Night of the Living Kicker

Went to play at the PJ's Midnight tourney - Doc Chako told me he was going to be there too, but we didn't trade phone numbers in time and I didn't know who to look for, so I missed the opp to hang out with another local fellow blogger. I don't think he was at my table because I don't remember seeing Aces cracked. Only Kings... gee, imagine that, Pocket Kings losing at PJ Pockets....

Anyways, I played a good game. I made bets at the right time and laydowns when necessary. One nice pot I took early on was with QJ in the BB and a few limpers, so I took the free flop. QQx (trips!). I bet out right away and only the button called, as well as my Turn bet. River was a flush/straight scare card and we checked it through... he had 99 and thought I was bluffing. Who, me? Bluffing? Never! ;)

I made a raise with KQs and the short-stacked BB pushed. It was only a few hundred more back to me so I called... 78s and he flopped an 8. That's okay, it was early... I still had enough chips to fire at and buy a few pots here and there to stay alive. A few rounds in, I isolate another short-stack with AQ versus 66. Turn an Ace, but he Rivers a 6. Yowza. As I slow down to sit back and watch, it turns out I'm not the only one losing every race/kicker battle - it seemed almost every All-in showdown had the dominating hand getting outdrawn.

I see AK versus A8 and the Flop comes AAx, and then a snowman on the turn. KJ verus KT - a Jack on the Flop only helps to complete a Straight for KT. Then it was my turn. I make a push with A2s and get called by A9 and AK. A Duece on the Turn and I triple up! This being the trend for the night, I should have mucked the next time I had AK, because I was up against AT... and of course I lost.

Then came the undeniable proof that it was a night for the underdog, although it should have been obvious from the get-go - the Cowboys did end up beating the Eagles earlier that evening!

I'm down to about T3000 at the final table and have to put in 800 for the BB. It gets folded to the chip-leader on the button who raises to T2000. He's a solid player who knows what he's doing, so I put him on a definite blind steal. I have A9 and re-raise All-in. He tells me, "Nice hand," but calls anyways and shows his A3. I don't even get a chance to enjoy a moment of self-satisfaction for making the right play when the dealer flops out 353. There's a 9 on the River just to signify my 9th place finish.

I don't fault the button for making that move (he ended up chopping first/second for $500)... it's a play I would have made in his position. And I really didn't have any major leaks in my game that night either... just kept getting outflopped. The turnout for these things have been nice... 3 full tables + 4-5 alternates, and first place has been over $700 the last few times I've been there.

Since I've been running decent in tourneys, I've been focusing on MTTs at PokerStars. Signed up for a $20+2 MTT, and played in a $5 3-table SnG while waiting for the other to start. I busted out by going in the best hand, AK of Spades, and losing to KJ of Clubs on a ridiculously uncooperative flop - J high with two clubs.

Luckily, the $20 started off great, with my first hand being Q8 spades in the BB and getting to see the Ace and King of Spades on the flop. I bet out and was called by someone who actually flopped two-pair. If he had pushed on the flop, I might have bucked out; but he waited until I got the Nut flush on the Turn to put me All-in. Ooops, did I just hit the Call button? I managed to stay right around the average stack size for the next 3 hours, and the Curse of the Kicker seemed to have worn off. I lost a race, AQ versus Tens, and finished in the top 20 out of ~650 for an $80 pay. The $3400 for first would have been nice, but I'll take what I can get.

Hoping Wil runs another West Coast Warm-Up tomorrow, otherwise I look forward to playing against familiar names on Saturday. See you all at the final table... just be careful not to call any All-ins with the better hand!