Ninja Spade League Game #2 Hand Analysis

Hi guys, back again with commentary on the second game of the iNinja Spade League.  For those that aren’t familiar with the iNinja Spade League, it is a series of tournaments through which players accumulate points.  These points translate into WSOP tournament seats for the top players for each quarter.  In addition, some money from each monthly prize pool is allocated toward WSOP Main Event seats at the end of the year.

The first iNinja Spade league game worked out quite well for me, as I finished second out of thirty players to my friend Brian Soja.  Unfortunately there was some disappointment with that finish, as I played a hand for 90% of the chips where I had to dodge 9 outs twice to win the tournament (I did not win the hand).  Throughout the tournament I played a bit tighter than I usually do and was able to knock players out in some key spots with two tables to go, including 66 > 55 vs Andre and AQ vs QJ vs JC Nellermoe on a Q1010 board for a lot of chips at that point.  In addition, I was able to pick up chips with some 3-bet squeezes out the blinds with big aces.   I didn’t do much at the final table until we got down to three handed, where I started shoving what was now a short stack relatively frequently.  I slowly built my stack up and found a double with KJ vs 10’s against Heidi, the first time I had been all in and called the entire tournament.  I proceeded to knock her out 77 > A5 a few orbits later and then faced Brian HU.

The second iNinja Spade league game proved to be more interesting.  I really liked my table draw for the first game, but this wasn’t the case for the second game.  Both players to my right were pretty strong tournament players as were both players to my left.  I was pretty quiet throughout the first level, as surprisingly several ppl busted very quickly. 

Hand #1 (of significance) that I played I was dealt 2s2c in the hijack and raised to 275 at the 50-100 blind level.  The button called, with only approx. 3k behind in chips, and the BB called as well. Both the BB and I had about starting stack.  The flop came 842ddh, a great texture for me.  BB led out 400 into me, and I called.  Sometimes I will raise a set in this spot but with a short stack on the button I think flatting is best.  Pretty basic spot:  If I flat there he can’t put me on a big pair, and should be shoving any 8, flush draw, or higher pair if he has one.  In addition, if the button ships there it puts the BB in a tough spot, as he won’t want to call and play a big pot OOP with a draw or an 8 if I also call the button’s all in. 

As played, the button folded and a 9c comes on the turn. Great card for me. BB leads out for 700 with about 8.5K behind into a pot of 1625, I raise to 2100.  At this point the texture is getting pretty messy.  With no history vs the BB I need to protect my hand and also try to get value. In addition, with this sizing I should have a pot sized bet left for the river, which lines up well for an all in on a blank river. 

Surprisingly, the BB 3-bet me to 3500, he ‘clicked it back’ as we online folk like to say.  At this point I was pretty confused.  If he had a big draw wouldn’t he shove to try and push me off a one pair hand? If he had two pair wouldn’t he shove as well on a somewhat messy board?  As someone who takes pride in their hand reading skills, unfortunately, I had no idea what his bet meant.  However, what I did know, is that I had a set and almost certainly had the best hand.  Thus, I shipped it all in for 5K more, eliciting a fold after a minute or so from the BB.  I honestly have no idea what the BB had, but was happy to chip up in this spot without sweating a river.

Hand #2

Hand #2: Fast forward several more levels into the tournament.  The blinds are now 300/600/ 75 ante.  The table dynamic has changed since the last hand we played, as Sam De Silva sat down and accumulated a massive stack when he won a 3 way all in with AA vs QQ, and K10 of a short stack. 

In this specific hand, Sam opened UTG + 1 to 1300, Andrew Null flatted the button, and I flatted from the BB with A6cc.  At this point I had 22k in chips, so A6s was at the bottom of my range for hands that I would flat a raise from the BB with. Usually I would fold A6 to any raise from early position, but considering Sam was opening almost every hand, I felt like I could defend here.

The flop come 873 rainbow, not the greatest flop for my hand. I checked, Sam checked, and Andrew checked back the button.  At this point I had no clue what Sam had, but figured Andrew didn’t have an 8,7, or over pair, as he would bet the flop to protect his hand.  I planned on leading most safe turns (8 or lower, as this flop hits a BB flat range relatively well).

