A MATH achievement

[Edit: now with hand histories]

I'm happy to have finally cashed in the MATH in 2008. I was stuck to the immediate right of the big chipleader once the cash bubble broke so that made my task difficult. Ultimately I put all my chips in with a double gutter and an overcard but didn't get there to bustout in 4th place. Wes picked up a miracle 7 on the flop after I raised out of the blinds but I certainly can't fault him for making that call given his chipstack. I would've liked a nine or ten to scoop or a five to chop, though!


Overall in 243 hands I saw 21% of the flops and won 28% of the hands I played. I made quite a few tough laydowns and applied pressure in good situations throughout and clawed back from an early short stack twice.

I fall quickly to a paltry 1000 chips or so early on as I'm pressured off hands with big check-raises or re-raises, mostly at the hands of Astin, who is playing his usual aggressive style early on.

So, I tighten up and am able to double through with KK vs. an unimproved AQ on a ragged flop.
(CoogDog proved to be a live one but sadly I wasn't the one to finish him off just before the first break.)

Full Tilt Poker Game #5219932378: Mondays at the Hoy (38875721), Table 4 - 25/50 - No Limit Hold'em - 22:25:02 ET - 2008/02/11
Seat 1: PirateLawyer (1,150)
Seat 2: CoogDog (3,355)
Seat 4: swimmom95 (3,453), is sitting out
Seat 5: Astin (6,722)
Seat 6: muhctim (7,950)
muhctim posts the small blind of 25
PirateLawyer posts the big blind of 50
The button is in seat #5
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to PirateLawyer [Kc Kh]
CoogDog calls 50
swimmom95 folds
Astin calls 50
muhctim calls 25
PirateLawyer raises to 250
CoogDog calls 200
Astin folds
muhctim folds
*** FLOP *** [2h 9c Th]
PirateLawyer bets 900, and is all in
CoogDog calls 900
PirateLawyer shows [Kc Kh]
CoogDog shows [Ac Qd] - when is ace-high ever good here?!
*** TURN *** [2h 9c Th] [4s]
*** RIVER *** [2h 9c Th 4s] [3d]
PirateLawyer shows a pair of Kings
CoogDog shows Ace Queen high
PirateLawyer wins the pot (2,400) with a pair of Kings
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 2,400 | Rake 0
Board: [2h 9c Th 4s 3d]
Seat 1: PirateLawyer (big blind) showed [Kc Kh] and won (2,400) with a pair of Kings
Seat 2: CoogDog showed [Ac Qd] and lost with Ace Queen high
Seat 4: swimmom95 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 5: Astin (button) folded before the Flop
Seat 6: muhctim (small blind) folded before the Flop

The very next hand:

Full Tilt Poker Game #5219943648: Mondays at the Hoy (38875721), Table 4 - 25/50 - No Limit Hold'em - 22:25:49 ET - 2008/02/11
Seat 1: PirateLawyer (2,400)
Seat 2: CoogDog (2,205)
Seat 4: swimmom95 (3,453), is sitting out
Seat 5: Astin (6,672)
Seat 6: muhctim (7,900)
PirateLawyer posts the small blind of 25
CoogDog posts the big blind of 50
The button is in seat #6
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to PirateLawyer [As Kh]
swimmom95 folds
Astin folds
muhctim folds
PirateLawyer calls 25
CoogDog checks
*** FLOP *** [Ad 2s 8s]
PirateLawyer checks
CoogDog checks
*** TURN *** [Ad 2s 8s] [6d]
PirateLawyer bets 100
CoogDog folds
Uncalled bet of 100 returned to PirateLawyer
PirateLawyer mucks
PirateLawyer wins the pot (100)
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 100 | Rake 0
Board: [Ad 2s 8s 6d]
Seat 1: PirateLawyer (small blind) collected (100), mucked
Seat 2: CoogDog (big blind) folded on the Turn
Seat 4: swimmom95 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 5: Astin didn't bet (folded)
Seat 6: muhctim (button) didn't bet (folded)

And then the hand after that as I go on a heater:

