Three For Three
Editor's note: This is Part 2 of Bernard Lee's tournament recap. Part 1 can be found here.
After going home to see my kids off to school, I had to return to Foxwoods Resort and Casino and play the final table of the $600 no-limit hold 'em modified shootout. Thankfully, one of my poker buddies, Charlie Tillett, drove me to the tournament so I could get some additional rest.
After an awesome end to Day 1, I was the chip leader with $141,700 -- $30,000 more than my next competitor. I definitely had history on my side, in that I had previously won two titles at the World Poker Finals. In 2006, I won my first poker tournament title: the $5,000 no-limit hold 'em event. And in 2007, I captured my second title - the $2,000 no-limit hold 'em event. Now, I was trying to win a title for a third consecutive year at the same event -- a rare feat on the poker circuit.
For this final table, I would employ my usual tight, aggressive style. My rationale was that this final table would likely be on the quicker end of the spectrum because:
1. Every player from fifth through 10th would receive the same money.
2. There were five players who had less than 16 times the big blind.
I thought we would be down to the final four in just a couple of levels. However, my calculations were way off. Unexpectedly, the play started out as tight as any other final table because none of the short stacks wanted to be eliminated first. Overall, the final table dragged out for seven levels. Nevertheless, I did not deviate from my original strategy.
As we began, Level 10 (blinds $1,000/$2,000, antes $200) was the first level of the day. About 20 minutes into the level, I was sitting in the big blind. As each player folded, the button decided to move all-in for his last $32,000. As I looked down, my first card was Ks. Thus, if the next card was either an ace or a king, I would insta-call. I slowly peeled back my card, saw the Kc and quickly called. After my opponent revealed his pocket jacks (Js-Jc), the board (10d-9d-3h-7s-9h) did not provide any reprieve, so he was eliminated in 10th place. After this hand, my chip stack increased to $185,000. After winning three more hands preflop, I finished the level with $196,300, with nine players remaining.
Levels 11 (blinds $1,200/$2,400, antes $300) and 12 (blinds $1,500/$3,000, antes $400) were fairly uneventful as I played only six hands, winning five, mostly preflop. During each level, we lost one additional player. I essentially maintained my chip stack, with $195,400.
Level 13 (blinds $2,000/$4,000, antes $500) was by far my most active during the final table. Getting involved in 11 hands (I won seven), I played more hands during this level than the three previous levels combined. However, most of the hands were fairly uneventful, as I took down the hands either preflop or after a continuation bet. Of course, we were all trying to eliminate players. During one hand, I held 8h-8c in the small blind. After a short-stacked, middle-position player pushed all-in for only $14,000, I immediately called. My opponent opportunely picked up pocket rockets (As-Ad) and doubled up when I couldn't get lucky (9h-6h-4d-9s-7s).
I recaptured those lost chips when I raised to $10,500 from the cutoff holding Ad-9d. After two players (the button and big blind) called me, the dealer flipped over 8s-7d-6h. After the big blind checked, I decided to fire out a continuation bet of $16,500 with my open-ended straight draw. Unfortunately, both players decided to come along for the ride. When the dealer turned the 3d giving me also the nut flush draw, I once again fired $28,500 with my huge drawing hand. This time, both players conceded, allowing me to take down a nice-sized pot. During these 50 minutes, two players were eliminated, leaving only five players still vying for the title. I finished Level 13 with $248,500.
With $570,000 in play, I had almost 45 percent in my stack. The remaining players had on average of $80,000. With blinds at $3,000/$6,000, antes $500 during Level 14, I expected the tournament to be over shortly. However, once again my calculations were askew. During this level and the next (Level 15 with blinds $4,000/$8,000, antes $1,000), the short stacks repeatedly survived their all-in bets, hand after hand. We even nicknamed one of the players "The Cat" since he pushed all-in nine times and survived every one. Finally, near the end of Level 15, one short stack was eliminated in fifth place. As for me, these two levels were mirror images as I played seven hands and won four during each level. I was able to maintain my chip stack at $237,500, with all four players still in contention.
Level 16 (blinds $5,000/$10,000, antes $1,000) finally proved to be too much for the remaining players. During the first 30 minutes, I played very aggressively as I utilized my big stack in position, winning seven hands uncontested preflop. As their chips stack dwindled, two players (including The Cat) were quickly eliminated by one opponent, bringing us down to the heads-up match for the title.
Entering heads-up action, I held a $310,000 to $260,000 chip advantage. With both of us having more than 25 times the big blind, we still had room to play. Based on my previous final-table experience, I felt I could outplay my opponent postflop, so I decided to keep the pots small and see a lot of flops cheaply. I prepared myself for a potentially long heads-up battle, but the tournament would come to a sudden end on only the fourth hand of heads-up action.
Sitting in the big blind, I looked down to see Ac-7c. After my opponent raised from the button to $42,000, I decided to call. As I hoped for an ace, the dealer obliged with a flop of Ah-6c-5s. Since my opponent made the initial raise, I decided against slow-playing my pair of aces, and led out with $70,000.
My opponent quickly pushed all-in. If he held an ace with a better kicker, two pair or a set, then c'est la vie. I instantly called, and fortunately, he revealed Kd-6h for middle pair. I needed to avoid five outs (the three remaining kings and the two remaining sixes) to capture the title. The dealer turned a perfect card, the As, which meant my opponent was drawing dead. Amazingly, I needed this additional ace because the river was the 6d.
Although I eliminated only two players, I was able to maintain my chip lead throughout the entire final table. During the final table, the chips kept moving among the remaining players, preventing anyone else from surpassing my chip count. In the end, I took home to the family almost $23,000 for the victory. But more importantly, I had won my third title in as many years.
Bernard Lee is the weekly poker columnist for the Boston Herald and author of "The Final Table, Volume I." He also hosts a weekly poker radio show, "The Bernard Lee Poker Show," on Rounders Radio and in Boston on 1510 AM. The show can be heard at 5-6 p.m. Tuesday and is repeated throughout the week. For questions or comments, e-mail him at BernardLeePoker@hotmail.com.
