4K HORSE musings

In the wake of my fourth-place finish last night I figured I should figure out what went right (a great many things) and what went wrong (why didn't I win the whole thing?).

Without further ado, let's examine some culled hand histories to see where I chipped up and where I chipped down. As you will see, there is no secret recipe for success: getting involved in good situations against bad players is straightforward enough in a fixed-bet tournament. There is no real need for tricky play. You just have to have your share of premium hands hold up and win some freerolls: most of the players in the field can be exploited in one or two of the games in the rotation and it's your job to figure out when to press the advantage.

Early slowplay to oblivion



Flopping bottom set here and trapping on a scary board when out of position didn't work.

I recovered nicely however with a premium holding in razz: the mighty 234. Despite making a ten by 5th and bricking the rest of the way, I was able to hold up vs. an overplayed Axx hand that only made a jack-low.

I then had buried aces hold up in Stud hi, but not without a moment of doubt:

50/100/10
*** 3RD STREET ***
Dealt to KalmanZ [Tc]
Dealt to steveraceday [8s]
Dealt to o SHAKESPEARE o [4h]
Dealt to AKTROY [3c]
Dealt to stud5card [6s]
Dealt to PirateLawyer [Ac As] [7s]
Dealt to Hangman32 [Js]
AKTROY is low with [3c]
AKTROY has 15 seconds left to act
AKTROY brings in for 15
stud5card calls 15
PirateLawyer completes it to 50
Hangman32 folds
KalmanZ folds
steveraceday folds
o SHAKESPEARE o folds
AKTROY folds
stud5card calls 35
*** 4TH STREET ***
Dealt to stud5card [6s] [3s]
Dealt to PirateLawyer [Ac As 7s] [Qc]
PirateLawyer bets 50
stud5card calls 50

I'm going to keep betting until I'm told to slow down.

*** 5TH STREET ***
Dealt to stud5card [6s 3s] [8d]
Dealt to PirateLawyer [Ac As 7s Qc] [2c]
PirateLawyer bets 100
stud5card calls 100

See above.

*** 6TH STREET ***
Dealt to stud5card [6s 3s 8d] [Ad]
Dealt to PirateLawyer [Ac As 7s Qc 2c] [4c]
stud5card bets 100
PirateLawyer calls 100

I'm unimproved but not convinced I've been outdrawn.

*** 7TH STREET ***
Dealt to PirateLawyer [Ac As 7s Qc 2c 4c] [9d]
stud5card checks
PirateLawyer checks

I really wanted to bet for value here but with AA unimproved a thin value bet here is something I'll try in a cash game.

*** SHOW DOWN ***
stud5card shows [Ah 7h 6s 3s 8d Ad 4d] a pair of Aces
PirateLawyer shows [As Ac 7s Qc 2c 4c 9d] a pair of Aces
PirateLawyer wins the pot (685) with a pair of Aces

I then school someone who can't get away from TPTK in a LHE hand:



This hand plays itself, really. If they don't show strength, bet the overpair for value! I'm now over the 3K chip mark and am comfortable situated to play relatively big-stacked poker.

This trend continues nicely in 08 as I open with a tricky hand that plays itself out nicely with the case ace on the flop. How do I know it was the case ace?

100/200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to PirateLawyer [Ac 4c Ad As]
AcemAll folds
PirateLawyer raises to 200 - I have a lot of information about what my opponents aren't holding, and this gives me a lot of power
garnishgut folds
kmanphxtg1 folds
inittwowinit has 15 seconds left to act
inittwowinit calls 200
Emile53 folds
igetsoupish folds

Even better, I get to play headsup and see this flop, at which point I go to valuetown, population one:
*** FLOP *** [Ks 7d Ah]
PirateLawyer bets 100
inittwowinit calls 100
*** TURN *** [Ks 7d Ah] [Qc]
PirateLawyer bets 200
inittwowinit calls 200
*** RIVER *** [Ks 7d Ah Qc] [5c]
PirateLawyer bets 200
inittwowinit calls 200
*** SHOW DOWN ***
PirateLawyer shows [Ac 4c Ad As] three of a kind, Aces, for high
inittwowinit mucks
PirateLawyer wins the pot (1,550) with three of a kind, Aces
No low hand qualified
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 1,550 | Rake 0
Board: [Ks 7d Ah Qc 5c]
Seat 1: AcemAll didn't bet (folded)
Seat 2: PirateLawyer showed [Ac 4c Ad As] and won (1,550) with HI: three of a kind, Aces
Seat 6: inittwowinit (button) mucked [Qd Jc 4d Kc] - HI: two pair, Kings and Queens

Where I school an opponent who likes a 2pr hand with no low possibilities. Thank you!

