The Bat Cave

I’ll be posting stack updates here.

First night in L.A. was decent. Radio Mike and I put in a $20/$40 session together and I won my first hand to draw live at The Coast-to-Coast Challenge but then Radio Mike ruined my chances by opening with A3ss when I had AA and got the 7645x board. Losing that pot put me in the danger zone and I didn’t recover.

Radio Mike went on to beat me in every notable pot we played together and I found myself stuck $1000 at one point but somehow made a late session rally and booked a +$135 for the night.

My most notable pot was when I opened 98 of spades and got heads up against the big blind. He check-raised me on a T92 one spade flop and I raised him on a 4 of spades turn – not because I thought I had the best hand but I thought it would be unlikely for him to 3-bet and since I’m calling turn and river (most of the time), raising the turn allows me to collect an extra big bet when I improve. River was a queen of spades and he donked into me, so I raised it up and got two big bets on the river also, plus my line in the hand had the affect of riling up half the table for some reason.

Cards will be in the air in about 15 minutes. Surprisingly, both Frankenstein and Radio Mike are playing this event with me. I will post stack updates for all three of us here throughout the day and maybe some of my more interesting or notable pots.

Specifics

12,500 starting stack, one re-entry until 5:30 PM, 30 minute levels, with blinds starting at 50/100

Amazingly, Radio Mike is seated on my immediate left. I love it. This is Radio Mike’s second ever Omaha 8 tournament and his first was a freeroll at Palace against a field that almost never plays with four cards in their hand. I’m excited for him! And I get a front row seat for it all!

Our table is currently 6-handed and I don’t recognize anyone else at out table.

Notables in the Field

Ron Ware (WSOP bracelet winner, $655k)

Miami John Cernuto (3x bracelet winner, $5.8M)

James Woods (2x Oscar nominee, $307k)

Shirley Rosario ($537k)

Frankie O’Dell (2x bracelet winner, $2.4M)

2:23 PM: First stupid pot of the tournament:

Two limpers from late position, small blind calls, and I check with AAQJ single suited. No sense in raising since I’m out of position against half the field with a one way hand.

Flop is very good though: AJ9 with two clubs. I bet and only the small blind calls.

Turn is a ten and now my opponent check-raises me. Wtf. Obviously KQ, Q8, and 87 got there and he’s not raising the turn without a straight unless he’s a total dingus, so I just call.

River bricks out and I call again and this guy shows me KQ77 with no clubs in his hand.

To recap, the pot had five small bets in it when he called on the flop and he had four total outs and 25% of them complete a flush. 👍🏻

I’m kind of shellshocked after seeing that flop peel, but God bless him.

First Break

Dark Knight 9500

Radio Mike 12,100

Frankenstein 10,300

Not a great start. I was pretty active the first 15 minutes I played but I’ve played almost no hands the last three levels and my one good board connection fell victim to a nasty reversal.

But our table is really good. The two players on my immediate right are both playing way too loose. One of them hit that straight on me and I just saw the other guy play four hands in a row before the break, calling a raise in three of them, and the only time I saw his cards he has QT87.

So… rough start but lots of potential for good things to happen if the cards will cooperate.

3:38 PM: Spewer on my right opens, I call with A722 suited ace and three of us see a J73 flop. Checks to me and I bet. Both call.

Turn pairs the 3 and the donk on my right bets out. Annoying. I was checking back on that card. I call and other guy folds.

River is a king and I fold to a bet. He flashes a 3 and then a king.

Solid. I go from good chance of scooping to having to fold on the river. Another solid reversal.

The four guys on my right are playing almost every hand and I have half the starting stack somehow.

Injustice tilt. Entitlement tilt.

Check. Check.

4:28 PM: Double suited aces with a king and an 8 in my big blind. I check after two limpers.

Flop is AK5 rainbow and I raise after the small blind bets. Limper calls and so does SB.

2 on turn. Sigh. No waiting. I check-call the limper and do so again on an 8 river and he has 6543 which means he drilled his only scoop card. Dude calls two bets cold on the flop in this dinky pot and he’s not even drawing to the nut low.

Sheesh.

This is dumb. Down to 4600 with a 600 big blind. There is one re-entry until 5:30 PM though and I’ll probably fire a second bullet if I bust in the next hour.

It would be hard to imagine getting a better table draw than this one.

4:48 PM: The blaster on my right is busted and I have a third of the chips I started with. Seems likely. I have 5.5 big blinds and 40 minutes left to re-enter.

Second Break

Dark Knight BUSTED

Radio Mike 9500

Frankenstein BUSTED

I couldn’t find a good hand to go with when I had 5.5 bigs, so I ended up betting flop and turn with top pair and a flush draw in a 3-way pot but the river brought in a running flush and the limper bet and the small blind called, so I folded with less than a big bet behind (and zero chance to win the pot) and sure enough he had the flush.

