The Bat Cave

Last Sunday, I ended up skipping the $200 no limit Hold’em event in the Muckleshoot series, mostly because they are no longer rewarding extra cash for Player of the Series. I actually did pop into Palace for a few hours to take my shot at the $2000 Happy Hour Hand while I watched the Mariners game and ate a free meal, but I just played 4/8. I didn’t hit the Happy Hour Hand, but I did hit a jackpot and ended up winning +$366 in less than two hours. I left after the M’s game because someone hit the big jackpot.

That session closed out my March and I ended up having a decent, but slightly below average month. After a disastrous February, I’ll take it though, especially after dumping over $1700 in my first session.

Monday was a hiking day. We checked out the Twin Falls Trail near Olallie State Park in North Bend.

On Tuesday, I popped into Palace for a late night 8/16 session and ran super hot, picking up JJ-AA about ten times in less than five hours. Unfortunately, I won only one of those hands and that led to a solid -$485 to start my April.

I tried a bit of a different tactic after watching an online PLO video and decided to buy in short for my session, starting with $280.

My first notable pot came up when a wild and drunk player opened for $15 after two limpers and I decided to defend with KJ86 single suited. The flop was J54 with one of my suit and it checked to the wild player and he bet $60. He only had $40 behind, so I min-raised and that got it heads up. I turned a king and that was good enough to scoop the pot.

I open to $15 with AK64 single suited, the small blind calls, and the wild player makes it $60. Not folding against him, so I call and so does the small blind. The flop is A22 with two spades and one of my suit. The wild guy leads out $120 and I call. The turn is the 7 of hearts, giving me the nut flush draw, and he bets $200. I put him all in for his remaining $120 and he calls with AK86 and no flush draw. I take a look at his hand and have just enough time to say, “so I’m dodging two eights only?” before the dealer brings the 8d on the river. Ugh.

That hand crippled me, so I reloaded small again.

I open AQT6 single suited on the button and both blinds call. The flop is T65 with two hearts and one diamond and I wind up getting all-in with Part-Time for a couple hundred here. The turn is an offsuit ace, but the river is the 7 of hearts, which almost surely beats me and it does, as he turns over 764x with two hearts.

I defend with AJJ5 single suited and bet the pot and wind up getting it in on J65 rainbow against the wild player’s QJ86… so he’s pretty much drawing dead… but the turn is the queen of spades and suddenly he has two queens and spades to beat me. The river is the ten of spades and I get stacked by the drunk player again.

Multiple limpers and I make a pot sweetening raise to $20 from the big blind with AAK5 single suited and everyone calls. Flop is KK6 rainbow and Joker calls my $50 bet. The turn is another 6 and this time he calls $110. I have like $300 behind and I decide to check the 2 on the river. In retrospect, I should definitely be betting here. I have a case of the MUBS going on at this point in the session, so I have a feeling I’m beat here, but I’m never folding, so since I only have $300 left, I should be going for value for those times Joker shows up with worse kings here. If he happens to have K6, K2 or 66 somehow, well, I guess I just get to lose $300. But when I let him check behind with hands like KQJ9 and all those sorts of combos, it’s pretty terrible. He does check back, but he also has AK and we split the pot.

By this point, the wild drunk player has felted like 5-6 times and has lost somewhere around $2000 total… but he felted me twice and I got none of it back.

Joker makes it $20, I make it $70 with AAK7 and he calls. Flop is QT5 and I have around $500 behind, so I decided to check back the flop because I don’t want to get all in here when my Stack-to-Pot Ratio is over 3. The turn is a 7 and there is no flush draw available. Joker leads out with a pot-sized bet of $150. This could be a fold here, but I do have a gutter and a paired dangler to go with my overpair, so I decide to call and see if he fires again on the river. I feel like he probably knows I have AA in my hand, but I also feel like he’d have to think I’ll call $300 on the river if I call $150 on the turn. The river is a king, which is pretty interesting, as it improves my hand to kings and sevens, plus drastically increases the chances of my AAxx hand making a straight. I expect this card to get me a free showdown a lot of the time, but Joker comes out firing for the max bet of $300. Since I expected him to check a lot, it feels a little weird, but I highly doubt he’s bluffing in this spot and I make the fold.

We ended up playing 4-handed for a long time and I stopped taking notes. Every time I battled back a little bit, something stupid would happen and I’d be right back to a few hundred dollars in front of me.

