Party 40k - Final Table recap

I went into the FT 6th out of 10 w/ 163k, but I drop down to one of the shortstacks quickly.

Level 17: 8000/16000 w/ 400a

I open on the button to 48k with A7s, planning on calling a push from the BB who had 111k total. SB who has me barely covered pushes, I fold. Down to 115k.

I fold KQo in the BB to an EP push. After both blinds hit me I'm down to 87k.

I open from the button all-in w/ AJo, no call. Up to 115k.

I get KdQc in MP. I open for 36k, BB (195k) calls. Flop is 9dAsAd. BB leads for 52k. Now I highly doubt he has an A there, if so he would check & let me push. I do think he could have a 9 & he may be pot committing himself here. He could also be pot-committing himself with a flush draw, but I have the Kd, which makes it slightly less likely. I actually thought briefly about calling here, but there was just too little chance that my K high was good. This leaves me at 77k & I'm now the
shortstack.

2 hands later I push with ATo UTG & take the blinds. I end the level at 111k.


Level 18: 10000/20000 w/ 500a

First hand: I get a walk in the BB.

2 players bust, I push with 33 in the CO, no callers. Up to 148k.

After folding my BB, I open push with J7o from the SB. . . still 148k.

I push KJs from the CO, no callers. Up to 181k.

I open push from UTG+1 with 99, no callers. Up to 214k.

Folds around to SB who raises to 48k (w/ 260k behind), I push with 88 from the BB, SB folds. Up to 265k.

We lose another player. . . down to 7 now.

I open on the button to 50k with Ah5c, BB calls w/ 330k behind. Flop is 3s,Th,6h. BB checks, I check. I try to mix up my c-bets a little more now, so as not to be predictable. Turn is a Qd. BB leads for 35k into a 114k pot. I believe if he had a Q he would bet more than that so as not to give odds to the flush draw. I make it 100k to represent AQ/KQ. . . he folds. Up to 352k.

Very next hand, I get AKo in the CO. UTG, who is now the chipleader, makes a min raise to 40k. He has been making a lot of minraises. I think about reraising him, but decide to just call since I have position. Flop comes 6d,2d,2s. He checks, I check. Turn is 4s. He bets 43k, I call & am quite sure I'm ahead here. River is another 2 & we both check. . . he shows ATo & I rake the pot. Up to 468k and now I'm barely the chipleader.

I get 85o in the BB. Button limps. . . I'm suspicious. I see a free flop of 55T rainbow. Bingo. I check, button checks. Turn is the 8, giving me the boat. I check, button checks. River is a Q. Hopefully that hit him. I bet 45k, he folds. Up to 500k.

I open to 50k from MP with KJs. SB pushes. It's another 108k for me to call. I think it through. . . I'm getting 2.1:1 on the call. If I lose I'll still be at 330k which is still fine. If his range is 88+ AQ+ I'm a 1.7:1 dog. . . so I'm getting the odds to call, but it's close. I call, SB shows QQ, I lose. Down to 329k.


Level 19: 15000/30000 w/ 700a

I get another walk in the BB, then take the blinds with A8o. Up to 380k.

I get 99 in the BB & call the SB's push for another 112k. my 99 holds against his A6o. That brings me to 525k.

We lose another player after that, which puts us at 5.

I raise to 75k UTG with A3o. The CO (572k) and the BB (580k) call. Flop is 642r. BB checks, I check, CO bets 150k & takes it down. Down to 432k.

Next orbit I raise from CO with KcTd to 75k. Button (850k) calls, blinds fold. Flop is Ad Qd 4s. I bet 150k, button folds. Up to 507k.

Very next hand I raise again with KQo UTG & take down the blinds. Up to 555k.

