The Bat Cave

Today I’m firing my first event in Little Creek’s South Sound Championship series – the $150 No Limit Hold’em bounty tournament. I can’t even remember the last time I played a bounty event, but I do have a better idea of how to approach them after watching Parker Talbot and Lex Velhuis play a bunch of them on their streams over the past year.

Little Creek tournaments probably have the softest fields you can find where people are willing to pay $100+ for a poker tournament. I always have to remind myself to really dumb it down when I play here. I expect to take a lot of ABC lines and value bet bigger with my strong hands.

Looks like starting stack will be 10k. I don’t know much else about the structure. Shoot, I don’t even know how much each bounty is worth.

I also don’t know if there are rebuys or re-entry. If I don’t make a deep run in this event, I will continue the blog later for a PLO session at Palace.

11:38 PM: Not sure how wise it was to drive 40 minutes to play this event. There are currently 37 entrants and we are now in level 2. That’s pretty puny. I was expecting a small field, but I was thinking more along the lines of 60-70 players. This is going to top out at 45ish. None of the typical mid-stakes rounders are here – not even the mighty Tormund and this is his home ballpark. I know one player personally and I only recognize a couple others. Pretty wacky to play in a semi-local tournament and not know 90% of the field.

Starting stacks are 10k with blinds starting at 25/50 and 30 minute levels.

There is re-entry for three levels, so with bounties in play I’m planning to play hyper-aggressive as long as I can re-enter.

First pot I play I raise one limper to 200 with 86 of clubs and the blinds at 25/50. Both blinds also call.

The flop is AQ2 with two clubs and the big blind leads out 300. The limper folds here and this seems like a spot I’d rather call to start than raise, for all the reasons I mentioned earlier. I call and so does the small blind.

The turn is a blank and the big blind bets 100 into a 1700 pot. Now I feel compelled to raise. That is just way too much weakness not to attack it. I make it 750 and they both fold.

11:57 PM: Button opens to 300 at 50/100 and I have AJo in the small. This is normally an easy 3-bet spot but looking at the button and stereotyping (older white guy), I assume he will only continue if he has really strong hands. But if I just call, he gets to continue with his entire opening range. I call and the big blind folds.

JT7 rainbow is the flop and I check-call 500. I think it’s perfectly justifiable to check-raise this flop. I’m at the top of my range now and my hand is certainly more vulnerable than if I flopped an ace. But I think the same concepts apply. If I check-raise and get 3-bet here I will have to fold. I decide to call and keep his range wide.

The turn is a 5 and I check-call 800. I actually like this development. His sizing isn’t indicative of someone that is trying to protect a hand they are fearful might get outdrawn. I would say that points to me having the best hand the majority of the time. I expect this player pool to typically bet way too big when they think they have the best hand.

The river is ugly: queen of diamonds. Not only is it an overcard, but it completes AK and a backdoor diamond flush. I check and he bets 1200. Obviously the run out is terrible but the bet size is highly favorable, so I call and he shows 99.

Hmm… I said I was going to play hyper-LAG but I guess this hand isn’t very indicative of that.

12:34 PM: Open AJhh under the gun to 450 and super active player on button jams for 2950. Easy call… but then the small blind, a middle aged lady, calls. She has around 5-6k back, so I decide to call as well.

Flop is ace high and we both check. The turn is a queen and I decide to put a little value/protection of 1000 out there and she snap-jams. I call. I don’t love it. I wouldn’t expect her to be punting here but… she is. She has A6o. Other dude is drawing dead. River bricks and I scoop two $25 bounties.

Very next hand, it’s the last hand of the level and a player in middle position jams for 30 bigs. It folds to me in the big blind and I have ATo.

It’s a massive shove but there are lots of reasons to call:

• It’s the last hand before re-entry closes
• My hand does fine against a wider range
• I can call and lose and still have almost double the starting stack
• There’s a $25 bounty on the line

I think that’s enough reason to call but after tanking for a minute or two, I ultimately decided to fold thinking I’d rather maintain my commanding chip position at the table than gamble for 30 bigs and $25.

The all in showed me KJ.

