Beanmo's Blog

I played in 3 WSOP bracelet events and will detail all the relevant hands I can remember here.  Was going to play 5 events but was sick as a dog for the first and missed another due to a day 2 run.

Event 28 $1500 Started with 4500 chips and lost 2700 in one hand where I called a flop bet in a 3-way raised pot (at 25-50).  I then bluffraised the river on something like a 85427 board when the preflop caller bet out small.  Unfortunately he had 66, the hand I was trying to rep.

I basically doubled up by restealing 3 times.  Then I got allin with KsKc vs 4s3s on a Tx7s6s flop.  He hits the Ts on the turn but I hit a K on the river.  Later I shoved 77 after a raise and call at 100-200.  AJ called me and I lose the race for a 15K pot and am done.

Event 32 $2000 Started with 6000 chips and doubled up AA vs. QQ at 50-100.  Pretty hazy on how I went from 12K to 40K, but I do remember winning 99 vs AQ for about a 10K stack and losing AQ to 99 for something close to that.  I did get my only suckout when my 77 took out a 10K stack with KK.

Day 2 was fairly uneventful with many decent but not monster stacks at my table.  Guy to my left built a huge stack so bubble punishing with my average to less than average stack wasn't happening.  I fairly easily cruised into the money with not many playable hands.  I opened KQs for 5K at 1K/2K and had to fold to a reraise.  Next hand I raise to 5K with KTo, this time I get flatted by the big stack.  Close to 15K in the pot and I've got 35K behind.  Flop is T74 with 2 clubs , I checkraise allin.  He tanks and finally calls with 99.  K on the turn and 9 on the river and I'm out 119th for just under 4K.

Event 34 $2000 again.

First 10 hands get AA twice and reraise both, getting the same caller.  First time I flop a set and bet the flop and get called.  Miss a turn checkraise and bet river and he folds.  Next time, flop comes 974 with one diamond.  I bet he calls.  River is 7d and I put him allin for about a pot-sized bet.  He calls with KdQd.  He misses the diamond and I have 12K.

Call a raise with 64s at 50-100.  4 ways to flop and it's 532.  Preflop raiser bets, I raise, an allin and preflop raiser goes allin.  I hold against A4 and KK and I'm up to 21K or so as they both had 4 or 5K.  

Later (I think 100-200) I call a raise with 44 in SB.  4 ways to flop so I lead when it comes Kx4 and BB shoves 7K and I call and beat his KQ.  I was around 30K or so when I got moved.  Shortstack SB opens on my BB and I shove AQ and beat his 66 for his 7K stack.  This was at the same table with Darus Suharto (hope that spelling is close), PXF member and 6th place finisher in last year's main event.  Mindwise introduced us as he was at the next table and we soon tangled in a hand.  But after a sick hand where he got allin in a reraised pot (Darus opened UTG) with A5 on a TT54 board and was dead right (other guy had 87o somehow), Darus had a big stack.  

Anyway, Darus had started opening a lot and had just opened and folded to a reraise the hand before.  He opens again and I repop him with AA.  He 4bets to 16K and I shove for 46K total.  He ends up folding TT face up.  Yes Darus, I had AA - good laydown.

Then got moved with 60K to a new table.  Pretty soon after getting moved a guy raised from UTG and I call with 88 in the BB.  Not sure I quite had set odds, but I figured he'd shut down after the flop if he missed.  No problem though when the flop is AQ8.  He bets, I checkraise and he just calls.  Flop is a brick and I put him in, he calls with AT drawing dead and I'm up to 85K or so.  

UTG I raise QQ and get 1 call at 500-1000.  Flop is K74 (2 spades) and I check call 5000.  Turn is offsuit 4 and we check.  River is offsuit 7 and I check call 10000 and get shown JsTs.  That put me around 105K and I finish the night with 108K.  

On Day 2 I start on a table as the big stack, with 1 short stack, a bunch of medium stacks, the money bubble approaching and I drool a little at the setup.  In the first orbit though I get reraised preflop and checkraised on the flop when I have nothing.  The table tightened up closer to the bubble though and me and 1 other new big stack opened most pots.  I got up to 175K, mostly due to bubble abuse.  It included one open with A7o and a 4-bet allin that I knew he wouldn't call too often - he didn't.  I even got several walks at this table with Tony Ma to my right - he was just folding up the pay ladder - very odd.

After the bubble burst, I stayed at 150-170K or so for a while.  Finally I raised TT at 1200-2400 to 6K and get pushed for about 45K.  I call and lose a race to KQo.  Later I played my most debatable hand.  Huge stack of 300K+ had been moved in and raised in EP ( think it was 2000-4000 now), I call in SB with TT, BB calls.  Flop is 973 and EP bets 17K, I raise to 45K and BB tanks.  He finally moves in  for 120K or somthing and I'm considering calling him since he seems nutty.  EP I'd probably kick myself and fold if he shoved.  Anyway, EP insta-allins too and I can now easily fold.  EP had 33 for a set and BB had K9 somehow.  Not sure what he's thinking there.