The turn came a 5, a great card for my hand.  If an A came I wouldn’t be confident that I had the best hand, as both Sam and/or Andrew could easily have a bigger ace.   I led out for 2700 into a pot of 4500, and surprisingly both Sam and Andrew called.   I put Sam on a hand similar to mine, maybe two overs and a gutshot, or an A4 or A2 hand that had a gutshot with one overcard.  I started to second guess myself on Andrew’s hand, as it was tough for me to put him on a pair on the flop.  Maybe he had A6 as well or a hand like 65? Maybe J10? A9? I wasn’t thrilled to get two callers in a spot where I was semibluffing, and would have to reevaluate the river.

The river came an A, an interesting card for my hand.  Although this might have been the best card for my hand, I decided to check the river for several reasons. (1) The A could’ve given Sam or Andrew two pair (2) It could’ve given one of them aces with a better kicker (3) It’s a great card to bluff, as it’s tougher for me to have a big ace in the blinds (considering Sam’s opening range I’m 3-betting AJ-AK here).  After I checked, Sam thought for a bit and bet 3k into the pot, which was now 12.6K.  Andrew tanked for a bit less than a minute and gave up his hand. 

At this point, I instantly thought “I have to call.” In a vacuum I’m getting 5-1 on a call here.  However, Sam’s bet looked like such a value bet, and I couldn’t beat much that is betting for value in a three way pot.  I did however, take into consideration that Sam could be betting with a worse ace than me. He could’ve been value betting with an A2 or A4 type of hand.  Next, my check disguises my hand.  The way I’ve played the hand makes it look like I have a middle pair and the ace is a bad card for my hand, when in fact, it’s a great one for me.  Therefore in terms of second level thinking, Sam could be thinking that I can’t call the river unless I have an A, because if I had an A in my hand I would’ve (most likely) made two pair and bet out.  Do I know if he was thinking about the hand this way? Of course not, but I know that Sam is a tough player who can show up with a lot of hands.  I decided to call after a minute or so and won the pot.  I’m guessing I win in this spot less than half the time, but getting 5-1 on my money was too good a price to muck my hand.

There is a few other hands from this game that I found particularly interesting but couldn’t fit into this blog.  I’ll try and write about those soon.  I’ve really enjoyed the Ninja Spade games so far, as it’s enjoyable to play poker not only against tough opponents, but also against my friends. You can check out the full website here, as my friend Issac has done a great job putting it together: http://ininjapoker.com

Canterbury $235 Wednesday Tourney Hand Analysis

Hi guys, in light of the start of Ninja Spade League: a series of tournaments through which players earn points to win WSOP tournament buy ins, I’ve decided to start writing more hand analyses and commentaries.  I don’t have as many impressive tournament results as some of my peers, as I have pretty strict bankroll management when it comes to tourneys and haven’t taken shots at many bigger buy in events.  However, I do believe that people respect my game and my thoughts about it.  Although I play more cash games than tournaments, I’m a student of the game who loves analyzing tough and tricky situations in poker hands.  In this post I’ll walk you through a hand I played in a poker tournament last month, and I would love to hear your feedback!

Minnesota has the luxury of two great poker rooms where games run around the clock and tournaments are hosted daily: Canterbury Park and Running Aces.  This hand is from the Wednesday night tournament at Canterbury Park, a $235 buy in with re-entries through the first 2 hours (4 – 30 minute levels).

Starting the hand with 11,700 chips at the 100-200 blind level, I’m dealt AQcc in the cutoff.  It’s folded around to an older reg who has some strong tourney results, much stronger than mine, in middle position, and he limps for 200 with 7500 to start the hand.  I raise to 600, the button and both blinds fold, and the reg in MP calls 400 more.

Flop comes Qh8d2h, a great board for my AQcc.  MP checks and I fired 500.  MP calls.  The reason why I bet so small here is because (a) my hand is very strong on this board, (b) if I bet bigger he might fold a one pair hand that has little equity against me.  In addition, I don’t mind pot-controlling with my bet sizing in case the board gets scary.