Full Tilt Poker Game #5219950762: Mondays at the Hoy (38875721), Table 4 - 25/50 - No Limit Hold'em - 22:26:19 ET - 2008/02/11
Seat 1: PirateLawyer (2,450)
Seat 2: CoogDog (2,155)
Seat 4: swimmom95 (3,453), is sitting out
Seat 5: Astin (6,672)
Seat 6: muhctim (7,900)
CoogDog posts the small blind of 25
swimmom95 posts the big blind of 50
The button is in seat #1
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to PirateLawyer [5d 6d]
Astin calls 50
muhctim folds
PirateLawyer calls 50 - easy limp now that I have some chips
CoogDog calls 25
swimmom95 checks
*** FLOP *** [4s 3c Kh] - promising flop!
CoogDog checks
swimmom95 checks
Astin bets 200
PirateLawyer raises to 400 -- min-raise to represent a monster with plans to take a free card on the turn
CoogDog folds
swimmom95 folds
swimmom95 has returned
Astin calls 200
*** TURN *** [4s 3c Kh] [Js]
Astin checks
PirateLawyer checks -- free card? yes please!
*** RIVER *** [4s 3c Kh Js] [7c] -- GIN!!!
Astin bets 500
PirateLawyer has 15 seconds left to act
PirateLawyer raises to 1,500 -- leaving myself 500 behind
Astin has 15 seconds left to act
Astin calls 1,000
*** SHOW DOWN ***
PirateLawyer shows [5d 6d] a straight, Seven high
Astin mucks
PirateLawyer wins the pot (4,000) with a straight, Seven high
PirateLawyer: ship it
Astin: nh
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 4,000 | Rake 0
Board: [4s 3c Kh Js 7c]
Seat 1: PirateLawyer (button) showed [5d 6d] and won (4,000) with a straight, Seven high
Seat 2: CoogDog (small blind) folded on the Flop
Seat 4: swimmom95 (big blind) folded on the Flop
Seat 5: Astin mucked [Kd Ts] - a pair of Kings - Astin likes to play with two paint cards and I earned the maximum here
Seat 6: muhctim didn't bet (folded)

I screwed up my bet-sizing on the turn and learnt just how donk-tastic CoogDog could be -- who calls with a gutshot on a 3-flush board?!

Full Tilt Poker Game #5219984116: Mondays at the Hoy (38875721), Table 4 - 25/50 - No Limit Hold'em - 22:28:40 ET - 2008/02/11
Seat 1: PirateLawyer (4,600)
Seat 2: CoogDog (2,105)
Seat 4: swimmom95 (3,378)
Seat 5: Astin (4,722)
Seat 6: muhctim (7,825)
PirateLawyer posts the small blind of 25
CoogDog posts the big blind of 50
The button is in seat #6
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to PirateLawyer [Jh Jd]
swimmom95 folds
Astin has 15 seconds left to act
Astin calls 50
muhctim folds
PirateLawyer raises to 180
CoogDog calls 130
Astin folds
*** FLOP *** [8c 5c 2h]
PirateLawyer bets 250
CoogDog calls 250
*** TURN *** [8c 5c 2h] [4c]
PirateLawyer has 15 seconds left to act
PirateLawyer bets 350 -- this bet needed to be twice as large, at least
CoogDog calls 350
*** RIVER *** [8c 5c 2h 4c] [5s]
PirateLawyer bets 450
CoogDog raises to 1,325, and is all in
PirateLawyer calls 875 - crying call
*** SHOW DOWN ***
CoogDog shows [As 5h] three of a kind, Fives
PirateLawyer shows [Jh Jd] two pair, Jacks and Fives
CoogDog wins the pot (4,260) with three of a kind, Fives
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 4,260 | Rake 0
Board: [8c 5c 2h 4c 5s]
Seat 1: PirateLawyer (small blind) showed [Jh Jd] and lost with two pair, Jacks and Fives
Seat 2: CoogDog (big blind) showed [As 5h] and won (4,260) with three of a kind, Fives
Seat 4: swimmom95 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 5: Astin folded before the Flop
Seat 6: muhctim (button) didn't bet (folded)