For instance, I potted twice with 99xx on T9327 and got calls from both Wolverine and Joker on both streets and then Wolverine fired into both of us on the river. Shouldn’t ever be a bluff, so I made the reluctant fold.

Another example: I end up in a 3-way 3-bet pot with JJ32 double suited and wind up potting the 732 rainbow flop and getting called in two spots. The turn is a 9, completing the rainbow, and I potted again, this time getting one caller. The river is a 6, completing the only draw he can have on the flop, and he still checks it to me even though I have like $120 behind. I check back and he tables the A45x. Yawn.

Finally, I had JT98 double suited in a 3-bet pot and ended up getting my stack in vs Joker on J98 rainbow flop. I had two backdoor flush draws and three pair, plus a straight draw, but I was pretty sure Joker flopped a straight. We ran it twice and his QT held up on both boards.

That finished a -$1200 PLO session for me and looking back over these hand histories, it’s pretty hard to believe I lost that much. Super unlucky.

I took Thursday and Friday off to rest up and be as fresh as possible for Muck’s Main Event today.

10:22 AM: Standing in registration line. I will not be posting hand histories while I’m playing, so check back here for stack updates every few hours and maybe I will have some notable hands to talk about on breaks, but I intend to focus on the action at my table as much as possible.

10:43 AM: 20k starting stacks and blinds at 25/50 with 45 minute levels.

LOL @ the dealer calling me a “professional” when I sit down. That seems wildly inappropriate and unnecessary, whether it is true or not.

Only one player I know at my starting table and I recognize another one as probably solid. First glance my table doesn’t seem all that great, but we shall see.

11:13 AM: Sigh. Max Young, the most successful tournament player in the Pacific Northwest the last few years, just sat at my table, so…. that sucks. On the bright side, I get a close up look at how he’s transformed himself into an absolute tourney crusher.

1:09 PM: Played a big 3-bet pot with AA vs 99 and got two streets of value before checking back river on J33hhJTh. I wasn’t planning to check river because I thought she was pair heavy but with both the flush draw and TT getting there, I decided to check back thinking I’m only targeting KK and QQ for value.

A short while later, I got about 2600 in pre with AKss vs same player and her T9ss didn’t hit the board.

Then I had a player open to 500 at 100/200 and I 3-bet AA to 1500 and knew as soon as he started thinking that he was 4-betting and willing to stack off. He makes it 4400 and I put him all in for just north of 13k (65bb!) and he calls it off with AK.

93425

Sigh.

I’m over 30k, but I’ll have to get an exact count when I get back to the table.

33.6k

3:36 PM: 54k after eight levels and coming back to 300/600 blinds. Looks like roughly 155 left of 282 starting and average stack is somewhere around 36k. 42 of us will cash and come back tomorrow.

6:11 PM: Very last hand before the dinner break I open to 2500 from under the gun at 500/1000 with QQ and the very next player makes it 7500. Folds back around to me and we are both 40+ bigs deep and he’s a tight player 3-betting an under the gun raise from early position also, so definitely not looking to get stacks in here pre. I call.

Flop is KK6 and I check-call 6k.

Turn is a blank and he puts me all in. My opponent is Green River Gary and he is just never fucking around here. I am pretty confident if he had a hand like JJ he would check back this turn. So… I’m pretty annoyed about it, but I fold.

He gives me a courtesy show of the AK of clubs.

Sigh.

It was a pretty card dead two levels for me and I somehow managed to lose almost half my stack in the last orbit.

My table is unbelievably amazing though. Green River Gary is my toughest opponent and he is basically a straight-forward abc Reg. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to take advantage of the situation so far.

I’ll be coming back to 28.1k and this is what things look like right now:

edit: I had QQ on the hand before break

7:27 PM: Taking a selfie with the winner of yesterday’s $400 event: The Riddler!

Congrats dude!

7:46 PM: Second orbit after the break, I’m in the big blind with Q4 of clubs and there’s a min-raise and caller in front of me, so I defend.

Flop is QT4 with two hearts and one club. I end up getting it all in against the PFR and he has… QT.

Good fucking game.

God. So frustrating to get such a gift of a table and instead of steadily chipping up the rest of the night, I’m going home with another brick in my backpack.