Then I got all in on the last hand before registration closed with QJ42 suited queen from my small blind in a 5-way pot and I made the third nuts and that was good for a trip to the registration window for a last second re-entry.

Sitting with a fresh 12.5k to start the 500/1000 blind level. $350 for 12.5 bigs and 6 big bets. Lol.

5:32 PM: Comical. I went from maybe the best table in the tournament to the worst. Frankie O’Dell, Ron Ware, and Barbara Enright are all at my table. Plus, 3 of the other 4 guys have the superficial appearance of being competent.

5:43 PM:

Radio Mike BUSTED

5:55 PM: Poker is fun. Multiple limpers and I have A2T8 suited ace in the small blind.

Flop is QJ9 two tone and I start with a check and it goes bet and two calls back to me. Kind of funky. I don’t love it, but I do have the AT redraw for backup. I call.

Turn is a 6 that opens up a second flush draw. It checks around.

River is a 7 that doesn’t complete a flush. It seems like I have the nuts here. I bet, two players fold, and the button raises me.

What.

The.

Fuck.

Not sure how this guy can ever have the nuts here. Calling the flop is weird enough, but checking back the turn when everyone has checked to you? How?

The problem is… I’m kind of buying it. What else can he raise here? The same hand I have. At worst. You’d think.

I call and he does have KT.

I don’t get it. Maybe this is some advanced level tournament chip conservation strategy I’m not savvy to yet. Two flush draws on board? Can’t value bet a straight with no low draw possible when the whole field checks to you.

I don’t know. Pretty annoying though.

6:09 PM: Oh my! Button opens and I look down at AA32 with a suit in the small blind. I raise. He calls.

Flop is QQT. I bet and he calls. I have less than two big bets left and I’m pretty sure this is it for me.

Turn is an 8. I bet and…

…he folds!

Trust me. We did not want a call there.

6:17 PM: Woah. Huge turn of events. I went from under the gun at my lethal table but it broke and I got moved back to the exact same seat I started the tournament in – and I’m in the cutoff.

Sick.

Peaking at 18.5k and I got three splashers on my right again.

Third Break

Dark Knight 24k

66 left. 24 cash. Average is 35k. Work to do.

7:45 PM: Peaking! Down to a little over four bigs so I 3-bet the AK93 with a suited king and get two callers. They both call again on T54 with one diamond (my suit). Turn is an 8 of diamonds and they both call my micro bet. River is the queen of diamonds giving me the second nuts both ways and that’s good for a scooper!

Just won another pot after that.

Sitting on 60k all the sudden. I’m above average for the first time all tournament.

50 players left.

Fourth Break

64k coming back to 5000 big blind. I’m still slightly above average with players left.

I need to finish top 14 to get a positive ROI on my two bullets.

$13k up top.

9:27 PM: I open AKK6 double suited and it folds to Mark Gregorich’s (O8 legend, $1.8M in cashes) big blind. He goes all in for a little less than three bigs. I call.

He shows AA37. He has me crushed. Bigger pair, better low possibility, and has one of my suits covered. I need spades or a king.

Board: Q84ss8sJh

Woah.

I scoop and bust the best player left in the tournament.

Peaking at 107k with 27 left.

10:10 PM: Rebate! I’ve been on a slight drip since making the money. 21 left now. Still haven’t made money.

10:22 PM: Someone opens and I 3-bet AAT9 with a suit. I get a Q87 rainbow with one of my suits and get a check-call. Decent flop for me. Hard to get scooped. Turn pairs the queen and puts a second club on board (I have spades). My opponent check-calls again. River is the 6 of clubs and he donks out. I have just over one big bet left so I’m not folding. I did make a straight on that card, but backdoor clubs got there.

I call and he shows AKK2 with clubs.

Crippled.

I had 3000 left after the hand and that’s good for 3/8 of a big blind. I get that in with ATT3 double suited and quadruple up with that. Then I fold to my big blind and get my last 12k in without looking and have AK75 double suited against KK88. I make two pair and double up.

Currently sitting on break with a measly three big blinds, but that’s better than 3/8 of a big blind! There are 20 players left and I am guaranteed $580, which is still a $120 loss.

It would be a pretty epic story if I somehow turned less than half a blind into a big score.

Stay tuned.

10:47 PM: Folds to cutoff and he opens. I look down at AKJ9 with a suit. I have 2.5 bigs. I’d prefer to have some low possibilities but I think I have to go for it here. I stick it in and unfortunately run into AAxx. I make two pair but that doesn’t do much good against top set. I bust 18th for $580 (a small loss), but at least I got some Mix Game Player of the Series points.

Not looking to hop in a live game right now but if Radio Mike wants to keep playing I may go donk around in something small until he’s ready.

$350 Triple Stud (Stud, Stud 8, and Razz) tomorrow at 1 PM.