550 8 game mix @ Aria

7/2/2010 - 5PM PST start
It was weird to have an MTT start at 5:00PM. Most of the MTTs were noon starts (sans the Binion's 2:00PM start time).
I had been prepping by waking up really late every day to prepare for the late start of the tournament.
===========
Tournament Structure Info

15k starting stacks
8 handed tables
7 hands per rotation
floor explained that they didn't want button on same person every time
downside (from Zach): not everyone gets button during rotation

38 players (started with 24, 14 late registered by end of first break)

rotation:
(Limit) Omaha 8
Limit Hold 'Em
Limit Stud
Pot Limit Omaha
Limit Stud 8
Limit Badugi
No Limit Hold 'em
Limit Razz

--------
level 1

QdJd2h

pot - guy
repot - lady
call

turn
QdJd2h6h
pot
repot - all in
call

person hand flop equity turn equity
lady QcQh3h9c 40 65
guy AdKdTx9x 60 35

flop equity:
http://www.propokertools.com/simulations/show?b=QdJd2h&g=oh&h1=QcQh3h9c&h2=AdKdTs9s
turn equity:
http://www.propokertools.com/simulations/show?b=QdJd2h6h&g=oh&h1=QcQh3h&h2=AdKdTs9s

river
QdJd2h6h9h
straight vs. flush

----lady stays alive with backdoor flush 9h

------------------

level 1
PLO Hi
Ac3cAh3h

limper
I raise preflop -
1 caller behind

flop Tc6c4d

villain 1: checks
hero: bets 3/4 pot
villain 2: calls
villain 1: folds

Tc6c4d8h
villain 2: checks
hero: bets 2/3 pot
villain 2: folds

NLHE
CO raises (australian from Melbourne - I played with 10 game mix at IP)
I 3bet with queens

razz up cards:
9t8k75
(i have (a2)J - gave a walk to lady)

level 2
bricked 6th against 2 better boards
had to fold against 2 boards that didn't brick

stack at end of level 2:
15.5k

-----------------
level 3
stud/8
made flush on 5th (only 3 to low)
low never game
ended up getting bets from 1 person in the middle

badugi
couldn't better than 7 low 3-card hand after limping with 52xx

nlhe - 75/150 blinds
aggressive player in big bet games
villain: raises to 400
hero: reraises to 1100 with AJo on button
villain: 4 bets to 2700
hero: folds


end of level 4:
14.5k chips

--------------------
nlhe:

24j5
raised preflop by villain 2
villain 1 calls from bb

flop action
villain 1: check
villain 2: bet
villain 1: call

turn
villain 1: check
villain 2: bet
villain 1: raise
villain 2: shove

villain 1: 44
villain 2: a3s

a3s holds up


razz:
picked up 8 low on 5th versus guy
check/i bet/call
stack up to 20k when he show downed a brick in the hole

i went to 5th street next hand, but was forced to fold when i bricked against other player (who wasn't really bluffing too much)

next hand:
bricked 1x with strong board (8 low draw on 4th street)
brick on 5th - called with 2 other people
got to 6th - bricked again and was forced to fold

stack: 14k


lo8
sb versus bb (hero)
sb: raises
hero: 3 bets with AxAxAh5h
sb: calls

7x6h9x
villain: checks
hero: bets
villain: calls

7x6h9x5h
villain: checks
hero: bets
villain: tanks; folds


observations:
many players in raised (or double raised pots) tended not to fold ever on the flop in LHE or LO8 (mainly the 4 guys and other aggressive players in the pots)
this may be for image building or b/c the pot size is so large in comparison to 1 small bet
*** this is a research point that I'll have to look into)

limped pot with As2h2d3s (in mp - 1 player behind me)
5 players preflop


TsQh7s
bet from early position
1 fold
2 calls

TsQh7s6c
bet
2 calls
i raise
3 calls

TsQh7s6c5s
check
check
bet
call
fold
call

australian (early position) - shows ksqsxx (king high flush)
player behind me - shows naked a2 - quartered
hero shows: nut flush/nut low - 3/4 pot

==============
side notes:
Balancing tables
Normally, in a game with the button, the player who would be in the BB (based on the button location) would be moved.
In a stud game, the player who was in the same seat number would be moved. (ie: If player 6 busted at a table, player 6 from a different table would be moved to balance).

