NCT Poker Tournament

December 2004 - The is the account of an early Poker Tournament. It was with my Improv Troupe, National Comedy Theatre. I believe there was about 30 of us in the Tournament with only a few outsiders.

I had just played in a Limit Tournament at the Bicyle Casino two weeks prior where I placed 27th out of 150.

Going into this tournament I knew that I had a mixed of various poker skills. From very good to beginner. My basic strategy was this...Survival.

Goal 1 - Don't bust out.
Goal 2 - Make it to the final table
Goal 3 - Make it to the money
Goal 4 - Make it to the final two
Goal 5 - Win it.

Four out of five isn't that bad.

The Beginning

This was the first real tournament anyone had really run, so there were a few factors that helped me in the long run. First was the blinds structure. There was no real time set for each round so the blinds in the beginning were low for a long time. I may not have one a lot of hands, but I certainly didn't lose that much either. I started with $10 in chips and I got to the final table I had $11.

The toughest part of playing with beginners is that they are incredibly loose. They will call anything, not because they are bad players, it's just that they don't know any better. The basic strategy is to have a marginal hand at best when going against them and do no risk a large stack of chips trying to drive them out. If I have the nuts, then raise the pot because you'll probably get called. If you have a marginal hand, then check often to get free cards and try to improve.

I was also at the table with the best poker player in our theatre, Matt. I did not play at his optimum. From what I could tell, he wasn't catching cards and he was the designated dealer for the table, so I think he was distracted. To top it off, he was pretty much running the tournament, so this added to his distraction.

Anyways on a few occasions Matt was down to all in. I called his first all-in because it was cheap and he beat me. Then a few guys doubled him up, when they shouldn't have. Finally, Matt went out in tenth.

Which brings me to the other factor that made it difficult to anyone from my table to win. My table was definitely the tight table as a result we only lost 3 people throughout the entire tournament, while two other tables had been busted out and combined with the final two tables. What I'm trying to say is that my table passed our money around between each other for a total of $100.

The other three tables eventually combined the money of three tables into one for a total of $300. That means everyone from my table came into to the final short stacked. This is why my $11 paled in comparison to the chip leaders $120. He out gunned me 10 to 1. Fortunately someone from my table was worse than me.

The Final Table

I made my second goal, which was the final table, but only with $11. This means I had to wait for my spot to try and double up. Becuase I would get blinded out, I had to wait for a good hand and fast. I had two working strategies at this moment.

Steal blinds. When I have good hands, but not premium, I want the pot.
Double up. When I have premium hands, I need someone who will double me up.

My first opportunity was when I got pocket 9's. I went all-in and stole the blinds.

The second opportunity was with pocket Aces under the gun. Under the gun means that I am the first to act, and the blinds have get to act. I figured if I went all-in, people would fold and I'd get the blinds. I don't want the blinds, I want to double up. So, with Aces I called. Fourth seat raises. Fifth seat re-raises. Everyone folds to me and I go all-in. Now fourth seat folds his marginal hand. Fifth seat calls my all in and I ultimately win this raise and practically triple up.

I'm in good shape at this point and I can wait for another moment as another player busts out. I am then dealt pocket Queens. I employ my double up strategy. I call with Queens. Fourth seat raises. Everyone folds to me and I go all-in. This time Seat 4 ponders for about 3 minutes and responds F*** you, Alan and then folds.

I'm in great shape at this point. I can now play some poker. Before it's over I've busted two other players and now were down to three players.

Goal 3 - The final three

We're at the final three and I've got a dominating chip stack at this point. I'm up against Dave and a complete stranger. When up against three players, I can loosen up and essentially play some hands that I normally wouldn't.

The hand of the tournament

I'm now up against Dave. I have 6c - 7d. I have a good straight draw. The board comes out Kd, 5d, 4c. Great! I have a straight draw. I raise and Dave calls. I'm basically running a semi-bluff because I have an open end straight and I would like to win the pot because even though I have 8 outs, it's not guaranteed. I raise again and Dave calls.

Now I'm starting to wonder why Dave is calling. My guess is that he has Kings and he's afraid of the straight draw as well. Fourth street is 10s. No help. I raise and Dave calls.

The final card is the 9d. No help. Check and check. Dave turns over Kings. I flip over my cards and I say I have a busted straight. Matt, who is dealing, looks at my cards and says, "Wait a minute, you have a flush!" Oh my god, I have a flush. I win the pot.

There is a reason this is the hand of the tournament. Not for what you're thinking. Even though I won this hand, had I known what I had, I would have put Dave all-in and after talking with Dave, he would have called. I would have busted Dave and he would have been gone.

The very next hand I knock out the complete stranger and should have won the tournament right then and there.

Head to Head

Before I begin, this is my first head-to-head situation. I'm against a very aggressive player in Dave. I have a 12 to 1 dominating lead, but Dave has the crowd support.

We basically go back and forth with no change in chip stack. Soon Dave is slowly chipping away at my chip stack. Because I don't know better, I'm calling a few of his all-ins without the best hands. Now I'm a 2 to 1 leader.

Dave goes all-in and I finally have a descent hand, 89 suited. Bad mistake. Never go all-in when a drawing hand. At least see a flop before going all in.

Now I'm a 4 to 5 chip underdog. The last hand I have top pair and I've been put all in on the river. I set and wonder what Dave has. I have top pair I have to be able to win this. I call and Dave flips over a set to beat my top pair and I lose.

I shake hands with Dave and laugh with everyone else.

Second place is not bad. Especially when I started with $11 at the final table. But second place sure isn't first place. A great showing none the less.

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