Unfortunately for those "other guys" on the red table, game 7 of the NBA finals proved to be too much of a distraction to play decent poker, although Jodizzle took advantage of the background noise.
The green table was unlike anything I've seen since the season 2 tournament when Mojo busted me three times in 5 hands. By the time we got out of the 25-50 level, we had seen five rebuys already. By the end of the rebuy period I had taken four myself, and was in for $120 with the add-on. My streak of five consecutive tournaments with the chip lead at the break officially ended. I finished up with the bare minimum. Mojo was kind enough to remind me of how badly I was playing - pretty much every hand. He can trash talk with the best of 'em - I guess we're all good at something...
At the end of the rebuy period, we had 11 rebuys and 12 add-ons for a total prize pool of $700. DoctorLove had already taken the deuce-deuce bonus, and we removed another $100 for the bounty and championship pool, leaving $580 to play for.
The action got started quickly, with a huge hand coming down between HumpinHorses and TheCanuck. There was three-way action preflop (can't recall who else was in), and it came down KJ4. HumpinHorses led out with a medium-sized bet, got a fold, and got TheCanuck to raise. After about 0.5 seconds he re-raised all in and had TheCanuck covered by 1000 or so. TheCanuck didn't take long to call, showing KQ. HumpinHorses had a 95% lock on the hand with 44. Nothing strange happened and TheCanuck falls in 12th (Achievement: Early Retirement [4]).
I had quietly built from the 10,000 minimum chips at the break to around 16,500 without having a showdown, or even seeing a river. I can't recall the positions from this hand - I believe I was in the small blind and Mojo was on the button. He raised some amount preflop and I called with KsJs. The flop came down K83. I checked, and he bet 3500. I was tempted to push here, but decided to try a stop-go play. I called, with the intention of pushing on the turn no matter what came, unless it was an ace. The turn actually made my hand better, the Jc. I immediately pushed, figuring maybe it would still look like a stop-go and Mojo would be inclined to call me with a pretty wide range of hands. Turns out he had Ac8c for the made pair of 8's and the nut flush draw. The river was a blank, and Mojo went down in 11th. He's never missed a final table before, this being his first double-digit finish in 23 tournaments.
A huge hand developed on the red table. By now the basketball game was over and the players were interested in poker again. I didn't see the hand, I only have the recap. With KT Motown wasn't getting away from the hand after a QJ flopped. SlimChance was all in with a 76s. The turn came 9, giving Motown a straight and leaving Mini-Muth scratching his head with KK. SlimChance out in 10th, continuing to live up to his name. That's five consecutive tournaments without making a final table, easily the worst streak ever recorded in the DDR league.
The players were ready to combine tables, but a big hand was still happening on the green table. After busting Mojo I was the table chip leader and raised from UTG with T9s. The flop came down 678 with two hearts. Flopping the nuts without redraws is actually a strange place to be in. You don't want to let people draw for anything, but you also don't want to bet so much that you don't get value out of a huge hand. I decided to bet 1500, about 2/3 the pot. To my surprise, HumpinHorses insta-raised to 4500. Before the hand started, I had about 29K chips, HumpinHorses a little less at 25K. For Humpin to make this kind of raise, he's definitely got a big hand. I've raised preflop and bet the flop. He might be putting me on AK-AT and trying to feel me out, but it's more likely he flopped a set after calling a preflop raise. I have two choices here. I can flat call and see what comes on the turn. If the board doesn't pair, and a non-heart comes, I can make it really expensive for him to call a bet. On the other hand, if a scare card does come, I have no idea where I'm at and could end up being forced to fold the best hand. In a cash game, this hand plays itself - but in a tournament with a big stack, it's not an automatic play. The only other play is the all-in bet. If he has a flush draw, he'll probably fold (most DDR members aren't capable of folding a big draw, but HumpinHorses certainly can). I opt for the all-in bet to avoid having to make a tough choice on the turn. He calls instantly and right away I figure he must have a set. Nope... he tables a suited 54 for the low end of the straight. He's drawing dead to a tie if a running T9 comes. A heart comes on the turn (really glad I didn't flat call the flop), and HumpinHorses is drawing dead. Bad timing, and really tough hand to get away from. He probably thought I had the set in this situation. HumpinHorses out 8th, and CMoney gets really healthy with 55,000 chips.
Down to 8 players and I look around the table. Nobody else has more than 20,000 and the first thoughts of a three-peat start entering my mind. It's only been done once before - Mini-Muth in season 2.