Cobra and I are heading to Pendleton, Oregon for the Spring Round Up tomorrow, so that should be pretty cool. I haven’t been there since spring of 2016 and I’m looking forward to it. My first event will be the $150 O8 on Monday.

15k starting stacks, 30 minute levels, blinds at 50/100 now. Board says 196 players have entered already.

Megaphone is at my table but I don’t recognize anyone else. Superficial read: it looks pretty good.

Leggo.

10:59 AM: Well, I’ve been active.

Cutoff opens to 300 and I call small blind with KJo and the big blind MIA.

Flop is T93 with two diamonds and a heart. I have the Kd in my hand. I check it over to him and he bets 400. I think check-raising as a bluff is better than check-calling or folding here, so I make it 1150 and… he calls.

I’m not committed to this story, but when the turn pairs the ten, I feel like I have to bet that card and make it 1800. He calls again.

Well, now I’m done with it unless I make a straight.

The river is a king. Hmm… or that. I think a lot of people would check here and hope to win a showdown, but his hand seems like an overpair and there are more combos of QQ and JJ than AA and KK, so… I think I have to go for value here. I have a pretty easy fold if he decides to raise and he will just call if he has AA here, so I bet 2500 and he calls and my hand is good.

That’s pretty cool, but it does make this very next hand more difficult to play.

Someone opens to 400, there’s a call, and I make 1500 with AK on the button. The small blind takes that large raise to the face and now the original opener makes it 7600!

The original caller folds and now I’m sitting there wondering if this might be happening because I showed (what started as) a bluff the previous hand. It’s a serious consideration, but I can’t call here, so I’m either shoving 175bb or folding here and the former option seems pretty gross, plus the dude doesn’t seem nervous at all, so… I fold?

The small blind then goes into a super tank and eventually folds QQ face up!

Our friend doesn’t show his hand.

I open KK for 400 under the gun and three players call me in position.

I hate it already.

Flop is T82 with two hearts. I have the king of hearts and decide to send it around to see what happens. There’s a bet of 800 (into 1600+) and a call. I call also and three of ya proceed to the turn.

It’s the queen of hearts and this time it checks to the button and he bets 1500 (into 4000+). With the king of hearts in my hand here, I make the call. The other player also calls.

The river pairs the deuce, I check and now the flop bettor donks out with a nearly pot-sized bet. That seems strange since he’s repping QQ, TT, or 88 and most players are 3-betting with two of those holdings before the flop. I’m not really sure what I would do if the other player folds, but he jams giving me an easy exit and the other guys snap calls. The button shows quad deuces and the other guy had the nut flush.

Goodness.

I’m not done yet!

I open AA to 400 under the gun and get three callers again, with two of them having position on me.

The flop is 953 rainbow and this is a board I’m happy to c-bet 600 and a tight, straight-forward player is my only caller. She was at my table yesterday and I feel like if I get raised by her on the turn, AA is probably in bad shape.

But… the turn is an ace and I don’t have to worry about that. Now I’m hoping she flopped big. I bet 1200 and she makes it 3400. Yum yum!

We are still pretty deep and I don’t want to give her any reason to consider folding and she is 100% betting the river, so I just call.

River pairs the 3, giving me a boat and I check it over to her. She jams, I snap, and I’m pretty shocked to see that she had AK.

Sitting on 31k now.

12:30 PM: 27.4k coming back to 100/200 and 200 big blind ante.

Notables I’ve seen in the field: Solomon Grundy, Tormund, Cobra, Chief Wiggum, Minh Cash, Megaphone

2:30 PM: That was a pretty brutal four levels. I went the first hour and 45 minutes completely card dead. I 3-bet a hijack open from the cutoff with A8dd and got it through and that’s the only pot I can remember playing.

Then, with about 15 minutes to go in level 8, I had a three-hand stretch where I had KK, 99, and AA back-to-back-to-back.

I ended with less chips than I started with.

I 3-bet the KK after an open and call in front of me and they both folded. I sized up a bit because the weakest, stickiest player at the table was the opener and he shook off the hook.

With the 99, the hijack opened and I 3-bet his 1500 to 4000. The flop was Q54 with two hearts. He check-called 5000 pretty quickly.

The turn was a medium heart. I think I should just be done here. I check back.

River puts a four card straight on board and he leads 5000.

My mind was going pretty blank when I was facing this bet. I could think of plenty of hands I couldn’t beat and I couldn’t come up with too many I could beat, so obviously… I called.