Then I pick up a series of pots with some uncontested c-bets and chip up back to 4000 before I get my revenge on CoogDog:

Full Tilt Poker Game #5220148658: Mondays at the Hoy (38875721), Table 4 - 30/60 - No Limit Hold'em - 22:40:19 ET - 2008/02/11
Seat 1: PirateLawyer (3,795)
Seat 2: CoogDog (5,145)
Seat 4: swimmom95 (2,903)
Seat 5: Astin (3,862)
Seat 6: muhctim (6,925)
CoogDog posts the small blind of 30
swimmom95 posts the big blind of 60
The button is in seat #1
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to PirateLawyer [Ts Tc]
Astin folds
muhctim folds
PirateLawyer raises to 180
CoogDog calls 150
swimmom95 folds
*** FLOP *** [Qd Th 8h]
CoogDog checks
PirateLawyer bets 300
CoogDog calls 300 - I hope he's check-calling with a big hand so I can get paid off
*** TURN *** [Qd Th 8h] [4c]
CoogDog checks
PirateLawyer bets 600
CoogDog calls 600
*** RIVER *** [Qd Th 8h 4c] [8s]
CoogDog bets 2,714 -- I'm being reverse-Hoyed when I have the third nuts, whee!
PirateLawyer raises to 2,715, and is all in
CoogDog calls 1
*** SHOW DOWN ***
PirateLawyer shows [Ts Tc] a full house, Tens full of Eights
CoogDog mucks
PirateLawyer wins the pot (7,650) with a full house, Tens full of Eights
The blinds are now 40/80
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 7,650 | Rake 0
Board: [Qd Th 8h 4c 8s]
Seat 1: PirateLawyer (button) showed [Ts Tc] and won (7,650) with a full house, Tens full of Eights
Seat 2: CoogDog (small blind) mucked [Jd 8d] - three of a kind, Eights -- I guess I have to be grateful he is a payoff wizard who stuck around with such a bad hand
Seat 4: swimmom95 (big blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 5: Astin didn't bet (folded)
Seat 6: muhctim didn't bet (folded)

After the first break I have an average stack of 5K.

Then I got short when I tried a big check-raise at the wrong time:

Full Tilt Poker Game #5220590007: Mondays at the Hoy (38875721), Table 4 - 60/120 - No Limit Hold'em - 23:12:17 ET - 2008/02/11
Seat 1: PirateLawyer (4,970)
Seat 2: chitwood (1,520)
Seat 3: a104l9 (10,471)
Seat 5: Astin (4,814)
Seat 6: muhctim (8,488)
muhctim posts the small blind of 60
PirateLawyer posts the big blind of 120
The button is in seat #5
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to PirateLawyer [8s Qs]
chitwood folds
a104l9 raises to 420
Astin folds
muhctim folds
PirateLawyer has 15 seconds left to act
PirateLawyer calls 300
*** FLOP *** [4c 9d 9c]
PirateLawyer checks
a104l9 checks
*** TURN *** [4c 9d 9c] [5c]
PirateLawyer checks
a104l9 checks
*** RIVER *** [4c 9d 9c 5c] [8h]
PirateLawyer checks
a104l9 bets 900
PirateLawyer has 15 seconds left to act
PirateLawyer raises to 2,200 -- hoping to push him off a weak two pair hand
a104l9 raises to 7,500
PirateLawyer has 15 seconds left to act
PirateLawyer has requested TIME
PirateLawyer: so gross -- I grandstand as I've no choice but to fold
PirateLawyer folds
Uncalled bet of 5,300 returned to a104l9
a104l9 mucks
a104l9 wins the pot (5,300)
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 5,300 | Rake 0
Board: [4c 9d 9c 5c 8h]
Seat 1: PirateLawyer (big blind) folded on the River
Seat 2: chitwood didn't bet (folded)
Seat 3: a104l9 collected (5,300), mucked
Seat 5: Astin (button) didn't bet (folded)
Seat 6: muhctim (small blind) folded before the Flop

I got a courtesy double-up from Wes a bit later:

