Tournament 5.2: Clash of the Titans

There was a buzz in the air for tournament 2 - all 13 suckas gathered 'round with hope in their eyes. This early in the season, it's still "anybody's game". By the end of this night, however, two revolvers seemed to be on a mission to leave everyone else fighting for third.

The rebuy period was rather weak. Not a lot of action from either table. Over on red, we had a situation develop that can barely be comprehended. Mini-Muth got rocked on a shitty hand against SlimChance when his A4 hit some random river winner. On the very next hand I looked down at A4 under the gun. "Wouldn't it be sweet", I thought "to play this one out and hit some random garbage to really put Mini-Muth into a frenzy." So I limped in, only to watch MM raise behind me with his newly purchased rebuy. I had a good feeling, as did Motown - so we saw a flop three-handed... Q52. Right away Mini-Muth starts digging into SlimChance, telling him all about how "THAT'S the kind of flop you want with A4. At least you have SOME outs." Rant, rant, rant, rant. Mini-Muth bets 200 and Motown and I both come along. I mutter something like"I have a thin draw baby". The turn is a blank. This time Mini-Muth isn't kidding around and comes out with 800. I can't help myself - it's too irresistable. Motown comes along, and I call. And here comes the river... that beautiful river... an off-suit 3. River the gutshot wheel, just as I planned from the start. Mini-Muth has 1400 chips left and I lead out with 1500. He's STILL talking about how "see? see?! This is where you want ace four! See!!" I can barely contain myself - this is going to fucking rule. Surprisingly, I get a call from Motown as well. I show the A4o and MM bitch slaps me on the hand. I say bitch slap, because it felt more like a love tap. I assume it was out of sheer respect for the marvelous play I just made. This would not be the end of the dance between Mini-Muth and CMoney.

After the rebuy ended, it didn't take long for the first man to fall. TheCanuck and Mojo both call an 800 raise from HumpinHorses in early position. The flop comes a scary JhTh8h. HH checks, and TheCanuck pushes all in for about 10K. Mojo calls, and HumpinHorses thinks about it, but correctly lays down his KK (no heart). A painful laydown that turns out to have been the winning hand as TheCanuck shows Js9d and Mojo shows QQ with a heart. No heart comes, and no help for TheCanuck who's out in 13th.

Next to go was SlimChance, who's starting off the season in terrible shape with a 12th and 13th. Time to tighten up, fella! I don't know the details of the hand, but do know that Mojo took him to town. Anyone getting sick of being busted by Mojo?

Chuckles, still reeling from being victimized by a patented Coopzilla suckout in tournament 1 decided to try for some revenge. Seeing a flop with Q9o Chuckles decided to semi bluff when it came down J82. Unfortunately for him Coopzilla wasn't going anywhere with his 22 revolver and flopped set. No help for Chuckles and he's out in 11th. Props to Coopzilla for knocking someone out with the deuce-deuce. Unfortunately Mojo had already picked up the bonus earlier on an uncontested preflop raise.

By this time Motown had made an early exit to deal with some family stuff. His stack, however, was still very much in play. He'd already outlasted three players by not even playing a hand. DoctorLove was eyeing Motown's stack, hoping to outlast the empty seat. But when he was dealt 55 he decided it was time to make his stand. Pushing all in relatively short stacked, Mojo already had skin in the game and decided to call with 66. Pair over pair with no shenanigans, and DoctorLove exits 10th as we head to the final table.

Heading to the final table we had a whole lot of short stacks. With few rebuys, and the blinds having already reached the 400-800 level, it was time to make some plays. First to attempt a big stack build was HumpinHorses. He raised from early only to be re-raised all in by Jodizzle. Mojo decided to play along, until HumpinHorses re-pushed from behind. Mojo got out of the way and we had a classic coin flip, Jodizzle's AK against HumpinHorses' pocket jacks. A king on the flop trippled Jodizzle up and left HumpinHorses gasping for air. On the very next hand HH gets pocket tens and tries once more, only to be called by Mojo with AQ. A low flop was looking awesome for a double-hump (hehe), but a Q on the turn pushed HumpinHorses out in 9th. Mojo busts someone, again. Motown moves up in points.

Next to fall was StillNotFat. On a tough run lately, it seems that nothing falls his way. After flopping two pair with 98s, CMoney puts SNF to the test with an all in bet. SNF comes along for the ride with top pair - and on the turn picks up a flush draw. Heading to the river it seemed like half the deck would save him, but alas it wasn't to be and he busts 8th. Motown still in the game with 500 chips and blinds at 800-1500. After his last two finishes at 12th and 11th, this is his best showing in a while.