What.

He turns over KQo.

I mean… I played that hand like shit. Nothing else to say about it.

Then I get AA at the perfect time – when it looks like I might be steaming – but all I get is a big blind defender that check-folds the flop.

13.3k coming back to 400/800 blinds giving me a 16bb stack.

3:17 PM: Open 2.3x with AJ of spades and get a big blind defender.

Flop is J87 two hearts and a club. I bet 3500 and I’m never folding with my stack size. He just calls though.

Turn pairs my jack and puts a second club on board. He puts me all in, I snap, he shows 86 of clubs and bricks off and I get a double up.

3:49 PM: Back to 16bb again. We are down to 90 players now with 40 of us cashing.

I still see Tormund, Classy Chris (fka FanBoy), Chief Wiggum, Minh Cash, and Cobra.

4:43 PM: I’m sitting on around 16bb and have AQhh under the gun. Don’t really love shoving this chips here but I’m never folding and things could get awkward if I have to take a flop. I stuff and get called by JJ.

Whiff flop, turn a flush draw, brick the river.

GG.

Back to back days busting 30 minutes before dinner.

👍🏻

I’m beat. Not even going to try to play a session tonight. Also probably not playing the $200 event tomorrow since there is no longer a Player of the Series bonus.

Vitals: 20k starting stacks, blinds at 25/50, and levels are 45 minutes today. We are fast approaching 200 entrants and registration is open for another 4.5 hours!

My starting table currently has seven seated players and two dead stacks. I’ve seen all these guys around but I only know one of them, a nitty, predictable guy from Kitsap County.

Yesterday, I talked a lot with Adam Coats (a non-blog reader) and he was telling me about this 30 Day Cold Shower Challenge he did and how liberating it was and I was like, “stop judging me, Adam! I’ll start it up again tomorrow.”

So today was Cold Shower Challenge Day 1.

Again.

For the third time.

I’m seeing it through this time, dammit.

Speaking of Adam, I prefer to refer to people anonymously via nicknames on the blog, but since he’s been in the public eye at the World Series of Poker every time I’ve talked about him, I haven’t really felt it was necessary. However, after having the name ChowMein suggested to me and discovering that it was an old online screen name of Adam’s, I asked for his blessing to call him that and got the okay.

Welcome to the club, buddy!

Alright, time to focus up. I’ll post updates on breaks and maybe if a really big pot happens.

Leggo.

Notables I’ve Seen: ChowMein, Solomon Grundy, Flipper, Green River Gary (no explanation needed), and Billy Dubs (my new twist on Bill W)

Punt Attempt: Under the gun opens to 600 at 75/150 and it folds to me on button with AQ. I just call and so does the big blind.

Flop is AQT with two diamonds (I have none) and the big blind leads out for 1200 and the PFR calls. The big has a little over 15k total and the PFR has about 7k. The board is pretty wet so I make a sizable raise to 5k and I’m not folding to a jam. Big blind tanks for quite some time and eventually stuffs it. PFR folds and I kind of hate it because when we get in 100+ bigs each on the flop I really shouldn’t be good here, but I call and…

He has AJo with a diamond.

Turn 8d

River 4d

So much pain.

I’m down to 9k now and I’m pretty damn sad about it because I was dominating this table and I should have over 45k now.

Sick. Sick sick sick SICK.

Re-entry is open for another 3 hours, but I also still have 60 bigs.

First Break: 8.7k

More Notables: Slimer, Sandman, Joker, Minh Cash

Second Break: 18.1k

I am playing above the rim right now and have been running pretty brutal. Basically all my chips have been accumulated through well-timed bluffs. I feel like I’m seeing situations really well and I’m executing on how I think I can exploit what’s going on.

Registration is closed after this break. I’m pretty happy to get back near starting stack without having to re-enter.

Update: 55.4k

I’m putting on a clinic. Meanwhile the guy that devastated me earlier… is out. He shoved his last 11 bigs over a 3.5x open from another small stack with… 65ss. What in the world?

Prize pool is posted. There were 341 total entrants. 174 remain. Total prize pool is $237,175, which means $25,575 was raked, or 10%. Not bad. 51 spots get paid, with a minimum payout of $1200. First place is $49,000.

Let’s get it.

Dinner Break: 47k

Play resumes in 70 minutes.