Speaking of Mini-Muth, he decides to get involved with Diceman on the very first hand of the final table. I was in early position with 66 and had raised. Diceman called, and MiniMuth raised over the top. I let the sixes go - no need to dump chips to MM - the only guy who can catch me for the season championship at this point. Diceman calls quickly and we see a flop two-handed - AT2. Diceman leads out with a smallish bet, and Mini-Muth decides to put him to the test with an all-in raise. I expected to see two aces and a "battle of the kickers", but instead Diceman called with the only ace in the hand and Mini-Muth tabled a very frustated 99. I heard him comment that he thought he could "push Diceman off his weak ace". I don't buy that for a second :). Mini-Muth out 8th. With the chip lead, this gave me a great opportunity to extend my season points lead and potentially lock up the trophy early.
Next to go was Motown. I raised his big blind with A8 and he went all in. The rivalry between CMoney and Motown is the biggest one in the league - we share 9 busts between us, and I decided to call here and try to make it 10. He showed QJ and didn't get any help. Motown out in 7th place and our all time rivalry stands at 7-3 in my favor. Next behind us is Mojo and Coopzilla, standing at 5-3. A page representing these stats will be up in the near future.
A non-bust hand, but really large pot developed between me and Coopzilla. I was in the small blind with KK, and someone had raised th 500-1000 blind to 2000. There were already three people in by the time it got around to me. Not wanting to fight against this many opponents, I raised to 10,000. Everyone but Coopzilla folded. He called me pretty quickly and all I really needed to worry about was the ace. The pot already had 25K in it preflop. As is always the case with KK, the flop brought an ace. Coopzilla still had enough chips to give me pause - but in this situation I can't check and give him the chance to bluff me. I bet another 10K. He thought for a while and finally folded. He obviously didn't have an ace. In post-hand discussion, he admitted to not having a pair. I gave him a confused look and he said "I just thought you saw all that money and raised with bullshit." I guess I kind of understand that thinking - except that I was in the small blind and out of position to make that kind of play.
Diceman was getting short-stacked and decided to make his stand with A8. He probably thought "hey, I just saw CMoney bust Motown with this hand - it must be good!" I called with QT just hoping to have live cards. The flop came K82 and Diceman was looking good for a double up. The J on the turn gave me a bunch more outs (any A, 9, Q, T = 13). The 9 on the river sealed the deal, and Diceman suffered a runner-runner straight to bust him in 6th.
With five left, someone was going to bust out of the money. I sat with 80% of the chips and had no intention of getting too crazy with the blind still so low. With ATo I min-raised from the button and DoctorLove pushed over the top from the big blind. He didn't have enough to push me off my medium ace and I called. He showed 77 - not in terrible shape with the coin flip. An ace came out on the flop right away and no help came - DoctorLove out 5th (Achievements: Problem Solver [2], On the Bubble [4]).
DoctorLove was my fifth victim, earning me my third Terminator achievement. Turns out I was only getting started. Continuing a rush of decent hands, I got KK on the button and raised the minimum. StillNotFat decided to make his stand with Q9. I called, and the final board read Q2444. StillNotFat out in 4th for $58 - a nice improvement after five consecutive finishes out of the money (Achievement: Money Maker [5]).
Next to go was Coopzilla, who's been on the worst dry spell he's ever experienced - eight consecutive tournaments without a cash. I raised again with AJ and he called. We saw a flop of JT3. He open-pushed on the flop, and I called with top-top, seeing that I had out flopped his AK. He needed a K or Q but neither came. Coopzilla out in 3rd for $87 (Achievements: Money Maker [12], On the Podium [10]).
The heads up match between me and Jodizzle didn't last very long. I had the big 8:1 chip advantage and she needed a double up. After five or six hands she made her stand with JT and I happened to have her dominated with KT. The board ran all blanks and she busts in 2nd place for $145 (Achievements: Money Maker [11], On the Podium [7]).
CMoney continues an amazing run in season 5. Starting after the rebuy with a short stack, and busting 8 opponents on the way to a third consecutive victory for $290, as well as the $50 bounty. Achievements: Money Maker [10], On the Podium [10], Terminator [3], Tourney Winner [6], Bounty Hunter [4], Three-peat [1].
Other fun CMoney facts (if you're not Mojo, stop reading - this is just for him):
- All time busts leader (overtaking Mojo)
- All time money leader (overtaking Mojo)
- All time avg points leader (overtaking Mojo)
- All time wins leader (overtaking Mojo)
- Finished top two in 7 of the last 10 tournaments (Mojo = 1/10).
- Only player with all three legendary achievements (Mojo, how many you got?)
Muahahahahahaha!
1 comment:
DrLove vs CMoney. I raised, you went over top to put me all in and I called.
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