$200K Satellite Adventure

Last night I played in a Satellite tournament at Full Tilt Poker.  The Satellite was for their $200k tournament.  It was also like a freeroll because I used my player points to enter.

My motivation for entering was not really to win, even though I wanted to.  It was really to assess where my tournament skills where at today.  I must say, I left that tournament with a great deal of confidence.  More than I normally have.

There was only one payoff spot at that was first place.  The prize…entry into the $200k tournament worth $257.

Going into the tournament and had a few things in mind:
1. Play is going to be loose because the cost to enter was relatively low.  I want to find who are the players who don't care if they win or lose and get them to risk all their chips against me.

2. I want to play tight.  I don't want to play crappy hands so I'm going to use Dan Harrington's starting hand suggestions in his book, "Harrington on Hold'em"

3. Selective Aggression.  Since I'm tightening up on starting hands, any pot that I enter, I'm always raising pre-flop and post-flop.  If I'm losing on the turn and river, I'm going to give up my hand.

4. I want to steal blinds if I can.  Phil Gordon in his seminar at the ESPN zone said that stealing blinds is important to survival.

Following this strategy, I placed 6th in a field of 140 players.  My only regret was that there wasn't any money for the final table.  This was also some of my best poker too.

I was getting good cards building my stacks and that gave me the confidence to bluff more.  In fact this was the first time that I stayed ahead of average from the get go.  I was in first place for most of the tournament until the last three tables.  I lost my lead not due to anything I did, but some real bonehead all-ins that would double-up my closest opponents.

Near the end, I was in third place until a bad beat and a bad decision knocked me out.

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Here's some hands of note:

My first double up - There was a player at my table, who was playing like a maniac (seat 4).  He was three seats to my right, so he was in early position every time I was in the blinds.  In fact, he was raising every time he was in early position.  My suspicion was that he was stealing blinds with anything.  And he was always raising with big cards and suited connectors.  I was dealt K-9 suited in early position and Seat 4 came in raising.  It was a standard raise. So I called and we're heads up.

The flop comes in K-8-4 rainbow.  I check because I want to see what he does.  He bets the pot.  His past behavior is that he's always raising the pot when he misses or catches a small part and he's all-in with a significant hand.  I basically didn't put him on anything to beat my Kings, so I raise him over the top and he folds.  Later to find he had Jacks.  Good fold.

A few hands later, I'm dealt Queens in early position and I come in with a standard raise.  Seat 8 decides to call me.  The flop comes off K-Q-9 giving me trips.  Again, I check and seat 8 bets. I'm thinking he has Kings, so I'm going to trap.  I call his bet.  The turn comes a five.  I check, he bets and I double his bet.  He raises me again and I go all-in.  The river comes an Ace and my opponent flips over 7-8 suited.  He went all-in on a gutshot straight draw.  Amazing.  I'm now in the chip lead.

When in the chips lead, I like to hang back.  I will get aggressive with some hands, but I'm not going to risk my lead or significant chips to lose during a fancy play.

My strategy is really working until we're down to two tables.  I'm in third at this point.  On two occasions, I had pocket Aces and no callers.

I'm now dealt pocket Queens.  I raise and seat 9 calls my bet.  The flop comes rags, nothing over ten.  I bet the pot.  Seat 9 reraises and I go all-in.  My queens are up against his aces.  I lose about half my chips.  With the play down to two tables, it was right for me to do this.  I just hate losing.

I'm now in the middle of the pack chip-wise.  We get to the final table, and I find myself in down to 6 players with about 20,000 in chips.  I'm dealt Ace-Queen in middle position.  I raise and seat 9 calls.  Seat 9 is now down to 13,000 in chips and short-stacked.  The flops comes rags.  I check. Seat 9 comes in with the minimum bet.  Pot odds dictate I call. The turn comes a Queen and seat 9 comes in with the minimum bet.  Thinking I have the best hand, I put time all-in.  He quickly calls.  He flips over Q-8 but an 8 came on the flop and I'm beaten by two pairs.

I'm down to 8,000 in chips and I'm tired.  I was dealt K-x.  I go all-in and steal the blinds and antes.  I'm now dealt Q-J.  I go all-in and steal the blinds and antes.  I'm now up to 10,000 in chips.  Next I get Ace-8 suited in the big blinds.  I go all-in and I have one caller with Ace-9.  I'm out.