Event #2 - My Final Table Journey

[NoSup4U 0]

Same disclaimer: If you don't like long posts, just don't read this. Don't ***** about it being long... :)Day 2:Wake up in the morning, go for a run down the strip, shower, breakfast, and head over to the Rio to sweat a buddy playing in the Pot Limit tourney that starts at Noon… We start back up again at 2PM. For the first two hours, all the short stacks drop like flies. Then with about 6 tables left, everything slows down. Everyone knows they have a great shot now of making the final table so nobody is doing anything crazy. As far as I can tell, I’m hovering still in the top 10 in chips. Carlos Mortonsen is starting to build a sick chip lead. When we consolidate to 3 tables, he is at my table with like 700K or something. I have about 230K and probably second place is 400K. Carlos erects this crazy chip tower in front of him. Very art deco. He even had a name for it. I was across the table from him, and if he was sitting down, I couldn’t see his face it was so high. (no lie) For the first 2 orbits at this table, I didn’t play a hand. Carlos won about 5 pots in that time, and kept showing great hands. He had just won 2 in a row and raised again UTG. I was the CO and holding J3s. This is the first time Carlos has ever seen me, and I haven’t played a hand in 2 rounds, and have a good sized chip stack. So I think I can take advantage here, and I think its likely he’s just playing his rush. I reraise, and he thinks for a while and folds. Later at the table, he raises in ep. He gets flat called by Mark Ly (the eventual second place finisher). Flop comes KK9. Carlos bets out kinda small. Mark reraises him, kinda small. Carlos comes WAY over the top of him, and Mark moves all in. Carlos reluctantly calls and shows 89h. Mark shows AK and doubles through Carlos. I then get involved in a hand with Brent Roberts, who I think ended up 5th. I have him covered. Haven’t played with him much at this point. He raises pf, and I call from the bb with JTd. Flop comes AAr. Brent hesitates when the flop hits, and then bets but kind of small. I read this as weak and push him all in. He obliges me and turns over ATo, and I’m drawing runner runner. For the entire tournament, this was the only incorrect read I felt I made. I don’t hit, and go from being almost sure of making the final table, to being in need of some more chips…I’m now down to 100K from 230K. I see AK shortly after this for the first time in the tournament, and win a small pot. We make it down to two tables, 7 handed at each. This brings me to my first exposure to Brandon Cantu, the eventual winner. He is the bb when I’m in middle or co position, which means I steal his blind mercilessly. I can tell he is getting tired of it. Jen Harmon is at my table for about 20 minutes, and then gets moved to the other table. Everyone is sad to see her go, except for those of us (me) that actually want to win this thing. She only played one pot while at our table. She was short stacked and just looking for a hand to double up. By now, I had built my stack back up to healthy. Still never picking up any kind of hand, just stealing a ton, and reraising a lot pf. Then I had some bad luck that didn’t make much difference overall I think, but tilted me to no end at the time. I raised from mp with A4s. Lee Padilla reraises me from the button. Lee (the eventual 4th place finisher) was solid. I suspected he had a middlish pair or any Ace, all of which I think he would fold if I reraised him back. (other than like AQ or AK) And I have the stack enough to make a move like that, and still fold if he goes all in. So I count out the call, and set the chips about a millimeter from my cards. I’m in seat one. I set them on the dealer side of my cards. (I keep my chips on my left side. I turn back to get more chips to raise. When I turn back and say I raise, the dealer has grabbed my previous chips, put them in the pot, and tells me its just a call since I didn’t announce anything. I’m pissed, as I made no forward movement with my chips, just moved 2 stacks from one side of my cards to the other. The dealer calls the floor, and tells the guy I put my chips like, 3 inches to the front right of my cards, which I didn’t, but whatever. Dealer says since I didn’t announce raise, it’s a call, and we see the flop. Flop is 9rr, I bet out, and Lee calls. We check it down from here, and Lee shows me A9. I tell him I had 88 and fold. Later we talk about the hand and he says he surely would have folded to a reraise there. So instead of being second in chips with 15 players to go, I am now in the bottom 5 for sure. I make it down to ten handed. Carlos and I are the short stacks. He has about 90K, I have about 130K. I double up reasonably quickly. I raise, get called, move in on flop, and win both times. I don’t think I had a pair either time, but I can’t really remember the hands. Carlos isn’t playing any pots. He is just looking for a big hand to double up. He moves in once, nobody calls. He moves in again, and gets called by QQ. We are all pretty happy when he gets called because we figure he is beat. Especially after we see the QQ. But of course, Carlos flips over Aces and doubles up. I get involved in two more pots before the last guy is knocked out: I limp with KK. (again, I don’t care if I bust. I want some chips so I can win this thing) The bb raises, and I smooth call. You know what I’m chanting in my head: No ace, no ace, no ace….Flop: Arr. Lovely. But I’d resolved that if an Ace came, and it was checked to me, then I would get all my money in this pot at some point. Its checked on the flop, and I check behind. My rational being, I now believe I’m ahead, and want the guy to take a stab so I get some more chips. Turn is another blank, putting a potential flush draw out there. Guy bets some, I move in, and he folds. My friends erupt, which is funny because now its like 2AM and the room is pretty empty, so its loud. Other hand, I raise from the button with QJo, Tom Nguyen, who ended up on the TV bubble calls from the bb. Flop comes KTr. He checks, and I move all in. He agonizes for a long time then folds. I’m guessing he had a T? He busts out later, and I make the final table 5th in chips, a little less than half of the leader. We bag them up (after each day you seal your chips in this bag so you know nobody takes any) and ESPN says we have to come in for interviews tomorrow before the final table, and we have to randomly pick cards to determine who gets what slot. I sneak over to the girl and ask her for the latest timeslot. She gives me 1PM (we start at 2PM) and tells me to keep that hush hush. Brent tells me that he’s 21 and a month, and wonders if he’s the youngest ever to make a final table? He also says he’s just been playing super tight this whole time trying to make it, and says that he’s impressed because I’m so fearless. I tell him thanks, and that I wish he would have told me he was playing tight earlier before I tried to bluff him off his trip aces… I get a bunch of offers to wear people’s clothes at the final table. Brent and I end up being the only ones to say no. (Its 10Gs I turned down…but you know, I brought a nice shirt just for the final table and for my first time, I wanted it to be pure. Maybe next time ) My crew heads back to the Venetian, I check Cardplayer and of course they have no updates about me. I spent 15 mins in bed responding to emails/text messages on my phone, and fall right asleep.Link to day 3:http://www.fullcontactpoker.com/poker-foru...showtopic=65814

