First blood – in the money!

6. July 2006 | Category: 50outs

Wow last 48 hours have been most turbulent to us. Let me start with the most recent and best news: Katja made the money in the $1500 7card-stud event and continues playing today! Most remarkably she made it through a star studded field where about every brand player was participating (except those in the $5000 day2 like Luske, Hellmuth, Mercier, Bellande). The event draw 478 players, including Katja and me. I decided to join only 10 minutes before the event actually started when Katja already left ( I had slept over) and rushed over just in time to buy me in and get the first hand.

The first two levels have been good to both of us, Katja had almost 3000 chips from the inital 1500 and I have been standing at 2200. In the following two level we have been bad-beated both. Katja lost rolled-up queens to a river flush and a boat in 5 to a higher boat on the river. I got chased by a bracelet holder in the most ugly way two times (ok, one time he actually had a hand). Those two hands went like this:

Hand #1: I had J4-J and open raised. Bracelet-holder re-raised showing a T, I called. Next pairs my door card J but he gets a J too. I bet, he raises, I re-raise not fooling around and he calls. I catch a blank, he gets a K. Bet-raise-reraise-call. Next card is blank for me again, he catches a queen. I bet, he raises, I fear trip KK or QQ and just call. River does not fill up for me, I check-call only, bracelet guy shows me pocket pocket rockets AA but he made the straight with his 4 open cards. You cant really blame him for the way he played that hand, catching the J certainly made him feel that I do not have trip jacks (or he did not care which is my opinion)

Hand #2: I have KT-K and raise, bracelet guy re-raises showing a T. I make it 3 bets and he calls. Next card I get a T for two pair! He gets a deuce. I bet, he calls. 5th street brings me a blank and he gets a 4. I bet, he calls, fast. 6th street he gets another 4 and calls my bet again. On the river I catch a 4 and think to myself “puhhhh…” and bet – only to get raised! I simply call and he shows his hole cards: K47 for trip fours! Outch.

I had about no chips remaing and went out short before the second break with a pair of sevens. Then the long sweating begun. Katja was short on chips also (less than 1000) on the second break and I decided to watch her as close as possible. Little did I know that it would take 10 more levels (!) until the final 40 players were left so about 15 hours includingf all breaks. I mean, railbirding her for that long time restisting all urges to get into action myself is about the biggest love-proof that I have. But it was really thrilling. Katja had such a hard table that is was a pure pleasure to see that and her surviving. She played with Chris “Jesus” Fergusen from the beginning for about 12 hours (she had him all-in when he catched a gutshort straight vs. her two pair and he had her all-in with trip aces when she had a boat in five cards). Besides this, her table saw a real lot of stud specialist of good-alrounders. John “World” Hennigan, Rafael Perry, Perry Friedman, Sam Grizzle and two more stud specialist whose names I don’t know exactly.

Anyway, Katja did it and I am very proud of the way the played there: selective but then ultra-aggressive, at the same time she had no problem folding a hand she just had 3-betted when her opponent has visible improved.

At 4 a.m. the day was finally over and went straight to sleep. Now, in about two hours the event will continue and I will continue to sweat her, forfeiting the $1500 limit holdem event today. Katja is now siting with two-times world-champion Johnny “Orient Express” Chan…

NLHE $5,000

The day before Katja played the $5000 NL event.She got very far in that one also. Again she had a difficult table (there was no easy table that I saw). Direct behind her were Greg “Fossilman” Raymer and Steve Dannenmann. Katja played well, had a nice stack of about 11000 at one. As Steve Dannenmann told me Katja had owned Men “The Master” totally, first bluffing him out of a big pot and then having him call all-in when she had the nuts :). But then Katja got card-dead for hours. She finally moved all-in on the button in Level 8 when she had only about 6000 chips left when she found TT. Raymer called in the BB, holding JJ, ending her tournament.

In the meantime I have been playing 30/60 at the Wynn’s when those hands happened right one after the other, making me leave the pokertable in disgust which about never happened before:

Two minutes earlier:
I flop two pair with my AKs on a AK2 flop against a raiser. Tight guy. We get into raising war on the flop, two bets on the turn and river check-check, he has 22.

Hand #1:
QQ, I raise in UTG+1, it’s gts raised behind me, all fold, I four-bet. Flop comes 8 high, unsuited. I bet, get a raise and make it 3 bets to go. He calls. Turn is a J, I bet, he calls. River K, I check as think AK is most likely and yes, he bets, I call. Guy shows me KJo.

Hand #2:
AQ of hearts, I raise UTG, MP player calls. Flop comes AT3 with one heart. I bet, get raised and three bet right away, not going for the check-raise on the turn. Turn comes J of hearts giving me top pair and nut flush draw. I bet, get raised and three bet it. He only calls. River if a black four, I bet, get raised and call only. That guy shows KQo for the gutshot straight on the turn.

Hand #3:
AA in the BB. Two limpers, one raiser, I make it three bets. All call. Flop comes QJ8 with two diamonds. I bet, it gets raised, one caller, one folder, I make it three bets. Two call. Turn is 2 of clubs, good card for me, I bet, one guy calls, one folds, it’s head-up now. River T. I bet, get raised and make the donkey call to look at 89o.

Hand #4:
My SB, QT. It’s get’s raised by the same guy that just beated me two times and I call, head-up. Flop 89T of spades, I have the Q of spades. I check-raise-call him on the flop with my top-pair+straight/flush draw. Turn is red J, giving me the straight. I bet, get raised, re-pop it and he calls. Turn is another 2, but spades. I made the Q high flush and bet out, get raised and call, already knowing what’s coming. He shows A8o, A of spades for the better flush. I grab my chips and leave the poker room, disgusted.

Sorry, there would be so much more to talk about but I am short on time now.