Hello everyone, this weekend I was playing in one of the LSPF tournaments. That was the first life poker game experience (except home games). What could I say about tournament? it was really good organized. Because there is not buyin and only monthly fee, I thought that players will do crazy things like in freerolls, but I was wrong. Of course there was a lot of unexperienced players, but almost all players was trying to play solid just like in big tournament for big price.
First day was really good for me. We started with 20k chips and I was growing my stack all day long. There was one hand where I should to loose, but fortune was in my side. I beat one guy with jacks and he had kings. But I think that should call him, because he had about 10k in chips and I had something about 40k. So that was a level when he should push with wide range of hands. After that I was moving up and finish day as chip leader in my table and in Top 5 by chips that day.
Day 2 was much more interesting for me because my table was much stronger. In my left was sitting two tight players, next player was shortstack and that seat was changing couple times. Next player seems a good young and aggressive player who know what he is doing. After him was siting very aggressive player witch was pushing on every flip and bluffing a lot, but after an hour or smth. like that he was cached and in his seat was playing other players who wasn't staying for long. Next two players was tight and they was really liking limp in the pot. I saw how one of them limp in the pot with aces. Player who was sitting two seats in my right was another young generation good and aggressive player. And in my right was sitting player which was in my table in first day. I know that he is tight, but really like 3-bet and 4-bet.
This day starts pretty good. I was chip leader at the table and almost all players at my table had more than average. In the beginning I steal some blinds but I was playing tight and I was growing my chip stack slowly. My chip stack reach the top after this hand: I was in big blind, everybody folds and small blind (good and aggressive player) raise to 4k (level 11, 800-1,600, 200 ante), I check my cards and found 69o and I decide to call. Flop is golden for me 6c6h3c, opponent raises to 5k and I call. Turn is 8c and opponent bet 12,5k, I decide to reraise because come a third club and his range is very wide that could be anything. So I reraise to 25k and he fold. After hand he said that he had AQ. After that my chip stack starting melting. I lost about 10k vs short stack after I try to steel blinds. I raise to 4k with 67s and shortstack pust all in to about 10k, everyone folds, I was pot committed so I call, he show AQ and win the pot. I think I still had the most chips at the table, but card didn't come at all. I think I was sitting couple hours without any card which could play. After long time I got 78s and I steel the blinds. After that hand I got the best card that night: ATs, I raise another man call me and another squeeze and I had to fold. And again I had to search spots how to play without hands and search spots to fold. Finally at the last level of the day I was where I started in about 80k, blinds was 2k-4k with 500 ante. So I had only 20bb. I was sitting in early or middle position and opponent in my right bet about 10k and I found JJ in my hand, I decide to push all in in this spot. I think that was the best decision, because if I would call that would be very difficult to play that hand postflop, especially if someone else would call from later position. In my opinion, to 3-bet light is also bad decision. Lets say, I bet to 25k-30k and my opponent call. The pot is about 70k and I have only 50K. Lets say overcard comes and I have very difficult decision again. So I push all in and my opponent call. He shows AK and we have coin flip. K shows on the flop and I am out of the tournament.
I think a lot about that last hand and I think I played it in optimal way. To sum up, I was lucky in first day card was coming and I had a lot of spots to increase my stack. But in the second day wasn't getting any playable hands. I really don't like to play with J2 or smth like that. But I like how I played. I was making good decisions. And unfortunately I lost, but thats poker and that happens.