Full Tilt Poker Game #5220669859: Mondays at the Hoy (38875721), Table 4 - 80/160 - No Limit Hold'em - 23:18:14 ET - 2008/02/11
Seat 1: PirateLawyer (3,280)
Seat 2: chitwood (1,520)
Seat 3: a104l9 (13,311)
Seat 5: Astin (4,424)
Seat 6: muhctim (7,728)
muhctim posts the small blind of 80
PirateLawyer posts the big blind of 160
The button is in seat #5
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to PirateLawyer [Td Ac]
chitwood has 15 seconds left to act
chitwood folds
Astin: I don't get it... did they forget to put aces in this deck?
a104l9 raises to 560
Astin folds
muhctim folds
PirateLawyer: lol
PirateLawyer has 15 seconds left to act
PirateLawyer raises to 1,800 -- speaking of aces ...
a104l9 has 15 seconds left to act
a104l9 calls 1,240
*** FLOP *** [4d 9s 4h]
PirateLawyer bets 1,480, and is all in
a104l9 has 15 seconds left to act
a104l9 calls 1,480
PirateLawyer shows [Td Ac]
a104l9 shows [Jd Kd] -- wow! can I dodge six outs twice?
*** TURN *** [4d 9s 4h] [6d]
*** RIVER *** [4d 9s 4h 6d] [7h]
PirateLawyer shows a pair of Fours
a104l9 shows a pair of Fours
PirateLawyer wins the pot (6,640) with a pair of Fours
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 6,640 | Rake 0
Board: [4d 9s 4h 6d 7h]
Seat 1: PirateLawyer (big blind) showed [Td Ac] and won (6,640) with a pair of Fours
Seat 2: chitwood didn't bet (folded)
Seat 3: a104l9 showed [Jd Kd] and lost with a pair of Fours
Seat 5: Astin (button) didn't bet (folded)
Seat 6: muhctim (small blind) folded before the Flop

I 3-bet Astin with tens and took down a nice pot preflop. Back up to 7300 (blinds were 80/160).

I fold AT which I've opened for a standard raise when a shorty jams behind me for 2K. (he flashed KK)

Next hand I get a few chips back with a hand that flopped huge:

Full Tilt Poker Game #5220822023: Mondays at the Hoy (38875721), Table 4 - 100/200 - No Limit Hold'em - 23:29:33 ET - 2008/02/11
Seat 1: PirateLawyer (5,470)
Seat 2: chitwood (2,980)
Seat 3: a104l9 (10,461)
Seat 5: Astin (3,764)
Seat 6: muhctim (7,588)
muhctim posts the small blind of 100
PirateLawyer posts the big blind of 200
The button is in seat #5
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to PirateLawyer [9h 3h]
chitwood raises to 600
a104l9 folds
Astin calls 600
muhctim folds
PirateLawyer calls 400
*** FLOP *** [Qs 2h 5h]
PirateLawyer checks
chitwood checks
Astin checks
*** TURN *** [Qs 2h 5h] [4h]
PirateLawyer bets 500 -- praying to get paid off here, obviously, with a straight flush redraw
chitwood folds
Astin has 15 seconds left to act
Astin calls 500
*** RIVER *** [Qs 2h 5h 4h] [2d]
PirateLawyer has 15 seconds left to act
PirateLawyer bets 2,663 -- my turn for a reverse Hoy
Astin folds
Uncalled bet of 2,663 returned to PirateLawyer
PirateLawyer mucks
PirateLawyer wins the pot (2,900)
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 2,900 | Rake 0
Board: [Qs 2h 5h 4h 2d]
Seat 1: PirateLawyer (big blind) collected (2,900), mucked
Seat 2: chitwood folded on the Turn
Seat 3: a104l9 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 5: Astin (button) folded on the River
Seat 6: muhctim (small blind) folded before the Flop

The antes kick in but I'm healthy with a 7K stack. I start 3-betting with a wider range but only in good situations where I'm in position with hands that play well postflop.

We drop down to 4-handed and I've got 9k in chips. All four players are separated by 4K, total, so everyone has to play carefully.