I watched Joker get it all in on the last hand before break with AA against JTss on 952ss but the 8 of spades on the river busted him.

143 players left. Average stack is 47.6k so I’m right there. Blinds will be 600/1200 when we come back so I have 39 bigs when we restart.

My goodness, I’ve already used the bathroom and had a full meal and sat bullshitting for 10 minutes and we still have 40 minutes of break left.

7:41 PM: I am absurdly card dead. I called a raise with JThh and someone jammed (so I folded). That is the extent of my involvement since dinner ended. Pretty silly.

Down to 36.6k.

7:52 PM: 88 < AK all in pre for ~12 bigs.

Down to 18.1k – jam or fold territory.

8:28 PM: Doubled A9 > 88. Back to 11bb.

Fourth Break: 33.3k

I think I was peaking around 55k before I opened to 2.5bb on button with A8dd and big blind defended. We both checked Q98 flop. I called 5bb on 3 turn and then we both checked 5 river. He had 94o.

Because you just have to defend with that one.

Coming back to 1200/2400 blinds.

72 players are left and 51 of us will cash. Average stack is 94k so I’m an underdog but so what.

Let’s go.

Update: Busted in 70th AT < AJ. I will not be playing the Shootout tomorrow as it looks like I’d have to win it outright to get in the Player of the Series spots.

Vitals: 15k starting stack, sitting down at start of L2 with blinds at 50/100, and 186 players registered so far.

I recognize a couple players at my table from local cash games.

I’m playing in the banquet area for the first time. No shuffle machines but it’s pretty nice in here.

First Break: 16.9k

I’m happy about that considering I bluffed off a third of my stack and got called down by Q4dd on 6648T. I’m praying to make anything against that player.

12:53 PM: Doubled with AK vs Jc9c on QcJT-8c-J.

33.9k at 150/300 blinds.

Second Break: 34.7k

Registration is closing after this break.

Update: 300 entrants. $102k in the prize pool. $18k taken out for rake, or 15%. $20.4k up top for 1st. 45 spots pay. ~205 left.

I have 42.6k at 300/600 with 600 big blind ante. Average stack is ~22k.

Third Break: 42k

Weird last hand before the break. Player I think is competent makes it 1700 with blinds at 300/600 after an under the gun limper. That’s not strange but what is strange is that the raiser started the hand with less than 4000, so he’s making a small raise after a limper when he’s starting the hand with less than six big blinds.

I don’t get it. Even if I had a hand as strong as AA, I would expect the limper to call a lot.

Anyways, it folds to me and I look down at AJo. I wouldn’t even think about calling a 6bb jam with AJ and the under the gun player has shown some loose-passive tendencies so I’m not too worried about him having a big hand. So I go ahead and make it 4000 to put the raiser all in.

The limper folds and he calls it off with A9o.

I really don’t get it. The call here is fine but the initial raise is mind-boggling.

Fortunately for him the board runs out K88-K-9 and he got lucky on me twice in rapid succession and doubles up.

So… I have 42k now instead of 51k.

Coming back to blinds of 400/800 with 800 big blind ante.

Dinner Break: 88.4k

My bad. We’ve been on break for 40 minutes already. I just forgot to post something.

Cards back in the air in 35 minutes.

More Info: 79 left. Average stack is 57k. 45 spots get paid.

7:21 PM: Flopped top two with KQ in a raised multiway pot and then busted someone with JJ > 99.

203.5k

58 left.

Fourth Break: 145k coming back to 2500/5000 with a 5000 big blind ante.

We are in the money. 45 are left and everyone is guaranteed at least $630.

Average stack is 100k.

Adam Coats and Chief Wiggum both still in also.

Update: We have three hours of play in between breaks this time for some reason, so I should probably mention that things have been going really poorly. I am down to about 80k with blinds now at 3k/6k.

There are 36 players left now.

9:14 PM: Doubled with 66 > AK.

143k

Fifth Break: Peaking at 220k coming back to blinds of 6k/12k.

20 players remain.

Update: It’s been rough. I have 165k and we are combining to a 10-handed final table.

I appear to have the shortest stack. $2500 locked up.

Chief Wiggum here with me. He has about 280k.

9 left.

Update: Early position makes it 42k at 8k/16k and it folds to me in the big. I jam for 149k with AQ and… he starts tanking? Wtf. Didn’t expect that. He thinks for about two minutes and now I’m thinking I want a call, realizing I’m probably doubling up over 70% of the time. He eventually does call… with AJ.

