PKR Saturday Poker Tournament

I didn't do very well in today's championship event.... although there were a couple of hands that really stood out to me. The first big hand happened to be the second hand of the tournament. Blinds are 25/50 and I'm in middle to late position and there have been a couple of limpers. I raise the rocks to see pocket 8's.... play them or not? limp or raise? I elect to play and raise.... I make the 50 blind 250 to go and it folds around to the big blind who min raises to 500 and there Rick (in early position) calls and I call. The flop is 5x, 7x, 8x with two clubs. The big blind (who I don't really know, he purchased his seat from one of the other players) bets 500 and Rick smooth calls.... slow play or raise? I'm pretty certain that I have the best hand as I doubt anyone is playing 4, 6 or 6, 9 at this point especially since Jason sold his seat to someone else.... lol. So realizing Ed's dealing and this is PKR, I move all-in. (You might remember my earlier blog about getting them in with the best hand...) Ed folds pocket Queens, the big blind folded pocket Aces and Rick folded pocket Kings! Is this PartyPoker? Wow! So, in the spirit of the holidays, I flip my set of eights!

The other hand or two that were significant happened with me and SenorJefe when I had an over-pair and he flopped a set.... I did fold to his all-in, but he took about 4,000 in chips from me in that hand. The next big hand was with Akash when he was small blind and I was big blind and he slow played a flopped two pair to let me hit the biggest pair on the board on the turn.... And then finally after the break, I'm short stacked with about 3,200 remaining and in the big blind with 5, 7.... the flop 9x, 9x, 2x and all 6 of us check..... the turn is a seven and I push all-in and JoeBob calls having slow-played a 9.... as soon as he called, I knew that I was probably drawing dead, but I thought that a move there would almost double me up..... so I cashed out early and pretty simply with ZERO! Another fine showing.... but nice playing by most at the table!

Back to the felt!