The TD made a mistake and followed the stud game ruling, even though it was a mixed game with a button. The BB should have moved (and would have changed the whole complexion of the tournament, obviously)

Because of the "wrong ruling", the TD moved the lady off of my table to another table.

-----
originally 2 out of 4 players in a last longer bet were seated at my table
when 1 table broke, the remaining 2 other players joined my table (until it broke)
it was very funny how some of the players didn't play all the games

1 player didn't play big bet games until other person registered
older player didn't play big bet games and just sat out b/c he wasn't good at them....

==============

badugi
2 players in on 1st draw
1 player drew the whole way

hero: dealt pat J9 badugi
pre-draw
fold
villain 1: limp
villain 2: limp
hero: raise
(2 folds)
villain 1: call
villain 2: call

[2|2|0]
check
check
bet
fold
call

[1|0]
check
bet
call

[1|0]
check
check

villain shows: J8 badugi and scoops

i contributed 6k into 18k pot

level 6:
stack: 14k


level 6 - 14k

----------------------
level 7
NLHE

raise with KK on button - no action from blinds
next hand

folds to cutoff
hero: raise with JJ in CO (~3x bb)
bb calls

flop:
Ks6h5h
villain: check
hero: check

turn:
Ks6h5h 7h
villain: check
hero: bet 2/3 pot
villain: min raise - slightly over min raise
hero: calls

river
Ks6h5h 7h 7c

villain leads for ~1/2 pot size bet
hero: folds

Analysis:
This was likely a mistake to have called the check raise. Against an unknown (without prior knowledge/history), a smallish check raise (or any check raise for that matters) usually means 1 pair is no good, even in a NLHE MTT.


razz:

other door cards (7 handed):
5, 2, 2, 6, x, x
hero: (52)6 in hole

3 folds
villain: (xx)3 completes
hero: raises
all others fold

villain: (xx)38
hero: (52)6j
villain: bets
hero: calls

villain: (xx)385
hero: (52)6j7

villain bets
hero tanks, then folds

Analysis:
3 bet is good because of all the dead cards. Although not as big of a factor, villain has been somewhat aggressive on steals and had shown a brick in the hole in an earlier level.
I can peel 4th b/c there it was 3 bet on 4th + all the dead cards duplicate my hand. I didn't do the math, but I believe this is an acceptable play.

Hero only has 3 big bets left in stack. I could likely be ahead, but I decide to fold. I'm likely peeling in a cash game, but determine that my tournament life is slightly more important. This may have been a mistake.


LHE
raised with aces in MP - no action
raise with AsKs in EP - got 2 callers
cbet 585 flop and got folds from other players


Stud Hi

missed opportunity to

raise from (8c) in front
2c (8c)74c
3 bet with (JsQs)Ts against early position raiser and everyone folded

with my board reading (8h8c)Ah, I got bets from 2 players on 3rd/4th street.

approximately 20k


badugi:
4 folds
1 limper
i raise with 5h4h2cas
blinds fold
limper calls

draws: (villain|hero)
1|1
I make an 8 badugi (8d4h2cAs)
villain: checks
hero: bets
villain: calls

1|0
villain: checks
hero: bets

1|0
villain: checks
hero: bets
villain: calls

villain shows: 7 badugi
hero shows: 8 badugi
villain: wins bot

razz:

(don't rememember dead cards)
hero: (62)538
1 villain: (57)839
(3 folds)
hero: completes
villain calls
(2 folds)

bet/call on every street (4th/5th)
hero is all in by 5th street

hero's 86 holds up and hero doubles up
hero's stack: 14.5k

-------------
level 9

I am moved to another table (about 20/38 remain)

game rotations work with each table, so the table has a different game going...
PLO
I pick up AdAxTdTc

(folds to hero)
hero: raise on button
1 blind calls
flop: TdKsQd

hero: check
hero cbets
villain: folds

stud/8

villain:

(bringin)
villain: raises
hero completes on 3rd street
everyone folds

villain calls: (wearing VDS shirt)
villain: (xx)AdQs8h
hero: (32)45a

villain checks 4th street and hero bets
on 5th street
villain checks
hero bets
villain examines by stack, raises to put me all in, i call

villain: (AT)AQ86(8)
hero: (32)45a85

villain: shows aces up
hero: shows 5 high straight and 5432a for low
hero scoops

analysis:
I'm not sure the raise on 5th street was smart for villain...although I'm likely betting 6th anyway and getting all in. Unfortunately, I lost 1 big bet of value b/c I was short stacked.

