Complete Recap of Bellagio 3000 Win

The following is a complete recap of my win at Bellagio 3000. I'll recount the experience to the best of my ability:

On day 1 I found a table that looked pretty good. I think I recognized just two players in Gerson Mosbacher and Scott Montgomery. Amazingly, both of these men also made the final table. Throughout the next few hours the table got tougher though as TJ Cloutier, Bertrand "Elky" Grospellier and Chad Batista were all eventually moved in. Early on I quickly chipped my 9000 up to 16000 but then gave a few back to Montgomery in an interesting pot. A dude limped UTG, I raised AhKd to 225 right behind him, Montgomery called 175 more in the BB and the limper called. Flop K43 two spades. Check, Check, I bet 400. Montgomery called. Turn Ac. Montgomery checked, and I decided to get a little creative and check behind. I didn't think he had much and was willing to let one come off. The river was a 7. Montgomery bet 700 into like 1500. I raised to 2200 and he thought five seconds and called. I said "Aces up," and he turned over a set of threes. I was lucky not to lose more here. A little while later I found black Aces up front and raised to 300. This dude called 300 and then to my delight Montgomery slid all 5100 of his remaining chips in from the SB. I couldn't believe it. I called and Montgomery showed me two tens. The board came x x x x T. I played with Scott for almost the entire tournament and this is one of the few clear mistakes I saw him make, as there is no way this can be profitable if you know how tight I'm opening up front at 50/100. Nonetheless, I was down to 6000 or something. I doubled shortly after against this megafish though. The mega open limped the cutoff, SB completed I checked 74o. Flop 653 rainbow. Check, Check, guy bet 550, SB folded and I raised to 1300. Guy thought 30 seconds then moved me all-in and showed me A6o. The turn was another 6, but he missed on the end.

Later I picked some up against TJ. I found ATcc in the cutoff and raised to 300. Cloutier called from the SB and the BB called. Flop A99r. Checked around. Turn T. Cloutier bet out 700. BB folded and I called. River 6. TJ started reaching for chips so quickly that I felt he couldn't have even interpreted the river card. To my delight though he bet just 700 again. I might even toss my hand if he bets something like 1700, but instead I valueraised it to 3100. TJ pretty quickly called and I said, "Top two." My hand was good. TJ said I needed every bit of the ten, and I believe him.

Later I picked up a huge pot for almost a full double to bust a guy. A dude raised to 600, a guy called 600, SB called 500 more and I called 400 more with K7hh. Flop 875 with two diamonds and one heart. SB checked, and I decided to lead out 1500. Both the guys in position folded but the SB called. I obviously put him on some sort of draw. Turn 2h. SB checked and I settled on betting 3300 with my second pair and second nut flush draw. Guy thought for 30 seconds and called. I'm not sure the guy's name but he's semi-regular and I know he wouldn't call me on the turn with a draw only, so I felt he had a hand like 76 now. I fully intended bluffing him all-in for his last 8000 on just about any river. The river was a cute Kc. The guy checked and I announced all-in for value. He called me pretty quickly and turned up 75o for two pair. I said, "No good," and turned up my hand. I don't think he was too happy.

A little while later I got moved to a new table. Montgomery was moved from the other table as well and placed to my direct left with a ton of chips. I then won a huge race where I was relegated to racing off a ton of chips when this guy opened to 3000 at 3/600 in the cutoff and I just moved him in for his 20000 total with AKcc from the BB. He called and showed JJ. The board came x x x x A! and the guy slammed the table so hard that it knocked some of Montgomery's chips over across the table, lol. I think this put me at like 55000, but I dribbled a bit and found myself around the average of 36000 with 50 players left. A little while before dinner my buddy Keith Lehr was moved to the table. It was an interesting dynamic because Keith and I wagered a 1500 dollar last longer bet on the tournament. I picked up a few more chips in this pot against this random Euro. Montgomery and I had been very active and I thought the Euro was sick of it. I raised KQo from MP to 1600 or whatever and he raised to 5000. I just didn't believe him, so I decided to call and maybe stop n go the flop for his last 12000. The flop came T97. I moved in and he thought and folded.

We lost Keith just before dinner, and I took like 35000 or something to the break with the average around 50 and 39 players left with 18 paying. I chipped up a little bit more in an interesting one against Montgomery in blind vs blind. I completed 72dd and he checked. Flop KJ5 or something with two clubs. I bet and he called. Turn Qc maybe? Can't remember I just know that I totally whiffed the board and the turn was a third club. Check-Check. River offsuit blank. I thought and bet 7000 into 8000 and Scott thought a long time and folded. If I lost this pot I would've been in a lot of trouble with only like 10 blinds left.