I have about 23k (76 bigs) now after calling a 10bb jam first hand back with A3dd and losing to QQ.

1:08 PM: Brutal level. Super aggro dude opens to 800 with like 7000 behind,button calls and I have AJo in the small blind. I make it 2950, planning to get it in with the LAG. He folds and then the button jams for 17k. Wth. I fold.

Then that same guy that jammed the 17k opens for 900 and I flat with AJdd and so does another player. The small blind then squeezes for like 60% of his stack to 6100 and we all fold.

First hand of 200/400/25, that same guy limps, I make it 1250 with JJ and the limper calls.

Flop is K73 with two spades and he donks right out for 4500, which is well over a pot-sized pot. I think the exploitive play is probably to fold here even though I would almost always call a bet on this flop. But the sizing should give me an easy exit. I call though. 🤦🏻‍♂️

Then I fold when he jams the turn. Just stupid. Burning chips!

I’m getting abused. I am down to 7600. What a collapse.

I have legitimately gone from dominating my table to feeling like they are actually picking on me.

1:25 PM: One limper and I call with K3dd from the SB. Big blind checks.

Flop is AQ2 with two diamonds, including the ace. I have the nut flush draw. I decide to check and see what happens. Big blind checks and the limper bets 1300. Seems like a perfect spot to jam. I expect them to be opening a lot of the aces they play, so I think I have decent fold equity here. Do I think he never open-limps an ace? No, of course not. These people are passive and soft. He can have an ace, but he can also have a queen or a pocket pair or nothing. I jam for like 7k and he tanks for about a minute before calling with AT, which is a super easy call here, giving even more credence to my shoving line. He turns two pair which gives me some extra outs, but he fades the diamonds and the jack and I’m taking my merry ass on home now.

There ended up being a total of 48 entrants for this one. I wasn’t planning to play tomorrow’s event but now I’m probably going to skip Friday as well and just play the $340 Main. The spring Main had 92 runners and I took the second most money in a chop and I have a 4th place finish in the same event in 2014, back when the $4000 I made was my largest tournament score ever.

Blog is done for now, but I will be back in action at 6 PM for the PLO cash game at Palace.

On the bright side, I shouldn’t have to suffer through any brutal I-5 traffic to get home.

6 PM: Just got to Palace for some PLO. 9 names on the list to start the game, but one of them is not The Man. That’s not good for this game’s longevity. Having someone that will sit down with $1k, rebuy if they need to, and stay until the game breaks is pretty key.

Looks like the game is going to start near full.

6:08 PM: Looks like seven of us to start. The lineup: The Crypt Keeper, John Stockton, Part-Time, the new Palace regular that plays super loose and walked with like $3000 in this game last week, a nit that loves baseball, and another dude that plays this game most weeks.

I feel like the new regular is begging for a nickname. I just don’t want to lose him to the nickname curse. I think he played more hours than anyone else at Palace last month. His volume is pretty serious. Anyways, I haven’t had a name really strike me yet, so I’ll hold off for now, but dude is present every day and is in almost every pot so it would be nice to have something to call him other than “the new regular that’s super loose.”

6:17 PM: Dude that dealt to me in the Little Creek tournament is now sitting in this game. Haven’t seen him play in this yet, so I assume his presence is a good thing.

6:21 PM: Ugh. John Stockton just got it all in on the flop with the naked Ad on a three diamond flop and had nothing else going for him… so I have to assume… he doesn’t know both cards need to play. I’m conflicted, I want to tell him because I like him but I also know the rest of the table will be pissed at me.

What’s the right thing to do? I think… I have to tell the poor kid.

7:44 PM: I’ve been super card dead. I was thinking about making an update saying just that – with about +$25 in front of me – but then this happened:

Baseball dude opens for $15, Part-Time and action dude call. I decide to take a flop with QJT3 double suited.

Flop is Q52 with two hearts and one spade. I have top pair, a jack high flush draw, and a backdoor flush draw. I lead out $40 and only Part-Time calls.

Turn is the 3 of spades. Two flush draws and two pair. I feel like he can have straights here but I also think he loves to attack weakness so when he pots it, I have a decision. I have a little over $500 in front of me. I can’t fold here and there’s some chance I have the best hand, so I decide I’m just going to go for it. I pot it, he goes all in and I call.

