WSOP 1500 HORSE MTT at Rio

1500 HORSE MTT at Rio
7500 starting chips at 100/200 limits and 60 min. levels.

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First Table Reads (back of room - left or middle table):
1 (registered 5 min. late) - old guy with glasses
2 "British" poker pro - mid aged - Mark Gregorich
3 late reg - mid aged guy
4 old guy - bald (Brian from Google)
5 young/mid aged buy with black shirt
6 old guy w/ glasses and hat
7 old guy w/ cap
8 hero

First 3 levels are double levels.
The "Dealer's Choice" button (instead of lammers) were used to help indicate when the game should change. When the "Dealer's Choice" button passes the dealer, the game changes. This would not force players to pay multiple within the H and O orbits (if each game went 8 hands and only 4-5 players were seated as at the start of the tournament when few tables are full).

Hero showed up a couple minutes late and missed the LHE rotation. Hero sat down in time to play LO8.
When hero sat down, play was 5 handed.

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Hero also tried a simple VPIP counter for all players and was keeping good track on various players. Hero noticed Vil3 stole a ton in razz/stud, while Vil6 was drawing to half often in LO8. Vil2 seemed passive with draws.
The VPIP counter didn't really work so well though as it became rather cumbersome.

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LO8
Hero dealt in BB: AKQ2r.

Preflop:
(Folds to CO)
Vil4 (CO): raises
folds to hero
Hero: reraises
Vil4: calls

(2 players - 6.5 small bets in pot)
Flop: Jx 9x 2x (hero doesn't remember exact board, but fairly sure it is a 2 high/1 low board and hero paired low card)
Hero: bets
Vil4: folds

Analysis:
Preflop: Hero has strong hand which likely crushes villain's opening CO range.
Flop: Standard bet with lots of fold equity on a 2 high board texture. Hero would probably fire a lot of high (non-low) turns.

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Stud Hi
Dead Cards: 3s 4x 9s
(hero doesn't remember all up cards and betting details)
BI

K dead in EP
Hero: (Kx 6x) Kx Tx 8x 7x (Qx)
Vil6: (Xx Xx) 8x Xx Xx Xx Xx (villain's board was probably not threatening...no huge straight/flush draws)

hero bet/call every street, then checked river and villain checked behind.

Analysis: Hero doesn't remember much of the hand, but hero decided to complete with split Ks and bet the whole way.
7th Street: Hero "polarized river" by not betting on end with "1 pair". In a vacuum, hero needs to avoid check 1p/bet 2p on 7th. It's thin to bet KK or AA on 7th unimproved.
Villain was likely check/calling when bricked on 7th.

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LO8
Hero dealt in BB: Ad 2d 2h Jx

Preflop:
Vil1: call
Vil3: raise
Vil4: call
Hero (BB): call
Vil1: call

(4 players - 8.5 small bets in pot)
Flop: Jd Qx 8x
Hero: checks
Vil1: checks
Vil3: bets
Vil4: folds
Hero: raises
Vil1: folds
Vil3: calls

(2 players - 6.25 big bets in pot)
Turn: Jd Qx 8x Kc
Hero: bets
Vil3: raises
Hero: thinks for a second, then calls

(2 players - 10.25 big bets in pot)
River: Jd Qx 8x Kc 4x
Hero: checks
Vil3: bets
Hero: folds

Analysis:
Preflop: Standard.
Flop: Hero decides to c/r, but maybe that is not the best line. Hero is trying to setup some fold equity on later streets, but vil4's bet in MW pot does have some strength. Vil4 may also remember that hero showed aggression earlier in a 3b pot in LO8.
Turn: This is probably a spew to bet/call instead of bet/fold. There are few good turn cards, and hero has little fold equity on most rivers. Hero noticed it took a little while to call and noticed that there may be a timing tell that needs to be controlled.
River: There's little chance to bluff on a blank.