We got down to 27 players and redrew. I drew the worst of the 3 with Stu Patterson, Alex Kravchenko and William Thorsson all at my table. I really battled at this table to stay afloat as we were playing 1/2000 and then 1500/3000. I got really lucky with 22 players left when I moved in from the cutoff for 40000 at 1500/3000 with QTo and Stu moved in over the top from the SB and showed me Aces. I flopped about as well as I could hope without taking the lead when it came 987 with two spades. I had the Qs but Stu had the As. The turn was the 6s and the river was the 2c. Not too much else happened and I finished the night with 101500 after we reached the money. Sixteen of us went to day two and the average was around 120000.

My eight handed day 2 table had Alessio Isaia, Stu Patterson, Narendra Banwari, Pete de Best, Scott Montgomery and a random guy. It was definitely the toughest of the two tables and we had all the chips at our table. I actually blinded down from 102000 to 72000 playing 3/6000 before I was finally able to get a chip in the pot. I took down the huge blinds and antes a couple times and then to my delight they moved me with 12 players left to balance the tables. I had only like 115000 when I got to this table but amazingly I was like second in chips because everyone was crippled to like 10 blinds. I liked this though and I was ready to gamble a lot because I thought a few of the guys were going to try to just fold to the final table. I was able to chip up nicely to like 140000, but it wasn't without sweat. I felt like one of the guys were gonna snap off one of my shoves because they had to be getting sick of it. Then, I raised to 18000 at 4/8000 with JTo from UTG and Gerson Mosbacher decided to go with his last 23000 total from the button. I called and he showed Q9hh. I missed.

I then doubled up a crippled Jacobo Fernandez on three different occasions. The first time he moved in for 25000 at 4/8000 from the button and I called with T8dd. He showed K4o. I lost. Next, he moved in for 26000 and I called with 87o in the BB and couldn't catch up to his Q6o. Finally, he was crippled to 10000 at 4/8000 and limped UTG. I had a trivial raise with 86dd to 17000 to isolate with the numbers I was getting to call against his random hand. The others folded and Fernandez showed me 87cc, lol. Flop 6 but turn 7. I could tell a couple of the guys at my table were not happy with me isolating on the FT bubble, but I'm playing to win the tournament.

We finally got to the 10 handed table. We quickly lost a couple of the tiny stacks, and then once again I got extremely lucky. I open shoved 122000 playing 6/12000 from EMP with 66. Jacobo rallied hardcore and had me covered. He announced all-in from the SB and I knew I was in trouble. He showed me KK and then was a complete gentleman when the board came A964Q. We lost a couple more and I'd chipped up a bit more after beating Montgomery out of a blind vs blind pot. I raised AKo to 36000 from the SB and Montgomery called. Flop AK5 rainbow. I decided to check. Montgomery bet just 30000. I thought and raised to 80000. He quickly folded. Five handed I was second overall in chips. I raised A6o from the button and Montgomery moved in 11 blinds from the SB. I called and he showed me A4ss. We chopped. The very next hand I raised two jacks in the cutoff to 44000. Montgomery moved in from the button for like 180000and then unbelievably the chipleader, the Italian Alessio Isaia looked at his cards and instantly moved in over the top and had my 625000 slightly covered. I thought for like one minute and just folded. I know some people press call here, but I was content with my position and liked the table dynamic. Montgomery showed A8o and I was shocked to see just AJcc from Isaia. The board came a gross Q997Q or something, so they chopped and we didn't even lose Montgomery.

A few minutes later, five handed I pulled off one of the most memorable bluffs of my career. Pete de Best opened the button to 46000, Banwari called in the SB and I called 30000 more with Q8cc. Flop T53 with two clubs. Banwari checked, and I intended on CRAI de Best for his 300000ish. Pete checked. Turn Td. Banwari checked, and I decided to stab for 70000. de Best thought for 30 seconds and folded, then Banwari called me pretty quickly. I was rather confident he was weak, and fully intended on bluffing the river if I missed. River 7d. Banwari checked and I thought for 10 seconds and then bet 165000. He had only 190000, so if he CRAI I was going to have to make an embarrasing fold for the ridiculous odds. Banwari tanked for eight long minutes. It was absolute torture. He started talking to me, but I just sat there. He eventually asked me if I'd show if he folded, and I actually considered going way out of character and answering him. I'm not sure whether I would've said yes or no. Finally he said, "I know I'm folding the best hand," and tossed his cards in the muck, telling the table that he paired the 3 on the board. I decided to show the bluff because I felt it would be good metagame since the table was shorthanded and I planned on nitting it up for the most part. If he calls then I'd've been down to just like 105000 playing 8/16000.

