Finally some Run Good! (Bad Beat Jackpot hit at Shorty's)

After a drought and bubbling (money just within reach) 2 tournaments, I can say that I cashed the weekly tournament at Shorty's Casino last night. I was feeling pretty confident, had the day off, and was contemplating going play the Louisiana Fall Poker Classic at the Isle of Capri in Lake Charles when I decided to just make the 20 minute trip rather than the hour and 20 min trip for virtually the same tournament. Also I believe that Shorty's weekly structure (Even though it is an all in fest towards the end) has a better tournament structure than the one at the Isle. I must admit though that the cash games are alot more profitable at the Isle but Shorty's cash games aren't hard at all as well.

I showed up at around 3:30 cause I had a sick feeling that today was going to hit and Best hopes was that I was going to be at the table. With this hunch of the Bad Beat Jackpot. I put my name on every list (1-3 NL, 3-6-12 Limit) There was a 5-5 game as well but I didn't bring enough cash for this game and wanted to play the tournament. Well they call my name and open a table for limit. I sit with $100 and after about 3 revolutions dont have much action, get down to $75. Then I go on a run and get 3 sets within 30 minutes. One improves to Quad 4s. the Next improves to a Full house 8s full of Aces and finally I get Aces full of 4s to bump me up to $224. I continue to play around. nothing spectacular happens then all of a sudden I hear Loud cheers RIGHT BEHIND ME. The guy sitting exactly behind me has Pocket 3s and I look at the board and see 33977. OK congrats but why is Everyone clapping, then I look at the other guys hand and see 77.......... wowowow this table just opened up like 15 minutes ago and now the $174,766 jackpot has been hit on a runner runner board to give the Loser quad 3s. I tried to get a picture but the floor saw me and said NO PHOTOS! haha so yea but Congrats to MR. Nelton Romero for getting a share of the Bad Beat Jackpot good for just over $5,000. Yea just being at the table when it happened would have gotten you approximately $5241.64 (I'm assuming they took $1k off each person for the next bad beat Jackpot. The Winner of the hand got about $43k and the Loser with Quad 3's got about $81k. This made me wish I showed up at about 4:30 or 5:00 so I could have been a part of that table. but oh well I still profited $100 in limit and was ready to continue my run good. I am happy to say that the winners of the Bad Beat were mostly regulars and well deserved by them. What sucks is they have to start it all the way back around $5k though bleh.

As the tournament started, there were a good amount of players I was familiar with but for the first hour and a half did not really get any playable hands but every time I raised pre or bet postflop I was given respect and worked my stack from 7k to about 11k. I finally pick up a open ended draw against one of the weaker opponents at the table who bet and I reraised, everyone got out of the way and he just called. Turn gave a flush and I put him on top pair so when he checked I bet again and he folded bumping me to 17k. Then a huge hand that started the uphill climb. I was dealt Jc 5c in the BB and a MP and button limped and so did the SB. Flop was J 2 6 with one club and it was checked to the Button who bet 1/2 the  pot. SB folded I called and MP called. Turn was the 3c giving me an inside straight draw and a flush draw to go with my Top pair so I bet 1/3 pot and MP callled and Button reraised me almost minimum. There was about 8k in the pot and I had about 12k left so I decided to shove since I had Redraws to get MP off the hand and HE CALLS (which I wasn't expecting) and then Button folded (Put him on top pair top kicker.) MP shows 5s 4s...wtf for the nut straight and got lucky from his donk call on the flop. I had him covered by about 1k and river was a Kc to give me the flush! This propelled me to about 48k. We go on break as the Rebuy / Addon period ends.

