Struggling with 50 outers

I have always quite liked Bristol, my brother went to university there, and I visited on several occasions for the weekend. I always had a great time, and looked forward to going back. Now my friend Lucie lives there and I am planning to go and visit again. So it seems hard for me to understand why Bristol is trying to ruin my life. For you non-poker players out there, Bristol is poker slang for a starting hand of two tens. It is the 6th best starting hand in poker, and the odds of being dealt a better hand are around 25-1. So, in theory at least, it is a strong hand that should win the majority of the time.

The Miniftops started this week on wednesday with a $22 freezeout which I busted out of impressively quickly. Blinds were 15/30 and someone managed to open to 480. I assumed he had AK and flat called with Bristol. The flop came 456 and the guy open shoved. I figured he could have 88,99,JJ or AK so called. He had 44. Humorous open shove with a set but he did disguise it well.

Thursday was a more interesting day. There were 3 miniftops events on. Event 2 was the $26 PLO8 knockout tourn that I chopped last time. There were around 5000 runners and I came about 180th I think for $65. I was card dead once the payouts had started, and lost a couple of showdowns that could have easily gone my way. Final hand was A248 all-in vs AK56. Flop came KTT which wasnt very helpful. Event 3 was a $55 9-handed Double Shootout, capped at 729. Given that the shootout had been full for hours before the start, FT also put on a standard $55 freezeout for everyone who couldnt play in the shootout which got 1500 runners.

In the shootout I won my first table, being a bit of a rack shorthanded, winning with QQ vs 99 five handed then AK vs AQ three handed. So I was through to the round of 81, and in the money. I had to win my second table to get on the final. I won a huge pot early on with set over set. I was chip leader five handed when a short stacked shoved all-in. Then an average stack shoved as well and I called both with KK. They both had AT offsuit. It would have given me 2/3rd of the chips in play three handed but they hit their two outer when the flop came A high. I still had average stack left and stayed in contention. Then 3 handed it was folded to the SB who just had me covered and open shoved me all-in. I called with Bristol and he had 44. It would have given me 2/3rd of the chips in play again but the flop was A34, and I was drawing dead on the turn 4. I got $220 for coming 3rd in the second round.

In the Event 3 Overflow I also went deep. I had average stack with 36 left which was 120k. The guy on my right had been 3-bet twice and folded both times. Blinds were 2k/4k/500 I was SB and it was folded round to this guy who was on the button and he open shipped for 80k. I thought he was weak and didnt want to raise-fold again so I reshoved with ATo, BB folded. The guy had A3 and the flop came 783 and i couldn't redraw. I was left on 40k which I got up to around 60k. Blinds went up to 2.5k/5k/600 and UTG minraised to 10k which he had a few times before. Another 60k stack then flat called and I shoved with 99. UTG passed and the caller took his whole time bank then hero called me all-in with AJo. Obviously his play was rewarded with a KQT flop and I was out in about 30th for $210.

Since then I haven't cashed in any of the events over the weekend. Event 4 was a $20 1R1A tourn and I had a large stack but raised with Bristol from early position. I got one caller from mid position. The flop came 356 two clubs and I bet, the caller raised and I went all-in. He had called with 24 obviously. Event 5 was a complete joke. It was the $20 FLHE. I'm no expert at fixed limit, but surely capping it on the flop with 8To on a J33 two heart flop isn't good play? But when I have AQhh and it comes a ten of spades on the turn I guess it was a good 4-bet. I also lost a huge pot with KKsh on a Q high all heart flop vs TJhh. Then lost a big pot with QTss vs AKo and AKo on a Q46 flop, they still hit a King on the river. It was a terrible tournament, remind me to never play FLHE ever again.

Saturday I had outs to go deep but couldn't manage to cash. In the $55 PLO 6-max which I was really looking forward to, I got up to around 30k over the first few hours. Then I lost a huge 60k pot with 2456 all-in on a K53 flop vs AK95. Turn was a King to leave me dead. Then in the later $10R I got a stack early on and played fairly well but lost two crucial flips in the late stages to lose my stack which was rather annoying.

On sunday the early tourn was a $13 knockout which got about three million runners and I didn't play very well, stacking off with AQ on a A78 flop to 77. Later was the $55 HU shootout which I really wanted to do well in, as I feel that my heads up game has improved. But I crashed out in the first round when my opponent 3-bet pre, and I called with KThh. The flop came 894hh and I raised his c-bet. He shoved and I had to call. He had 84o which somehow held despite the ten on the turn. The late tourn was a $33 freezeout. I reraised preflop to 400 with KK and got two callers. The flop came T high all hearts. I bet 750, and got a raise to 1800 then a shove for 5k so I folded. The raiser to 1800 called with KJhh, the shover had ATo no heart somehow. So I was down to 3500. A few rounds later someone open shoved for 3k and I shoved with KK. They had 99 and the Board came A359A. Lovely lol, no val in KK.

I also played the sunday million last night. It started terribly, I was down to 3k in no time, with two outdraws and a bad bluff. But luckily I won a flip and got back up to 6k. I won some small pots and things were starting to go my way as I was up to about 10k. Then I played a pretty sick hand. Someone raised to 700, someone else called and I raised to 1950 with JJ. They both called. Flop came T96 two clubs. I bet 1999, the raiser passed and other player called. Turn was another 6 no club. I checked and he shoved for 6k. I snap called and my hand held against his 88 to put me above 20k. A while later I won a massve flip with QQ vs AK to put me on 65k. Then later a 20k stack open shoved and I called with AA. He had Bristol lol. Obviously flop came 78996 for a 45k pot. I was left on 45k. Near the bubble I made two huge, sick, potentially suicidal bluffs but won both for very big pots and I cashed on about 100k. I got up to about 160k and felt like I was playing very well and in the zone.

Average stack was about 100k when someone minraised to 8k preflop. I called in the SB with 44 as we were both massively deep, and the BB called as well. The flop came 56Q one spade and was checked round. Turn was a Ks and I bet 12,345. BB folded and the raiser called. River was a 4, Happy days! I bet 45k into 55k. He then put me all-in for another 100k. I was struggling to put him on a hand: 23 and 37 he wouldn't minraise preflop, and 78 is an unlikely minraise but if he did raise with it then I assume he would bet the flop with an up and down draw in position. A bigger set I think he would bet the flop or raise the turn as there is a flush draw and loads of straight draws on board. Not because he is afraid of getting outdrawn necessarily, but more that if one of those draws hits it would slow his action. So I called unable to put him on a better hand and he had decided to min-raise preflop with 23. Another lovely two outer. What a sick card for him to river the best hand and for him to get paid lol, an absolute miracle of a hand for him. So I crashed out in 800th for $450, and was gutted as I was playing really well and had a decent stack. Standard sunday million bustout on a ridiculous hand.

I've also played a small amount of cash on VC, still 6-tabling 50/1 PLO and it's going well, I won around $300 this week. So currently on full tilt I have cashed in 3 miniftops events of the first 10 for $500 total. Tonight is a $22 FLO8 tourn and a $109 NLHE tourn so I'm looking forward to both of those and I hope to do well in both. There are a lot of miniftops events this week so hopefully I can final table one of them.

Rich x