I then got lucky to bust Pete de Best. I raised A9o to 45000 five handed from the CO and de Best thought and then defended from the BB, leaving himself about 150000. The flop was J98. Pete checked and I felt I had no choice but to move in. I thought there was a chance he had a monster like KK or something, but I decided to gamble. He snap called and my heart sunk. He showed me QJ. That wasn't a problem for long though as I turned an Ace. He missed on the river.

I now had about 1.1 million with only 1.9 million in play. We lost Montgomery a couple hands later to get 3 handed.

Early on three handed I got sick lucky for all my chips. I raised AQo on the button and Alessio reraised to like 170000 from the SB. Banwari tanked and folded the BB. I moved in for 625000 or so and Alessio snapped me off with QQ. Banwari immediately told us that he folded an Ace. No problem, Axxxx. Still, 3 handed Banwari raised the button and I found the perfect KK in the SB. I toyed with calling but decided to raise to 125000. Banwari called leaving himself just 170000 behind. The flop was T44. I thought and then settled on moving him in for his remaining chips. Obviously checking to give him some rope would be perfectly fine too, but I felt he'd call me with a ton of pairs and a ton of Ace highs as well.

Amazingly I found KK the very next hand on the button. I raised and to my delight Banwari moved in from the BB. I snapped and he showed me A5o. Flop K98 though and I only had to fade exactly 8-7 or 7-8 on the end. Turn x. We got heads up and I had 1.55 million to Alessio Isaia's 360000. On the very first hand he raised the button and I found A5dd and moved him in. I felt like he was kind of in give up mode, and that thought was atleast somewhat confired when he called and showed me KTo. I had a chance to win the title right here, but was unable to finish him when the board came 6d4s2sKdKc. A few hands later he beat me in the only big non-all in hand we played. He raised to 55000 at 10/20000 and I called with 65cc. Flop 642 one club. I led out 80000. He called. Turn 9h. I made a clear mistake and checked to him with absolutely no plan. This is certainly a bet, and as I write this I am still angry with myself for checking. He checked behind. River Q. I decided to check. He bet 170000. I finally decided on call. It is really, really close. It's a classic case of leveling where I know that he knows that I know that he has an Ace or a Four in his hand. It's a matter of whether he hit the Q on the end or not. He showed me AQ. A couple hands later an unbelievable pot came up to give me a full double. He raised the button and for the first time I reraised him heads up with AhKd. He moved in and I quickly called. He showed me red Jacks, so we had a sick heads up hand for 1.5 million in chips. The Ad came right in the door and the rest of it rolled out A54 all diamonds. He was dead to the two jacks, and even if he hit one on the turn I'd have a redraw. He missed. Two hands later he had 300000 total and limped the button. I thought this would be a good spot to raise to 75000 total with just about any two, and if he limp/shoved I'd fold. I found J9o and did so. He quickly called 55000 more. Flop T94 two clubs. Again I felt my only option was to move in like 1.4 times the pot. He snapcalled and my heart sunk again. He showed me what I thought was J8cc from the other end of the table, but it wasn't until I double checked that I saw it was Jc8s, so he had a lot fewer outs. As long as I could fade a Q or a 7 it would be all over. The turn was a 3. The river was a 5, and the title was mine :)

With the win I move up to 22nd in the Player of the Year race, which is pretty cool. Sadly, there is almost no chance I'll be able to compete for it since I'll miss most of the events this fall while I'm in school.

I'll be honest, this whole experience right now feels like deja vu from 2006. I couldn't be happier with where my career is right now. It is especially gratifying after all of the heartbreak and trying times that I experienced in 2007. I owe a ton of my recent success my roommate basebaldy who sat down with me in late 2007 and basically helped me totally revamp my tournament game to a game that suits the way NLHE is played nowadays. I appreciate all the texts, calls, emails, facebook messages, etc. All of your kind words mean a ton to me.

It is especially cool that I was able to win a Bellagio Cup sanctioned event, since that is the series that I really destroyed in 2006. Back in action tomorrow in the 5000 dollar tournament.

SS