This level continues to be friendly as I scoop a big pot with a beautiful flop.

100/200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to PirateLawyer [4s Ad 8d 7c]
garnishgut calls 100
kmanphxtg1 folds
inittwowinit calls 100
Emile53 calls 100
igetsoupish calls 100
AcemAll folds
PirateLawyer calls 50
*** FLOP *** [3h 8s 8c]
PirateLawyer checks
ONESCOUT76 checks
garnishgut checks
inittwowinit checks
Emile53 bets 100
igetsoupish calls 100
PirateLawyer raises to 200
ONESCOUT76 folds
garnishgut folds
inittwowinit folds
Emile53 calls 100
igetsoupish calls 100

I go for the CRAI for value figuring I need to charge better low draws since I nearly have a high board lock.
*** TURN *** [3h 8s 8c] [4h]
PirateLawyer bets 200
Emile53 calls 200
igetsoupish calls 200

I don't actually like the turn card but it does fill me up for the high half.

*** RIVER *** [3h 8s 8c 4h] [Qc]
PirateLawyer bets 200
Emile53 calls 200
igetsoupish folds
*** SHOW DOWN ***
PirateLawyer shows [4s Ad 8d 7c] a full house, Eights full of Fours, for high and 8,7,4,3,A, for low
Emile53 mucks
PirateLawyer wins the high pot (1,100) with a full house, Eights full of Fours
PirateLawyer wins the low pot (1,100) with 8,7,4,3,A
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 2,200 | Rake 0
Board: [3h 8s 8c 4h Qc]
Seat 2: PirateLawyer (small blind) showed [4s Ad 8d 7c] and won (2,200) with HI: a full house, Eights full of Fours; LO: 8,7,4,3,A
Seat 7: Emile53 mucked [Qh 7h 6c 4c] - HI: two pair, Queens and Eights; LO: 8,7,6,4,3

Classic POW from a mediocre hand in both directions.

Someone tries a half-decent bluff against me in Stud hi, but I get stubborn and they don't have the heart to keep the pressure on. Free cards let me improve enough to catch his desperate stab on 7th and I gladly take the 1700 pot and go above 6K in chips.

Then in Stud8 (I call these freeroll levels) I get dealt a disguised premium hand and scoop a monster like so:

200/400/30
*** 3RD STREET ***
Dealt to garnishgut [6h]
Dealt to Texas Kowboy [Ks]
Dealt to Big Dutchie [Td]
Dealt to kedel [8h]
Dealt to PirateLawyer [4d 6s] [5s]
Dealt to PD_THE_HORSE [4s]
Dealt to Adam Schoenfeld [9s]
PD_THE_HORSE is low with [4s]
PD_THE_HORSE brings in for 50
Adam Schoenfeld folds
garnishgut calls 50
Texas Kowboy folds
Big Dutchie folds
kedel folds
PirateLawyer completes it to 200 - this is an auto-complete vs. two low upcards behind me
PD_THE_HORSE calls 150
garnishgut calls 150
*** 4TH STREET ***
Dealt to garnishgut [6h] [Qd]
Dealt to PirateLawyer [4d 6s 5s] [8s]
Dealt to PD_THE_HORSE [4s] [6d]
garnishgut checks
PirateLawyer bets 200
PD_THE_HORSE calls 200
garnishgut calls 200

Nearly a perfect card on 4th so again, an auto-bet.