A few hands after the break I am UTG and dealt a crappy hand then the dealer announces Misdeal and shows a 9 for the SB giving him 99. When re-dealt I look at AA...Not bad ;)
I opted to raised to 2600 with blinds at 300 600 to make it look like a smaller pair than what it actually was and then to my surprise I get re-raised to 6600 to a decent regular. I was thinking is he capable of folding a huge pp if I shove, if so I want to keep him on the hook. Instead of re-raising (he had about 35k at this point and I could get his whole stack) I opted to just call and let him set his own hook. The flop fell J44 and I am first to act. I bet 6k into a 14k pot and he re-raises all in (I'm guessing he put me on 1010 or QQ) and I call and say if you have JJ NH... He shows KK from what I figured my read was. and I hold up to felt him. I now have about 80k and I flirt around this range for most of the night. I continue to pick spots, lose a couple small pots, win a couple small pots. I get dealt JJ in MP and open for 2200 with blinds at 400 800 and get called by 2 players in the blinds. flop is 7 4 2 and SB checks, BB bets 6000 I am thinking of his range and figure him for just one pair that he is over playing (as he has done many times tonight) so I re-raise to 18,000 for 1/3 of his stack. SB folds and BB calls the extra 12k. I have twice the stack he has. Turn is the 3 and he shoves all in. I really cannot see him calling that much of his stack on just an open ended hand and for some reason I don't see him having a set or 2 pair (He's just that bad to over play one hand) I count out my chips and see that I can make the call and If I'm wrong, still be in good shape with 28k as it would cost me 19k to make the call. There is also about 37k in the pot already so I am almost getting 3:1 odds to make the call and Call. At first he is reluctant and does not want to turn over his hand but shows Q 7 for top pair Queen kicker and I show my JJ. River is a 6 and I hold to knock him out and get up to about 100k.

We move tables and as players dwindled down I knock a couple short stacks out and we are now at 2 tables (Final Table pays 10 spots). I steal blinds. get blinded. waiting for a time to get a good pot. Lose a decent size pot vs. a very aggressive player I have a history playing against and get knocked down again to about 73k. I look at 77 in LP and with blinds at 4k 8k and 500 ante, I choose to go all in and if the blinds wake up with a big hand then so be it, but everyone folds and I add about 14k to my stack. A few hands later I look at Ks Js utg and looking back at this hand I should have just folded Preflop due to my position but something was telling me to played it. But I played this hand bad and it paid off. I limped UTG and a player with 24k goes all in and it cost me 16k to call. For some reason the range I had him was 66-1010 AQ, A10, J10s-KQs with the money already in the pot I had to make a chance at taking this player out as it was 1/3rd my stack so I make the call and to my demise he shows JJ. BLEH. Luckily In the window to greet me was the beautiful K of diamonds to save my ass and knock out yet another player to get us down to 12 and get my stack back up to 100k. we continue to play and we get to the bubble. I watch a guy just bleed off his stack cause of impatience and then we Make the Final table. One guy has about 237k avg is about 110k (I have about 93k) and the short stack had 16k. the blinds were 10k 5k with 1k ante and they ALWAYS want to chop when they get to the final table. Mostly because the structure is poo at the end, mostly because the payouts are extremely top heavy, and mostly because the regulars always end up at the end and want to be friendly, but what they were suggesting was just not what I wanted.

The CL wanted a little extra and I'm fine with that and then someone suggested instead of even $570 for everyone the other 9 give up $70 to the CL...I said no that is way too much and then people were like Fine then we're not chopping and The lady with the super short stack was super tilting because of it. Well we played 2 hands and the 2nd hand the BB was super short stack and SB wakes up with KK to knock her out. The chop 9 ways is now $608. I told everyone I am comfortable with $550 giving CL $58 now that she is gone (Looking back at it I should have said $580 but oh well) and everyone agreed and Short stack rolled her eyes as she collected her money, made some snide remarks then stormed out with her husband (They are very good players btw) But I had to make the best deal for myself If we were going to chop. Essentially the 8 players got 3rd place money and the CL got 2nd place money.

With no chop, 6-10 would have got $230 5th $340 4th $430 3rd $560 2nd $1,210 and 1st $2,230
I think I can outplay most at the Final Table, but the fact that there isn't much reward for 3rd and below really puts no reason to grind it out unless I had the CL.

So I ended up with a good profitable night but hopefully next time I will actually be a part of that Bad Beat Jack Pot.

See you on the Felt.
Matt Stroud