Flop: JJ4

Turn: 4

GG

9th for $3000.

Sigh.

Main Event tomorrow.

I will be doing a live blog of the $400 5th Sunday no limit hold’em event at Muckleshoot today. It’s a pretty sick one: $400 buy in and only $20 of that goes to the house. At least that’s what it says on PokerAtlas. It’s pretty hard to believe. If so though, that’s amazing.

More info on the Muck tourney later. First, a look at this past week:

Monday +$825 in 7.5 hours of 8/16 LHE

Tuesday OFF

Wednesday +$873 in 4 hours of 1/3 PLO and -$96 in 3 hours of 8/16 LHE

Thursday +$104 in 17 minutes of 4/8 LHE and -$120 in 5 hours of 8/16 LHE

Friday -$597 in 90 minutes of 8/16 LHE

Saturday OFF

The biggest takeaway here is that I played zero minutes of 15/30. Have we officially reached a point where 15/30 isn’t even a thing anymore? I’m going to have to wait until October to play in that game regularly again?

Friday was the worst. Obviously I had a miserable mini-session, but I walked in to the casino, saw that 15/30 wasn’t going to happen on a Friday night, and I just didn’t really want to be there. It’s easy to win when you’re tired or unengaged, but losing? That’s way tougher. Down three racks in 90 minutes, in a game I don’t even want to play, losing to KQ with A2 when I check-raise my opponent on the A74 rainbow flop? Yeah, I’m out of here.

I’m not opposed to powering through tough sessions – in fact, it can be a welcome challenge at times. I’ve turned four rack deficits into solid wins on multiple occasions. But I just didn’t want to play 8/16 on a Friday night. It’s depressing.

Not a bad week overall, but I am sad about the current state of poker in Lakewood. It was really nice not having to drive out to Fortune for half a year.

Muckleshoot tournament info: $400 buy in, unlimited re-entry for 2+ hours, 25k stacks with blinds starting at 100/100, and 30 minute levels.

I’ll be back with notable superstars in the field today, but one thing I know for sure is this:

TORMUND IS IN THE BUILDING.

10:16 PM: Field is pretty sparse to start. Flexxx commented on my post on Facebook saying something about Tulalip having a $300 buy in tournament with $10k added to the prize pool. That might explain the small crowd here at the moment, but with two hours to register there is plenty of room to grow.

Bill W is only notable here that I can see. I see lots of PNW tourney regs though.

10:40 PM: This shouldn’t even be a notable hand but it is just because of how ridiculous it is. There’s a post in the hijack and the button makes a standard 6x raise (lol) to 600. I defend with 98 of clubs and hijack also calls.

Flop is 943 with one club. We check to button and he bets 2k into 1900 (lol). It’s such a giant bet on a really dry board I actually laugh out loud and shake my head, but I do call and the hijack folds.

Turn is a queen and we both check.

River is a seven. I’m happy to show down here and I think I get more value by check-calling on this runout, so that’s my line. He bets 2500 and I call. I’m good.

10:48 PM: This is more familiar: player opens to 300, there’s a call, I call with AJ and five of us see the flop.

Board comes down J73 and it checks to me. I bet 800 into 1600 and only one player calls. It is worth noting that this player is the first cold caller of the raise, so he checked the flop after the PFR checked. Which means he was likely content to let the flop check around.

Turn pairs the jack. He checks to me and I bet 1300. It’s a small bet. I want him to stick around with a weak hand or do something stupid. He seems to take the latter route by check-raising me to 3100. I call obviously.

River is a ten and he leads out 5200. No need to raise here. I feel like I’m bluff catching almost always, so I never expect him to call if I raise and I will be shocked if has anything good here. I call.

He turns over 33 for a full house. Wow. Obviously a pretty bad cooler spot, made worse by the fact he checks the flop after the PFR checks and gives four opponents a chance to see a free turn. Why anyone would do that is beyond me – it just makes no sense.

But people playing in a way that makes no sense is something that makes total sense to me.

I just won a nice 3-bet pot with AK though so despite that -8k hand I actually have over 30k right now.

