2009 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure - Part II

In my last column, I discussed day one of the $10,000 buy-in PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. We started the tournament with 20,000 in chips, and I had slightly more than doubled my stack by the end of the second level. It was a great start for me, and I had high hopes of making it through the day with a sizeable stack. I had a good line on the play of everyone at my starting table, and was confident that I could continue to be successful.

In the third level, the blinds stayed at 100-200, but we now had an ante of 25. A loose raiser made it 550 to go, and he got six callers, including me. I was holding the A Q and was wary of making a big play at the pot with this many callers. I have gone broke many times with A-Q, and am always careful with this hand, especially early in a tournament. The flop came J 2 2. It was unlikely that the deuces helped anybody in a raised pot, but someone could easily have a jack. It was checked all the way around, and the A came on fourth street. Now, someone could have a flush, or at least a draw to a flush, so when the original raiser came out betting 2,000, I had a decision to make. Everyone had folded, so it was up to me. I had won a big pot against this same player earlier when my pocket kings held up. He had called a decent-size raise with A-J out of the blind, flopped a jack, and went to the river with it. I knew that he was definitely on the loose side, but he also could have A-K. I finally decided to call and see what the river card was. It was the 5 - a complete blank. He fired again, this time betting 5,500, and I was being put to the real test. Well, it was obvious that folding now would make no sense, since I had already called fourth street. So, I called, and he quickly mucked his hand without showing it - a complete bluff.

The only other hand I played at this level occurred when I limped in from under the gun with pocket sixes. This is a play that I don't usually recommend from this position, but the blinds were still small for the amount of chips in play, and I had a large stack, so I thought it was time to gamble a bit. The player on my immediate left raised to 750. He was one of the young Internet whiz kids playing in this tournament, and I believed he was a very solid player. I called the raise, and we were now heads up. The flop came A 6 5. I had flopped a set, and I checked it. He bet 1,150, and I smooth-called. The turn card was the Q. A flush was now possible, and I felt that my hand needed to be protected, so I fired out a bet of 3,000. He thought for a while, and finally called. I put him on an ace with a big kicker, so I believed I had the best hand. The river brought the 4. This time, I bet 6,500, and he went into the tank. It was almost painful to watch him agonize over what to do. Finally, he folded. It was a very good laydown, indeed, since it was for a substantial part of his stack if he had called. When the level ended, I had 54,350 in chips and was the chip leader at the table.



In the fourth level, the blinds went up to 200-400, with a 50 ante. I won the two pots that I played at this level. In the first one, I made it 1,200 to go from middle position with the K Q. I got called in three places. The flop came Q-9-3 rainbow. I bet out 5,000, and a player went all in for an additional 2,000, which was an automatic call. It was the same player who had lost to my kings and then bluffed off his chips to me when I held A-Q. He turned over J-10 offsuit, hoping to hit his open-end straight draw. Again, no luck for him, and I busted him. In the other hand that I won, a player made it 1,100 to go and I reraised him, making it 3,000 to go. He called, and checked when the flop came down K-4-4. I bet 4,000, and he folded.

In the fifth level, the blinds were 300-600, with a 75 ante. I did not play any serious pots at this level, and mostly just folded. I ended the level with 51,950 in chips and was still in excellent shape. So far, I had not been in any serious jeopardy, and felt that I was in control. This tournament story will conclude in my next column.

Tom McEvoy is a representative of PokerStars. He also represents PicClub, a new and legal way to fund online accounts in the United States and elsewhere. Tom also gives private lessons; you can check out his website at www.tommcevoy.com.