stack: 27k

badugi: stack size drops to 24k due to blinds

level 10 break
stack: 21k

---------------
level 11
PLO

hero dealt (AKT9)
villain shows KK**
hero pots
villain repots
hero calls all in

A2c3c7xtx

hero's hand wins with aces up and doubles up

level 12 break:
34k

------------------------
level 13
PLO
hero: dealt in SB AcKcKsJs

raiser in LP
I repot with hand
raiser calls

AK* flop
I cbet
villain folds

villain says he had double (or single) suited rundown)

stud/8
hero has (67)a
hero completes
one caller with 3s

hero: (67)A4
villain: (xx)3sKh
hero bets
villain calls

hero: (67)A45 (no chance of flush)
villain: (xx)3sKh5s
hero bets
villain folds

stack: 75k

badugi:
2 limpers
sb (hero) - limped with A2s5s5h
bb - raises
everyone calls (4 players total)

draws: [2|1|1|1]
hero gets 8 3-card hand
check
bet
call
call
hero: folds

61k as table breaks
------------------------

final table redraw:
(seats are rechosen, game is rechosen at random)
(seats are redrawn)
(button redrawn)
(8 cards dealt - highest card is first game to restart rotation)


with 9 players, we lost 2 players (1 at each table)
final table only had 7 players

1: lady (seat 1)
2: older stud player (USA)
3: young guy
4: hero (USA)
5: middle aged man
6: older British person
7: VDS shirt person (he said he's made 2 deep runs previous 2 days (including 1k win at Bellagio's LHE; he was short stack after losing some big pots at the final table; he also requested giving money to bubble person, but seat 5 didn't want anything to do with it)

(level 16)
NLHE
hero in SB
hero - dealt QQ

folds to seat 4
villain: raises (3.5x bb)
hero: 3bets (10x bb)
villain: shoves
hero: calls
villain: shows KQo

hero's hand holds up
hero: stack 100k
villain: ~20k

a couple hands later
villain (seat 4): raises in hijack (2 off button)
hero: reraises with TT (40k)
villain: calls
hero's hand holds up

hero's stack: 114k
seat 3: eliminated
-----

lady in seat 1 went on a rush after a losing a hand or 2 and was around ~100-120k
seat 6 kept getting big hands + action in badugi and had ~150-170k
seat 7 eventually bubbled (stayed alive a little bit in o8, but lost stack in LHE.

level 17

early position raiser (seat 2)
seat 2: raises
hero: picks up K6K9 (no suit); hero tanks, trying to figure out if flop needs to be seen
hero: repots
seat 2: calls all in

villain: AJT9
hero: K6K9

board: As8s4s2c9h
neither player has spades

villain: doubles up

hero's stack: 79k

a couple hands later
seat 2: raises
hero: picks up AsAx*s*x
(aces with 1 suit)
hero: repots
seat 2: goes in the tank, eventually folds
hero: shows down hand

stud hi

seat 2 had raised about 3 times in rotation with just high cards and got the antes/bringin.

(bringin)
(1 folds)
seat 2: shows (xx)K
seat 2: raises
hero: has (t9)9
hero: 3 bets
(bringin folds)
seat 2: calls

for every street starting on 4th, it went
2: checks
hero: bets
2: calls

boards:
hero: (ts9h)9c6cJc8c(kh)
villain: (xx)KsQdAs9s(xx)

river:
villain: checks
hero: checks

villain: shows busted ace high flush draw
hero: shows 9s to win pot

analysis:
Hero forgot his hand strating on 4th street! (Yes, that is not a typo). I decided to play my board the whole way.
I thought on 6th i actually had 3 8s, or that was my thinking process.
When i saw my actual hand on the river, i decided to check b/c I thought i wouldn't have much fold equity in that spot with so much money in the pot.
I ended up telling him after the hand and when he got eliminated that I normally don't bluff like that. He responded with "I shouldn't have ever called in first place".

It appears I was "value bluffing" with the best hand.

villain tanked 6th before calling

--------------
approximate stack sizes (level 17-18):
(seat 4 lost a couple of big pots in stud/hi to player 1 and became a short stack - ie: can't see all the streets without being all in)
1: 140k
2: 35k
3: 110k <--- hero
4: 30k
5: 200k

--------------
--------------
--------------
stud hi/lo
(ah8c)6s
9 and 2 (bringin) behind
should have completed

turned out hero may have lost lots of bets; pocket queens in hole
(qq)2

This was definite candidate to steal...i could have peeled a street if reraised, although I'm not sure with my stack size (~5-6 big bets) if it was worth it to gamble to see 4th.
I was probably nitty at this spot.

