CStone Takes 3rd in Stars Daily 80K!

PokerStars Daily $80K. 2150 runners, the ususal stars big field. I always enjoy this one nonetheless and have cashed in it a few times, though nothing massive. If nothing else, the big field buys you plenty of play for your dollars. The standard is usually pretty average, I’d say slightly worse than the norm for a $55buy in event.

So off to my usual tight start, while the blinds are low.

First hand of any note, my 9cTc takes down a 550 pot vs a very conservatively played AK. Nice enough. Followed by 400 gained from a Jd9d on a 9 high flop. Then my first premium hand of the session, AKs, raise, get one caller, flop comes K high. Bet two thirds of the pot and he calls. Turn an Ace, giving me top 2, he folds to my turn bet. 600 chips.

Then my first real big pot. I limp A8, CO and BB come along for the ride. Flop AJ8 two diamonds. Take the risk and play it slow, just calling CO’s flop and turn bets. BB folds. Turn and river are 5 then 6 no diamonds. Bet smallish on the river, hoping to induce and he obliges with a re-raise to 950. I re-raise and he folds – a nice 3,000 chips.

Flop trip 7s in the SB shortly after, but can’t get any action. Then raise with JJ, flop comes with two aces, but my cbet works. Then lose 600 when my 55 loses to JT on a J9993 board. Nasty river call on my part!

My first lucky hand results in a big pot when I call a raise with AJ and board comes 5J4 two clubs. Oppo (holding AcKc) fires out a large cbet with his flush draw and I put him in. Turn and river are 8 then Ace and my hand holds up to double me up to 9,000 chips with the average around 4,000.

Nice 600 pot with 66 vs QK, neither of us improve. I start using my stack to steal/bully a little more. Resteal a 3x raise with 8Ts, flop middle pair and cbet takes it down. Nice 2300 pot.

Next hand, I get QQ and my raise gets one caller. Flop comes K high, I cbet and he calls, which I’m not liking much. We both check the turn (Th) and then he fires a smallish river bet after a 6d appears. I call and he shows A10! 4275 extra chips, stack growing nicely.

Sadly, I then lose a couple of thousand, reraising with AK and totally missing, having to fold to a big turn bet. First real setback but I’m still in good shape with around a 10K stack.

Another AK gets no action but nets me 500 from the blinds. Then I gain 1600 from a limped JT vs 9T – flop 10 high, but an ace on the turn slows us both down.

Then it’s double up time. I limp AJ and call a raise. Flop comes 2AQ rainbow. Oppo can’t get away from his KK and doubles me up to 20K stack with average around 7K. That’s twice tonight I’ve got lucky with AJ.

A little stealing with middling connectors and face cards here and there. Table is playing pretty tight, so it’d be rude not to.

Another big one. I raise from the CO with A9 and the flop comes 9 high. BB calls my flop bet, turn a K, we both check. River a 2 and he pushes out a 4k bet. I tank for a few, decide there’s enough hands I beat. He shows AJ and I pick up 14.5K chips. Running bad seems a long time ago already J

A while later I get 66 and limp into a 4 way pot. Flop a beautiful 996. Bet it out and get 2 callers. Kerching! Turn is a 7 and I ramp up the bet sizing. One folds but the other goes all the way with J9. Huge 33K pot and now I’m really in good shape.

Hit a set again with 88 on a A83 board. Oppo finds a fold on the river but I gain another 13K.

With the blinds up to 500/1000 I try to steal with K9. Short stack pushes, and I have to call as it’s only another 4K. Board brings 9xx9x vs his AJ and I continue to run good!

Well, I’m due a setback by now. I run JJ into KK and lose 14K. Stack now back to 50K, but still in good shape.

I raise with 33 but this time I get re-raised – I make the call (dubious) and flop comes T23. Nice. Check raise all in vs KK and I’m up to 110K. ( I did actually miss some flops in this game, I’m just not including those!)

Call a short stack in all for 12K and my A9 has his A7 dominated. He doesn’t improve.

An 88 resteal nets me 15K. Then I raise with 7c8c and get shoved on by another shortstack. Have to call and pair up to beat his AJ. Running very well. Seems I can’t lose with AJ whether it’s me holding it, or the other guy.