He announces, “nuts” and I say I have a lot of draws. He only wants to run it once, so when the ace of spades hits the river I scoop the whole pot.

He flashed the 4 of spades and the 6 of clubs.

8:00 PM: Eek. It cometh, it goeth. I open to $15 with 8766 double suited, baseball calls, next guy makes it $80 to go, and it folds back to me. We are all at least $600 deep so I speculate and baseball calls too.

Flop is K85 rainbow. We check to the PFR and he bets $135 into $240. I don’t love it. Maybe it’s a fold, but I put the $135 out there and bad things start to happen. The other player makes it $435 and the PFR folds. So now there’s like $975 in the pot and it’s $300 to call. He doesn’t have much behind, so we are playing for it all if I go with it. I’m getting 3.23-1 to call so I need to win about 24% of the time. I have 8 outs to the nuts which gives me roughly 32% – but I won’t win that often because he clearly has a set. Still, I think I have found my way into a profitable all in situation even if getting there was a mistake.

I jam and we agree to run it twice. With two chances to hit ~32%, I manage to whiff both times and lose ~$600 on the hand.

8:17 PM: I raise one limper with QT97 double suited and John Stockton 3-bets me to $60 and it folds back to me. Easy call.

Flop is T73 rainbow and he bets $50. Kinda weird. I have top two and two backdoor flush draws and I’m happy to get it in against his less than $300 remaining, so I make it $170 and Stockton gets it in with me.

He only wants to run it once and the board runs out: T73J8 and my Q and 9 somehow end up making the nuts vs Stockton’s QQJ5.

8:23 PM: Precarious spot here. I open to $15 with AAK4 and no suits. Stockton pops it to $45 and Part-Time calls from the big blind. I have an easy get it in vs Stockton’s stack size and make it $190 to go. They both call.

I’m not happy to get it in postflop with crappy aces against Part-Time, but the Q33 with two heart flop is pretty favorable for my hand, especially with the ace of hearts in my hand. I bet $160 when it checks to me, which is most of Stockton’s stack. I will probably have to fold if Part-Time check-pots it. Stockton folds and Part-Time calls.

Ew.

Turn is a black 5 and he checks to me. I have like $450 behind but I’m perplexed. He should never be calling the flop w/out at least the nut flush draw here and I have the ace of hearts, so I check back.

The river bricks also and he checks again. I’m happy to show down at this point and my AA is good vs whatever crummy flush draw he called with.

8:40 PM: Just watched Villain get it in on J76 rainbow flop with 77AX vs J66X, they ran it twice and Villain lost both times.

That.

Is.

Amazing.

9:20 PM: The Man is in the game. John Stockton is back. A maniac just sat down and immediately won $1200 and he’s drunk and super close to getting picked up, while everyone is sitting thinking, “please no.”

9:33 PM: The Crypt Keeper just filleted two of the spewers, drastically decreasing the game quality.

9:48 PM: The maniac sat down with $500 30 minutes ago. He ran it up to $1700, added on $200, and is already felted. Pretty impressive.

10:06 PM: This is pretty special, in all regards. I open to $15 with 7655 double suited and two players call before John Stockton accidentally “calls” with three green chips and it is now $75 to go. I’m positive he didn’t do that on purpose and maybe I should repot here, but I call? So does the other player.

Flop is KT9 rainbow and it checks to John Stockton and he bets $40 into $225. Oh my. I call because I just can’t bring myself to fold to this bet sizing, but it would suck to make a big raise and get called by the other player. He also calls. Ugh.

Turn is a queen and we all check.

River is a blank and I didn’t call on the flop to check this river after the turn checked through. I bet $160. I think my line in this hand is terrible and I don’t think my river bet has much credibility but in this specific case, I don’t think it matters. I am right. They both fold.

Weird hand.

10:25 PM: Open to $15 with AK97 with diamonds. I get some callers and the flop comes down T83 with two diamonds, giving me the nut flush draw and an open ender. I like it. I like it a lot. I bet $35 and only the loose regular calls.

