[PokerForFree]

Ok, so Sunday I went to the casino in another town with my brother in law and a neutral friend. There was a 100+10 Euro freezeout tournament with a total of 48 participators, with 9 finishing ITM.

The first three levels I tried to play a bit of a mix, conservative as well as bluffing in position. My table was a mix of very bad to pretty decent poker players, but nothing that really amazed me. Two guys definitely didn't get the drill yet, no wonder one of them called my value-bet bluff on the river when I had bottom pair with a low kicker. Since I mucked my hand, because I rather decided to have the table guessing than possibly winning the hand, I think the other guy must have paired at least a King on the flop, perhaps middle pair, most probably with a low kicker since he didn't re-raise me.

This move cost me quite some chips in te beginning. We started out with a stack of 2500 and at that moment I was left with just a little over 1000.

Anyway, later on I limped in with A6 in late position and the flop was really amazing for me: 662. Apparently the only opponent in the hand hitted his 2 and betted somewhat. I put up my best act and did like I had a difficulty calling. When an Ace came on the turn I draw my flush and he started betting again, even making himself pot committed and I put him all-in.

Before going all-in I thought for a split second that he might have had pocket Aces to beat my Full House Sixes over Aces, but then I thought so be it. When he called (instantly) he showed that the Ace on the turn gave him two pair Aces over Two's and with no Ace on the river tying the pot, he was eliminated and I doubled up.

After that hand I got a series of great hand which I played well and build up my stack to be in the top 10.

Later, with 98 of hearts, I was on the Big Blind. Everybody folded to the Small Blind who just called adding 200 more chips to call for 400. The flop came AKK with two hearts, so I definitely had a hand there. As I was in position I placed a bet of 1000, which was flat called by the guy on SB. The turn brought a Q and I initiated another bet of 1000. This time he pushed me all-in, which left me counting odds. The pot odds gave me 2:1, simply not enough to call with 4:1 card outs, not even considering that he could have had a full-house in worse case scenario. So... easy fold, but an expensive hand no matter what!

After a while, someone in middle position someone tried to steal the pot going all-in. I had AK off-suit and since his M was quite low I decided to isolate him going all-in as well. Everybody folded and he showed 42 off-suit, so my hand was a big favorite to win the pot (65%) there. But... when you need luck the most, strange things happen and he survived pairing his 4 on the turn and leaving me including the rest of the table in shock... that's poker though.

Again that cost me half of my stack and slowly by slowly I came into the push or fold zone. As during my holiday I started reading Harrington on Hold'em II, I had some new ideas how to play now. With a M of less than 3 I decided to push against a big stack with A9 of Diamonds. The guy hoped to see a coin-flip and called with KQ off-suit and my hand survived with approximately 11 players left.

My brother in law unfortunately hit the rail just before, so it was just me and "Smokie" left and when the final table was a fact I definitely had a stack to play with, a little lower than average.

At the final table there were a couple of very small stacks that we're trying not to end on the bubble and so was I. Since I had a mix of good - and bad luck, I thought to myself that it was time to play the right hands only and only in position. For instance I folded a pair of 8's on a bet and a raise.

With 6 players left and solid play all over I came to my final hand. Just about an orbit or so before I split the pot with the tournament chipleader, pushing all-in to steal the blinds. He called my A4 with A2, both off-suit and with only higher cards on the board we had to split the pot. This time I had A9 off-suit and I was sitting on the Small Blind when I pushed again. Good move, good cards (considering my low M and chance to take the blinds) but unfortunately for me the guy (who eventually ended top 2) had AJ off-suit. The flop gave me a 9, but him a Jack as well, and there I stranded.

Overall I was very satisfied. I believe I have learned to play the different zones a lot better. Maybe had some bad luck, but also some good luck, so that's even.

Oh... this was my first live cash finish in an official tournament, but of course I cashed before many times in home games!

Until the next time,

Giorgio