11:15 AM: One limper, button makes it 1200, I make it 3600 with QQ from the small blind, the limper calls (!!) and the button sails 75+ bigs in the middle. I was planning to call a jam when I 3-bet, so I tank briefly just because there’s a third player still in the pot and then I reshove. The limper starts tanking, long enough that I turn to Bill W on my direct left and give him a ‘wtf is happening right now’ look. He eventually folds.

Button shows AK. Well, this is a pretty unnecessary 170 big blind flip.

Board runs out 654… J…. A.

Just sick. Instead of 48k (240 bigs) I now have 8.2k. That’s still 41 bigs, but it’s almost 1/3 of the starting stack and that’s when I start looking at the tourney screen wondering how long re-entry is open for.

Speaking of re-entry… Tormund is on his second bullet. I don’t know the exact details but it involved a “seven deuce” and cards being rammed up bodily orifices you’d rather not have any company.

The poker gods just refuse to give the kids a break.

12:06 PM: Not playing tight with 20-30 bigs during the re-entry period, so when someone makes it 1200 after a limper I go ahead and defend the 4x raise with J8o. I’m looking to catch any reasonable piece and get it in here. Three of us see the flop.

Flop comes down T93 with two diamonds (I have 8 of diamonds). I don’t expect to have much fold equity here so I go ahead and let the PFR c-bet (2500), other guy folds, I jam 5700 and he starts tanking (lol). I love it. I’m probably against an ace high hand here, so all my pair outs are likely live here and, by golly, this guy might actually make a ridiculous lay down. He finally talks himself into calling by saying he thinks I’m on a draw (like I’d play a made hand differently?) and I turn a straight against his A2 of spades.

Back up to 12.4k. Kind of awkward. Two minutes before re-entry ends and my stack is now too big to punt or forfeit – but half the starting stack I could sit down with for another $400. I guess I’m rolling with this bullet.

Tormund heading to break with 37k. I also spotted Minh Cash in the field.

12:39 PM: Hijack opens to 1100 at 200/400/400 and cutoff and button both call. I’m in the small blind and before I even look at my cards I’m already thinking this would be a nice spot to squeeze. I do need a bit of a hand though because the button has proven to be loose and reckless. I look down at 88. I’d say that qualifies. I ship in 11.6k. The opener and cutoff fold and the button calls, as expected.

This time my 88 holds vs his 66 and I double up.

Someone flopped a set on me for the third time this tournament but then I won a couple of pots with a c-bet after that.

Currently sitting on 27.8k.

1:12 PM: Two limpers at 300/600/600 and I make it 2600 with 77. I get it through the rest of the field and the first limper, but the bad loose player takes a flop with me. No surprise there.

Flop is AAK. And here’s the beauty of having a massive range advantage: he checks to me and I bet 1100 into 7300 and he folds.

2:18 PM: I chipped down a bit when I defended A3 of spades and flopped an ace and a backdoor flush draw. I called two streets before getting a free showdown and losing to AT.

But then I opened AA under the gun, got a caller, and a big blind defend.

Flop was AT9 rainbow and with 7200ish in the pot, the big blind led out for 2800 and had about 7k back. I had about 17k myself. I don’t want to blow either of these guys off their hands, as I’m really only vulnerable to gutshots (and I think we can assume the blind doesn’t have one of those), so I just call and so does the other player.

The turn is a queen, which is one of the worst cards for me. It improves some straights and makes my hand more vulnerable. The blind jams for 7200 and I go ahead and reshove myself. The other guy folds and I have my opponent drawing dead with two pair.

I have 33k coming back to 1200 big blind. Tormund claims to have more chips than that, but can’t come up with a rough number.

3:00 PM: Open JJ to 2500 at 600/1200 and Bill W jams for a little less than 20k. Folds back to me and I have a pretty trivial call here, but I take a few seconds just to make sure. I put it in there and hold vs AQ.

Peaking at 52k. That’s about average now…

Look at this ridiculous stack at my table:

4x average is pretty massive at this stage of a tournament like this one.

3:16 PM: Defend T7cc. Flop is J97 with two diamonds and one club. I elect to check and he jams for 12k – a little more than pot.

Eh. I hate my line already. I should have just put him all in myself. I flopped well enough to contend for his stack size here, but I prefer having hands like AK, AQ, and KQ fold rather than forcing themselves to showdown.

I end up calling and he’s actually in really good shape with 88. He has me beat, he’s blocking two of my straight outs, and my two pair makes him a straight. Pretty gross. His hand holds up and while I’m pretty sure he would have called a donk-jam, I think I still prefer that line.

