Aruba recap part 2
Posted: 2008-10-08 19:43:26By: Debo34
Aruba recap part 2
Day 3- I went into day 3 with 197k in chips. This put me in 4th place with 99 to go paying 54 spots. I drew a tough table that had Jason Gray with 140k, last years Aruba runner up Jim Mordeau with 104k and the chip leader Jason Smith who had over 400k in chips. Jim and Jason Smith controlled a lot of the action early as expected so I sat back being patient as I had been for the first 2 days picking my spots. As we got close to the money bubble play started to stall and nothing seemed to be going right for me. My stack had been chopped down several times between 100 and 120k . I kept building it back up slowly only to get it chopped down time and time again. I picked up a few pots during hand for hand and with 2 hours left in the day the bubble finally busted. Unfortunately the bubble boy was Jason Gray. I think the world of this guys play and was sad to see that it was him to go. With an hour or so to go in day 3 my mood was bad. Seven hours of frustration had set in and I was fighting the urge to do something stupid. Phil Hellmuth stopped by and I think he could sense that I was a bit tilty. He pulled me aside and reminded me that there was only 45 minutes left until day 4 and to make it through and come back refreshed tomorrow. The words seemed to calm me quite a bit and I was focused on making it through. With 30 minutes left to go in the day things turned around fast for me. I picked up a big pot with KK, and then won a monster on the following hand. The action folded to me in the small blind and I limped holding k6 of clubs. The big blind checked and the flop came out 246 with 2 clubs. I led out with a bet and was immediately called. The turn brought a great card for me the 10 of clubs making me a flush. I check called a 26k bet. The river was a 5 of hearts. I thought of leading into the player but then decided to check in hopes he was holding a 3 in his hand for the straight. It was a risky play considering the only way he bets is holding a three or a complete bluff. My check paid off as he bet 40k leaving him approximately 75k behind. I moved him all in and after several minutes of deliberation he called holding 23 for the straight. I ended the day on a positive note and had 297k in chips.
Day 4- I started the day in 14th of the remaining 35 players. We were now playing 6 handed for the remainder of the tournament and I drew another tough table. My good friend Mark "p0ker h0" Kroon, UB player dendog2, and for the second day in a row Jason Smith were at the table. On the second hand of the day I picked up QQ in first position and put in a raise that was called by Jason out of the small blind. The flop came out 356. Jason checked and I made a pot size bet. Jason put in a healthy size raise. Now after playing with Jason for 8 hours the day before I was confident he didn't have a set here, and thought he was on an over pair to the board. I decided to move all in at that point guarding from any draw, convinced my hand was good. When he instantly called I knew I was dead. He flipped up KK, I had been trapped. The 4 on the turn brought me more hope. I now had 8 outs in the deck to chop the pot and get away from this massive misstep. As I was quietly screaming in my head for a 7, a queen peeled off on the river. I couldn't help thinking to myself that this could be my day. With 35 to go I was the new chip leader. The joy didn't last too long however as I went through a 2 hour stint where I seemingly had the second best hand time and time again. Holding KQ I flopped top 2 pair and lost to a river flush. I flopped 3 queens holding JQ when the flop came QQ10, only to fold it to a river all in when the guy said to me "you can't have a queen here". He showed me AQ and I somehow got off the hook with 200k in chips left. Frustration had set in during my final hand. The player made it 20k from the button, and I picked up 99 in the big blind. I made it 80k of my 200k and told myself I was calling off the rest if he moved me in. Well he did move me in with his pocket aces and that was the end of my run, out in 22nd. I was really disappointed at the time, but in all honesty, I should have been out in 35th. I learned a ton and finally got the Aruba monkey off my back for now. I can't wait for next year.
Debo
