Anthony Martino
Royal Flush
When I initially moved to Florida I was about 15 minutes away from the 50-table poker room of the Seminole Hard Rock in Tampa, so had only played there and home games.
Having moved a few months ago, I am now relatively equidistant between the Hard Rock and Tampa Bay Downs (Silks Poker Room). Saturday they were hosting a $220 20K guaranteed tourney so I decided I'd check it out.
I forgot to get a pic of the entire room, so here is one I found online. It felt more like playing at Mr Trees shootout at the post (i.e. a homegame) than the 50-table Hard Rock. The poker room has large windows that overlook the outside seating to the track and at the far end is a full service bar with a good menu of food (I had the chicken wrap and it was much better than I expected) They do allow you to eat at the table and have carts you can use, unlike the Hard Rock which only permits you to eat at the highest stakes tables far in the back.
Almost time for the tournament to start and I'm the first at Table 1-8, Seat 9.
Some pr0n of the starting stack, 15K in chips with 25 minute levels.
Despite my table featuring donktards that are limp-calling raises with 95 s00ted and K7 offsuit, I am unable to get them to throw any chips my way. Didn't get many hands for a few hours, wound up short-stacked at the 300/600 level, sitting on around 7K in chips. I shove in EP holding AK of diamonds and immediately whip out this mask from my pocket and put it on, getting a lot of chuckles from my tablemates
Then THREE motherfuckers go all-in behind me and I'm like WTF? Two guys have QQ and one guy has AK of spades. Manage to flop an Ace AND turn the diamond draw for a shot to scoop, but blank on the river and I "only" double up.
After my table breaks I'm moved to a new one where I have a massive stack on my immediate right and another big one two to my left. Fortunately the big stack on my left raises UTG+1, another guy calls and I'm short-stacked and look down at pocket Queens and get it in. They both call and the flop is KJx but my hand winds up being good as they check it down, and I triple up to get a little healthier
Monster stack on my right has been raising more than his fair share, but he's sitting on close to 200K at the 1K/2K level with antes and it's working well for him. He raises to 5400 and I shove my stack in with pocket Jacks, he folds and I'm up over 35K as the field of 122 players has been whittled down to 39. The top 15 cash, with first place getting $6,400.
Blinds continue to rise like crazy, now at 1500/3000 with a 500 ante and the field has dropped to 25, just 10 spots until the money. But I'm not thinking about just cashing, I want that first place spot. Unfortunately being stuck between the two big stacks and not having many chips limits my options.
After posting my BB and ante I am sitting on 21K. UTG, an old lady that is tighter than a virgin on prom night opens for 9K. Her starting stack at this point is around 35K, so she should just be shoving. Regardless, I know she has a legit hand in this spot.
Folds to Hero in the BB who looks down at AK of hearts. Woah man, how the fuck to play this? If I just shove I am getting called 100% of the time and then I HAVE to win at showdown. However, what if I just call the extra 6K?
My plan in this spot is that I can just call, then with first-in equity shove the flop regardless of what it is. Maybe I whiff, but if she has something like 8's and the flop is QJx maybe it gets her to fold, preserving her remaining 26K for another hand. Or maybe I whiff but she's also on AK and whiffs as well, and I can shove any flop and scoop a hand I would've chopped.
It winds up not mattering because the flop comes down K9x and she holds pocket nines, so that money is going in! She manages to turn quad 9's and starts celebrating and high-fives the big stack on her left, lol.
Congrats to Anthony Martino for his finish in 25th place out of 122 entrants, he wins $0 for his efforts.
Having moved a few months ago, I am now relatively equidistant between the Hard Rock and Tampa Bay Downs (Silks Poker Room). Saturday they were hosting a $220 20K guaranteed tourney so I decided I'd check it out.
I forgot to get a pic of the entire room, so here is one I found online. It felt more like playing at Mr Trees shootout at the post (i.e. a homegame) than the 50-table Hard Rock. The poker room has large windows that overlook the outside seating to the track and at the far end is a full service bar with a good menu of food (I had the chicken wrap and it was much better than I expected) They do allow you to eat at the table and have carts you can use, unlike the Hard Rock which only permits you to eat at the highest stakes tables far in the back.
Almost time for the tournament to start and I'm the first at Table 1-8, Seat 9.
Some pr0n of the starting stack, 15K in chips with 25 minute levels.
Despite my table featuring donktards that are limp-calling raises with 95 s00ted and K7 offsuit, I am unable to get them to throw any chips my way. Didn't get many hands for a few hours, wound up short-stacked at the 300/600 level, sitting on around 7K in chips. I shove in EP holding AK of diamonds and immediately whip out this mask from my pocket and put it on, getting a lot of chuckles from my tablemates
Then THREE motherfuckers go all-in behind me and I'm like WTF? Two guys have QQ and one guy has AK of spades. Manage to flop an Ace AND turn the diamond draw for a shot to scoop, but blank on the river and I "only" double up.
After my table breaks I'm moved to a new one where I have a massive stack on my immediate right and another big one two to my left. Fortunately the big stack on my left raises UTG+1, another guy calls and I'm short-stacked and look down at pocket Queens and get it in. They both call and the flop is KJx but my hand winds up being good as they check it down, and I triple up to get a little healthier
Monster stack on my right has been raising more than his fair share, but he's sitting on close to 200K at the 1K/2K level with antes and it's working well for him. He raises to 5400 and I shove my stack in with pocket Jacks, he folds and I'm up over 35K as the field of 122 players has been whittled down to 39. The top 15 cash, with first place getting $6,400.
Blinds continue to rise like crazy, now at 1500/3000 with a 500 ante and the field has dropped to 25, just 10 spots until the money. But I'm not thinking about just cashing, I want that first place spot. Unfortunately being stuck between the two big stacks and not having many chips limits my options.
After posting my BB and ante I am sitting on 21K. UTG, an old lady that is tighter than a virgin on prom night opens for 9K. Her starting stack at this point is around 35K, so she should just be shoving. Regardless, I know she has a legit hand in this spot.
Folds to Hero in the BB who looks down at AK of hearts. Woah man, how the fuck to play this? If I just shove I am getting called 100% of the time and then I HAVE to win at showdown. However, what if I just call the extra 6K?
My plan in this spot is that I can just call, then with first-in equity shove the flop regardless of what it is. Maybe I whiff, but if she has something like 8's and the flop is QJx maybe it gets her to fold, preserving her remaining 26K for another hand. Or maybe I whiff but she's also on AK and whiffs as well, and I can shove any flop and scoop a hand I would've chopped.
It winds up not mattering because the flop comes down K9x and she holds pocket nines, so that money is going in! She manages to turn quad 9's and starts celebrating and high-fives the big stack on her left, lol.
Congrats to Anthony Martino for his finish in 25th place out of 122 entrants, he wins $0 for his efforts.