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Razz
Hero defended bring in once against steal position complete with (23)K, but folded when hero bricked on 4th.

Dead Cards: 7x Tx 4x Jx

Vil6 (BI): (2x 3x) Kx Xx Xx Xx (Xx) - eventually shows 6532Axx
Hero: (2x 5x) 6x 8x Ax Qx (7x)
Vil?: (Xx) Xx) 7x 4x Tx ?x (Xx)

Analysis:
Hero doesn't remember much about hand. Hero likely completed in early position.
Vil6 may have been bring in, but led 6th and 7th after check/calling previous streets.
With bring in calling MW< range is pretty narrow to 2 wheel cards.

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Stud
3rd Street:
Dead Cards: 5c
(folds to Vil6)
Vil6: (Xx Xx) Ks __completes
Vil7: (Xx Xx) Tc __calls
Hero: (6c 9c) 3c __calls

Analysis:
Hero bricks 4th street and folds.
Standard play to call with 1 dead flush card in bring in.

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LHE
Hero dealt: TT

Preflop:
(folds to Vil4 in EP)
Vil4: raises
(folds to hero)
Hero (SB): reraises
Vil4: calls

(2 players - 7 small bets in pot)
Flop: 3h 4s Qc
Hero: bets
Vil4: calls

(2 players - 4 1/2 big bets in pot)
Turn: 3h 4s Qc 8x 8x
Hero: bets
Vil4: calls

(2 players - 6 1/2 big bets in pot)
River: 3h 4s Qc 8x 8x
Hero: checks
Vil4: checks

Vil4: shows JJ, hero mucks

Analysis:
Preflop: Hero isolation play is standard (gap concept).
Flop: Standard.
Turn: This might be a bit thin of a value bet. Sure, some AK/AJ/lower pairs are calling 2 streets.
River: Would AK/AJ/lower pairs call a 3rd bet? It's unlikely.

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LO8:
Hero dealt on button: Ad 2d 8s 9s

Preflop:
(4 players limp)
Hero: calls
Vil1 (SB): calls
Vil2 (BB): checks

(7 players - 7 small bets in pot)
Flop: (2 low board)
(checks to Vil6)
Vil6: bets
4 other players call including hero

(5 players - 6 big bets in pot)
Turn: (low completes)
Vil6: bets
Vil3: folds
other players call

(3 players - 9 big bets in pot)
River: High card, no flush or very straightening board (like T4537), hero still has nut low/no high
Vil6: bets
Hero: calls
Vil2: folds

Vil6: Shows 2p+nut low.
Hero gets 1/4.

Analysis:
Preflop: There is definitely merit in raising and getting 2 bets in with strong A2. But, there's no fault in keeping small pot either.
Flop: With multiple players in pot and little/no chance to scoop, hero plays passive and hopes others call.
Turn: With multiple players in pot and little/no chance to scoop, hero plays passive and hopes others call.
River: Hero calls hoping to get at least a quarter.

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Hero's stack at Level 3 break: 4875 @ 150/300 limits

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Razz
3rd Street:
Dead Cards: 6x 6x 8x
Hero: (6x 2x) 5x
(Hero doesn't remember bring in location.)

(3 players - ~8 1/4 small bets in pot)
4th Street:
Vil1: (Xx Xx) 8x 5x ____calls
Vil3: (Xx Xx) 6x 2x __bets
Hero: (6x 2x) 5x 9x __calls

(3 players - 5 5/8 big bets in pot)
5th Street:
Vil1: (Xx Xx) 8x 5x 7x ____calls
Vil3: (Xx Xx) 6x 2x 3x __bets
Hero: (6x 2x) 5x 9x 8x __tanks/folds

(2 players - 7 5/8 big bets in pot)
6th street
Vil1: (Xx Xx) 8x 5x 7x ??
Vil3: (Xx Xx) 6x 2x 3x Qx

Analysis:
3rd: Hero likely completes if folded to hero, but hero doesn't remember exact position. Hero could also consider raising a complete.
4th: Hero caught a semi-brick against 2 stronger boards. Hero's draw is pretty live, so hero continues.
5th: Hero could be in 3rd place. Hero's draw is semi-live. This is a borderline call or fold as hero only really beats bricks in the hole + hero's board has little implied value (98 showing).