I go card dead for a good while. Steal a few blinds but otherwise quiet through the bubble period.

Then I get the hand I’ve been waiting for. Pocket rockets. And…. everyone folds. Great.

A re-raise with TT nets 50K. Then raise with 88, get one caller. Board misses me with A34 but cbet takes it down for another 43K.

Blinds are big now, 3500/7000. I steal with K7s, get a caller and flop comes K high. Cbet wins out for 96K. A few hands later, AK gets no callers for 22K.

Then a Q9 steal gets reshoved by a short stack, have to call, he has A6 and wins. Stack now 280K, still all good.

Or so I thought. I get QQ and lose to AK. Down to 167K. A big dent.

Thankfully I win back 200K next hand, with AJ. I raise, flop comes QQK, I cbet and he calls. We both check the 7 turn then he throws out a river bet when another K arrives. I’m getting 2-1 and he is really really bad. That’s enough of a read and I call, half expecting to split. He has JTo (missed his draw). Good read me.

Pull off a nice squeeze with 99 in the BB. One raiser and caller in front of me, and my shove takes the pot.

I then call a raise with 55. Flop comes 94T. He check,s I bet and get called. We both check the turn, another 10. River an 8 and we check it down. My 55 wins, up to 300K in chips.

Then a curious pot. I call a raise with KJs in a 3way pot. Flop K88 rainbow. I check, original raiser cbets and then gets raised all in for 120K. Original raiser folds and I call the shove. He shows down QT (??) and busts out. I’m up to 500K.

Next hand is KK. Reraise with it and oppo folds. 550K.

I then pull off a bluff with J6 on a scary board to bump me up to 600K.

AA again. Everyone folds again. I want AJ instead from now on, you can keep them.

Then a biggish setback. My AK loses to 88, I have to fold on the river, halving my stack.

But I get very very lucky. Slightly tilty resteal all in with A6 and get called by AJ. Turn card is a 6 and I’m back in business. We all need our 3 outers now and then!

I then call a 235K all in with TT and oppo shows Q10. He misses and I’m up to 830K.

Reraise with AK and get a fold. 890K.

Final Table!!!

I keep it fairly tight for a while, pretty card dead.

Then a tough hand. Get A7s on the button and raise it up. Chip leader in SB calls and flop comes A9J. Bet out and he just flat calls. Turn is a K. I bet again and he promptly sets me all in. He could be bullying but also could have a hand like JK,QT and I just have a weak pair. There are several short stacks, so it’s a no brainer fold leaving myself with 660K. Bit of a dent but a call would have been bad.

Then a huge pot brews up which I’m fortunately not involved in. Turns out to be AA vs KK vs TT. The aces hold up and the other two exit. Nice double ladder!

Then an 88 vs AA confrontation, again the aces hold and we’re down to 4.

I’m the short stack by now and start to come back out of tight mode. I re-steal with K4 in the BB when the SB raises me. He calls with AJ. I luck out with a 4 on the flop and then river another. I’m 3rd place now, but a long way behind the big 2 stacks.

(Now, go back and count the pots I have won both with and against AJ – pretty incredible)

Then the sickest beat on the other short stack ladders me up to third. He has 33 and gets it in on a 8A3 board. Big stack calls with K8 with just middle pair vs the set. He then proceeds to catch an 8 and then a K for a runner runner full house to beat the short stack’s smaller house. Really sick beat, but it nets me $4k extra, so my sympathy manifests itself in a smiling kind of way.

I’m 3rd by a long way so when I get ATs in the BB and the SB raises me, I push. Sadly he has a hand this time and I fail to improve and can’t match his QQ.

Game over, 3rd place for $9,230.

I ran very well in key spots, though ironically it was my big hands that cost me chips. But still, I hit some great flops when up against better starting hands, so I can’t grumble. After a very frustrating 2 or 3 months of running (and playing) ugly, this was a nice cash.

A special mention to all the railers, most notably Mick and his obsession with a certain bodily function that I won’t go into. Read the thread is all I’ll say. So a big thanks to all the EMS’ers for the railage and support. And respect to all the hugely talented players on the site who I’ve learned tons from since I joined up.

Here’s to the next one! Never folding AJ again!

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Posted by admin on Apr 18 2009. Filed under Eat My Stack Poker New. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.