LAPC $2,500 No Limit Event, The Dragon and Me

Yesterday was the $2,500 No Limit Holdem event at the LAPC. I had a good starting table but was unable to get any chips early. I kept picking up pocket deuces and never hit the flop. Anytime I tried to take a pot down, I was re-raised. At the dinner break I had my same 5k in starting chips. The field started with 149 players and quite a strong field. With about 50 players left, I finally started to play. I began to be able to attack weak situations, and squeezed once and won a good pot. Then I doubled through David Baker when I had K Q and he had 5 5. I thought he wouldn't call my re-raise and put him on a small pair, so I thought with under half average chips it was a good place to try and do something. Generally I hate to be all in for a coin flip, but there was another player in the pot initially and I knew he couldn't call, and with the antes and blinds I was getting slightly better than 2:1 on my money. After catching a Queen on the turn I was up to 75% of average.

Things started to turn around at this point. I started getting playable hands and good situations. On the bubble I picked up 4 4 in the small blind in an unopened pot and raised 3 BB. The BB called and the flop came 9 5 4 . I led with a pot sized bet and he insta-called me. The turn was a beautiful 4, and I again led with a pot sized bet. He thought for a little while before calling. The river didn't matter and I moved all in for almost a pot sized bet. He goes into the tank forever, and in the background at the next table I hear Alan "Chainsaw" Kessler say "I'm not playing another hand until this one is over". My opponent finally mucks and I finally have above average chips. Now we are down to 18 players and I start picking up better hands. The deep stack in the event is at my table and he is playing very aggressively. I pick up A K on the button in an unopened pot and raise 4 BB. He re-raises me and I take my time but of course call. The flop comes K K 5. I bet about 40% of the pot thinking he will see this as weak, and he does and re-raises a full pot sized bet. I check the turn and he fires again. As Layne Flack says "Why do the pushing, when you got the donkey doing the pulling." I raise him all in, hoping he will see this as a move. He unfortunately gets away from the hand. A few hands Later I pick up A 10 on the button in a pot where it was opened in early position for 2.5 BB and there was one caller, already and I knew the BB was going to call, which he did. The flop came A A J. I was reasonably sure neither of them had the Ace and the aggressive kid in the BB bet out and we both called. The dream card an Ace came on the turn, and it was checked around to me and I bet and they both called. I can't even remember what came on the river but it was again checked around to me and I thought for a minute and tried to design a bet that would get me one caller. I bet 40% of the pot and they both called with the Jack. Then when one player at our table busted, a player needed to be moved to our table. I was kidding and said "Go over to that table and grab that Dragon by the tail and drag him over here." Wouldn't you know it they brought David the Dragon over to the table, me and my big mouth. He and I butted heads in a few pots, but we mostly squared off against the other players. At the end of play 11 remained and I had a small chip lead on the field. I am looking forward to playing later today.

http://www.cardplayer.com/players/results/Roy-Winston/36778

The Oracle