On Sunday, I went to The Bicycle Casino in Bell Gardens, CA. This was my first time there, it is a really nice casino. Well
organized, clean, big area, and lots of games are spread there. I came for the 7pm $60 tournament ($50 +$10 entrance fee). The structure is real nice. 2000 starting chips, with 20 minute levels, blinds starting at 25-25, and the ante's coming in at the 6
th level. I registered early, (you need to sign up for the players card to register) and got Table 5. They let people register and enter up to 7:30. I started off really good, my first hand of the whole tournament I had Ace-Jack, raised four times the blinds and won the blinds. When I started there was 3 dead stacks, two of them being on my right. Within the first orbit I got pocket Aces on the button. A limper came in early to the pot and a late position raiser made it 75 to go. I made it 275. The original limper and raiser called. The flop went King, 8, 6 with two clubs. The first
position player shoved all-in. The next to act player, tanks for a second and the asks the other player questions trying to get a tell. Then he folds in disgust saying its too early in the tournament. I instant called. The player showed Ace-Queen, no flush possibilities. I won the hand and had doubled my stack up over 4,000. I played very tight aggressive for the next hour. I was chip leader of my table all the way up to the middle of the fourth level. Then this hand came up right before the first tournament break:
I was the big blind, the blinds are 75-150. Two people limp, the small blind completes the bet. I raise 500 on top. The only person who calls is the person who just won a large pot and now is the new table chipleader. The flop comes , 5, 2, Queen, rainbow. I bet 600 , the player right away min-raises me to 1200. I think for about 5 seconds and just call.I know this about the player so far, plays most hands pre-flop, won all the chips by going all in with second best, and getting lucky on the river. I was pretty sure the player didn't have an Queen. The reason I called was to push on the turn if a non Ace or King come, otherwise I check-fold. The turn is a 4. I instant shove my last little over 2,000 chips into the pot. He instant calls and flips over his hand; Ace- 3, for the nuts and I'm drawn dead. I'm out right before the break and way earlier then I should have because I was playing really good.
I went to the casino with a friend from work, and we discussed the hand and came up with different outcomes that might have kept me in the tournament. We both agreed my pre-flop play way good. When the flop came I bet 600 into a 1400 pot. When the player min-raised me, my read was that the player was trying to push me off the pot, that was what I thought I wanted him to do. My friend thinks I should have three bet here, if I was pushing on the turn anyway. This would get the player off any draws or weak Queen pair. If the turns gives him two pair or a better draw then maybe they call with better odds. I think I should have just bet 600 again on the turn or check-fold. It was too early to put all my chips in and not even with top pair. However if the turn does not come an Ace or a 4, my play wins me the pot and I regain chip lead.
After everything else, the tournament got 240 players, 1st place received $4,300. I went to play in a cash game and lost $40. Total trip down $100. I will definitely play this tournament again.
Let me know how you would have played the hands. Comments are greatly appreciated.