*** 5TH STREET ***
Dealt to garnishgut [6h Qd] [Ts]
Dealt to PirateLawyer [4d 6s 5s 8s] [9c]
Dealt to PD_THE_HORSE [4s 6d] [5h]
garnishgut checks
PirateLawyer checks
PD_THE_HORSE bets 400
chuckb sits down
chuckb adds 5,108
garnishgut folds
PirateLawyer calls 400

The beauty here is that I can safely continue even though the 9c is an apparent brick.

*** 6TH STREET ***
Dealt to PirateLawyer [4d 6s 5s 8s 9c] [Js]
Dealt to PD_THE_HORSE [4s 6d 5h] [Kc]
PD_THE_HORSE bets 400
PirateLawyer calls 400

Again, a straightfoward call as I'm drawing live for both halves of the pot. Unless I completely brick out I should be able to take at least half.

*** 7TH STREET ***
Dealt to PirateLawyer [4d 6s 5s 8s 9c Js] [3s]
PD_THE_HORSE bets 400
PirateLawyer raises to 800
PD_THE_HORSE calls 400

I hit my gin card (a low spade) and make the value raise.
*** SHOW DOWN ***
PirateLawyer shows [6s 4d 5s 8s 9c Js 3s] a flush, Jack high, for high and 8,6,5,4,3, for low
PD_THE_HORSE mucks
PirateLawyer wins the high pot (2,305) with a flush, Jack high
PirateLawyer wins the low pot (2,305) with 8,6,5,4,3
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 4,610 | Rake 0
Seat 6: PirateLawyer showed [6s 4d 5s 8s 9c Js 3s] and won (4,610) with HI: a flush, Jack high; LO: 8,6,5,4,3
Seat 7: PD_THE_HORSE mucked [Kh 4c 4s 6d 5h Kc 2d] - HI: two pair, Kings and Fours

And it seems my opponent started with a crappy K24 and backed into kings up. Nice!

Then I overplay an underfull after sucking out on the turn in a LHE hand. I actually like my trappy call on the turn since my opponent is drawing so thin; I should ordinarily be able to extract additional value on the river street 95% of the time.



I had seen this opponent get out of line and figured my ace-high was good in a blind vs. blind battle so I opted to play my hand in position. When he three-bet the flop I was prepared to let it go, but I hit my gin card on the turn. Then I got the bad news on the river and spewed two bets I didn't have to. Nonetheless, I was still comfortably above average in chips with 6K and able to recover.

How? By starting A25 in razz and making an 8,5,4,2,A vs. a shorty and an opponent who paid me off an every street drawing nearly dead (he made a worse 8-low). One 10K pot later and I'm back in business.

Moments later, the same villian overplays a bad eight to my seven, and I earn another 4K pot.

Then we bust someone who figures any pocket pair in limit hold'em is gold. Er ... not so fast!



And I am in the top ten in chips at this point.

Then I get scoop another huge pot in 08 by crushing my opponent with the nut + nut redraw.

1000/2000
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to PirateLawyer [Qs 6s Ad Kd]
bobo da clown1 folds
pkrnut1 folds
Osses folds
PirateLawyer raises to 2,000
War_Kitten1 folds
Will_B_D folds
wallythegh calls 1,000
*** FLOP *** [Tc Ks 6d]
wallythegh checks
PirateLawyer bets 1,000
wallythegh calls 1,000

Easy bet with top-and-bottom pair and a redraw.

*** TURN *** [Tc Ks 6d] [Jd]
wallythegh bets 2,000
PirateLawyer raises to 4,000 - at worst I have a freeroll to scoop
wallythegh calls 2,000

I can't raise fast enough - but in actual fact I paused here to try to persuade my victim to 3-bet.

*** RIVER *** [Tc Ks 6d Jd] [5d]
wallythegh checks
PirateLawyer bets 2,000
wallythegh calls 2,000

And I hit my redraw and get paid.