Turns comes an As, giving me top two.  However, this isn’t a great card for most of his calling range on the flop.  I doubt that MP is floating me out of position with A high’s that aren’t A high flush draws, and so the only two pair hands I’m probably getting value from are A8 and A2.  However, if I flopped air or a pair lower than queens, this is a great card to bluff him off a Q.  Regardless, I proceeded to bet 1500 into a pot of 2500, giving him a steep price to draw to a flush, but betting low enough that he could shove all in and leave me some fold equity (obviously I’m not folding top two here, but I want him to think I'm weak and want him out the pot).  MP called my bet leaving 4800 behind and we head to a river.

River comes a 10h, boom! Both the flush and two gutterball straights get there on the river.  I’m not too concerned about MP hitting a gutshot without hearts, but he could feasibly call the turn with a hand like 89hh, 87hh, KhJh, or AhXh.  If he ships the river here for 4800 into 5500, I’m faced with a tough, polarized spot.  Fortunately he checked to me quite quickly, and gave off the impression that the river was a bad card for his hand.  Thus checking was out of the question: I was convinced I had the best hand.

Considering my line on this hand, betting between 2500-3500 would be pretty standard.  However, if I value bet the river there’s little chance MP calls me with a one pair hand, as the board is pretty messy by the river.  If he has a QJ or KQ type hand, he might call a small bet like 1000-1500 on the river, but that looks fishy and I’m sure MP would catch on to that.  After some deliberation I decided to go all in for my remaining 9,100 (4800 effective as it was more than MP had).  Much to my surprise, MP shrugged and tossed in the rest of his chips.  I tabled AQ for top two and he flashed me A2dd for a lower two pair and got up from his seat. 

In this case I was fortunate enough to run into one of a few hands that would pay me off on the river.  I’m guessing that MP thought I could be bluffing and the river card was a good one for me to continue on.  In addition, he did have two pair and could beat a hand like Q10 or AK that has some value.  Do you think I took a good line on this hand?  Even though I did win all my opponent’s chips on this hand, is going all in on this board the best play on the river or do you prefer checking or betting much smaller?  Thanks for reading and I look forward to hearing your feedback

- Rob Brereton

The Big One for One Drop: More Than a Poker Tournament

Most poker enthusiasts like myself are familiar with The Big One for One Drop: a $1,000,000 buy in poker tournament where $111,111 of each buy in is donated to the One Drop.  One Drop is a charity created by Guy Laliberte, the founder of Cirque de Soleil. Its mission is to improve the living conditions of people worldwide by providing access to safe water:(http://allinforonedrop.com/en/impact/). 

Antonio Esfandiari won the inaugural One Drop in 2012 for a cool $18.3 million.  Obviously it’s a fantastic accomplishment to win that much money against some of the best players in the world, but what’s more important in my eyes is the fact that One Drop and Antonio bring out the ‘good’ in poker by giving back to the community and putting the game in a positive light.  Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about this year’s champion: Dan Colman, who defeated Daniel Negreanu heads up for the title.

Colman, known as ‘mrgr33n13’ online, barely spoke with the media and frankly didn’t seem excited to have won The Big One for One Drop tournament.  Several days after the tournament he wrote a post on poker community forum Two Plus Two explaining his thoughts on the game, labeling poker to be “a very dark game” and that so few people are able to turn a profit. 

Regardless of how truthful his assertion’s are, they are hypocritical coming from a person who makes a living playing a game against people that are worse at said game then him.  He essentially says that people are ‘tricked’ into playing poker, and that a minimal percentage of players turn a profit playing poker.  I see his points, and he’s right that more people lose at poker than win at it, but if he’s so against the game itself why does he even play.  Does he gain any satisfaction winning money from people who have been ployed into playing poker through marketing schemes that prey on people’s impulses? 

