Played a small rebuy tourney on Stars tonight. It’s amazing how big the prize pools get for these things – they guaranteed 10K in the prize pool but ended up giving 5K for first place alone.

I ended up placing 26th out of 1450, a decent place, although my elimination was rather ludicrous. I raised with AQs in early position and got called by one other player. The flop came A 7 J rainbow. I had enough left to push all in for a pot-sized bet. The other player thought for a few minutes and then called with A8o. Surely he had calculated his odds of hitting a T and a 9 and decided he was getting the right price. He had me covered just barely, and won the monster pot and knocked me out of the contest.

Off to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with Chris’ family in Syracuse. It’ll be a break from poker so we can focus on what’s really important: manicures and Division I basketball! I hope everyone enjoys a safe holiday with family and friends.

I’ve been working on my river play lately. I’d been trying the play where a flop is still multi-way on the river and I just call a bet to me with what I know is the best hand, to try to induce other players behind me to call. However, this play is one I’ve decided is probably too advanced for the limits that I play. Case in point:

Pre-flop: Hero posts $5 in late position.

maxxfox folds. jim4846 folds. AALiefHebber folds.
eetbacon folds. papa burgandy raises to $10. JRambo
folds. xXxOxXx re-raises to $15. Hero calls.
papa burgandy calls.

Flop (board: 6c 9h 5h):

xXxOxXx bets $5. Hero raises to $10. papa
burgandy calls. xXxOxXx calls.

Turn (board: 6c 9h 5h 6h):

xXxOxXx checks. Hero checks. papa burgandy
checks.

River (board: 6c 9h 5h 6h 7c):

xXxOxXx bets $10. Hero raises to $20. papa
burgandy calls. xXxOxXx calls.

Showdown:

Hero shows 9d 9c.
Hero has 9d 9c 6c 9h 6h: full house, nines full of sixes.
papa burgandy mucks cards.
(papa burgandy has Jc Jd.)
xXxOxXx mucks cards.
(xXxOxXx has Ks Kc.)

So even with three hearts on the board, a possible straight on the river, and my aggressive action on the flop, both of these gents call my river raise with overpairs (neither of them holding even one heart).

In low limit hold ‘em, there is just no reason to get tricky on the river. Unless opponents show an ability to fold, just calling with the nuts (also the opposite play, betting or raising on a bluff) cannot be the best play. They probably have the “call any” box checked already anyway.

I sat in what I thought was a 20+2 tourney when I got home from class and realized too late it was 20+2 with rebuys. Too big but too late, I resolve to play it well, which meant that I was in for $102 by the end of the first break (counting the add-on). I had an above average stack and built my way up to third place (35,000) when the following hand occurred:

Blinds 200 and 400, there is a min raise to 800 and four calls in front of me. I hold AK and reraise to 4000. Fold to a player I have covered by about 100 chips. He reraises to 11,000. He has demonstrated several times that he never gives players credit for big hands and loves to push tons of chips into the pot. I reraise all-in and he calls. He shows AQ. The flop comes 8 K J…10…9 and I’m down to 100 chips instead of settling in as chip leader. I’m out soon after.

Of course after the hand, I’m thinking it through and replaying it, wishing I had just called the 11,000 and moved on the flop, but Chris pointed out that if he as AQ, I want to play the hand exactly as I did because I get all the chips (barring that nasty 9, of course). I guess if I’m shooting for first and I know the guy’s a nutcase, I can’t play it any other way.

I don’t include this hand to bemoan a bad beat. I would like to know your thoughts regarding the play of this hand. Anyone not get all the chips in here? Remember, we’re 80 from the money and our goal is to win the tournament.