*** SHOW DOWN ***
PirateLawyer shows [Qs 6s Ad Kd] a flush, Ace high, for high
wallythegh mucks
PirateLawyer wins the pot (18,500) with a flush, Ace high
No low hand qualified
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 18,500 | Rake 0
Board: [Tc Ks 6d Jd 5d]
Seat 1: wallythegh (big blind) mucked [9d Qd Th 9s] - HI: a flush, Queen high
Seat 6: PirateLawyer showed [Qs 6s Ad Kd] and won (18,500) with HI: a flush, Ace high

He made the sucker straight on the turn and the third-nut flush on the end. A bit of a setup hand for him but he got himself in all kinds of trouble by peeling on the flop.

Soon after that, I win a freeroll vs. bare aces by making the wheel with Js Jc 4c Ad in position on a [9d 5h 3c 6s] [2h] board. Poker is easy!

As the final table bubble nears I eventually had to take a stand against a big-stacked bully with a hand that is favoured against his range, since he was raising first-in every single hand in this level. I win the race in dramatic fashion.



We reach the final table and finally I make a horrible blunder. This razz hand was a fiasco and spelled the end of my aspirations to win the whole tourney. Just some terrible situational awareness by me. My hand range is crushed when I am re-raised here on 3rd and I need to find a fold.

4000/8000/700
Seat 1: PirateLawyer (38,468)
Seat 2: VictoRev (136,136)
Seat 3: 59Razor (16,137)
Seat 4: stud5card (95,389)
Seat 6: TheNewMath (94,340)
Seat 7: GIO77 (44,302)
Seat 8: AcemAll (29,228)
*** 3RD STREET ***
Dealt to PirateLawyer [8h 7s] [2c]
Dealt to VictoRev [5d]
Dealt to 59Razor [2s]
Dealt to stud5card [2h]
Dealt to TheNewMath [Qh]
Dealt to GIO77 [4h]
Dealt to AcemAll [Jd]
TheNewMath is high with [Qh]
TheNewMath brings in for 1,000
GIO77 folds
AcemAll folds
PirateLawyer completes it to 4,000
VictoRev folds
59Razor folds
stud5card raises to 8,000
TheNewMath folds
PirateLawyer calls 4,000

This is a terrible decision. I need to avoid this spot. Essentially I have horrible reverse implied odds here and am drawing thin. Instead, I lose almost my entire stack and have to scramble to survive after this train wreck.

*** 4TH STREET ***
Dealt to PirateLawyer [8h 7s 2c] [Qc]
Dealt to stud5card [2h] [Qs]
PirateLawyer checks
stud5card bets 4,000
PirateLawyer calls 4,000
*** 5TH STREET ***
Dealt to PirateLawyer [8h 7s 2c Qc] [4s]
Dealt to stud5card [2h Qs] [8c]
PirateLawyer checks
stud5card checks
*** 6TH STREET ***
Dealt to PirateLawyer [8h 7s 2c Qc 4s] [Kh]
Dealt to stud5card [2h Qs 8c] [5s]
stud5card bets 8,000
PirateLawyer calls 8,000
*** 7TH STREET ***
Dealt to PirateLawyer [8h 7s 2c Qc 4s Kh] [Ad]
stud5card bets 8,000
PirateLawyer raises to 16,000
stud5card calls 8,000
*** SHOW DOWN ***
PirateLawyer shows [8h 7s 2c Qc 4s Kh Ad] 8,7,4,2,A
stud5card shows [9d 3s 2h Qs 8c 5s Ah] 8,5,3,2,A
stud5card wins the pot (77,900) with 8,5,3,2,A
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 77,900 | Rake 0
Seat 1: PirateLawyer showed [8h 7s 2c Qc 4s Kh Ad] and lost with 8,7,4,2,A
Seat 4: stud5card showed [9d 3s 2h Qs 8c 5s Ah] and won (77,900) with 8,5,3,2,A

Sure enough, it looks like my opponent had something like A23 to start the hand. That's all. Sheesh.

From here on in, I just found 2-3 double-up spots and stole my way back long enough to get down to the final four. Severely outchipped, I found a spot to nearly quadruple up in a Stud08 hand (my freeroll level, after all) but missed my scoop outs and busted out.

For all three of you who read this far, I hope you found this of interest. I certainly learned a few things by examining my decisions at the final table and looking at how I outlasted 223 other players to finish 4th in this HORSE event.