This was one hell of a fun weekend and watching the pro\’s battle it up in the 5k HU is always a leveling experience.  I did also play one event the $550 freezout Event 5.  I will leave those details for the end of my blog.

These guys play so solid you just know how far they have come and how much further there is always to go in this game.  Nothing phases them, their stamina is almost unhuman, it is exhausting just to try to imagine being in their shoes.  Press, match after match, fans, ring games, bad beats, business…… everything hits them from all directions and they keep up and keep smiling.

Kelly Kellner and the Canadian Poker Tour team held an amazing 6 day event, threw some good parties and every top player seemed content with their treatment after some having had to travel awhile to get here.  

No matter how big they are, they all make time for the little guy.  I got to meet Phil Hellmuth for the first time and watched my buddy \”DC\” play ring with Antonio with some sic cash.  I have added a few pictures to my sidebar and profile. 

Brad Booth of course is number one at just hanging with players from all walks and levels and I was happy to hear some of his views on things both serious and on the fun side.  One player asked what he thought the most important tell was.  Brad replied, \”The wedding ring.  If they have one I know I don\’t have a chance.\”  When asked about his success, Brad is always honest.  First off he will tell you he is happy with his life.  But not before he asks you if all is good in your world.  That is the simple character of Brad that makes him my favorite player.

In regards to winning or losing, Brad said \”Poker has treated me well.  Sometimes I get in games I shouldn\’t against players I shouldn\’t, but at the end of the day, all is good.\” 

Brad was one high limit profesional stung hard in the super user scandals, so you have to admire a player that has taken the worst end of alot of things and managed to remain on top.  Brad finished 3rd in the event, but I believe he deserved first.  The poker gods were not kind, he got his money in soooo good (not once but repeatedly), and was 3 outed or runner runnered repeatedly.  This is the 3rd time in the 3 competions Brad has finished in the final 4, now owning a 4th, 3rd and 2nd place finish in this event.  So it is easy to know how bad he wants it, yet he took the cruel walk out with all the class one could possibly show after such grueling blows.  I say good game sir, and hope to be there when he takes it all down.  He was very close last year, losing to returning champion Huck Seed.  Huck was defeated in the early rounds at this years event.  Brad collected 28k for this years finish.  Here are a few classic \”Yukon\” Brad moves.

This year \”DC\” faced Antonio again in the 5k HU match only this year he took him down and went on to cash for 17.5k in the competition.  Nice to see one of our best locals make some noise. 

I was also very happy to finally meet up with Big Slick Custom crew.  Brian Kessler and his boys were pretty cool.  Brian sweat Brad during his matches and Brad\’s good buddies took every beat in the final match twice as hard as he did.  True brotherhood.

In the end Benjamin LaBlond from Quebec, Canada took the win in the final match with Jeff Madsen.  Jeff had him down to 800 chips, holding the other 19,200.  Ben has less than a blind holds 2-3 off for his final hand before Jeff takes the win and title.  Kid hits trips and comes back hand by hand to win.  Some days we get lucky.  Good on him I guess, he cracked Phil Hellmuths overpair with 66 to river a set, Brad flopped a str8 and he backdoored a flush.  It was \”in the cards\” as they say.

This weekend I also met Bo Fric and talked about his poker bucket list (a poker weblog here or http://www.pokerbucketlist.com/).  Great guy and he did alright in the 5k HU.

As for my tourney, this being only my second one at this level, I was content with my game finishing 40th out of 209.  It sucked to be only 19 spots from the money, but I enjoyed every minute of the almost 7hrs I remained alive.

The best hand I played had me holding 44 in late position.  There was a small raise by an aggresive player in this multi way pot that narrowed my opponents to 2.  One had a few beer in him, the other was a high stakes PLO player I had watched playing on Antonio\’s right the evening before.  I had about 4.7k in tourny chips, drinking guy 6k and PLO action player about 5k. I believe the blinds where 100-200.

