Danny Allen Hart

I played this at noon today and lasted until 5:30. Started with 112 players and I went out 49.

Started well. This tournament had 45 minute levels starting at 25 - 50 with 10000 in chips. At the first break I had 18800, well above the average of 11000. I also had good control of the table and had been taking down lots of small pots uncontested.

At level 6 (200 - 400) I took a beat when I had pocket tens on the button. A guy in early position raised to 800 and I just called. The flop came rags babies 3 5 6 and he bet 1500. I called thinking he may not even have a pair and might be just making a standard continuation bet. The turn paired the 5 and he bet 2000. Now I was worried he might have a real hand but as I was getting nearly 4 to 1 and had position and had about 15000 in chips, I made the call. He checked the river 8. I saw no point in betting as he could only call me if he had a strong enough hand to beat me. I hoped he was just giving up on a bluff but he turned over pocket jacks.

I was able to get most of this loss back within 30 minutes but then had a series of beats that took me down to about 13000 when a key hand came up. I was on the button with ace 6 of spades and all folded to me so I fired in a 1200 bet. Both the small and big blinds called. The flop came 10 jack queen with 2 spades. sb checked and bb bet 2000. I flat called hoping to keep in the sb. I could have pushed here to try to take the pot but the bb had a lot of chips, was very solid and I doubted he would fold any hand strong enough to bet for only 8000 more. The sb folded and the turn was an ace. BB now went all in and had me covered.

I agonized over this decision for about 5 minutes. The pot had 16000 and I had 8000. The odds of hitting the flush were 4 to 1. Adding in the three non spade kings for the nut straight only marginally increased my chances. Of course, my aces might be good if the bb was making a move (which was entirely possible from what I had seen him do previously - he was a tough player).

I also felt that folding and having only 8000 at this point of the tourney was leaving me in bad shape. 8000 sounds good but we were minutes away from the 300 - 600 level with 75 ante and players were already in push mode with stacks under 5000. So, 8000 was pretty bad.

Ultimately, I read him for having the king and I decided to give it up and try to make a comeback with the 8000. He showed me the hand - he had king 9 suited diamonds, so he flopped the straight and turned the higher straight. The dealer could not show us the river so I do not know if I would have made the flush but since I went out shortly after the next break I wish I had gone for it. I feel this is about as close to a 50 - 50 decision as possible so I don't feel either way was right of wrong.

After the break we were at 300 - 600 with 75 ante. I got nothing for a round and was down to about 6500 in the sb. A guy in late position raised all in for 3000, I had pockets 8's so I went all in to shut out any over callers and got it heads up. He had ace jack and flopped a straight with 10 queen king. The next hand the same guy limped and I went all in with ace 10 of clubs for my last 3500. Another player called too so pot was about 13000. I was up against pocket 8's and pocket kings! A king hit on the flop and I was drawing dead.

Very frustrating. I finally got a good start and had ammunition to work with only to get beat after beat and be out only about the middle of the pack.

I went to RIO and lost $200 in the 2 -5 nl. I was too tired to play longer. Had dinner with Russ at the RIO coffee shop and went home by 10 pm.

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