I try a 3-bet out of the blinds with A5s and get 4-bet. I have to fold and I drop down to 6K as the blinds escalate to 200/400/50.

So I pull out the trusty stop'n'go vs. Astin on the next hand:

Full Tilt Poker Game #5221185271: Mondays at the Hoy (38875721), Table 4 - 200/400 Ante 50 - No Limit Hold'em - 23:57:37 ET - 2008/02/11
Seat 1: PirateLawyer (6,185)
Seat 3: a104l9 (10,856)
Seat 4: pebble78 (11,263)
Seat 5: Astin (6,749)
PirateLawyer antes 50
a104l9 antes 50
pebble78 antes 50
Astin antes 50
PirateLawyer posts the small blind of 200
a104l9 posts the big blind of 400
The button is in seat #5
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to PirateLawyer [9h Ah]
pebble78 folds
Astin raises to 1,600
PirateLawyer has 15 seconds left to act
PirateLawyer calls 1,400
a104l9 folds
*** FLOP *** [7s 3h 2d]
PirateLawyer bets 4,535, and is all in
Astin has 15 seconds left to act
Astin folds
Uncalled bet of 4,535 returned to PirateLawyer
PirateLawyer mucks
PirateLawyer wins the pot (3,800)
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 3,800 | Rake 0
Board: [7s 3h 2d]
Seat 1: PirateLawyer (small blind) collected (3,800), mucked
Seat 3: a104l9 (big blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 4: pebble78 folded before the Flop
Seat 5: Astin (button) folded on the Flop

I chip up to 10K but Wes busts Astin to climb up to the 15K chip mark and a big lead.

We're down to 3-handed play as 7 players remain as we battle to get to the final table.

I chip up a bit more with a trusty presto hand and we get to the final table and I'm dead-average in chips:

Full Tilt Poker Game #5221262278: Mondays at the Hoy (38875721), Table 4 - 200/400 Ante 50 - No Limit Hold'em - 0:03:46 ET - 2008/02/12
Seat 1: PirateLawyer (12,335)
Seat 2: hoyazo (12,344)
Seat 3: a104l9 (13,605)
Seat 4: pebble78 (11,823)
Seat 5: cubanlinks (13,900)
Seat 6: columbo (10,993)

I fold a bunch, due to severe card death, and patiently wait for good situations to stay afloat.

I win a decent pot with KJs w/o a showdown on an AKT8 board.

Wes wins a huge pot and cripples Hoy with QQ vs. AQ. Wes now has 30K in chips.

Hoy goes out a couple of hands later and I've got to deal with the unpleasantly huge stack to my immediate left.

The cash bubble breaks as columbo busts pebble.

I fold to some very aggro shoves by cuban a couple of times, then get my revenge with a hammer squeeze:

Full Tilt Poker Game #5221538570: Mondays at the Hoy (38875721), Table 4 - 300/600 Ante 75 - No Limit Hold'em - 0:26:41 ET - 2008/02/12
Seat 1: PirateLawyer (13,010)
Seat 3: a104l9 (32,205)
Seat 5: cubanlinks (10,644)
Seat 6: columbo (19,141)
PirateLawyer antes 75
a104l9 antes 75
cubanlinks antes 75
columbo antes 75
columbo posts the small blind of 300
PirateLawyer posts the big blind of 600
The button is in seat #5
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to PirateLawyer [2c 7h]
a104l9 folds
cubanlinks calls 600
columbo calls 300
PirateLawyer raises to 2,700
cubanlinks folds
columbo folds
Uncalled bet of 2,100 returned to PirateLawyer
PirateLawyer shows [2c 7h] Seven Two high
PirateLawyer wins the pot (2,100)
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 2,100 | Rake 0
Seat 1: PirateLawyer (big blind) collected (2,100)
Seat 3: a104l9 folded before the Flop
Seat 5: cubanlinks (button) folded before the Flop
Seat 6: columbo (small blind) folded before the Flop

Sadly, that was my swan song just before I busted out in fourth place. I wonder if Hoy will give this particular hand his stamp of approval?