Negreanu helps attract new players to play poker

Almost all of Colman’s rationale is counter-productive to his future success in the industry.  If he and   Despite his insistence that poker is a dark game, lots of people are capable of playing within their means and enjoying poker while still living a comfortable life.  In addition, individuals like him who aren’t friendly and don’t seem to care won’t bring more people into the game.  Poker isn’t televised nearly as much as it was five to ten years ago, and Daniel Colman winning the One Drop certainly won’t help increase it's viewership or popularity.  Although he plays very well and his win was impressive, poker as a whole would’ve been much better off if a player like Daniel won. 

other pro’s want to keep being successful, a great way to maintain that success is to attract new players to the game.

What Colman didn’t understand is that, at least in my personal opinion, the One Drop tournament transcends the ‘game’ aspect of poker.  Colman says it doesn’t, and I vehemently disagree.  Not only is the One Drop tournament fantastic publicity for the good that poker can do, but also a stage for the top players in the world to welcome new players to the game with their warm personalities and passion for the game.  Unfortunately, Colman displayed neither of those attributes.  I congratulate him on his win and can understand where he comes from, but I truly hope a player like Antonio and Daniel Negreanu wins the next one, as it would be much better for the game of poker as a whole. 

Adrian Peterson: Why the Minnesota Vikings should trade him!

Life isn't easy being a Lions fan, especially the past few seasons.  Up until the 2011 season we Lions fans had failure deeply rooted into our heads. We didn't expect anything from the team, and the team didn't expect much from us in return.  Now that the Lions organization has finally built a team that has a chance to contend each year, losing is even more painful! Now, I finally understand what it's like to be a Vikings fan.

As a resident of Minnesota since 2007, I've watched almost every Minnesota Vikings game with many Vikings fans.  One pattern that I've noticed is the expectation of brilliance followed by failure.  Vikings fans expect their team to excel during certain parts of a season or game, but assume that the team will fall apart in the 4th quarter or the playoffs.  Has this mentality been ingrained in fans heads due to the lack of Super Bowl victories or the shortcomings of incredibly talented teams? Arguably yes, and unfortunately, it doesn't allow Vikings fans to appreciate what they have.  Like the Lions in the 1990's, the Vikings have been blessed with arguably the best running back in football for the past seven seasons. Just like the Lions, the presence of such a player hasn't led to as much success as the Vikings franchise and it's fan base would expect.  So, as a rational observer, I think it's best for the Vikings to hit the reboot button and trade Adrian Peterson.

Considering I am not a Vikings fan, it's easy for me to proclaim that the team should trade it's best player.  Some will argue that the Vikings are just a strong quarterback away from contention, as they did make the playoffs with Christian Ponder for the 2012 season.  However, the Minnesota Vikings problems extend much further than the quarterback position, although it is definitely an issue.  On defense, the Vikings ranked 31st against the pass and allowed the most points in the NFL.  Even if the Vikings had Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, they wouldn't get near the Super Bowl with that defense.  Trading Adrian Peterson for several draft picks would allow the Vikings to draft some impact players and hopefully develop them into superstars.

In addition, the Vikings could take a chance on a younger quarterback with high upside.  A common theme from Super Bowl champions within the past fifteen years is a younger QB or a core of young defensive players who are worth a lot more than the salary they earn: ex. Brady and Roethlisberger earlier in their careers, Russell Wilson, Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas this year.  Would the Seahawks be able to put together a championship roster paying Wilson $15 million a year and a player like Sherman $10 million per year? Absolutely not.  But they're young players who have developed into superstars on a manageable contract.  I sincerely hope that the Vikings can follow this same model that teams like the Seahawks and 49ers have used to ensure for their success.  If the Vikings trade Adrian Peterson now while he still has a few good seasons left in him, they might be able to draft a young core of players that can put the ball in motion to start building toward a Super Bowl contender in 2-3 years.  Will Vikings management realize that one or two seasons of rebuilding followed by success is better than a few more mediocre seasons with arguably the best running back in football? Minnesota fans can only hope...

Running Aces or Canterbury? Why not both?

Since I moved to Minnesota in December 2011, I've spent a considerable amount of time playing cards at both Canterbury Park and Running Aces.  Which one I choose to play at depends on a multitude of factors, including but limited to (1) time of day (2) day of the week (3) weather (4) traffic (5) time of year (6) game selection, etc.  For example, I prefer to play at Canterbury on nights when a lot of the Survival tournaments are running, and at Running Aces when an Omaha Hi game is being spread.  I'm not a big fan of limit hold'em, so if I want to play during the day I will usually choose Running Aces, as their 2-100 spread game runs probably 20 hours per day.  However, I also enjoy playing the 6/12 Omaha 8 game at both rooms, so sometimes I will venture down to Canterbury during the day. 

