3rd Place at the YVC Poker Tournament

My friend Chris had to work on some top secret project so I got called in. There were around 50 people there, mostly venture capitalists and other such types. It’s more of a networking event, with poker on the side. I get seated at the table with a variety of players, some good ( the eventual champ I think) and some not so much. First hand, I have a full house and fold it. The board is kk99 x and I have the 9. The other player is betting decently, so I assume he has the king. He says he doesn’t have it after. I still would lay this down, just a bad place for me I think.

Soon after I play against the “champ” and he says he has a big hand and I should lay it down. The tourney starts off small, but then the blinds start jumping so it becomes a bit of a push fest. I have KJ. Not a stellar hand, especially if I am against JJ or QQ, which is what I think he has. I lay it down and he shows me QQ. A couple of players get knocked out and I am a shorter stack when a big stack is moved to the table. He raises twice, second time I push, he calls. He has A8 and I have K10. Flop is K10 and that’s that. (All in #1 against him).

At the same table I raise it two hands in a row, both times with KK and get no callers. At that point I already know my luck has given out. I make it to the final table and there is some nervousness as no one wants to bubble (8 players, top 5 spots are paid out). I am medium stack and am close to getting blinded out. The blinds are 400/800 and there is a raise and 3 callers. I look down at 22. I think about it for a while. I don’t really want to push as chances are I am beat. I call and we go to a flop. Sweet mercy the flop is beautiful. A 2 5? I push and get one caller (All in #2 against him). I almost quadruple up. Later I get AJ basically two hands in a row and raise. First time everyone folds. Next hand a medium stack thinks about if for a while and pushes. If I call I’ll still have a fair bit left so I call. I’m thinking he has AQ or maybe KQ. He flips over A7. My AJ holds up and takes it down (All in #3 against him), so I am now the chip leader.

I then get two hands which lose me a fair amount of my chips. I have Qh10h and call a raise to 5K from my BB (2K). flop comes J 8 5? I push for 5K and I see a re-raise. I think about it for a while and fold. It’s against the same good player from my 1st table. I find out he has KK. Later on another hand plays out similarly, and I lose another stack, where he once again had KK. I made the right choices in folding, as another of the stacks get’s blinded out and I am in 3rd place against two monster stacks. I have Kc6c in the big blind and call a raise. Light’s out for me against QQ held by my nemesis, and that’s all she wrote.

All in all, I think I did well, and was happy with all my decision making. The blinds run really fast so later on it really comes down to cards. I was happy with how I did. So my two big live tournaments this year I placed 1st and 3rd. My own tournaments? I’m too distracted running around and taking care of people, so we don’t talk about those…

🙂