Sunday Night Tournament

Sunday, February 15th, I decided to play the evening tournament at the local casino.  The tournament is a $55 buy-in, $40+$10+$5.  I was the 38th person to register, and it sold out of the 40 spots.  According to the staff, this was the first time in the past year it had filled up.  As I was checking my seat assignment, I realized I didn't recognize any of the names on the screen.  This was somewhat unusual, as I do play cash games there fairly often.  However, I think the regulars play the Sunday morning tournament, which is a higher buy-in, bounty style with (I think) more chips to start.  The evening tournament starts with 4500 chips, blinds at 25-50, and 20 minute levels.  With a starting time of 7pm, and a full 4 tables, the estimated finishing time was between midnight-1am, not bad for the price.

I took my seat, and the tournament was underway.  I was in seat 4, and the button started in seat 1.  I folded a garbage hand, watched the first hand play out, and put my BB out for the next hand.  As I mentioned, I recognized no names, very few faces, none at my table, and therefore had no reads on anyone.  I waited until the action was on me, and looked at 7-2o.  There was no raise, and I checked.  6 players saw a flop of 9-2-2.  Interesting.  I checked, and it checked around.  The turn was a lovely 7d, putting 2 diamonds on the board.  With that many players in, hopefully someone had a diamond draw, or the case 2.  I bet 125 into the pot of 300, and got 3 callers.  Hmmm...The river was the 4th deuce, not a third diamond.  Ok, so I just have the nuts!! Now, how can I get value?  I decide to opt for a check-raise.  I check, hoping someone bets and sure enough, the third player to act bets 400.  It folds to me and I decide to check-raise to 1400.  The next player folds, original bettor calls and I show my hand.  He had the 9 for 2's full of 9's.  I'm not sure what I would have done in his situation with just the 9, facing a check-raise from the big blind on that board.

I quickly found out that the guy to my direct left was a maniac.  Actually, that's giving him credit.  He'd be labeled a maniac in a cash game; in the tournament, he was an uber maniac.  He rarely folded, raised often, and was showing down junk hands like 3-8 off, Q7 suited, and once 3-bet with 7-2 and managed to flop 2 pair with it!  I was playing ultra-tight to start, feeling things out, and managed to stay away from him for the most part.

In the 50-100 level, last hand of the level, again in the big blind, I look down at KsKc.  3 limpers to me, and and I raise to 650.  Mr. Maniac calls, everyone else folds.  It's not easy to put the maniac on a hand.  The flop is 5-7-9, 2 hearts.  This smells like a maniac flop, but I C-bet 700.  He folds, and says something about the fact that I've played very few hands and won them all.  This was the 3rd hand in which I'd put money in after the flop, and I had won all 3 so far.

A hand I wasn't involved in saw a 3-way all in, including the maniac, who had JJ.  He was up against QQ and 10-10, and the QQ held for the triple, maniac lost a lot of chips but was still alive, and managed to chip back up with his reckless play. 

In the 100-200 level, the 4th level and last level before the break, I was dealt AJo 2nd to act.  I limp in, and 3 other players limp also.  The flop is A-2-4, 2 hearts including the A.  BB bets 300, I call, button raises to 600.  The button was a very novice player, showing down 2nd or 3rd pair, raising the minimum often, including preflop, once when he had AA and got them cracked.  He always had something, but rarely did he have the best hand.  The BB folds, and I call.  Turn is the 3c.  I check, button checks.  I think I'm good here but still want to keep the pot small.  The river is a 4, not a heart.  I check-call 600, and the button shows A9, giving me the pot.  I still haven't lost a hand that went to showdown.  I have 9250, with the average being 6200.

After the break, I find no playable hands.  We break down to 2 tables, and I win a couple of small pots by raising preflop and getting no callers.  At the 250-500 level I have about 22 big blinds, and am looking to pick up some chips.  I limp in 1st to act with QdJh.  There's a raise to 2000, and I call.  The flop is K-3-6, all diamonds.  I check, preflop raiser bets 2500, and I decide to make a move.  I push all in for 6800 on top.  He has me covered, but just barely.  He thinks for a good minute, maybe 2, and finally calls.  He shows AK, no diamond.  The board blanks out and I'm out.  I probably should have waited for a better spot, but I felt my push on the flop is a made hand often enough that he should fold, especially without a redraw.  It's not like I'd shown crazy tendencies, and had played very few hands. Overall I was happy with my play, I think I just screwed up that last hand.

Ok, time for a rant.  Maybe I'm used to playing tournaments in Vegas, where the fields are bigger, and people bust out and leave for cash games without a fuss.  But why do the people in my local tournament feel the need to say good game and shake hands after busting someone?  This isn't the tv table of the WSOP, it's a $55 small tournament!!!  Seriously, it's not necessary.  Also, the amount of table talk is ridiculous.  That's what happens in a small room with a small clientele tho I suppose, regardless of how bad it is for the game.  I must say I like the rule at the Aria, where the hand can't be speculated on, even heads up.  It's just a different style of play here than I'm used to in the tournament, but I think I can adapt.  I intend to try again, maybe not right away, but at some point.

After busting out, I decided against putting my name on the cash game list.  There was only 1 game running, with about 10 names on the list.  While they were planning on opening another table soon, I didn't think my head was in the right spot for cash games.  Instead, I went to the Willy Wonka machine.  The last time I played it, I put $40 in the machine, hit a few bonus games, and cashed out at $211.  This time I had 1 small bonus, and lost the $40 rather quickly.  I walked around the table games a bit, and decided to play some Blackjack.  There was only 1 $5 table going, and it was full.  I waited awhile, watched a very drunk lady get asked to leave, and before I could sit, someone else sat down.  A short while later, he got up and I sat down.  I was playing the bonus +3 game in addition to the blackjack hands.  After an hour, I had hit a few of the bonuses that paid 9-1, and was up $100, giving me a $5 profit for the night.  I decided to cash out at that point, and left.