[NortonFan 0]

Wow, this is really long.sw...Good read.

[GodOfEntropy 0]

Great read -- I think I would of taken the 10K to wear a sponser's shirt though

[zimmer4141 0]

Great read -- I think I would of taken the 10K to wear a sponser's shirt though

Agreed. Seriously man, I understand your sentiment, but why turn down a free 10k just for a shirt?

[fatman 1]

Great read -- I think I would of taken the 10K to wear a sponser's shirt though

I would have taken that shirt and wore it to bed for 10k

[krup24 0]

Good Read

[NoSup4U 0]

I would have taken that shirt and wore it to bed for 10k

Well, I just didn't want to. I can't explain why, just didn't want to this time. I'm sure I will again, but I was like: I'm already making $75K here. If I want an extra $10K, I'll just play tight and make an extra $100K by finishing 6th instead of going out first...Mark

[jkalib 0]

Well, I just didn't want to. I can't explain why, just didn't want to this time. I'm sure I will again, but I was like: I'm already making $75K here. If I want an extra $10K, I'll just play tight and make an extra $100K by finishing 6th instead of going out first...Mark

Then you would have won another 110k. I would have worn the shirt even if they told me that was the only piece of clothing I could wear at the final table. And I would have made a million "nut flopping" jokes too.Seriously, though. Good job, and nice write-up.

