Caribbean Poker Classic 2008; securing a final table seat in the 400$ +40$ buyin tournament

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Mark | Caribbean Poker Classic 2008

This article is a part of the Caribbean Poker Classic 2008 series. Follow the link to read more about how I got to go on the trip in the first place.

I left you last time with a picture of Artur and I sitting at the same table in the 400$ tournament. Since this is were my story starts again I will include the picture once more (a good picture can never be shown to often right? :-))

Notice the guy scratching his face to the right of Artur? We talked to him in the casino the night before the tournament and it turned out he was also from Denmark. As the conversation progressed we learned that he was in fact the same guy Artur had beaten head’s up in the online satellite to the main event of the Caribbean Poker Classic 2008. In the final hand they were all in preflop, Artur with 99 and the Danish guy with JJ. The flop was 8910 and Artur ended up winning the hand and the 2700$ entry to the main event. It seemed like the hand had left a mental scar on our Danish friend. I trust it was a great satisfaction for him to bust Artur out of the tournament…here’s how it went down:

As I recall I was in late position and looked down at 55. Artur being shortstacked pushed all in and the Danish guy also pushed all in. The action was folded to me and I decided to fold and hope for Artur to double up. In the showdown the Danish player showed AA and Artur flipped over 55!!! What are the odds of that happening? Knowing Artur was almost drawing dead I couldn’t help smiling a bit at the whole situation…revenge is sweet.

During the following hours I played 4 or 5 key hands at the new table to secure my seat at the final table:

• I had about 10000 chips and the blinds were 300/600 with 100 antes when I picked QK clubs in middle position. I put in a raise of 2000 and got reraised 1200 by the Danish guy. I called. The flop was 857, one club. I checked and the Danish player checked behind me. At this point I began to suspect that he hadn’t hit the flop. The turn was 9 of clubs giving me a flush and a gutshot straight draw. I bet 2000 trying to make it look like a value bet, and at the same time deciding to push all in if I was reraised. The Danish played folded after some consideration and later revealed that he was trying to put pressure on me with two high cards.
• Raised to 1400 with 77 only to be reraised all in by a short stack player with 5000 chips left. In hindsight I probably should have folded instead of risking 1/3 of my stack, but I ended up calling and he showed QQ which held up. Back to square one.
• In middle position with A10 (M around 5-6) I got a raise in front of me. I pushed all in (again in hindsight I probably should have folded this one and waited for a better spot, A10 is a borderline push if you are first to act, but not good enough if you have a raise in front of you) and was called by AQ. I picked up a flush on the river with my 10 and won the hand. Remember you have to be lucky two or three times in a tournament when you are behind….this was one of my lucky hands.
• I was down to about 7500 chips with blinds 400/800 and antes 100 when I looked down at 98 unsuited. I decided to push all in and got called by AK. A 9 on the flop saved me….this was the second lucky hand.
• I raised in late position with AK and the big blind went all in. I instant called and he showed Q10. I won the hand.
• I called a small stack all in with Q9 suited in late position. A guy from Sweden who had me covered also called from the big blind position. The flop was Q23, and I decided to go all the way with the hand if necessary. I checked hoping for a bet from the Swede, but he checked behind me. The turn was a 9 and in my eagerness over hitting two pairs I bet 9000, which in hindsight was probably too much since the Swede folded. Perhaps I could have made him bet if I had checked the turn. He was semi-aggressive and I had seen him play some strange hands earlier. The short stack who went all in preflop showed A3, and I won the hand. The Swede commented that he had me out kicked with a better Q, so his check on the flop might have been an attempt to trap me. I an now thinking that I definitely should have checked the turn.

The Q9 hand left me with 38600 chips and shortly after we were 9 left in the tournament. The final table was to be played the following night which gave me a whole day of anticipation:-)

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