Poker League final tournament: My experience
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by Doug Kaufman
Yesterday was the final tournament for season 5 for the local poker league (located in Southeast, MI & Phoenix, AZ) that I belong to. The way that this tournment works is, it's the top 104 players for the season that are automatically in - with alternate spots to be given away and the higher in the points you are for the season, the more chips you start out with - however places 52 - 104 and alternates all get 3,850 chips... I placed 11th and started with 7,350... my wife (Dianna) was 104th (3,850 chips)... my brother in law (Larry) placed 18th (7,000 chips) and my best friend George placed 22 giving him about 6,500 in chips.
Anyways, not everyone who was 'supposed to be there' wasn't so the tournament started with about 90 or so people (including alternate spots). Before the first hand was dealt there were 4 tables that were short-handed so the director combined tables 14 & 12 and 13 & 11. Wouldn't you know it, my wife gets brought over to my table along with another friend of mine (Chris R.) along with another player that I know (Jason R.). Great, 3 players that I respect and would hate to eliminate if I had too.
Blinds started at 25/50; 3 hands in, my wife gets pocket Aces so she raised pre-flop to 400. She gets 1 guy to call her and it comes around to me, now knowing how tight of a player she is, I folded like a little bitch as well as everyone else. Flop comes out low rainbow (2d 3s 7h) Dianna bets 500, this guy calls (does he have trips?). The turn is a Kd, Dianna bets 1,000 and this guy called (he has to have trips now) The river come out 8s Dianna bets out another 1,000 he calls - she shows the Aces he says "You're good" and mucks. Good hand for her.
Several hands and several minutes go by and blinds are at 50/100. Nothing really special happens until the royal fuck up moment of the night. Dianna comes out firing again pre-flop to 1,000 and the dealer (Steve) calls. everyone else folds. I don't remember what the flop comes out but action is on Dianna. Instead of betting, she mucks her hand face up. Steve says thank you and mucks his hand, Dianna takes the chips. Since I don't know who at least 2 of the players sitting at the table are, I asked Dianna why did she do that? She states that she didn't see Steve's cards and thought he was just running out the flop. Again, not knowing these players I stated that technically since her cards touched the muck during a hand, the chips she raked go to the dealer. Was I a jerk for saying this? Maybe but I didn't want the director being called over by 1 of the players I don't know for this ruling.
Degree all-in moment #1: About 40 minutes later, blinds are up to 100/200. I keep going back & forth between 10,000 chips down to about 6,000. Jason R. decides to go all-in pre-flop for 2,825 - everyone folds over to me. I look down and see suited connectors of Jh Qh. Even if Jason has pocket Aces and I'm a 4-1 underdog I still have plenty of outs so I call. Jason turns over Ah Kh Hmmm I'm only a 2-1 underdog. I catch the Qd on the turn and knock out Jason. I tried to shake Jason's hand and get the shrug off - oh well sore looser I guess?
About 30 minutes go by and we get 2 players at our table (Steve was moved over to another table a while ago). The 2 players that come over - 1 I've only seen about 2 or 3 times - some long haired kid that's a big time donkey - the other player - my best friend George (Ohh fuck me running GREAT!).
Break #1 (color up): At this point, we get to change in all of the 25 & 50 chips for 100's and higher. I counted 1,100. Good my chip count is about 10,500 at this point - I like to have at least 8,000 at the color-up break. I check on how Larry is doing - he's got about 9,000, I check a few others: an alternate Mike "tiny" S. has about 10,000 (how has he lasted this long?). Everyone is talking about the great hands & bad beats that they've been involved in & the field has been narrowed down to about 65.