(88)7 - raise by k
I folded here as well...kinda nitty and probably not a fold in a cash game.


--------------------------------
Player 4 got eliminated in stud/8 as 2 other plaers in the hand. One won high, and a different player got low.

Eventually player 2 got busted in badugi.


------------------------------
next hand after player 2 eliminated

approximate stack sizes at 3 players:
old english man (seat 6): ~180k
lady (seat 1): ~240k
hero (seat 4): ~61k
total chips in play: 570k (38 * 15k)

badugi (~6 am)
61k (4k-8k 8k-16k)

dead button
1: raises in CO
hero: 3 bets (dealt rough? q964)
6: folds
1: CO folds

[0|2] - she asks me if she should draw 1 or 2 - i said "it's up to you if you want to coinflip" - so she draws 2 (she eventually told me she threw away a jack 3-card hand)

hero: bets
villain: calls

[0|1]
hero: bets
villain: calls

[0|1]
hero: checks
villain: bets
hero: tanks, unhappy to call, but calls for tournament life

hero: shows queen badugi
villain: shows 6 badugi

villain: scoops pot

Analysis:

1. This is essentially a coin flip if villain draws 1 for 3 draws versus pat q badugi. She drew 2 on the first draw though, so I'm not sure about the math (she told me she broke a 3 card J)...
2. I check on the end because my tournament life has much more value than picking up a single bet.
3. Additionally, a Q high badugi is a somewhat marginal "show down" hand in badugi (ie: about an 8-7 against unknown in 2-7 TD). I'm only getting called by hands that beat/outdrew me.
4. If villain bricked on end, most opponents don't bet on end b/c hero has shown huge strength throughout the hand.
5. Unfortunately, I think i'm beat 98% of the time when she bets into me. She could have been snowing, but it's kinda unlikely.
6. My hope was she folded after first draw if she bricked (had to draw 2 again)...


double up puts hero at ~127k in chips (or 101k if it went check/check after 3rd draw)
lady would have had 233k
old man - approximately 180k

------------------
entering heads up play:
lady (seat 1) ~370k
old man (seat 6) - ~180k

1st: $~7.9k
2nd: $~4.7k
3rd: $~3.0k

Old man offered lady a deal:
lady: 6k
man: 5.5k

both she and i were surprised at the deal.

She rather would play for the win, or maybe an ICM deal.

old man told me later (during break, while we were both in the restroom) that he thought it was fair b/c of all the other "tournaments" that he had won - 7 card stud, et al...

IMO, the guy was way out of line. Although he has more live "experience" and tourney wins, she has played a lot online and an ICM deal is really the only way to do it. It seemed rather cocky, and he was telling me this in private too.

----------------
overall, there seemed a good chunk of knowledgable players. I was fortunate to have a good rush of cards during the final 2 tables and final table. I'm not sure how many were truly good at all the games or not. Some definitely had leaks in split pot games...

----------------
3/38
approximate bustout time: 6:25AM

550 -> 3027
Ok, this was my first live cash and was moderately excited (probably due to the time of morning) - I decided to take a picture with my camera phone before I cashed it into the cashier.

-------------
I watched about 30 min. of heads up (until the lo8 section), then left. Considering how unproductive I was the following day, I probably should have railed the whole thing...
tourney ended approximately 7:45-8:00AM from what I heard
lady - ended up shipping the MTT

-------------
update: After seeing results for various other tournaments (ex) Venetian Deep Stack, etc...) posted on various online sites, I called Kathleen (Aria's poker room host) and asked if the winners list from all the Aria Poker Classic tournaments would ever get posted in [Card Player | Bluff | pokerpages.com]. Unfortunately, it does not sound like the results would ever be published. (I think it's a casino management reason. My guess is the small turnout would not reflect well on the casino....)

We would like to thank you for playing in our ARIA Classic 2010.  Congratulations for placing 3^rd on the 8 Game Mix on Friday July 2, 2010.  Please find attached Final Winners List. We do look forward to seeing you play here at ARIA soon.

7/2/2010 - Aria 8 game mix winners