Bad hand!: Button (405k) raises to 75k, I defend in the BB with 97o. I've played with the button for quite a while now. We've been at the same table for a few hours by this point. I've seen him show down some real trash (J3o, T2s) in similar steal situations. The hand previous he had raised, then had the BB push on him. I didn't really want to do that to him again, so I hoped to make a move on him postflop. Flop comes down Ah Kc Jd. I check, he bets 120k, I push. Now I'm sure this looks foolish, but I know he has to have an A or better to call me there. Him raising PF from the button really means nothing. Well. . . he calls with AA & I'm down to 101k.

2 hands later, I push with 88 from the button, blinds fold. Up to 134k.

Blinds go through me & I'm down to 86k. I push with AKo from the button. BB makes an easy call with Q9o. We both make a diamond flush, I have the Ad. Up to 189k.

I'm in the BB with Ah7h. CO (245k) raises to 75k. I think my best bet here is a stop & go, which means I'll just call PF, then push the flop, no matter what it is. Usually, you have a bit more fold equity like this. Flop is Qc Tc 9d, which truthfully is like the worst flop possible, I push, CO folds. Up to 280k.

Next hand I push with A4o from the SB, BB folds. Up to 313k.


Level 20: 20000/40000 w/ 1000a

I get JJ UTG & push, no calls. Up to 375k.

I pay my blinds, then get AKo UTG. I push, no calls. Back to 375k.

SB (1.1M) completes from the SB, I check with K6o in the BB. Flop is AJ5r. SB leads for 40k. I bluff call (or float). Turn is a 7. SB checks, I bet 120k, he folds. Up to 459k.

I pay some blinds & we lose another player. Down to 4, then right after that we are down to 3. Chip counts are: 1.47M / 483k / 394k (me).

I push from the button with A2o. Chipleader in the BB calls with KJo. A on the flop, I'm up to 767k.

Next hand we lose the 3rd player. I go into heads up with "thecoroner1". He has 1.62M, I have 726k. 1st place gets $18424, 2nd gets $10192. So basically we're playing for ~8k.


I checkraise all-in with KsJh on a board of QsJs7s, coroner folds. 904k.

coroner raises to 120k, I call with Qh7d. Flop is 6h Qd Ah. I check, he checks. That raised a red flag . . . why would he check that board? It's a good board to cbet. I decide to proceed with caution. Turn brings the 8c. I check, he bets 99k. I call, hoping to keep the pot small & get to showdown with my 2nd pair. River is the Td, I check, he pushes. I really felt like he was strong here. . . he wasn't the type of player to push with nothing with 8k on the line. I really think he hit something big on the flop. . . prolly 2 pair or a set. I fold.

We trade the blinds for a few hands. It's 1.43M to 924k.
I have 83o in the BB, he completes from the SB, I check. Flop is Js 8s 7h. I check, he bets 40k, I raise to 120k, he 3 bets to 200k. I really felt like he wasn't strong here. Why 3 bet? If he had a hand strong enough to 3 bet, why not just smooth call the flop & raise the turn? If he had a J, wouldn't he bet more than the min with that draw heavy board? Even the 3 bet. . . wouldn't he bet more to protect his hand here? I call the extra 80k & check the Qh turn. He bets 113k. I call. River is the 6c, I check again. He bets 204k. I think if he was as strong as he was trying to represent he would push here since I've got most of my stack in by now. I call with 3rd pair, he shows 4h2s. Big swing hand there. I'm now in the lead 1.48M to 870k.

I chip away a bit until we're at 1.64M to 708k.
I raise with Kc9c, he calls. Flop is Ah 5c Tc. He checks, I bet 150k. He raises to 324k. I'm 1.8:1 to win the hand if he has an A. If I push, I'm getting effective odds of about 2.2:1. I instantly push, he folds.

Now it's 2.07M to 283k. Blinds go up to 30k/60k.
He pushes with Js2s, I call with Tc9c. I miss the board and double him up. 1.79M to 565k.

I chip away more until it's 1.97M to 379k. I push with Q2o, he calls with AQo. I hit a 2 on the turn & become world champeen.


Interesting that I only had to survive 2 all-ins at the FT with my life on the line. My AK vs Q9 and my A2 vs KJ. Especially considering I was the shortstack a few different times.