Do I have a favorite between the two? I can't say I do. Although it seems like there's a friendly rivalry between the two rooms, I have no intention to choose a side.  A true poker player should recognize and embrace the benefits of both rooms.  Compared to the options I was given back in Lansing, Michigan, Canterbury and Running Aces are both fantastic.  If I wanted to play a decent game or tournament, I had to drive at least an hour to either Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort in Mount Pleasant or Motor City Casino in downtown Detroit (yuck!).  The fact that there is two card rooms within 30 minutes of my residence that offer daily tournaments and cash games is truly a treat! However, that doesn't mean there isn't advantages or disadvantages to each room.

One advantage to playing at Canterbury Park is the Survival tournaments.  If you enjoy no-limit holdem cash games Survivals are the closest thing you will find to them in Minnesota.  Canterbury recently started spreading $1000 and $2500 Survivals each Tuesday, starting between 6:00 and 7:00 pm.  Although I haven't played in any of those games, it seems like some of the best players in Minnesota are playing in them, which is great to see.  Canterbury also has the advantage of a larger player pool, via closer proximity to more populated areas than Running Aces. However, considering their location, I think Running Aces does a great job attracting players. Their comp system is fantastic and the staff values the opinions of players significantly more than your average poker room.

One advantage to playing at Running Aces is the daily tournaments. Although the term #BestStructureAround has been thrown around a little bit too much, it's definitely true. Running Aces has put a significant effort into improving their tournament structures over the past year, and hopefully the #'s show.  I know that I'm far more likely to play a tournament at Running Aces today than I was 12-18 months ago.  However, just because Running Aces has slightly better tournament structures doesn't mean I'm not going to play tournaments at Canterbury too.  I love the $235 Wednesday night tournament there because I get a chance to play against the best players in Minnesota, plus the 30-minute blind levels is an added bonus. Canterbury has also improved several of their tournament structures in the past year, and those efforts are definitely appreciated.

Regardless of the advantages/disadvantages of each room, one key factor that keeps me coming back (besides my passion for the game) is the customer service each room provides.  I've had very productive conversations with tournament directors at both Canterbury and Running Aces regarding structure improvements.  Considering I'm only 24 years old and don't have an established reputation in the Minnesota Poker Community, I haven't expected much from these conversations.  However, they have been very productive.  It's pretty evident that the opinions of individuals like me are not only valued, but taken into account regarding changes to tournament structures for the better of the players.  Both rooms don't have to listen to a younger poker player like me to be successful, so I truly appreciate the efforts Canterbury and Running Aces have made recently to not only make their players happy, but also improve their business. I'm sure these efforts will continue, and I'm excited to continue playing at both rooms for a long time.

#TeamPokerJoker and the Optimum at Running Aces

Although this was already announced via Twitter last Saturday, I'm proud to say that I have joined #TeamPokerJoker! As an active member of the Minnesota poker community as well as the virtual community on Twitter, I've been familiar with the #TeamPokerJoker team and brand since its' inception earlier in the year.  It's been pretty awesome seeing the team grow from its stages of infancy to where it is today, as Marc has done a fantastic job branding and marketing the team. Considering the strong core of players we have, I know our team has a bright future in the Minnesota Poker Community and hopefully will continue to expand and succeed in many ways. I consider myself very fortunate to be a member of the team and am excited to prove myself to my new teammates on the felt. You can find the Team Poker Joker website here if you're interested in learning more about the team: #TeamPokerJoker