- George's Entry:***
Meanwhile George has A/9 off suit, 4 people just call the blind 400. Geo is dealing, the flop comes out 3d 10h Ac. Small blind bets 1200, big blind folds and the next man calls. Geo calls all in - no callers. The small blind had A/K and the other guy claimed out A/J - biggest bluff call for Gman in his history - this was a game changing moment for Gman as he put it in 5th gear and completely changed & increased his betting mattern and confidence for the rest of the tourney.******
Degree all-in moment #2: With the blinds at 500/1,000 I raise pre-flop in 1st position to 3,000 with a Jc Kc; Chris R. has 3,700 so he decides to go all-in. George takes a long time contiplating and decides to call. Everyone fold over to me - for another 700 I get the chance to knock someone out? I call figured I should have live cards. Flop comes Qc 6d 4s George checks, I check - turn is a 9c - George checks, I check. The river is a 2h. George checks, I check. George turns over the Qs 2s for the two pair. A Q/2 suited what the hell??? George calls an all-in with a Q/2??? Even Chris stated that was sick! I'm still questioning this one especially since he knocked out Dianna with the same type of B.S. move!
At this level, the short stacks are getting elimated quickly. About 10 minutes later, the field is narrowed to 6 tables (48 players). I'm up to about 18,000 in chips and get asked to move to another table. When I sit, I see that yet 2 players that I respect (Kelly S. - Chris R.'s wife) and last year's champion (Jeff G.) along with a player that I've played against often (Kyle E.). Kyle jokingly says "Great it look like I'm no longer chip leader at this table" - he has about 15,000.
This is a realitvely good table - we all pretty much know each others style of play. It's going to be difficult eliminating players off of here - except for maybe Jeff - he's the low stack with about 2,000. Jeff survives 2 all-ins and gets his stack up to 4,200.
Degree all-in moment #3: Blinds are now raised to 1,000/2,000. Kyle has lost several chips out of his stack to me and goes all-in for 5,000. Kelley calls. She turns over pocket 9's and Kyle stands up and screams "fuck!" he turns over pocket 8's. The 9's stand.
A couple of hands later, I get dealt Ac Qd in the big blind. Jeff needs to make a move and he goes all-in for 4,000 - I call. He turns over Kh 10s - Jeff is dominated. I catch 2 pair and knock Jeff out. We all give Jeff a respectful round of applause. My stack is now at about 28,000.
Another round of people moving happens. Mike "tiny" S. is now moved to my table with over 20,000 chips. How has he lasted this long??? Also coming over is my brother in-law Larry with about 30,000 in chips. Blinds are now raised to 2,000/4,000.
As good of a player as Larry is, unfortunately he did not last long - he came over when about 28 people are left - he finished 16th. I forgot how he went out - but I do remember he was the pre-flop favorite and he got sucked-out on the river (I know that just sounded bad but oh well lol).
Degree all-in moment #4: I'm the small blind with blinds at the 2,000/4,000 level. In second position, Kelley goes all-in for 16,000. Everyone fold to me - I look down at pocket 3's - I was going to raise pre-flop anyways to 8,000 so what the heck is another 8,000 on top? It'll be a race no matter what she has - I call. Kelley looks at me and asks how could I call her - I said "Easy - I got pockets". She turns over pocket 2's - I have show my 3's. We both stand up and jokingly says "I hate you!" I rifled back with "I love you". My 3's hold up (whew!). Tiny says "That took balls" - this coming from the league donkey. Field is now down to 11 people.
Break time & color up: I'm sitting pretty with 75,000 in chips, the next closest to me has 70,000 (George) - everyone else has anywhere from 20,000 - 40,000. I lean over to George and ask "Why do I got the sneaky suspicion that it's going to be you & I heads-up?" He asked how much in chips do I have and I said 75K his eyes just widened and went "Ohhhh". Break over - blinds now at 5,000/10,000.
Within minutes, 2 low stacks at table 1 get elimated - 9 players left; we're on the bubble for final table. At our table Steve (another Steve) gets elimated by trying to buy the pot with junk cards and lost to Tiny.
FINAL TABLE: Before I get into specifics; let me just say this: In every other season final tournament in this league, NO EAST SIDE player has EVER won this AND the last 2 champs were alternates. This table has 2 east siders & 6 west siders - the ONLY alternate is Tiny (west side) - technically, he was sort of a favorite in winning (ugh!).