[NoSup4U 0]

And I would have made a million "nut flopping" jokes too.Seriously, though. Good job, and nice write-up.

hahaha, now that would have been good TV :)Thanks for the kind words, those writeups took me forever, but I wanted to get everything down. Of course, I totally forgot a lot of stuff. One piece that I was reminded of after watching the WPC TOC I had Tivo'd yesterday because it happened there too:In one hand against Mark Ly, he raised my bb, (he is the sb) I defended with 98o. flop KJr, 2 diamonds. (I have 9d) He checks, I check. turn comes another diamond. He bets small, I announce raise, and he insta-allins before I can complete the raise. So I just min raise, and fold.He was like, whoops, I guess I screwed that up huh? I said, "Yeah, you probably would have gotten a bit more from me if you hadn't said that..." He told me he had J8, for middle pair and the 8d, and was fairly sure I had nothing.Mark

[Bgfoot 0]

Same disclaimer: If you don't like long posts, just don't read this. Don't ***** about it being long... :)Day 2:Wake up in the morning, go for a run down the strip, shower, breakfast, and head over to the Rio to sweat a buddy playing in the Pot Limit tourney that starts at Noon… We start back up again at 2PM. For the first two hours, all the short stacks drop like flies. Then with about 6 tables left, everything slows down. Everyone knows they have a great shot now of making the final table so nobody is doing anything crazy. As far as I can tell, I’m hovering still in the top 10 in chips. Carlos Mortonsen is starting to build a sick chip lead. When we consolidate to 3 tables, he is at my table with like 700K or something. I have about 230K and probably second place is 400K. Carlos erects this crazy chip tower in front of him. Very art deco. He even had a name for it. I was across the table from him, and if he was sitting down, I couldn’t see his face it was so high. (no lie) For the first 2 orbits at this table, I didn’t play a hand. Carlos won about 5 pots in that time, and kept showing great hands. He had just won 2 in a row and raised again UTG. I was the CO and holding J3s. This is the first time Carlos has ever seen me, and I haven’t played a hand in 2 rounds, and have a good sized chip stack. So I think I can take advantage here, and I think its likely he’s just playing his rush. I reraise, and he thinks for a while and folds. Later at the table, he raises in ep. He gets flat called by Mark Ly (the eventual second place finisher). Flop comes KK9. Carlos bets out kinda small. Mark reraises him, kinda small. Carlos comes WAY over the top of him, and Mark moves all in. Carlos reluctantly calls and shows 89h. Mark shows AK and doubles through Carlos. I then get involved in a hand with Brent Roberts, who I think ended up 5th. I have him covered. Haven’t played with him much at this point. He raises pf, and I call from the bb with JTd. Flop comes AAr. Brent hesitates when the flop hits, and then bets but kind of small. I read this as weak and push him all in. He obliges me and turns over ATo, and I’m drawing runner runner. For the entire tournament, this was the only incorrect read I felt I made. I don’t hit, and go from being almost sure of making the final table, to being in need of some more chips…I’m now down to 100K from 230K. I see AK shortly after this for the first time in the tournament, and win a small pot. We make it down to two tables, 7 handed at each. This brings me to my first exposure to Brandon Cantu, the eventual winner. He is the bb when I’m in middle or co position, which means I steal his blind mercilessly. I can tell he is getting tired of it. Jen Harmon is at my table for about 20 minutes, and then gets moved to the other table. Everyone is sad to see her go, except for those of us (me) that actually want to win this thing. She only played one pot while at our table. She was short stacked and just looking for a hand to double up. By now, I had built my stack back up to healthy. Still never picking up any kind of hand, just stealing a ton, and reraising a lot pf. Then I had some bad luck that didn’t make much difference overall I think, but tilted me to no end at the time. I raised from mp with A4s. Lee Padilla reraises me from the button. Lee (the eventual 4th place finisher) was solid. I suspected he had a middlish pair or any Ace, all of which I think he would fold if I reraised him back. (other than like AQ or AK) And I have the stack enough to make a move like that, and still fold if he goes all in. So I count out the call, and set the chips about a millimeter from my cards. I’m in seat one. I set them on the dealer side of my cards. (I keep my chips on my left side. I turn back to get more chips to raise. When I turn back and say I raise, the dealer has grabbed my