Play a Tournament With Me - Part I

I have recently written several columns in my "Play a Tournament With Me" series in which I chronicle hands that I played on the Professional Poker Tour (PPT) circuit. Today's column deals with the PPT event played at Bellagio in Las Vegas. As usual, I will write the facts about hands that I played and put my thoughts in italics.

My starting table was an interesting mix of players, many of whom I had known for 20 years or more. Here was my table's starting lineup, in seat order: Jay Heimowitz (winner of seven World Series of Poker bracelets), "Oakley" Greg Schwartz (a PPT exemption who is involved with Oakley sunglasses and who has become an excellent player), Doyle Brunson (no introduction needed for this poker legend), Berry Johnston (former world champion and Poker Hall of Famer), me, Dave Apostolico (poker book author/reporter), Billy Baxter (too many poker titles to mention), Jose Rosencranz (WPT winner), and Gary Bush (one of Europe's top players). I immediately knew that there was going to be some great table talk and some very witty conversation at this table. These players were not the typical young gun, mucho aggressive, rammin' and jammin' players. These guys were capable of "talking you out of a pot."

More than 220 players showed up for this event, which was truly a who's who of poker. Some of the tables were on the main cardroom floor, while others were in the beautiful Fontana Bar. I started out in the cardroom, with the rail full of spectators cheering for their favorite poker celebrities.

We started with $10,000 in chips, one-hour rounds, and blinds at $25-$50. My first four hands were rags, then I was dealt the K Q in the small blind. With four limpers, I tossed in a $25 chip to see the flop, which was A-9-8, all diamonds. (Good, I flopped the nut-flush draw.) I decided to check to see what the others would do, and it got checked around to Doyle, who bet $200. (Should I call or raise? I think that he is strong, and if I raise, Doyle might make a big reraise and I will be forced to fold my draw. If I just call, I might be able to get other callers, and I can draw at the flush cheaply.) I called and was heads up once the others folded. The turn card was a 9, pairing the board. I checked, and Doyle checked. (Good, a free card!) The river card was the 5. I tossed out a $500 chip and Doyle showed the J 10 and folded. (Good laydown, Doyle! The 7 or queen of diamonds would have been a brutal card for me, as Doyle would have made a straight flush.)

The next hand I played was pocket aces from middle position. Berry had limped in and I raised it to $200 and got two other callers. (I wish I had bet a little more. Many people like to play hands in the early rounds and try to get big flops so they can double up. Be careful!) I got what looked to be a good flop for my hand: 10-7-4. It was checked to me, I bet $600, and everyone folded. (Cool, I'm table chip leader!)

In the big blind, I was dealt K-6 offsuit. It was raised to $150, so I called $100 more. (Bad hand, but I might get a good flop, and the raise was small.) The flop was A-7-2, and I check-folded. I then folded my small blind (9-7 offsuit) when raised.

Players were doing a lot of limping in, trying to get big flops cheaply. I decided I would try to do the same thing when possible. After all, with $10,000 in chips, one can afford to take some speculative $50 flops. In middle position, I limped in with J-7 suited and folded after a complete miss.

I decided to get tricky on the next hand and limp in from early position with a pair of kings. (Hopefully, someone will raise and I can reraise.) Everyone except Doyle in the big blind folded. The flop was A-6-5. Doyle checked and I bet $200. He check-raised to $700, and I decided to fold. (I might have had the best hand, but it is too early to gamble. Why are kings such ace magnets?)

Near the button, I raised to $200 with A-6 offsuit and everyone folded. A few hands later, I limped in with K-J after three others limped in. With a flop of A-J-6, Gary Bush bet $225 and everyone folded. Another round of hands went by without my seeing even a facecard. In middle position, I limped in with J-10 suited after Doyle had limped in. Dave Apostolico raised to $200. Three players called, as did I. The flop was Q-7-6, and I had to check-fold.

My next round of blinds brought me 9-8 offsuit and 10-5 offsuit. I called $100 more with the 9-8 and completely missed the flop, and then folded for $150 more preflop with the 10-5.

Right about that time, Billy Baxter announced, "I've played three pots and won them all, and I'm only a $900 winner. This is the tightest table I've ever seen!"

Doyle responded, "Just think how you would feel if you were $1,000 stuck and needed to get even!"

In between hands, Billy, Doyle, Berry, and Jay talked about the good old days of poker and how much poker has changed in the three years since the WPT and Internet poker have become so popular. Doyle said, "I haven't played poker in a month … I sit at my desk all day long and the e-mails pour in." (I wonder if he misses playing.)

In the big blind, I called Billy Baxter's raise to $150 with 9-6 offsuit. The flop was J-6-2, and I checked and called a $200 bet. A 9 came on the turn and I checked; Billy thought for a minute, then bet $300. I check-raised to $1,000. As Billy folded, he joked, "Be sure to write in there that the sucker was bluffing and got caught."

Doyle immediately teasingly asked Billy, "What happened to that $900 you were winning?"

Billy joked back, "Yeah, I'm pretty sick about betting that $300 on the turn."

Soon, the timer rang, signifying the end of the round. I was the chip leader at the table with $10,725. Billy was right, this was a tight table. We hadn't had a called bet bigger than $300 the first hour.

Stay tuned for Part II in the next issue.

Now, let's play poker!

Linda is available to host poker events and seminars. You can contact her through her website at www.cardplayercruises.com. The list of 2006 poker cruises is now available on that site.