Play a Tournament With Me - Part II

In the last issue, I started chronicling the hands I played in the inaugural Professional Poker Tour (PPT) tournament. I left off at the end of round one, where I had increased my starting $10,000 stack to $13,000. My thoughts appear in italics.

The new level was $50-$100 blinds. In middle position, I was dealt A-K and raised to $250, and everyone folded. My blinds were ugly and I folded both of them to raises. Under the gun, I limped in with the A 8. Everyone folded except the blinds. The flop was A-K-5; they checked, and I bet $200 and won the pot.

The next entire round was nothing but rags, so I didn't get involved. There was a preflop raise on almost every hand, making limping impossible. In the big blind, I had 7-3 suited and folded to the button's raise.

I called the extra $50 with 10-3 suited in the small blind when everyone else had folded. The flop came A-10-2, and I checked to the big blind with the intention of raising if he bet. He checked. The next card was a queen, and I bet $200 and won the pot. In late position, I picked up A-6 offsuit. Everyone folded to me, and I bet $300 and took the pot.

I got to see a free flop in my big blind with J-6 offsuit. When I totally missed the flop, I checked and folded to a bet. My small blind was Q-10, and there was one limper, so I called $50 more. I bet $100 when the flop came A-K-K, and the big blind called. The limper raised to $400 and the big blind and I folded. I thought there was a chance that everyone had missed the flop, so I bet out, unsuccessfully.

The next two rounds brought very bad cards, so I had to keep folding to raises. I did see an interesting hand to share with you, however. Huck Seed raised from under the gun to $300 and Mimi Tran called. The flop came 10-7-3. Huck checked, Mimi bet $300, and Huck called. On the turn, a 9 came, and Huck checked and called a $1,000 bet from Mimi. A trey came on the river, and they both checked. Huck won the pot with pocket sixes. A few hands later, Mimi went broke to Huck's flopped set.

Dealt J-4 in the big blind, I folded to Chip Reese's button raise. I guess I'm going to have to start playing back at Chip soon, or he will continue to raise from the button every time it is my big blind. In the small blind, two players limped in, as did I with the Q 5. The flop was 10-8-7, and I checked and folded to a bet.

In middle position, I won the blinds when I raised to $300 with J-10 suited.

I liked my A-J in the big blind until Huck raised to $300 and Can Kim Hua reraised to $1,100. I folded. The next hand, I got A-7 offsuit in the small blind. Chip raised from the cutoff position to $400 and I reraised to $1,050. Chip grinned at me and quickly folded. I adore Chip, but I sure don't like him raising my blind every time. He is such a great, fearless player.

A few hands later, Spiro Mitrokostas got eliminated when he made two pair against a flush. Erick Lindgren and Doyle Brunson then came to my table. Uh-oh, it's getting tougher. These are two players I definitely don't want to face. Luckily for me, Erick is short-stacked and is seated to my right. Doyle has an average stack. I am thrilled to be able to play with this poker legend.

I got 7-6 suited and two players limped in ahead of me, so I limped in from near the button. I folded to a bet when I completely missed the flop.

The limits went up to $100-$200 blinds. I had $13,425, and 15 players had been eliminated.

I had decent hands in the blinds (K-9 and A-5), but both were raised from early-position players, so I gave them up.

Steve Zolotow made a standard opening raise and Erick Lindgren moved all in with a big raise. Steve thought for a while and called. Erick had K-K and Steve had A-K. The flop was small, but an ace on the turn sent Erick out of the tournament. Chip reminded him to smile nicely for the interview. Playing at a table with Chip and Doyle is very entertaining, since they both have a great sense of humor and wit. I just wish they weren't such great players!

I got no hands to play all that round, and then I picked up K-K in the big blind. Everyone folded. Where were you this time, Chip?

I was happy to call another $100 with K-9 suited in the small blind after Doyle limped in. The big blind raised $600 and Doyle and I folded.

A pot developed between Huck and Doyle a few hands later. Doyle was in the blind, and Huck had limped in from middle position. The flop was K-Q-6. Doyle bet $800 and Huck called. Doyle checked the turn when a 4 came. Huck bet $1,500 and Doyle called. The river card was a trey, and Doyle checked and called a $2,500 bet. Doyle showed top two pair (K-Q) and lost to Huck's trip sixes. I am impressed that Doyle managed not to go broke with that hand.

Avery Cardoza joined our table with only a few chips and managed to survive a few all-in battles. I enjoyed talking with this book publisher between hands.

I made an average-sized raise to $300 with K-J from middle position and got one caller. The flop was K-10-7, and I bet $500 and won the pot.

In the big blind, I had K-10 offsuit. There was one limper. The flop was A-10-6, and I bet $400 and won uncontested.

It was dinner break time. Yea, I made it to the dinner break. There are about 80 players left. I will continue this tournament column in the next issue.

Now, let's play poker!

Linda is available to host poker events and seminars. You can contact her at www.cardplayercruises.com.