previous chips, put them in the pot, and tells me its just a call since I didn’t announce anything. I’m pissed, as I made no forward movement with my chips, just moved 2 stacks from one side of my cards to the other. The dealer calls the floor, and tells the guy I put my chips like, 3 inches to the front right of my cards, which I didn’t, but whatever. Dealer says since I didn’t announce raise, it’s a call, and we see the flop. Flop is 9rr, I bet out, and Lee calls. We check it down from here, and Lee shows me A9. I tell him I had 88 and fold. Later we talk about the hand and he says he surely would have folded to a reraise there. So instead of being second in chips with 15 players to go, I am now in the bottom 5 for sure. I make it down to ten handed. Carlos and I are the short stacks. He has about 90K, I have about 130K. I double up reasonably quickly. I raise, get called, move in on flop, and win both times. I don’t think I had a pair either time, but I can’t really remember the hands. Carlos isn’t playing any pots. He is just looking for a big hand to double up. He moves in once, nobody calls. He moves in again, and gets called by QQ. We are all pretty happy when he gets called because we figure he is beat. Especially after we see the QQ. But of course, Carlos flips over Aces and doubles up. I get involved in two more pots before the last guy is knocked out: I limp with KK. (again, I don’t care if I bust. I want some chips so I can win this thing) The bb raises, and I smooth call. You know what I’m chanting in my head: No ace, no ace, no ace….Flop: Arr. Lovely. But I’d resolved that if an Ace came, and it was checked to me, then I would get all my money in this pot at some point. Its checked on the flop, and I check behind. My rational being, I now believe I’m ahead, and want the guy to take a stab so I get some more chips. Turn is another blank, putting a potential flush draw out there. Guy bets some, I move in, and he folds. My friends erupt, which is funny because now its like 2AM and the room is pretty empty, so its loud. Other hand, I raise from the button with QJo, Tom Nguyen, who ended up on the TV bubble calls from the bb. Flop comes KTr. He checks, and I move all in. He agonizes for a long time then folds. I’m guessing he had a T? He busts out later, and I make the final table 5th in chips, a little less than half of the leader. We bag them up (after each day you seal your chips in this bag so you know nobody takes any) and ESPN says we have to come in for interviews tomorrow before the final table, and we have to randomly pick cards to determine who gets what slot. I sneak over to the girl and ask her for the latest timeslot. She gives me 1PM (we start at 2PM) and tells me to keep that hush hush. Brent tells me that he’s 21 and a month, and wonders if he’s the youngest ever to make a final table? He also says he’s just been playing super tight this whole time trying to make it, and says that he’s impressed because I’m so fearless. I tell him thanks, and that I wish he would have told me he was playing tight earlier before I tried to bluff him off his trip aces… I get a bunch of offers to wear people’s clothes at the final table. Brent and I end up being the only ones to say no. (Its 10Gs I turned down…but you know, I brought a nice shirt just for the final table and for my first time, I wanted it to be pure. Maybe next time ) My crew heads back to the Venetian, I check Cardplayer and of course they have no updates about me. I spent 15 mins in bed responding to emails/text messages on my phone, and fall right asleep.

I am really enjoying reading this, maybe a little more than others because I was there, plus it is almost like watching an episode of 24, you can't wait to read day 3

[chrozzo 19]

[murmar 0]

What's your name, I can't wait for the conclusion, I'll check cardplayer.

[Tiltinagain 977]

Nice read. GL at the final table and be sure to keep us updated.

[ROGUE06 0]

Very nice post indeed. Good luck at the final table and represent for FCP!

[NoSup4U 0]

What's your name, I can't wait for the conclusion, I'll check cardplayer.

Sorry, the conclusion was posted all at the same time. I'll link them all together to make it easier to read. Here is day three:http://www.fullcontactpoker.com/poker-foru...showtopic=65814Mark

[Fluffdog87 2]

Bump! Weeeeeeeee!

[Fluffdog87 2]

I get a bunch of offers to wear people’s clothes at the final table. Brent and I end up being the only ones to say no. (Its 10Gs I turned down…but you know, I brought a nice shirt just for the final table and for my first time, I wanted it to be pure.lol

[gibler321 1]

****, i knew i shoulda checked the date! i knew event #2 hadnt even started yet. vbh me

[xzanos 0]

This was televised, right? If so, anyone know what episode #?