FTOPS Update and Indiana Final Table

The FTOPS has been close but no cigars for our group in recent days. Tom placed 27thof 616 in the PLO 6-handed and 10th of 1600 in the NLH w/ RBs. I finshed 49th of 806 in the Stud H/L, and Seth had a strong finish in yesterdays NLH with a 28th place out of 4475. Mandy also cashed in this event, but just barely.

Ironically, neither of Moon's cashes counted toward the bet because he didn't chose those events. We only can count seven towards the bet. So the standings are as follows:

Chris: 27.48 pts via the $109 Stud H/L (have used 4 of 7 events)
Mandy: 27.16 pts from the $322 NLH (used 4 of 7)
Tom: 0 pts (used 3 of 7)
Jason: 0 pts (used 4 of 7)

Here is the recap of the final table at the Indiana Circuit Event:

Seat 1: Nut job 330K
Seat 2: Carlos Uz 320K
Seat 3: only unknown for me at the final table 70K
Seat 4: Tom Schneider 35K
Seat 5: Me 67K
Seat 6: Vito 130K
Seat 7: old tight guy (or so I thought) 45K
Seat 8: Toph 290K
Seat 9: standard no frills decent player 110K

Blinds start at 2K/4K 500 ante

On the first hand, seat 7 gets busted as described in my previous post. It was countdown hand #5.

I fold the first 9 hands

8 handed
1) Hand #10 BB Q6 - nut job limps (always weak), seat 3 limps on a 70K stack, Tom completes w/ just 26K more. I really thought he was going to jam any two here. When he didn't, I was going to. I jam for 52K more (to pick up 20K). They all fold. When Tom folds he shows 92 and says "I knew you were going to do that. I should have saved my 2,ooo." I imagine so, you had 92 and only 28K! (72K)
2) Hand #14 HJ K9s - I open for 10.5K. BB calls (nut job)
A(AJd) - check I bet 10K, he folds (85K)
7 handed
3) Hand #24 UTG KK - I open for 10.5K, nut job calls again
J84 - check check - I have to give this guy just a little rope
7 - I bet 18K, he raises to 40K, I insta shove 20K more before he can even get his chips out there because it is not much more and if he folds it is fine by me, he tanks and finally calls with AT. I dodge the seven outs and double to 153K.
4) Hand #28 - CO A6d, I open for 10.5K, seat 9 call in the BB
KJ7 - check I bet 12K, he calls
9 (2nd heart) - check check
4h - 12K, I fold (126K)
5) Hand #30 - 2nd A9 - I open for 10.5K, Toph RR to 37K, I consider shoving because I know Toph's range is big. I fold. This is the one hand at the final table I regret. I think he folds in the 66% range (2 out of 3). My EV is big by shoving. (114K)

3K/6K 1K ante

6 handed
6) Hand #34 - But QT, Carlos limps, I limp, Toph checks
KQ3 - checks @
3 - checks @
5 - check, check 10K, all fold (toph said he considered calling with just a J. This is why I checked behind twice. I wasn't really scared of free cards, I thought I definitely had the best hand, and I might get a real loose call on the river b/c of it. (120K)
7) Hand #35 - CO KT, Carlos limps as do I, Toph completes.
JT5 - check, BB (nut job) bets 16K, all fold (semi tight fold - but tough situation against somewhat unpredictable player)
8) Hand #37 - UTG AK, I open for 15K, both blinds call (seats 1 2)
(84d)2 - SB leads for 23K, Carlos calls, I fold. The action continued as such.
5 - SB bets 45K Carlos is calling before he even knows the bet amount, and just asks the dealer how much he has to put out
3 - check check, the SB turns over K8, Carlos turns over 33. Pretty sick and funny. I would have hit the runner runner straight. I was considering a move until Carlos insta called the flop bet. I am not sure if I would have done it or not. (92K)
9) Hand #38 - BB J7, nut job limps But, Carlos completes
AKQ - check, I bet 10K, But raises to 23K, all fold (75K)
10) Hand #39 - SB Q3s, seat 1 limps, Carlos limps, I jam for @70K more, Carlos asks for a count when it folds back to him. I am pretty sure he is calling at this point based on previous hands. I almost say "Your A9 is no good this time," but I opt not too. He calls a bit later and tables A9. I brick out, but I wonder if he folds had I said that. Who knows? In retrospect, I don't dislike my shove because there was 27K in the pot already, and had I folded I would have only had about 70K left. At the same time, Carlos felt like he was floating on air at this point in the tourney, so a loose call by him was very likely. It makes my play pretty neutral in my mind. I definitely could have found a better spot I think, but I was trying to get a stack I could challenge with at this stage of the game. I was easily the shortest stack at the table.

Unfortunately Toph got knocked out a little later in 5th place. He could never get things going. he was missing every flop, and guys weren't folding to pressure. The call stations bled him to his ultimate death.

On to the countdown:

In at #4) This is where the hands start to get really good (bad?). This hand happened with just three players left in the event. The blinds were still at 3K/6K with a 1K ante. Carlos had about 720K, the 2nd place guy (started in the 10 seat) had about 500K, and Vito had about 220K. Vito had the button and open shoved for all 220K (just under 37 BBs). This in itself is bad in so many ways, I can't even begin to start. However, he has done this twice in the past 15 minutes or so for at least 200K each time. Both hands he proudly flipped over TT and QQ. So precedent would indicate he does this with just big hands. In fact anyone who played with him throughout the tourney would know he tends to open huge with big hands and small or limp with weak ones. Yet when he does this the SB tanks. After a minute or two he finally calls as Carlos folds. We all assumed he had JJ or TT or AK, but he flips over A8! Vito turns over 99 predictably. The board comes QTT 8........Q. The A8's horrendous call gets paid off (not that Vito deserved much for his play). This got the tourney down to the final two.

In at #3) This hand also involves one of the worst if not the worst call I have ever seen in a tourney. It took place on my third table on day 1 at the 400/800 100 ante level. The eventual 4th place finisher (who I have repeatedly referred to as nut job mainly because of this hand) opened UTG for 2600. He had 12K left behind. The BB calls leaving himself 10K. The BB had been playing a very good patient short stack. The flop came three low rainbow cards (something like 842 for example). The BB shoves for all 10K (just under 2x the pot and 80% of nut job's remaining stack). The nut job calls ater getting a count. When he called the BB says something like "damn" thinking he is beat and turns over TT. The nutty flips over KQ and the BB is mystified/sick to his stomach. Of course nutty rivers a Q to bust the poor guy. At this point, I say "I thought for sure he (the BB) was bluffing because of his comment." The nut job then says "I thought he was full of it too." Of course my reference was to the BB's post call reaction not anything prior to it. Nutty parlayed this suckout to a very nice payday.