The Bat Cave

I’ll make stack updates in this post.

Some notes so far:

-cards are almost in the air and there are currently 17 players registered

-there is no re-entry for any event in this series

-last year this same event had 55 total entrants

-I am 1 for 8 in tourneys at Commerce this year and my one cash was for a net loss because I was in two bullets

-I final tabled my first ever tourney at Commerce, finishing 4th of 188 for $5600 in a $350 O8 at the 2017 LAPC

-Since then, I am 0 for 16 (cashing for a profit)

-Commerce is my worst casino since July 2014

Tourney Notes: $400 Buy In, 15k starting stack, 8-handed tables, blinds starting at 50-100 and going up every 30 minutes, 12.5% of the field cash

First Break

Only one notable hand during this stretch as I’ve mostly been folding and bricking when I play. I open with AQT3 single suited in clubs at 100/200 blinds and four players call. I bet on T62hhc when they check to me, two players call in position, a super active player in the small blind check raises, and the big blind calls two bets cold.

Alrighty…

This would be an amazing board if I were heads up, but it’s hard to imagine I have a big equity edge in any direction with five players still in. I just call and so do the two other players.

The turn is a queen and the small blind still leads out, the big calls, and now I raise because top two and the nut low draw seems pretty good, and everyone still calls.

Yikes.

The river is a jack and the small blind bets out again.

Super yikes.

The big blind folds and the SB is playing every hand and has the least amount of credibility at the table, so I’m not folding to him, but I also don’t expect to be winning very often and I will definitely be folding if someone raises behind me. Fortunately, they both fold and he can only turn over tens and deuces and I scoop a big pot.

But I did a good job of whiffing every other pot and I am going to start level 5 (200/400 blinds) with 15.2k in chips.

We are now up to 71 entrants.

Second Break

Once again, I played almost no hands and folded my way down to about 9k before playing my only pot of note.

I open with A833 single suited and only the big blind calls. He check-calls a bet on T93dd and then check-raises me on Ax turn. I feel like I probably have the best hand here but there aren’t many river cards I’m in love with. I have no low draw and I’m vulnerable to straight and flush draws, plus any board pair (that doesn’t give me quads) could improve two pair hands I’m currently beating. Not to mention he can have a set. I just call.

The river is an offsuit jack and he checks to me. I feel like I could possibly be taking myself to Value Town here, but I fire a bet and he calls and can’t beat my set.

I have 16k after 8 levels, coming back to blinds of 500/1000.

A little momentum would be appreciated.

Registration is closed after this break and we are currently at 84 entrants and the board says 58 remain.

Third Break

Finally some momentum! I got my stack up over 40k and then this hand came up:

Someone raises and there are multiple callers. I call with AJ93 with hearts and six of us see a flop of 932 with two hearts. I have a sketchy two pair and the nut flush draw but with two low cards on board and no low draw myself, I’m playing defense with this hand. It still manages to go off for three bets five ways with one player all in.

The turn is a jack. Very nice! I decide to check and the loosest player at the table bets and everyone else calls. I definitely like my hand but there are going to be a lot of river cards I won’t like, so I just call, and it’s not like I can knock anyone out.

The river is a black ten. I check-call the super loose player when the other two guys fold and he shows me QJ98 for a rivered straight. The player that check-raised the flop and got all in has… Q877. Not sure wha that’s all about, but he’s getting half of the main pot and I’m getting none of any of it.

A short while later I open AA32 with one suit and the maniac calls on the button and both blinds defend.

The flop is AQJ and everyone check-calls me.

That makes me think my set is good plus I can stand a raise on the 7 turn so I fire anyway and they all just call again.

The river pairs the 7 and I get paid off by the big blind only and he shows two jacks.

Sitting on 62.5k coming back to blinds of 1500/2500. 30 players remain and 11 of us will cash. 11th is $790 and there is $8.6k up top for 1st place.

Fourth Break

Opened AAJ7 double suited hand before break and made a running flush on 966d5dJd vs the big blind’s A872.

Peaking at 91k with blinds now at 3000/5000.

17 players are left and average stack is 74k.

Fifth Break

The bubble was pretty excruciating. We played at least one full level with 12 players remaining.

I finally put the kibosh on that nonsense when I opened AK53 and barreled off on AJ324 and the big blind called me down, crippling himself and busting on the next hand.

Prize pool info:

I have 145k, so I am in decent shape.

Update

Folds to small blind and he raises. I defend with AKK7 suited king. I call a bet on 965 and then raise him when he bets 6 turn. I figure to be way ahead of his range and he’s been playing overly aggro. He calls. River pairs the 5 and he checks. I expect to be winning most of the time but I only have one big bet left, so I check back and he shows… T872.

Sigh.

That left me crippled but I doubled and managed to squeak my way to the final table with 2 bigs and then surprisingly tripled up with AKJ3 vs AAT8 and an unknown hand on a board of K92hh3hQ.

So I now have 7 bigs with the blinds going through me next hand.

Busted 6th for $1435

Had a couple of good chances to double. I got AQJ2 in against A642 and got the AQT flop but he backdoored a low for half.

My bust hand I had AAJJ and put my last bet in on T74. Hmmm opponent called with 9732 and rivered a 2 for two pair to bust me.

I guess I’ll take it? After that T872 debacle, I nursed a short stack from 11th all the way up to 6th and made an extra $600.

Not a bad start, but I want MORE.

$400 Stud 8 at 1 PM tomorrow.