Soon after a LAG shortstack pushes for close to 40K, I iso reshove with 66.  He has A8s and I lose another race, down to 43K and get moved.  So after being 2 or 3x average chips all tourney, I now have like 1/4 average.  I push a few and actually get 2 more walks to move to over 70K.  Blinds now up to 4000/8000 and I push KJo in the CO.  SB reships with QJs and I hold up.  While I'm still stacking the chips, there's a raise and reraise in front of me, I look down at QQ and shove.  No callers and I'm up to 225K or so.  

With 4 tables left button opens on my BB at 4K/8K, I have about 200K total and see A9o.  Button has been aggressive, so I shove my 25 BBs.  He calls with 77 and I lose the race and finish 33rd for $13K.  

I felt like I played pretty well, the TT hand still haunts me a little putting that much in only to have to fold.   But it's nice to make a deep run or 2 in only 3 tries.  

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The single table satellites at the WSOP treated me a little better this year than last.  I only played 5 of them since I was fortunately pretty busy with MTTs.  All were winner take all, but I chopped all 3 that I made to the final 3.  And in all cases, I received more than I should have equity-wise.  Including a $275 with $2620 in the prize pool - I had exactly 3000 of the 15000 chips in play (or 20%), so my equity in the tourney was $524 ($2620 X 20%).  I somehow managed to get $840 in the chop.  The other $275 I chopped was similar.  The $525 I chopped was closer to even as I had 6000 of the 20000 chips in play 3-way.  But I still received about a third of the prize pool and my 2 remaining opponents seemed pretty good.

So while the play wasn't the strongest (I'd say somewhat comparable to about a tenth of the buyin amount online), the true value was in the ridiculous chops being offered.  So if you're playing these, there's probably a lot of value in doubling up and trying to coast to the final 3 for a chop.  If you do happen to get a huge stack, you're best value is probably just playing it out since you probably will have a harder time getting a fair deal.

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So I was in the area last week and decided to play in the small tourney series at Mohegan Sun.  The turnouts were pretty disappointing and they probably should have guaranteed some amount on the main event.  Anyway, I only regretted a couple of things and had one small score.  Here's a recap to the best of my memory.

$350 Started with 10K chips at 25-50.  The structure for these was pretty solid fwiw, just wish the fields were bigger.  Early on I call a raise to 150 with JTo, 1 caller behind and SB reraises to 350.  Raiser calls and I'm like 95% certain the reraiser has no more than 4 hands here.  So I gladly call, the other guy calls.  I don't get to call reraises with JTo very often.  Flop comes Jxx and it checks to me.  I'm thinking AK for the reraiser but he calls after I bet.  Others fold. Maybe he's got an overpair after all.  Turn is a beautiful T.  I bet like 1250 and now he checkraises to 3000.  Huh?  JJ now creeps into my mind but no way.  Only 2 Js left.  He's got to be botching AA/KK here.  I decide to just call since I thought he could fold to a shove and I save myself if the river counterfeits my 2 pair.  River is a brick and he checks.  I value bet 2500 (about half his remaining stack) and he calls with KK.

With about 1/3 of the field remained, I was down to 8 or so BBs.  A loose EP raises and MP now announces raise.  He's really loose and it's clear he thought the pot was unopened.  Anyway he is forced to make the minimum reraise and it's obvious he doesn't like it.  Folds to me with 99 in BB and I know I'm way ahead of the ranges so I stick it in and hope the initial raiser is smart enough to isolate shove.  He's not and they both call.  55 for raiser and K4 for other guy and the K knocks me out.  

$600 tourney is very forgettable to me.  Card dead much of the day and then call a 12 BB CO shove from the one young guy at the table.  I had A8s and drew a few stares from the old guard at the table.   But I knew he was shoving practically any 2.  He has A3s and I manage to win.  Get moved, blinds go up and I get whittled down to 5 BBs before I finally get a hand that folds to me.  I fold some bottom 10% hand - probably a mistake.  Folds to me next hand to and I shove J3o in MP.  The button with about 15 BBs tanks and ends up folding ATs (he says), but BB calls with 99 and knocks me out.  If they're folding ATs there, I like the push.

$1100 tourney starts with 20K chips and I manage to bleed off 7K early when I decide to raise my button over limps for the first time.  I had 32s and the board was a lot of cards much higher than a 3.  I bluff the flop and get called.  Then he leads the turn.  I know how these guys love to "find out where they are" so I raise.  He calls and then shoves the river.  I decide not to call down playing the board.  The opponent was awful but I didn't know it yet and he would haunt me later too.

Manage to get back over 20K somehow when me and my previous hand nemesis are at a new table together.  He limps 200 in EP and someone raises to 1200 behind him.  I think there was a call and I get AK in the SB.  I considered reraising but the stacks were awkward and I couldn't push.  So I called.  Limper calls.  Flop is KJ5 with 2 hearts (I have black cards.)  I check and old guy limper shoves for like twice the pot.  Raiser and caller fold and I call pretty quickly as I think he's pretty much got any king and not much else.  He shows up with K5 and holds.  This put me down to under 10K again.  

