It was a $30+$10 tourney at the Coushatta with a $30 rebuy and a $30 add on. Basically, it was a $100+$10 tourney because you only got T1000 for your entry fee, but the rebuy and add on were each T2000. The tourney started at noon and I hit the road at about 10am so I’d be there about a half hour early. It was a limit tourney, but I want some more B&M; tourney experience so I was willing to give it a shot.
When I got there, I was shocked to learn the tourney was full and there was an alternate list 14 people long. I wasn’t playing in this tournament and it’s the best thing that could have happened to me. I got my name on the 3/6/12 and the NL lists which were both at least 15 deep. I figured I’d get to play eventually.
To kill time, I made my way to the craps table. I know, I know… bad idea. I decided to play rather conservatively and so I just played wrong and took modest odds. Thankfully, the shooters were generally cold and my strategy paid off. When they finally called my name, I was up $50. No complaints here.
When I made it back to the sbo room, I was pleased to learn they were opening a new NLHE table. The buy in was $100 min/$200 max. No one at the talbe would start with more than me. Players at the main NLHE table had stacks and stacks of red in front of them. That wouldn’t be a problem where I was sitting.
The tables held 9 seats each and I settled into seat 7. I had my pad and pen ready to take notes for the tourney, but instead, I’d just document my NL play. I had a bad NL experience at the Aladdin in January and I was hoping to redeem myself. Or this would be another short poker trip.
Looking back, I wrote down 30 significant hands in the 10 hours I played. I don’t think I’ll write about them all now, but here are just some of the hands that helped me walk out of The Coushatta way, way up.
Losing With the Nuts
It’s the first significant hand I play. I’m dealt KQo and I limp in for a family pot. Blinds are just $1/$3. The flop comes J-T-9 rainbow. Well, hard to get a better flop than that. An elderly black gentleman named Arthur, with the most charming disposition, goes all-in in front of me for $65. I call, figuring it will be just he and I, but it’s called twice behind me.
The turn is a 5 of spades, the second spade on the board. It’s bet 25 in front of me, and I raise to 125. Another short stack calls me for his last 38 and the original bettor folds. The hands are flipped, and I’m up against J8o and T9. Before I can even calculate their outs, the dealer flips a T. Arthur just caught a 4 outer to take down a $290 pot. Thankfully, with the side pot, I won about $10. I thought maybe this would be a sign of bad things to come.