It's me! Playing some 2-5 PLO @ Aria in August

In addition to joining #TeamPokerJoker, I was able to play two MTT's this week. I managed to sneak into the Optimum up at Running Aces yesterday afternoon around 4:30 PM, right when registration closed!  When I arrived at the table the blinds were 400/800/100 ante and I was sitting on 9.8K from 15K starting, good for 12 BB's and a dream!  As much as I don't enjoy being short stacked like that, I feel like I play a short stack in a very calculated mathematical manner.  I'm not afraid to ship it all in with marginal hands from late position or the blinds to try and pick up free chips.  Fortunately in this tournament, I found some great spots.  I shipped 88 from the BB when two players limped to me, and promptly received two folds, then picked up AQ in the SB the next hand and shipped it on the BB and received another fold.  I then proceeded to bust my friend Burke with A6dd vs QJo all in on a KQ2dd flop, catching an ace to bring my stack up to 22K for the final table. 

Once we reached the final table I was pretty comfortable with my chip position.  Two of the stronger players at the table had mountains of chips, and I was only one double up away from having a chance.  I figured I could wait to pick my spots, as a few players were < 15BB.  Unfortunately, in the first orbit I faced a really awkward spot that I would love to hear feedback on.  UTG+1 raised to 2200 at 500/100 9 handed, I reraised with QQ in MP to 5600, starting the hand with 22K effective, HJ and CO fold, and the B insta-raises to 15K, effectively putting UTG+1 and me all in.  UTG+1 folded, and I was faced with a tough decision.  I had committed about 25% of my chips with a premium hand, but was faced with a 4-bet from a player I had limited information on.  Online this is a snap call, as I'm most likely up against AK, but the 4-better had shown a lot of strength in his bet sizing and seemed very confident in his hand.  I narrowed his perceived range down to JJ, KK, AK, and AA.  After pondering my decision for a minute or so I decided to fold. I would still have 16 BB 9 handed, and was comfortable with how the table was playing.  After the hand I told the 4-better that "I folded a pair" and he told me "good fold." Was it a good fold? I'm not sure. Anyone think folding QQ to a 4-bet 9 handed with 20BB is bad in a live MTT? Would love to hear your thoughts.

After that hand I was able to pick up a little bit of traction.  I shipped 99 and was called by the same player with AK, the board ran out clean and I was back up to 25K in chips.  However, several hands later I busted. Here is my bustout hand: folded to me in the SB with eff. 27K (won the blinds hand before) at 500/1000/100 ante, I pick up AhKh and raised to 3000, same player flats the BB for 2000 more.  We head to a flop of Qh6s2s.  This is a decent texture for me, as it's difficult to put the BB on a Q.  Realistically he's 3-betting me with AQ and maybe KQ, and flatting with QJ, maybe KQ, and maybe Q10 and Q9 if he thinks he can outplay me post flop.  I figure his range is pairs 22-88, suited connectors 87 and higher, and broadway hands like J10, KJ, etc.  I continued for 3500 on the Q62hss flop with my AhKh, and the BB raised me to 11K, effectively half my chips.  This raise surprised me, as I couldn't figure out what he was trying to represent.  If he had a hand like 66,22, KQ or Qxss wouldn't he flat and let me keep barreling my hand? I can understand this bet if he has a hand like 33-55, 77, 88, a flush draw, or QJ and Q10 as he would be put to a tough decision if a K or A came on the turn and I fired a second barrel. However, this is a great texture to semi-bluff or bluff on, as it's tough for me to commit all my chips on this board unless I have a Q or better, or a flush draw. Is going all in here the best play or is folding?  If I fold I'm back to 20K in chips and sitting with a decent but not preferable stack, but if I 3-bet all in for 13K more I could get the BB to fold a hand like 33-55, and maybe even a hand like 77 or 88 if he thinks he is drawing to two outs.  Would you shove all in here or would you fold?

I decided to shove all in and the BB called pretty quickly.  He tabled his hand pretty quickly, and he had a hand that made a lot of sense in this spot: 109ss for a flush draw and two live cards.  I really like his bet here, as he can get me to fold a lot of hands that are better than 10 high. Even if I do have a big hand like AA, KK, AQ, KQ, he still has 35% equity against my hand.  He clearly put me on hand that couldn't beat a Q and he was absolutely right, and I put him on a hand that couldn't beat a Q and was right too! Unfortunately for me a spade spiked on the turn and I was drawing dead.  Regardless I am happy with how I played the hand, putting in 21K more all in to win 55K and 48% equity.  I truly think the BB folds a small pair in this spot most the time. 