Eventually I pick up 66 and repush allin for about 10 BBs against a guy who was raising about 50% of the hands.  I double vs. his K3 and I'm back around 20K.  Later I resteal allin with AJo for about 16 BBs.  Guy behind me with a huge stack apparently flashes AK and folds.  I think I restole with AK and squeezed allin with KJs too to stay afloat.  I also reraised with AKs and won a flip vs. JJ.  Then I pick up AA and get it in vs. QQ and hold.  This got me to around 75K.  

Only 62 played this event and it paid the final 9.  We're down to 2 tables left and I can finally play a hand without going allin.  So naturally I quickly bleed some off, then I raise A3s.  1 Call behind and BB calls.  Flop is K52 with 2 of my suit.  So I know I'm happy to go with the hand but how to proceed.  The caller has me covered and we probably have 2-2.5x pot behind.  BB has maybe the pot left.  I think the caller behind me will bet a ton if I check and I also think he'll fold a ton, even some kings since he loves the big laydown and gives me a lot of respect. So BB checks, I check and he bets right on cue.  But then BB goes allin.  Ugh can't fold now.  I shove and try to get the pot heads up and he folds KJ behind me.  BB has KT.  I hit an ace on the turn and the nut flush on the river and now have over 100K.  

Now we're down to 12 players and rumblings on both tables are about chopping up the prize pool.  Meanwhile there's a raise to 5K by chipleader with over 150K, a call and I have maybe 120K in BB with AA again.  I reraise to 20K and big stack calls.  Flop is QJx and I bet prepared to call his shove.  He folds and play stops.  I now have a slight chiplead with 150K.  And now everyone wants to chop it evenly.  LOL even one of the other big stacks wants to do this.  Somehow only 2 of us are against this.  They ask me what I want and I end up saying 7K instead of the 5K they were trying to give me.  The arguments go on for 30-40 minutes and I finally give in, accepting 6500 which was about 3rd place money.  It was more than anyone else got, but I regret this decision more than any other I made that week.  I wished I had refused and just played on.  Oh well, supposedly they're sending me a trophy with my name engraved since I officially "won" the tourney.  I've never gotten a poker trophy before and don't really care, but I'm sure my kids will love it.  Of course, I'm guessing the odds are slim I ever see it.

$2500 main event was a letdown for me.  Started with 40K chips and I decide to pull a Hellmuth and sleep in.  All the events started at 10 am and I'm of the opinion that no tourney should start at anything am.  Anyway I miss all but 5 minutes of the 800 BB deep first level.  Since I only bought in when I showed up, I thought I should get a full stack and not a blinded down one.  But I got a blinded down one.  But since I had 39.850 of my 40,000 stack, I didn't even bother to complain.  

With 45 minute levels, I finally win my first pot at the end of level 3.  My stack went between 35 and 48K a few times.  I slowplayed AA when we were over 200 BBs deep and flopped a set.  That won a nice pot.  I won a few more and lost a few more and probably  had 35K or so to start my bustout hand.  I raise utg to 3000 at 500-1000.  Tourney chipleader who's decent and been crushed by the deck calls in the BB.  Flop is 965 3 suits and he gives a "d*** i that's a horrible flop" head shake.  I think at first he's doing an ultra obvious fake tell and he's super strong.  But it was a quick move and he might not even realize I only noticed it out of the corner of my eye.  (I'm not one of those guys who stares down his opponents while the flop is coming out.)  Anyway he checks and I decide to check behind.  Turn is a Q, completing the rainbow.  He bets 7-8K and I think he'd do that a lot after I checked the flop.  I considered all 3 options and end up calling.  River is a jack and he puts me allin for about a pot-sized bet.  I think for a bit and end up calling, basically needing him to be bluffing/valuebetting KQ 1/3 of the time.  He wasn't this time as sure enough he flopped the nuts with 87.  I kinda forgot about the flop tell after I hit my Q and I guess my confidence in tells and all that isn't the strongest.  I regret the call as I think I'm toast here more than 2/3 of the time, but oh well. 

Decent week all in all but I regret the call in the last hand I played and I regret taking the deal.  But I guess just 2 gross missteps isn't too bad.

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So after playing on Full Tilt regularly for over 2 years and never receiving a dime in compensation for cheaters in my games, I finally receive about $4700 or about 40 buyins to my regular game.  And this a month after I post a blog complaining about collusion...

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Online poker being what it is will always have people trying to cheat the system.  Colluders and bots are impossible to completely extinguish, but I think Full Tilt needs to put a higher priority on catching the cheaters.  I've personally turned a handful of colluders...

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So this weekend Full Tilt has been running its SNG Madness promotion where it gives away $ in two-hour blocks over 2 days.  Selfishly, I liked this promotion a lot better when the max tables you could play was 12 as I usually play 10-12 anyway...

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Sorry it's been a while.  I've been out of town a good bit the last month or so.  I did just upload 3 new vids - so those should be in the hopper over the next few weeks. 

Here's something I do in SNGs about as often as I get struck by lightning...

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