Team Poker 2008

The Team Poker was a blast. Though I would've wished it ended in our favor but nonetheless I thought it was great.

 

There were a total of 19 teams who joined and it was filled with real poker players. Most of the old regulars were there as well as some new ones. The teams were distributed in such a way that no two players from one team was in the same elimination table. I was assigned to table number six. There was Oging, Dana, Me, Atty Rado, a La Sallite, Eric M, Myra, and I forgot the last guy's name.

 

I have to say that being on the same table as Eric M is great as I rarely get to play against him but I know that he knows his poker and will provide the table with some good plays.

 

There wasn't much to write about my plays. I stole some blinds. I bluffed more than I wanted to. I wasn't getting any good cards and there wasn't any way to keep up with the blinds. What I do remember was the hand I busted out with. There were only 5 players left in the tournament and I was at the cut-off. Blinds was at 300/600 with 50 ante. I had around 11000 in chips, and the average stack was at 10000. UTG Oging folded, I raised to 1800 total with Q9s spades, Button Eric M folded, SB Myra folded. BB, approximately 35000 in chips, thought about it a long time. Then he called. Flop comes Qd, 9c, 8c. BB checks. I raised 3000. BB raises all-in. I thought. BB thought about calling a long time pre-flop which probably means he has a mediocre hand. If he had mid-pockets and made a set, he would've raised on the flop because there was a flush draw and a possible straight. If he had 2-pair, my top 2-pair has the advantage. If he was on a flush or straight draw, I would still be ahead. If he already has a made straight, he would've bet on the flop because of the flush draw or would've just called my bet. My initial thought though was that he had made his straight with JT. But as I only had to call a reasonable amount compared to the pot, I called. I turned over my Q9, and he shows Q8. 2-pair over 2-pair with me a huge favorite. Turn peels off a Ah and river shows 8s. He hit his 2-outer and busted me out of the tournament.

 

The other members of Team King Jack Call had the same fate as I did. We didn't have a fighting chance of getting in the top 3 teams.

 

For me, this tournament had so much on the line. It was my first mid-buy-in tournament being staked. It was a chance for me to play good poker with some good players. And it was a venue for me to show that I had what it takes to be considered one of the good players.

 

I'm looking ahead and I'm aiming for the original plan of saving Php 50,000 for me to start playing regularly again.