Phil's Adventures at Running Aces - HPT Super Satellite

CPL Co-Director Phil Fuehrer made the trip to Running Aces on Friday morning to play in the $80 ($68 plus $10 rake plus $2 for dealers) Heartland Poker Tour Super Satellite. The top 20% of winners received entry into the $340 satellite to the main event playing there in November. There were 37 players with 3 “re-entrys” for a total of 40 players and 8 seats to the satellite being given out. Here is a partial report (you’ll need to listen to the next podcast to get the ending):

From Phil
Okay, I show up at 9:45 am (tourney starts at 10:30) and am player number 5 buying in to the tourney – guy behind the counter tells me it’ll possibly just be a single table. Eventually, there are 4 tables. I go play some Pai Glow for 35 minutes (ending up $15).

The tourney starts promptly at 10:30 am. Blinds at 25/50 and we have 5000 in chips. My strategy is to play tight/aggressive for the first 4 levels (up to blinds of 200/400 at level 4).

LEVEL 1: I receive 3 quite playable hands (based on position and table play) including A/K suited (that hits the A on the flop and K on the turn) and pocket Js. I end level 1 with about 6200 chips.

LEVEL 2: I try to play A/9s in position (and one or two other marginal hands – including 8/7s). They pretty much all miss and I end the level with about 5400 chips.

LEVEL 3: Tighten up a little this level and end with 6400 in chips – don’t remember any hands though.

LEVEL 4: The big hand in this level was A/Jo for me in MP. I had about 7500 or so in chips. I thought I had a pretty good read on a guy (he was to my right) that was first into the pot with a limp. I sensed that if he had an A (which I didn’t think he did) it was A/8 or something like that. I thought he may have had a small pair, but more likely something like J/T or 9/8. I raised which got everyone else to fold. He riffled his chips thinking through his next action and then moved all-in for about 3500 more. I insta-called and he tabled K/T suited. I don’t think either one of us hit and I took him out. I ended the level with 13700 in chips.

BREAK – There are 26 players left.

LEVEL 5: Another largely uneventful level and I ended with about 13500 or so chips.

LEVEL 6: Disaster strikes very early in level 6 (even though I told myself to tighten up even a little more since I had a good stack and there are only about 22 players left). I got cocky. Dan Akroyd (okay, not actually Dan, but a guy that seemed to Elwood Blues) came to the table to my immediate left. Folding to one MP limper (a guy that liked to play a lot of hands – loose/aggressive player with bad teeth – I’m thinking meth) and then more folds to me in the SB. I decide to limp with K/Q off. Elwood checks his option. The flop is K/7/5 two hearts. I check (I’m looking to check raise here as I figure meth boy can’t beat K/Q though he’ll bet and the BB likely can’t either). I thought Elwood would check but he bets out 4000 into a pot of 3000 (leaving himself about 3500 behind). The limper folds. I look at Elwood and his remaining stack and he says, “Yup, you can see how committed I am to the pot.” I’m thinking he has a flush draw or hit one of the cards and was pushing. I move all-in on the check-raise. Yes, he was committed to the pot and turns over K/7. I don’t improve and he wins with 2 pair to my pair of Ks. I drop to about 3500 chips.

A few hand later we’re down to 20 players and we collapse to two tables. Elwood goes to the same table I do by he’s at the other end with his 20K or so chips. I get whittled down to 1500 chips (with blinds at 500/1000) after folding my SB. I keep folding including K/3 suited in EP figuring I have 2 more hands to choose from and then the BB - “I’ll get something better,” I tell myself. I don’t. The BB comes and it’s J/6 off. There’s a raise to 4000 by Elwood and all folds. I can go heads up. I only have 500 left and I’m thinking these might be live cards. I call. He has A/Q. I hit a J while Elwood doesn’t improve and I double up. A few hands later with Elwood in the BB I get K/Q suited. I push all-in for 3000 (first into the pot). Everyone else folds to Elwood who says, “This isn’t a good hand but we gotta knock some people out.” He calls and turns over 10/6. I hits a Q and chip up to 6500. A couple hands later I move all-in with A/Q, get called and double up again. I end the level with 14500 in chips.

LEVEL 7: The missed hand?? I have pocket 9s OTB. UTG bets 3200 (blinds at 800/1600). Elwood – 2 players later – raises all-in for about 6500 (he lost that entire big stack). He gets a smooth call two players later. I’m faced with a bet, a raise and a call. It’s about 6500 to me with 16000 in the pot and I’m at about 14000 chips. I figure I’m screwed – one or both of the other players (UTG and limper will call) and one of them likely has an overpair to me. I fold. Both the other two players do call and table A/K, A/Q and 5/5. Ultimately, I would’ve lost the main pot (a K hit) but my 9s would’ve taken down the side pot.

I do take down a pot later with pocket 4s after a flop of 2/3/7 and end Level 7 with 18500 in chips. There are about 14 players left.

Listen to the Podcast to hear the conclusion to the tournament.