Suck Out! A Horse with No Name Recognition (Part V)

Suck Out! The CPL's own Docu-Series continues....Part One can be found here (Forward/Intro), part two here (Staking), part three here (Backer's Perspective) and the Horse's Perspective (part IV) here...enjoy!

Match 1 - Stud H/L (Stud8) - Single Table SNG
Karaoke Phil

I'm taking a little bit of a conservative start to my matches. My first goal is to make a dent in the stake so that I can play for the "big money" without the added pressure of the stake yoking me. A single table sit-n-go is a good way to make half to nearly all of the stake back - with a first or second place showing - in a format that I do well in. To increase my odds (in my thinking) I am going to make the first match Stud H/L.

I saw Jennifer Harman recently on an episode of "Poker After Dark" (I think that was the show). Jen busted out in third or fourth and the interviewer asked her if No Limit Hold 'em is her favorite game. Harman's response was that she preferred the games that, she felt, others don't know all that well: PL OH, OH8, Stud, Stud8, Razz, etc. Indeed, she ranked No-Limit Hold 'em as her 10th favorite game. To some extent, I feel the same way. I believe that I play Stud8 and OH8 better than many other players. I think I have an edge in those games. I don't place No Limit Hold 'em in 10th, but depending on my mood it may fall as low as third or fourth. So, we start with Stud8. Let's win some money.

As fate has it, the CPL's own Mike "Blind Me Down" Behr (BMD) has joined my table. I don't believe he knows that this is my first "Suck Out!" match. He ends up seated immediately to my right. It may be beneficial to have a somewhat known quantity next to me as this match progresses.

Early on I'm dealt several quality hands - including 2/6/7, 3/5/8 and A/A/9 (Aces underneath). They all fail me misearbly. On the first hand I get a 3 on fourth and then three straight bricks. I nail an A on fourth and a 2 on fifth with the second hand (giving me 3/5/8/A/2). It fails to improve and I lose to a 5/7 low on seventh street. And, the Aces? They do not improve - no low, no other pairs and I drop the hand after 6th street. A good move as Homestar hit a full house and Janmike had trip 7s. I'm below 1000 chips after 11 hands.

I'm able to limp in on hand 16 with 5/3/3. My next two cards are 2 and 7 giving four to low (2/3/5/7) and a pair with two cards to come. However, the action gets heavy on 5th street. Mike (BMD) leads out with a bet after pairing his Qs and well on his way to a flush (3 diamonds showing). Thaifayta2gzz, showing 3/7/6/A two bets and Janmike who's still in the hand with 2/5/6/A showing calls. Mr. Mike (BMD) 3 bets. Now, I still have two cards to come but my 5/3/3/2/7 is looking bad to me. Mr. Mike (BMD) is pushing that high hand and either trip Qs or flush have my pair of 3s dominated. On the low end, I'm still drawing with a 2/3/5/7, but the other two players in the hand (Janmike and Thaifayta) are looking good. Janmike's up cards look better, but Thaifayta is raising like he's made a great low. I decide to drop the hand and I'm down to 478 chips. The last two streets are dealt and both Janmike and Thaifayta show 5/6 lows (Janmike's 2 plays for him for a better low) and BMD had the flush. I think it's a good laydown but I'm in very bad shape.

After 18 hands I'm now down to 448 chips. I've only gone to showdown once (and lost the hand). In fact, I haven't won a hand yet. I'm reminded of a RAZZ tournament I played a while back where I lost the first 32 or 34 hands before winning one. I then proceeded to lose the next 8 hands, won one more and then got knocked out on the hand after that. Ahh, yes. Winning two hand out of the 43 or 44 or so hands played. Great run of cards and a run that had me questioning if I'd ever play another RAZZ tournament. I think I have only played straight RAZZ only one time since then.

Hand 20 brings something new - a winning hand. I'm dealt A/2/5 (all clubs). I get a K on fourth and a 4 of clubs on 5th street. At this point, BMD is showing 2/6/8 with Homestar showing A/4/8 and a likely diamond draw. I slow it down and Homestar takes the lead in betting. BMD folds his hand. I nail the straight flush with the 3 of clubs on 6th street and get all in with Homestar. That's not all that hard since I only have 88 chips left at this point. Homestar has a low and the diamond flush, but my straight flush scoops the pot and I move up to 1486 in chips - just about starting stack.

We finally lose our first player on hand 31 and I'm in 5th of the remaining 7 players with about 1300 in chips.

Four hands later we have lost Janmike. I'm dealt 3/4/5 and complete the bet in a heads up match. Adler folds and I move my chip stack up to 1374. It's only the 4th hand I have won of the 36 played, but I think the tide is going to start to change for me. Indeed, by hand 42 I have moved up to 1649 in chips.

I'm able to knock Thaifayta2gzz out on hand 47. He's short stacked when I'm dealt 6/3/4. He also has a good low hand but we both miss lows and my two pair (6s and 2s) beat him. I'm now in 3rd place with 2184 in chips and our own Mike "BMD" Behr is leading the sit-n-go with 3757 chips. This is my first match ever being staked and I'm playing a little tighter than usual but things are starting to look up.

I score a few chips in hand 54 to bring me up to 2294 (still in 3rd of the 5 players remaining) but by hand 65 I'm back down to 1046 in chips and in 5th place. I'm still not going to count myself out. Stud8 is the type of game that you can scoop a pot and triple or quadruple up in a single hand. On the next hand (hand 66) I'm able to chop the pot and move up to about 1300 in chips. It's not a lot, but give me more confidence that this will end up fairly well. I'm a shortstack on chips, but my gut is telling me that I'll be able to back door my way into 3rd place for a smallish cash. I can take that for the first match. We lose Shyster within the next couple of hands and as we head into break I have 1600 in chips.

A few hands after break ends I'm dealt about the best hand you can get - A/2/3. I'm heads up against an 8 showing. I get a K to his T on fourth street. Fifth street gives me a 3 for A/2/3/K/3 - while my opponent receives a J (showing 8/T/J on the board). He's the table shortstack and moves all in. I call and he has....nothing. He's on a gut shot or runner/runner for a low and my 3s are ahead. Sixth and Seventh street do nothing for me while he hits his gut shot with a 9 on 7th street. I'm now down to 255 chips.

I'm able to score a chop and then on hand 76 I'm dealt 3/4/K. I decide to make a stand and move all in (not quite a complete bet). I'm heads up with Pokistry who is showing a "2". I'm hoping he has nothing and will fold but he's probably priced in to call me and try to knock me out. He does make the call (and has nothing) with 9/Q/2. The cards play out - neither of us get a low and he hits a pair of 6s to beat my K high. I'm knocked out in 4th place.

It's certainly a disappointment, especially with the horrendous run of early cards I had (the first 18 or so hands). I'm not sure what I'll go for next, but I don't think it'll be Stud H/L. I may go for an OH8, match of some sort, but we'll see. At this point all I know is that I'm going to need to buckle down now with only four matches left to play. For those "BMD" fans out there - he went out in third.