Really interested to hear your feedback on these two hands.  Both these spots were pretty awkward and I am happy with my play, but I am always interested in hearing what others have to say in these situations.  Thanks to Running Aces for hosting a great tournament with a great structure, as both Running Aces and Canterbury have put a decent effort into improving their tournament structures in the past year.  I will definitely be back to play the Optimum sometime in the near future!

Thanks for reading and I will update again soon in a post about local tournament structures!

- Rob @robbrereton

Ultimate Overlay Tournament Recap

Hi guys, since my last blog received so many hits (over 100!) I've decided to change my focus to poker for the time being.   For those that are hoping for more entries in which I dive deep into my emotional past and the various existential crises I've experienced, don't expect too much more of that.  I look at poker in a very matter of fact, mathematical way.  Regardless, I'm excited to share my insights with my followers and look forward to hearing what you think.  So, if you follow on Twitter, @robbrereton , please provide feedback if you wish!

Last Thursday I played the Ultimate Overlay Tournament at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, MN.  This tournament, now in it's second year, is the brain child of Winmark CEO John Morgan, who has had an enormous positive impact on the Minnesota poker community.  Morgan pledged to donate a portion of his winnings in the $111,111 One Drop this summer at the WSOP to the Ultimate Overlay prizepool.  Although Morgan did not cash in the event, the event did raise over $550,000 for Guy Laliberte's One Drop Charity.  Regardless, the Ultimate Overlay Tournament and Canterbury Park guaranteed a $100,000 prize pool for a buy in of only $130.  The tournament was capped at 850 players (no rebuys) and divided into four Day 1's.

For the second straight year, I decided to play Day 1D.  Last year I bought my ticket in July and I did the same this year, purchasing it from a friend who I play the Survival tournaments with at Canterbury.  There's a tremendous amount of value in this tournament considering the number of recreational players that enter, so I always make sure to buy a ticket early in fear of it selling out! I was seated at Table 20 Seat 5 and arrived at the end of the first level (right on time for me!) to a table full of unknowns and Mike Schneider in the one seat.  For those that don't know who Mike is he has over one million in both live and online earnings, winning the FPC Main Event in 2012 for a cool $63K.  When I sat down Mike already had 50K in front of him, 2.5x starting stack, so I expected him to play almost every pot considering he was 500BB deep. 

After folding the first 15 hands or so I finally played a hand at 100/200.  Dealt QJo in the hijack, I called a MP raise to 600, as did the button, SB, BB and an UTG limper.  The flop came out J108 rainbow, which is a decent flop for my hand.  Unfortunately with 5 players in the hand this texture is one to be cautious with in a multiway pot.  The SB led out for 1400, BB fold, UTG called, MP called, and I folded my hand.  In this spot I am probably beat or up against drawing hands with massive equity against me like A9, AQ, or KQ.  Sure enough a 9 came on the turn, which would've given me a Q high straight.  SB led out for 2000, UTG called and MP folded.  An A came on the river and SB led out for 3000, UTG instantly shoved all in, and SB folded AJ face up.  UTG proceeded to show him KQ, validating my fold as I lose a lot more than 600 chips if I peel the flop!

