Shorthanded Freezeout - €30 19/02/2006

I played in Oscar's €30 FO yesterday afternoon, a fun way to spend your Sunday afternoon. The format varies from shorthanded, to shootout, to full-handed, and I have had a good bit of success here and there making it to the money.

There were 8 tables starting off yesterday, with either 6 or 7 per table, so about 50 runners in all. It is a self-deal tournament, and I volunteered to deal for the table - faster than passing the cards along each hand, with some players very inexperienced. Also I like to sit on the high chair :) We start off with 4k in chips and blinds of 25/50, with a 30 minute clock. During the first few hands, I dealt myself KK on the BB (hope it didn't seem suspicious) and with two limpers raised it to 200 to go. One caller. The flop was dealt 228 rainbow, and I fired off a bet of 300, which was called. The turn was a 7, and bet another 500, called again. My opponent was fairly inexperienced, and I reckoned I was ahead, he either had a mid-high pair or Ax. The turn was a slight scary 8, I bet another 1k, if he had A8 I would pay him off, but that's poker. He called with 44 for a smaller two pair and I was off to a nice start.

An orbit later I was in the BB again. Two limpers, the SB competes and I check with 74o. I deal the flop: 742 rainbow. Well well, doesn't this look nice! Checked around to me and I make it 300 to go, can't even think about slow-playing this, I've been caught so many times stupidly slow-playing a 'big blind special' and getting caught on the turn or river. Immediately, UTG raises to 650...hmmm. Does he have a set? I don't think so, but he does have me covered, so I decide to be careful and flat call his raise. The turn was a 9, and we both check. The turn was an ace, I check and he bets 1k, which I call for two reasons...he was possibly playing with Ax (x being a picture card) and trying to steal it despite missing the turn and river and secondly, I wanted to see what he was playing with! He had A7. I completely messed the hand up, making mistakes on each street. I *should* have re-raised / pushed after his raise on the flop. He said later he would have called (holding TPTK) but I don't think so.

A few hands later I was in the SB and completed after 2 others limped, the BB checked and the flop was Q8x rainbow. I had 87s. I made min raise and only one of my opponents called. The turn was a lovely 8...I checked, as did he. The river was a rag, and I bet 300. He immediately min-raised me...he is a strong player so I simply called. He had Q8 for a house...we both had sneakily checked on the turn :)

I was in trouble now, less than 1500 with the blinds up to 75/150. I pushed on the button with A7o, the BB called with A2s (claimed he couldn't but call, for 60% of his stack), a high flop and turn ensured a split pot. A few hands later I pushed with 55, was called by the chip leader with AQs, a Q on the flop sent me home after a little more than an hour played.

So far this year - played 14 live tournaments, cashed in 6. Will include a proper listing of my finishes and cashes in a later post.