Satellites / Trip Wrap-Up

After busting out of Event 6- Limit Holdem, I go play in a $65 Single Table Satellite. This is a winner take-take all one table tournament. Normally, it is not wise to play any kind of poker after busting out of a tournament. But, I buck the conventional wisdom and sit down to play some more poker. Sheesh, I'm a glutton for punishment. You start out with 800 in chips and the blinds go up every 15 minutes. In the first level, I do not play a single hand and am down to 725. The blinds started out at 25/25. In these types of single table tournaments; you should not fold every hand and need to pick up the aggression when you do enter a pot. My first hand that I play occurs in Level 2 with blinds at 25/50. I'm dealt pocket Jacks in mid position and raise it to 150. I do not really want a call but am willing to re-raise all-in if raised preflop. I get one caller, the big blind. The flop is K, 2, 6. It is checked to me and I shove all-in and the blind folds. I end Level 2 with 1075 in chips. Levels 3 and 4, I am able to pick up a few pots and maintain my chip stack at 1,600.

In Level 5, blinds at 200/400 and now down to 6 players. Two of the six are short stacked and have around 400 in chips each. These two do not stand a chance as they have folded hand after hand and are waiting for a premium hand. In these types of tournament, fortune favors aggression. Long story short, I end up knocking both of these players out in the same hand and end Level 5 with 2,000 in chips. The chip leader (Seat 2) is at 3,100; Second position (Seat 8) is at 2,200; I'm in third position with 2,000; Seat 6 is in 3rd at 700. We have played for nearly 90 minutes and this is a single table tournament. Seat 6 gets knocked out by Seat 2 and the chip leader extends the lead to 4,100. Not much happens in the next level as we trade blinds but the blinds are escalating to the point where a player has to go all-in each hand.

Level 7, 500/1000, new chip leader in seat 8 at 4,700; Seat 2 at 2,000 and I'm the short stack at 1,300. I'm dealt K,4 suited on the button and shove all-in. The big blind goes into the tank and finally calls with K,9. I suck out and catch a 4 on the river and now sit at 2,900 and seat 2 is now down to 2,800 and seat 8 is at 2,300. A crowd has now gathered around our table as we have played for nearly two hours and are taking up valuable space as another satellite ($180) cannot start until we finish. The very next hand, we broach the subject of chopping up the prize pool of $550 and cannot come to an agreement. Clearly, one player needs to leave and play in another event. What's stopping him? He should go and let me chop up the money. We play for another two hands and each time the all-in survives. We finally agree on chopping 200 / 200 / 150. I was second in chips but got the short end of the chop. It didn't matter, the next satellite was in 15 minutes and I was going to play it ($180) which paid out 1,500.

In the 15 minutes before the next satellite, I go to a slot machine that I've been eyeing the whole trip and end up hitting for $1,800. I was only playing .50 credits; had I been playing $1 credits, it would have paid my way for the main event. I'm not greedy and by chopping the satellite, I was able to hit this jackpot. Right place, right time. I end up winning three consecutive satellites ($180/$65/$180) for a total of 3,550. One of the key hands was being dealt 10,7 offsuit on the button and Dana (cocktail waitress) see last blog, brings me my drink and I chat it up with her. The flop is A,4,J. I have cards that the salvage yard would not play. I check and the button raises it to 600, I re-raise it to 1,900 and he looks at me and says you caught me "I only have Queen high". I collect the pot and look at Dana and say to the player "good fold". Again, I use my periphrial vision and was able to spy the other player staring at the flop hard. Most times, when a player studies the board intently, they have nothing and are really thinking about you not calling. Thanks, another pot won through Dana bringing me a drink. Other players may catch on to my tactics but I am more than a one trick pony. Below, I'm pictured with Dana after winning a satellite and we're discussing strategy for the next one. Just kidding about the next one, but that really is Dana.




I decide to not play in the main event and to keep the money after I sell the chips that are won through the satellites. Playing in the circuit satellites can be a risky prop as you get paid in tournament chips and can only use those chips to buy in to circuit events or you can sell them to other players. The main event only drew 99 players and was a $5,000 buy-in. It was a small field but I can take the money and play in several events rather than just one event.

I stayed at The Country Inn & Suite in Council Bluffs next to Horseshoe Casino and highly recommend it if you are in the Council Bluffs area. Besides being a great value, the service there was top notch. As a frequent traveler, you can't ask for more than a friendly staff, free Internet, free breakfast and service with a smile. I look forward to next year's trip to Council Bluffs in my quest for that elusive circuit final table. Let me take this opportunity to wish the late HB a Happy Birthday and that many lessons were learned and experiences gained from this trip.

I will be in action Saturday, March 1 in a local Yearly Invite for a $10,000 WSOP Seat held by Nationwide Poker Tour. Come back here for my chronicles of this tournament and how team 'Poker Across America" (Chuck P., Jay, Manny V- 2008 Council Bluffs Omaha Hi-Lo 6th Place Finisher, and I) fare in the event as well. This and more in the next installment of "Chewey's Corner'.

Gone but Not Forgotten!
Chewey