The flop came down 4 K 5 rainbow and both players checked to me.  I felt the action player was going to reraise or come out heavy on the turn.  Since I believed my image to be tight passive at this point, I figured a bet that might be taken as a weak stab could induce action.  If not the big bet I would place on the turn would appear more reasonable.  I cut the chips for awhile and bet 700.  It goes call, SHOVE and action back to me.  I call all in and the other player calls for odds.  Action has KJ, beers has the open ender, but brick, brick falls and I triple up.

My toughest opponent at the table was Herb Van Dyke.  He sat in seat one with me in seat 10, making late position steals very risky.  He had an ultra LAG style and could needle profficiently with his table talk.  All skills that made him a WSOP Horse Event final Tablist.  Since he also owns the World Poker Showdown Series and went mid way in the 5k HU, I knew this man could and would outplay me.  I took a few aggresive stabs but could not out muscle this guy.  In the end the passive is the new aggresive theory (as written by my friend DrCheckraise) gave itself a chance to work.

Earlier in the game I made a terrible fold pre-flop.  One I shouldn\’t have showed as I knew it was ammo for Herbs needle attacks.  But I decided to for a couple of reasons. Reasons that worked out.   Shortly after I stacked the chips from the flopped set I picked up KQ suited in early position.  I don\’t want to raise this UTG on such an aggresive table and early in tourney play.  So I limp, a few call and a player I know from around different Western Canada circut events 3 bets it.  A player asks why and he replys \”because I have a pocket pair\”.

The action gets to me and I consider the situation.  I am getting good odds to call.  I have to call….but!  He is playing tight.  I consider the possibilities.  If he has qq, kk or aa..not good.  If he is lying and holds AQ or AK, I am in terrible shape.  If I hit and he flops a set with any small pair, he can check raise me here easily.  In fact he can even if he misses.  And if he misses and an over hits, will he put anymore in? He looks committed and might stop and go here, leaving me folding the extra chips I put in now if I call.  It takes awhile to go over all these options and he says, \”I\’ll show you if you fold Jon.\”  I announce my fold he turns over 99 and I muck my kq face up out of respect and to further my tight image.

Herb gives me some advice, but not in a fatherly way.  I agree it was a weak fold.  I almost start to regret showing, but I know now for sure I will be played back at aggressively.   I try not to let it get to me and move on, convincing myself it will work out.

And it does.  Mid stage I pick up Tens early, limp utg, let them pump and when a player squeezes with a short stack shove I quick call.  He holds garbage and I scrape a healthy pot and rail him.

Later in the game I hold A4 spades and call a small raise from a player I suspect is holding Ace Rag and is going to stop and go.  An aggresive players also calls.  The flop gives me the 4 flush with two high cards up but no Ace.  I am sure he missed and as I suspected he shoves for around pot.  I call.  And the others fold out, Herb saying he probably has a medium pocket pair again.  So they are shocked to see Ace Rag.  I have a few ways to counterfit for the chop, hit my kicker or complete the flush against the A-7 that is rolled over, but baby blanks give him the heads up pot.

Now, I open my range right up with escalating blinds and get no resitance recovering lost blinds and some antes with my tight image.  This goes on for about an hour and a half but I have no cards and it is catching up.  Herb has been railed and I hope to gain momentum by doubling up my now dwindled 7k stack.

With 78 of hearts I move all in from middle position against two medium stacks, blinds now at 800/1600 with a 50 ante.  I get called by AK in the big.

He is very happy at first, thinking he most likely has me dominated with me likely holding a premium hand.  He hates my suited connector but the table thinks it will be a good one for the \”audiance.\”   I flop the 8 and take the lead.  He turns the K but it is the second heart.  I now have 14 outs to river him and there may even be a guuty draw in this mess.  Either way I have as good a chance to suck out as I can pray for.

If I hit, I scrape almost 18k in this pot and am healthy for end of tourney type play.  But I blank, shake hands with a great table and wait till my next shot.

Always an exciting game.

Jon