Next hand I played was at the 200/400 level, I had played very tight up until that point so in this hand I felt like I picked a great spot.  The HJ opened to 800 and I picked up 97o in the CO and 3-bet to 2200 with 14,300 behind following my 3-bet. My hope was to iso the original raiser and to see a flop heads up, but the SB, a new player at the table with 50,000 in chips flatted my 3-bet.  I had never seen him before but I feel like most players flat 3-bets here with hands like 22-99 and connected broadway hands like QJ, KJ, KQ,A10, AJ, and maybe even AQ and AK if they don't like 4-betting hands that aren't made.  The HJ flatted my bet as well and we saw a flop three ways with 6800 in the middle, effectively 2x my stack.  I planned on continuing on flops where I either made a pair, two pair, open ender, gut shot + two overs, and naked Ace flops.  If I flopped a nut flop like 99x, 77x, 865r, 1086r, I would peel a turn card hoping that a face card hit that connected with one of my opponent's hands.  The flop came 1075 rainbow, a great board for me against their perceived hand ranges.  The only hands I was really afraid of were 55,88,99, A10 and maybe 10xface if the HJ was opening light.  Both the SB and HJ checked to me and I continued for 3300, approximately half the pot.  I figured even if the SB or HJ called my flop bet with a hand that beat mine like 88, 99, or a weaker 10, there was still many cards that could come on the turn for me to either barrel them off the hand with a turn shove or to make me the winning hand.  After I continued for 3300, the SB thought for 30 seconds and then asked me for a count. I lifted my arms and showed him my chips.  30 seconds later he raised me to 7600, effectively putting me to the test for all my chips, and the HJ folded.  I really like his bet right here A LOT, as he is only risking 7,600 chips while essentially making me risk 14,300 to play the hand.  I figured he could be making this bet with a hand like 88, 99, A10, and maybe even 10facesuited if he flatted my 3-bet with that pre.  I don't think he would make this bet with a set, as he would be getting me to fold hands like AK and AQ that had less than 5% equity vs his hand.  However, at the same time I had never played with this player before, so trying to figure out what he was thinking was going to be difficult.  After thinking for two minutes and staring him down, I decided to fold.  He seemed to feel somewhat confident in his hand, and I would still have 11,000 in chips, good for 27 BB if I folded.  What would you do in this spot? Do you think all-in is the right play here?

Down but not out!

The next hand I played was at the 300/600 blind level. I was extremely card dead in this tournament, but knew I could get value from a strong hand if I flopped big against a weaker player. Starting with 10,500 in chips, I opened KQsc in the HJ to 1800 after MP2 limped in with 9,000 behind. I considered shoving here, and would've if there was antes, but couldn't justify shipping KQ when if I was called I would probably be racing or dominated.  Shipping all in is probably the most +EV play against a table of regulars, but I figured I could get action with a worse K or Q with the 3x raise pre.  The BB proceeded to call my raise as did the MP limper and the flop came out 998hhc. Not the greatest flop for me and a tough texture to continue on vs two opponents.  Both checked to me and I checked back hoping for a face card on the turn.  The turn came an Ah and it was checked around again.  The river came a Qs and it was checked to me, I decided to check it back here even though I usually bet this hand.  Sure enough the BB turned over A2o and won the pot, thus I was down to 8700 chips and glad I didn't value bet!

My bustout hand was pretty depressing, but a great reason why there is so much value in the Ultimate Overlay tournament. I was dealt A10o in the SB with 7800 behind at 300/600 UTG limped, MP limped, Button limped, and I shipped for 8100 total and 13.5 BB, hoping to elicit folds from all parties or a call from a dominated ace.  The BB and UTG folded, but MP began to deliberate heavily.  He started the hand with about 11K and would be putting a substantial portion of his chips at risk if he called my all in.  I put him on a small pair or a QJ, KJ type hand while he was thinking the call over, but I had seem him play some interesting hands.  After two minutes he ended up dropping in the call and the Button folded.  I quickly turned over my A10 as I knew he didn't have a dominating ace. After about 10 seconds he slowly turned over... Q3ss... I was honestly in disbelief that he had called my all in, but didn't mind the call at first. The flop came out KQ7, turn Q, river K, and sure enough his Q3 had made a full house and I was bounced from the Ultimate Overlay tournament without winning a hand! I quickly wished my remaining table mates good luck and headed to the bar!

Regardless of the disappointing outcome, I'm glad I got to play the Ultimate Overlay tournament at Canterbury Park.  Canterbury Park consistently attracts big, soft fields for their more publicized events, so I always jump at the opportunity to play tournaments like this and would encourage you to do so as well. Although I ran horribly, I had the opportunity to connect with and sweat some friends who were running deep in the tournament, which was really exciting! I'm looking forward to playing the Ultimate Overlay next year, and fortunately I won't be too difficult for me to improve on this year's result. All I need to do is win one hand! :)