Turn is a queen, giving me more outs and he check-raises me to $200 after I bet $90. That’s annoying. I call.

River bricks me and I snap fold when he announces a bet. 🤮

10:45 PM: I picked a good time to run a multi-street bluff with QT86 double suited in diamonds and hearts on K93dKd5 only to get raised on the river and then watch two players pick up. Game is now down to nicknames only: John Stockton, Villain, The Crypt Keeper and The Man. Oh, and the loose new regular is MIA.

10:50 PM: Free play with Q553 with spades. Flop is QT3 with one spade and I bet $15 into $20 and only The Man calls.

Turn is the 2 of spades and I bet $35 into $50 and he calls again.

River is a 3, giving me a full house. I don’t see much value in betting, so I check it over to let him bet all his missed draws. He fires $95 at it and I snap call and he shows me TT!

Wow. I am losing now.

And The Man said he almost always leaves at 11.

This game is going down.

11:05 PM: Good God. I open to $15 with A765 with diamonds and John Stockton 3-bets me to $40. Someone else calls and I call also.

The flop is AQ7 rainbow and Stockton bets $40 when I check to him. The Man folds and I think he will react truthfully if I make a small raise, so I make it $100 to go and he tanks for a bit and calls.

Turn is an 8 and I’m pretty sure, but not certain, I have the best hand. I also have an open ender now. I bet $300 and he tanks forever and calls.

The river pairs the fucking queen. I check because I’m not going to torch my remaining $100ish when I’m basically never winning now. He thinks for a bit and checks back with AJJ6.

11:17 PM: I open with AQ77 and clubs in my hand. Villain and the loose player call.

Flop is Q74 with two diamonds and I’m not fucking around anymore. I bet $40 into $45 and both players call.

Turn is an offsuit jack and I bet pot when it’s my action. This time only the loose player calls.

The river gives me quad sevens. I have a queen, I have four sevens. I think I would have heard from him if he had a set of fours. His range is loaded with busted draws. I check it over to him and he immediately bets $200. Cha ching! I eventually go all in for around $500 and he folds pretty quickly.

11:55 PM: Suddenly we are 8-handed again and nothing but action players, including the manic from earlier, sat down.

I limp under the gun with T988 with one suit, someone raises to $15, next guy makes it $40, John Stockton calls, I call, and two others call.

So it’s five of us to the 764 rainbow flop. I lead out $125, happy to get it in with any of the new players’ stack sizes. The maniac is all in for less, the preflop 3-bettor calls and so does John Stockton.

The turn is an offsuit king. I don’t expect this group to fold to a bet so I check and it checks around.

River is an 8. I have the nuts. I bomb it for $300 and John Stockton calls my bet and I’m good for the whole thing.

12:18 AM: It’s so crazy. This game was seconds away from breaking 80 minutes ago and now I’m sitting here in a full game with a dream lineup.

Where’s the coffee at?

1:14 AM: This is brutal. So card dead. Just sitting here watching the circus fling stacks of chips around. I’ve literally played like two hands in the past hour.

1:34 AM: So brutal. We are down to seven players and the maniac just punted $1800 to The Crypt Keeper.

1:45 AM: Jesus. The maniac just turned $3200 into $70 in less than 20 minutes.

1:54 AM: Well, I participated. And it was scary. Three limpers in front of me and I decided to pop it to $25 with AQQ6 double suited. The small blind calls and the maniac pops it from the big blind to $115, with like $50ish behind. That clears the rest of the field out and I repot to $415 so I can get it heads up… but the small blind calls!

Gulp.

Flop is A42 with two hearts. He checks and I bet small. $120. He just calls.

Turn is an 8 and we both check.

River is a 6 and I bet $200 after he checks and he folds quickly and my hand is good vs the all in.

2:56 AM: The game fizzled out as The Crypt Keeper kept felting all the lunatics at the table. This game was insane, with at least five players constantly shoveling heaps of chips in the middle with very little equity and very little clue. During this 2+ hours of pure mania I won that one pot in the update above and that’s it. Meanwhile I think The Crypt Keeper won $5000 in the same stretch.

Final Score: +$1060