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Stud
Hero made tight fold in BI with (6x 2x) 2x with 5 and 8 completing in late position steal.

Dead cards: Ax, Ax, 3x, 6x
Hero dealt (Tx 9x) 9x UTG

Analysis:
Does hero call/fold? This is one of those spots with a short stack that hero's unsure. Hero shows a lot of strength raising UTG, but hero is in really bad shape if reraised. Is this a complete/fold spot? Hero also is IP, but it is bad with an A who can continue to lead on most 4th street runouts.

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Hero's stack at level 5: 2k @ 200/400 limits

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Stud 8
Hero's hand: (As 2x) 8s

3rd street:
Vil1: (Xx Xx) 3x __brings in__fold
Vil2: (Xx Xx) 7x __fold
Vil3: (Xx Xx) Ax __complete
Vil4: (Xx Xx) 6x __fold
Vil5: (Xx Xx) 6x __fold
Vil7: (Xx Xx) 5x __fold
Hero: (As 2x) 8s __call

(2 players - 2 5/8 small bets in pot)
4th street:
Vil3: (Xx Xx) Ax Ax __bet
Hero: (As 2x) 8s 5x __fold

Analysis:
3rd street: Vil3 does not likely have split aces. A nitty play is to fold given hero's A is dead with 3 low cards and ace.
4th street: Hero's equity decreased greatly. In a cash game, hero is never folding. But, does hero call 4th with many dead low cards and little chance to scoop? Hero decides to fold.

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Side note: Rio's fire alarms started going off around level 3. No players move. Hero decides to check to see that there is no movement and no emergencies outside of Brasilia.

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LO8
Hero's stack: 2350 @ 200/400
Read: Vil7 was tighter than hero.

Hero dealt in BB: Ad 2d 4x Tx

Preflop:
Vil3: limps
Vil4: limps
Vil5: limps
Vil6: folds
Vil7: limps
Hero: calls
Vil1 (SB): calls
Vil2 (BB): checks

(6 players - 6 small bets in pot)
Flop: Ac Jc 4x
Vil4: bets
Vil7: raises
Hero: tanks/folds

Vil7: eventually shows Axxx with nut flush draw.

Analysis:
Preflop: Hero has no reason to raise since there is little fold equity preflop.
Flop: Hero was going to raise Vil4's bet, but Vil7 had been a nit. Hero decides to fold and try to pick a better spot.

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Hero saw this hand in LO8:

Board: 6x Tx 5x Ax 9x

Vil4: shows 6432r
Vil3: shows ATJJ
Vil2: shows AT32, and was betting the whole way

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LO8: Hero gets walk in SB

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Hero has 600 chips at 200/400 limits.

Stud
Read: Vil7 continued to be tight.

Dead cards: 2x, 2x, 7x, 3x
Vil7: (Xx Xx) Jx __completes
Hero: (6x 6x) 3x __tanks/folds

Analysis:
In a cash game, this is likely a fold since hero doesn't even have an overcard to villain's raise.
In a tournament, should this be a call and hope to be 40% equity with little to no fold equity?

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Unfortunately, hero doesn't find a spot and was paying bring ins and antes until hero was all in during stud 8 round.
For some reason, hero did not write down hand. Sigh.

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Overall, hero really did not get a lot going. Hero could not find much fold equity, nor could hero make many hands. There were also few profitable steal spots. Hero's table draw was not great. Hero was making correct reads on tightness of villains, but hero could not really do much given the situations.

Hero out in level 6 (about 1/3-1/2 way through the level). 772 total runners.