decent sized stack limps in for 200. I noticed this guy never really limps with a big hand, and immediately knew I was raising on the button with any two cards. However, the guy right after him, another big stack, beat me to the punch and quickly made it 1,100. My read on the situation was that the raiser picked up the same tell I picked up and didn’t have much of a hand himself, he just wanted the dead money out in the pot and knew nobody was going to make a play on a limper and big raiser in mid position on a bluff. Good move on his part. I look down at 6,6 and have a dilemma. On the one hand I really think I have the best hand, but from the previous tournament, I learned that if I go all-in when someone has me covered, I should try to be first in the pot. I ended up flat calling to see how the action was going to go post flop with my 5k stack. Goering called in the BB, as expected with his 3,700 stack. Flop came Kd,Qd,9x. Check, check – ok, now I’m almost certain I have the best hand, because I really don’t think anyone would slowplay a big hand on that flop and decide I have to take a stab at the pot with a bet of 1,500. To my surprise Goering calls, and the preflop raiser folds. The turn came a J and Goering checks. I ask how much more he has, after basically giving up on the pot, as the only thing I beat at this point is a flush draw. However, after hearing he only had 1,100 left, and with the pot that big, I put him all-in hoping he might either have a flush draw or might fold bottom pair for his tournament life. He called fairly quickly, and I admit defeat “nice hand, you having me drawing very thin” “no, just a flush draw here” He turns over the 8d7d and I win the gargantuan pot after the river brings a K. After a couple more steals, I’m moved to a different table with over 10k in chips and looking good. The gentlemen at this table quickly learned that I like to raise when I have chips, as it was brought up on many occasions that I was wearing down the felt. A few notable hands…I brought it in for my typical 5k, blinds at 800/1,600 200 ante with my beloved JhTh. After a moron who wasn’t in the pot continued to talk about how I probably had a 23o, the big blind quickly moves all-in for 15,000 more. I swear I must have taken three or four minutes to decide what to do. “If I muck, do you show?” “maybe”. I reluctantly fold and he proudly flips over T,7o. Wow, everyone told him what a great play it was, considering if I called that he would have had two live outs, and I had to hold back the laughter. I was so close to calling! The very next hand a tight player to my right opens for 5k in mid position and I look down at JJ with the wind still knocked out of me. I decide to flat call, as he had me covered and would probably think I was on tilt if I raised and might put me in with a coin flip type of situation, which I wanted to avoid at all costs. Everyone else folds and the flop comes T,9,4. Check, I think for a few seconds and protect my hand with 6k, to which he immediately goes all-in for 26k more. WOW. Is this really happening? I thought this type of thing only happened in the twilight zone. I think forever, and the table gives me crap for “hollywooding”. I eventually decide this guy isn’t the type of player to do this kind of play on a bluff and brilliantly checked, knowing I had a pocket pair and would bet it, and might make a frustration call with a dominated hand. I ended the day with 24,000 in chips and asked him what he had, and promised him I would tell him what I had. He said QQ, and I’m pretty certain that is what he had, though I have no proof. It makes me feel better, so that is what I will keep telling myself, regardless of whether it was true or not J. The following day I entered the tournament as a very short stack, with only one play: all-in. Luckily after a few rounds of folding I picked up A,A and Marcel Luske committed himself to my all-in by raising in early position. I doubled up and now had a little breathing room with 48k in chips. However, with the blinds as high as they were, this 48k quickly dwindled down to 30k at my new table, and now it came down to just trying to pick up some blinds and antes to keep my head above water. A guy who had shown a wild all-in open with Q3o in mid position now made my BB 13,000. Folds to me, and I have a total of 34,000, including my BB. I think for a while about what the correct play is with my AhTh. Folding is obviously out of the question. The only question is, should I go all-in now and hope he folds so I don’t have to risk my tournament life, or should I stop and go, and hope he folds. The only risk with a stop and go, is if he has a crap hand and hits any pair, he will have to call, and it would really suck to put in the rest of my money to a made hand. However, if I move in now, he is going to call with most hands, and I don’t have many hands dominated, so my tournament life will be at risk in a coin flip type of situation. Both options were available, and I decided to just go all-in preflop and he quickly mucked. Phew! A few rounds later I raise to 15,000 in early position with AKo, and everyone folds to my liking. The very next hand I pick up 77 UTG and go 15,000 again, but this time Hung La looked me up and either picked up a good hand, or – more likely the case – made a great play and went all-in. He had me covered by a lot of chips and there wasn’t much I could do, other than throw my cards away. After being moved to a new table, I had a horrific table draw with Phil Helmuth raising a crap load of pots directly to my right, and Eugene Todd and Vinny Vinh to my left defending their blinds with their monster stacks. The opportunity to be first in the pot was very slim, and when I did have the chance, I didn’t want to end my tournament with hands like 93s and 85o. After a break I look down at JTo in mid position and decide to go with it, as picking up the blinds and antes was much needed, not to mention the absence of the BB. Luckily no one had a hand, and I won a much needed pot. Finally, it folds to Helmuth, who goes all-in in the SB and I look at a beautiful AK. I was very reluctant to call here though, because, as I said earlier, I wanted to be first in the pot so the other people had a chance to fold. I finally called because I thought there was a good chance I had him dominated, and sure enough I did as he turned over KTo. I won the pot, and now Im really looking good with 130k in chips! After folding what must have been 8 consecutive rounds or so the following hand came up. Vinny Vinh and Helmuth had been raising about 85% of pots at this table, but both decided to fold in this hand, to which Moon (two to my right) quickly raised to 25k. We are playing seven handed at this point and I’m getting pretty low with only 80k left. After seeing a KhQh, I quickly and confidently moved all-in. “I’m sorry, Paul, but I have to call” “Oh my god, are you for real?! I’ve folded every single freaking hand for the last hour and I run into Kings?!?!” The flop brought and interesting Q,xh,xh, giving me a flush draw and two queens as outs, but nothing came and I was eliminated in 14^th place, just out of the big money, televised final table, and inevitable sponsorships. Sigh, I’ll get there eventually, I have no doubt. Equally painful, Moon ended up busting 11^th, and the Westminster boys were sent packing. Lesson learned? Be first in the pot damnit! That was the theme of the day, and I broke the cardinal rule!