Anyways, I lose 15k on that one and I’m back down to 32k.

3:38 PM: Down to 36 players now. 12 cash. Minh Cash on my immediate right now with a Minh Cash kind of stack.

3:49 PM: Minh Cash doubles! He is now over 35k.

4:38 PM: Blinds keep going though me without winning any hands. Down to 12 bigs but it did look like Tormund got a big double.

5:05 PM: Coming back to 1500/3000 with exactly 10 bigs. Tormund coming back to 30+ bigs.

5:18 PM: Minh Cash is facing a button jam and a small blind jam holding AJ, for about 10 bigs effective, and… decides to call it off. He’s up against 99 and AK.

Jack of hearts in the window, followed by two small hearts. Minh Cash has the ace of hearts to boot. He holds and more than triples.

Very next hand, button is crippled and jams 4000. Minh Cash calls and I call Q9o. This a pretty standard spot to check down and never bluff. Board runs out AK2-4-J and Minh Cash says, “I can’t win,” so I table my hand and the button wins with 33. But I saw Minh Cash’s hand. He had 84. I’m like, “what’d you have?” because maybe my eyes deceived me, but he confirms the 84 and I’m like “dude.” So the button winds up quadrupling instead of busting.

I get a few jams through with KQ and A3, but I pick up the 77 and dude’s hands are shaking as he calls. Tormund said he wanted to sweat my all in, so I say, “Tormund, I’m all in with the worst hand” before the cards are turned over… because I already know.

Sure enough, he tables the TT and that holds and I bust out in 20th, eight spots shy of the money.

What a brutal stretch this is.

Tormund is well above average with 19 left now and that’s pretty cool because I have 30% of him.

No Tormund Shuffle today please. 🤞🏻

5:31 PM: Someone jams AT into Tormund’s KK and he busts that player to chip up over 200k. 18 players left now.

6:52 PM: They are down to 13 left and playing hand-for-hand. Tormund is at 210k with average stack at 182k.

I forgot to mention there were 95 total runners in this event. Also discovered that $20 entry fee wasn’t a real thing. PokerAtlas made it seem like they might only take $20 out, but the admin fee is $20, plus there’s $20 taken out for the dealers and $10 taken out for the Tournament of Champions. So they are actually taking out $50, not $20.

7:02 PM: Tormund is in the money! Our boy has dipped below average stack though.

7:29 PM: Tormund getting comfortable at the final table:

10th place pays $950.

Minh Cash is also in there, sitting with about average stack. Tormund has about ten bigs.

A brief interview: tormund-interview-1.m4a

7:54 PM: Ugh. Just saw Minh Cash get all the chips in on a JT8 flop vs 77 and the board runs out JT8-T-7. I can feel his pain from here. He has about 75k in front of him and the other player has over 250k now. Really, really gross. So brutal.

8:11 PM: A little redemption for Minh Cash when he jams KK and the same player calls it off with 88 and the kings hold.

I was going to update his new stack size but he was on the turn facing a jam from… Tormund. Minh Cash winded up folding.

8:22 PM: Sigh. Tormund runs KK into AA. We are on crumbs.

He’s all in for less in the big blind and triples with K8 of spades.

Next hand, it folds to him in the SB, he jams 37k and BB folds.

Back to 53k!

8:49 PM: Tormund jams < 2 bigs on button and his A2 loses to A9. He busts in 9th for $1050, giving me a tiny rebate on my buy in back.

Minh Cash is still in there with 8 left, but we are out. Good luck, Minh Cash!

I probably won’t play any poker until Thursday.

Tomorrow I’m going to the Mariners vs Astros with FanBoy on my birthday. My goal is to get a disabled Jose Altuve’s autograph because, let’s be real, he has nothing better to do.

Tuesday I’m having a movie marathon day. I’m going to start out with Teen Titans Go! to the Movies, then Uncle Drew, and finishing with Ant-Man and the Wasp. Not the most exciting lineup but it should be funny at least.

Wednesday we are having a Leak Day. That starts out with an early morning hike near the Lewis River by Mt. St. Helens. Not sure what the rest of the day will entail, but we will do whatever she wants.

So that leaves Thursday as my next play day and that probably means I’ll head to Fortune or maybe the Little Creek NL cash game.