With Motown in the small blind and forced all in, I had T9s on the button and came along after DiceMan limped. The flop came JTT and I was looking for blood. Diceman bet and I smooth called looking for a setup. The turn came 5 and Diceman checked. Trying to disguise my hand I bet about half the pot. He folds a J. We look at Motown's hand and he's got a fighting chance to quadruple up with Q9. The case T falls on the river and I bust Motown in style, with quad tens. A valiant 7th place finish!

I continued my mission to repeat, making a call that can only be described as "God like". With two black jacks under the gun and blinds at 1000-2000 I raised it to 5K. It folded around to Coopzilla in the big blind who was happy to call. He did, after all, have chips in the pot already.

The flop came down 973 with two diamonds. Coopzilla checks pretty quick, and I come out with a somewhat standard pot sized bet to protect the jacks, 10K. Coopzilla thinks (as it turned out, a little too long) and pushed all in over the top for another 21K on top of my 10. I counted my chips down... low and behold we had the exact same chip count. with blinds at 1K-2K, I can fold and be left with 10BB and try making a stand in a better spot.

I knew this decision was going to take a while so I asked for the clock to be stopped. All the scenarios kept replaying in my head. Set? Pretty easy for him to have 33 or 77 here. He's in the blind, and bound to play any two cards, so even a hand like 97 was possible. Flush draw? Flush draw with over cards? I'm ahead of a lot of hands, but he's probably got a lot of outs.

My final decision was based on a few things, most importantly was the amout of time it took him to push. I decided that he would have pulled the CR trigger a lot more quickly if he was strong. I've also won three big hands in a row with JJ (including the tourney 1 winning hand) and decided it was either time for me to take control of the tourney, or give Coop all my chips and a pat on the back for his impeccably great timing. Call.

He shows me a stone cold bluff, the last thing I ever put him on. A6o. No pair, no real draws, only an ace to save him. A third diamond on the turn gave him many more outs and I started preparing my tirade. A blank on the river gave me the 80K pot and a big chip lead going into five-handed play. Coopzilla out 6th. That's a man-sized bluff my friend, you are truly a scary player. Not many in this league have those kind of stones in that situation.

Next to go, on the bubble, was the all-time league leader in bubble finishes, Jodizzle. Mini-Muth put in a steal raise on the button and Jodizzle pushed over the top with ATo. Mini-Muth was forced into a pot-odds calling situation with J9o. I can't remember what dropped, but either a J or 9 came and finished her off. This wouldn't be the last time tonight Mini-Muth caught his undercard draw.

We were officially in the money with the top 4 being paid. First to cash out was DiceMan when he fell to Mini-Muth in a coin flip situation with ATs vs 44. The fours held, and DiceMan takes down 4th place and $58.

In a case of power poker versus flopping the nuts, Mini-Muth made short work of Mojo's stack. Three-handed, everyone had chips. MM raised preflop and got the call from Mojo. The flop came down KKQ. Acting first, Mojo pushed all in immediately. Mini-Muth smiled and happily called showing KQ and a flopped boat. Mojo's Q5 was already drawing dead and he was down to the felt. Eliminated on the next hand as a short stack when Mini-Muth and CMoney saw a flop, Mini-Muth bet the turn with a set of 9's, and busted Mojo in 3rd. He earns $87 for the finish, and adds the $20 DD bonus for a total of $107.

Low and behold - who would have thought after the A4 hand during the rebuy period that Mini-Muth and CMoney, who had ended 1-2 in the first tournament, were back at it. Heads up for the win, this time MM holding a healthy 4-1 chip advantage going into heads up play. CMoney sitting with 31K and blinds 2K-4K, not even 8 big blinds in my stack. In the first hand of heads up play I pushed with TT and got a fold. Mini-Muth wanted more post-flop action type play, but I didn't have the chips to accomodate. Back and forth we went for four hands until I found myself with KJs in the big blind down to 27K in chips. Mini-Muth raised to 8K and I re-raised all in. Mini-Muth expressed a little frustration at my lack of interest in playing a post-flop game... but once again I was under 7 big blinds and couldn't afford a call/fold. He called with 98o and hit an 8 on the flop. No help for the KJs and I bust in 2nd for $145. Mini-Muth takes down the $290 first place money along with the $50 bounty.

Awesome work Mini-Muth - way to come back and make it interesting. With only 0.25 points separating CMoney in 1st and Mini-Muth in 2nd, tourney #3 will have big implications for everyone in the league. It's time for someone else to step up and make it interesting!

Great tournament everyone - see you in April for pivotal Tourney 3!