Filipino Poker Tour 5

The Filipino Poker Tour 5 has finally arrived and it's the biggest FPT to date. More than 300 players came to take part in the event. There was even a need to have alternates as there were more players than the venue could seat. I was expecting to see some good poker plays and I wasn't disappointed.

My whole tournament started pretty well. Starting stack was 15,000 and I was up to 20,000 before the first orbit. I was planning on building it a little at a time just to be sure I could go the distance. However, as the tournament progressed, I was no longer hitting the board and my bluffs were being called. It came to the point in level 4 that I was down to only 6 times the BB (600). The tables were turned when I got a rush and I was able to rebuild my stack to more than 20,000 at the start of the 5th level. This made me one of the big stacks in my table.

In level 6, our table collapsed and I was transferred to a different one. What was considered a big stack in my table became one of the shorter stacks in the new one. I wasn't able to see the flop, even when I was BB. After the dinner break, I checked the stacks of the remaining players and found that I would still have a chance if I made a move in the next round.

Level 7 (600/1200, ante 100). I was at around 20,000+. I was BB and UTG bet 4,000 total. Everyone folded to me. It was the second time opponent on my left raised on my blind. I figured I was going to look at the flop just to see if my 87 suited would hit. Flop came 898, no flush draw. I felt there he couldn't be on a straight draw. I checked with the intention of slow playing my set. There was 9,400 in the pot, villain bet 4,000. I called. Turn was a King, flush draw now on the board. I still checked. Villain also checked. River was a Jack, no flush. Villain bet 12,000. I only had 13,000+ left so I pushed all-in. He was commited and called. He showed JJ for a full house Jacks over Eights. I showed my set and instantly felt remorse about not check-raising on the flop or betting all-in on the turn.

It may not have been my time to win a major tournament. But just trying to see it in a more optimistic point of view, at least I got a free dinner and a t-shirt.