Final table players: Myself (west side) 75K in chips, Tiny (Alternate west side) 60K in chips, George (west side) 70K in chips, Steve (west side) 30K in chips, Dean D. (west side) 50K in chips, Bob G. (west side) 65K in chips & 2 east siders that I don't know at about 45K in chips each.
Within 4 hands, the 2 east siders that I don't know were gone - Bob G. is now chip lead at a little over 100K, Tiny has about 90K, George and myself were close with about 80K, Steve has 50K & Dean is low stack with 40K. From the crowd I hear "typical final table all west siders" I make a smartass comment of "Well if the east siders had better players you wouldn't get dominated all the time".
Degree all-in moment #5: With blinds up to 20,000/40,000 Bob goes all-in for 100K and Tiny calls - this puts Tiny all-in instead and Bob pulls back 10K. Tiny turns over Ad Jc Bob has Kc 9c - Bob is dominated. Tiny takes the pot with Ace high and is now the chip leader with 180K.
Next hand, Bob is all-in with his 10K in the big blind - George tries to isolate pre-flop by going all-in, he gets no callers (except for Bob who has no choice). George has pocket 9's and they stand. Down to 5 players.
Chip counts:
- Tiny 160K
- George 90K
- Steve 80K
- Me 70K
- Dean 40K
A few hands go by with not much action until Dean is placed in the big blind for all of his chips. I fold my litle 7/3 off suit, Tiny folds, George folds & Steve calls the blind. Dean is dominated 10h 7s against 6d 3c. Steve takes the pot with a pair of 7's on the turn. Down to 4 players.
I'm in the big blind and Tiny raises pre-flop for all-in. everyone folds to me - I see a 7/4 off suit - I fold - I can't play that. Great, I'm down to 50K and in the small blind. Next hand Pre-flop George raises all-in for 90K. Steve folds to me, I look down at Ac Js I call for 50K total - Tiny folds. George turns over 10h Qh - I'm a SLIGHT favorite. Flop comes 6d 8h 3h (great - George has more outs) everyone starts screaming "NO HEARTS, NO HEARTS" What comes on the turn a freaking Kh - giving George the flush and I'm drawing dead. I finish 4th.
Tournament only goes 2 more hands:
Degree all-in moment #6: Tiny raises the pot to make it 160K, George calls and is all-in, Steve calls and is also all-in. George flip over Kd Js, Steve has 10s Ac and Tiny has As Qc. Tiny catches 2 pair and wins the tournament. George finishes 3rd & Steve 2nd. Tiny stands up, raises his hands and screams "I am God! Bow down to your new leader!" I scream back "Fuck you!" and walk away.
Great yet ANOTHER alternate wins and he's the biggest loud mouth of them all! I'm not happy that Tiny won - he won't respect the title and he'll rub it in everyone's face. I would've liked it if George won or maybe even Steve (if not myself of course).
So damn close to winning this thing. If only I would've done this, or would've done that. If only, if only, if only. I'm still upset that I didn't win... but I guess that 4th place is't all that bad and it's a lot better than I did last season (finished in the 50's). People better watch out for me in the season 6 final tournament - now that I came so close I could taste that title - I want it now!
- George's Entry*****
"I finished 3rd and accomplished more than I had anticipated. I didnt care if I won the whole thing, I spent 1 night a week for 4 months ignoring my wife (who wondered if it was worth it) and came home WITH something to show for it! She is very happy for me and actually proud of me and was impressed when I told her how well I played due to a change in the begining of the game. I beat many friends and took out a total of 19 people total on their all-ins. My personal best. I now plan on just playing leasurely and pursue WPT tourneys. Thanks Doug for the mic."****
Now I know that most if not all of you don't care about this tournament and that's fine - I'm still contemplating everything that happened and needed to get this off my chest lol
Till the next time - hope to see ya's at the tables :)
