Such Skillz

I have no idea how I did it but I did this last night.


3rd place isn’t bad but I had the chip lead for a good part of the final table and was in great position with 4 players left. But it was a long journey.

Early on I stayed very tight. As players like Surflexus gained huge stacks with aggressive play, I lost ground. I finally got a nice starting hand with three diamonds and had the flush on 5th street. Two opponents were hanging with me and one hit a 4 outer to catch a boat. So some unlucky cards early put me in a bad spot. After losing a few more chips, down to 946, I more then doubled with a set but still had a short stack of around 2K. Eventually we arrived at the first break with me holding 2.5K.

So I’m a little below starting stack when we get back from break but I know a couple of good hands will get me higher on the leader board. This is about the time I missed everything and slowly chipped down. Sitting with 622 chips I find 7AA and get them all in the middle. I hit two pair and move to 2.4K but still need to catch a couple of hands soon. I chipped up a little until I find a spot to make a move. I get involved with a player who I know is chasing a low when I have a big pair. I kept the pressure on and he had to fold when his low missed. This about the time I started getting more involved. I had played very tight but now that the antes were getting large I could start using my image a little. I had 5.5K and ready to get lucky…or make my own luck.

After winning a couple of smaller pots I hit a straight for a scoop and moved to 10K. I folded xKK at some point a bit later after I raised and got two more raises behind me. One of the players ended up have rolled up Qs and would have busted me. So I have given away about 3K at this point but hit a big flush and get it back plus some to 12K. We are on the final three tables and I have a very solid stack but just about everyone can go bust in two hands with the huge bets. When we were down to 19 players I went on a small self created rush when I stole about 5 times in 9 hands. This was huge as I realized I could you my image to take down some hands. In all I went from 12K to 22 K in about 15 hands after busting a short stack. I stayed between 22K and 25K until I hit a nice one to move up to 30K. Can you think of a better time to get rolled up aces? So I look down and see three beautiful aces and get involved with the chip leader who is calling with a low draw. I put pressure on every street and we misses his low put hit two pair so I even got the last bet out of him. 44K and I can rock the house as we hit the final table.

I was in 1st or 2nd much of the final table and had a 20K lead on the 2nd place player. But, then things started to change a little as Hoy, CK and TJ chipped up. This put four of us at a big advantage. Then it was time for me to look at 333 and I eliminated Iwantitall and regain my 20K advantage with 61K.

Seat 1: ck31 (34,686)
Seat 2: hoyazo (40,252)
Seat 4: Tom Jefferson (41,654)
Seat 5: RecessRampage (17,880)
Seat 7: Bone_Daddy84 (14,311)
Seat 8: pokerenthusiast (61,217)

A bit later Hoy knocks out CK and we are down to five players. At this point I am getting some walks here and there and a random steal. I still have the cjip lead with Hoy close behind. Hoy then knocks out Bone_Daddy84 to take the a small lead. Then the hand that hurts me.

Full Tilt Poker Game #6053570660: Skill Series (40521504), Table 4 - 4000/8000 Ante 700 - Limit Stud H/L - 1:23:04 ET - 2008/04/16
Seat 2: hoyazo (77,199)
Seat 4: Tom Jefferson (27,704)
Seat 5: RecessRampage (31,180)
Seat 8: pokerenthusiast (73,917)
hoyazo antes 700
Tom Jefferson antes 700
RecessRampage antes 700
pokerenthusiast antes 700
RecessRampage: gg eric
*** 3RD STREET ***
Dealt to hoyazo [2s]
Dealt to Tom Jefferson [Js]
Dealt to RecessRampage [3d]
Dealt to pokerenthusiast [Qc Qs] [8c]
hoyazo is low with [2s]
Tom Jefferson: gg
pokerenthusiast: gg
hoyazo: gg
hoyazo brings in for 1,000
Tom Jefferson folds
RecessRampage completes it to 4,000
pokerenthusiast calls 4,000
ck31 (Observer): gg
hoyazo has 15 seconds left to act
Bone_Daddy84 (Observer): good luck all, i have to say, if i dont bust hoy,he bust me
hoyazo calls 3,000

I won’t be able to push RecessRampage out so I only call. I put Hoy on the low draw for value.
*** 4TH STREET ***
Dealt to hoyazo [2s] [9s]
Dealt to RecessRampage [3d] [7d]
Dealt to pokerenthusiast [Qc Qs 8c] [5c]
hoyazo checks
RecessRampage bets 4,000
pokerenthusiast calls 4,000
hoyazo calls 4,000

Both still drawing.
*** 5TH STREET ***
Dealt to hoyazo [2s 9s] [Td]
Dealt to RecessRampage [3d 7d] [4s]
Dealt to pokerenthusiast [Qc Qs 8c 5c] [Ah]
pokerenthusiast checks
hoyazo checks
RecessRampage bets 8,000
pokerenthusiast raises to 16,000
hoyazo has 15 seconds left to act
hoyazo calls 16,000
ck31 (Observer): nice to see you BD
roochie m (Observer): gl all
RecessRampage has 15 seconds left to act
RecessRampage has requested TIME
Bone_Daddy84 (Observer): you too ck
RecessRampage folds

I try to isolate RR here and hoy calls. He is drawing to a straight or flush. Not happy that RR folded cuz I want his money in the middle also.

*** 6TH STREET ***
Dealt to hoyazo [2s 9s Td] [Ks]
Dealt to pokerenthusiast [Qc Qs 8c 5c Ah] [Qh]
pokerenthusiast bets 8,000
hoyazo raises to 16,000
pokerenthusiast calls 8,000

I hit my set and bet to see where he is at. He might be representing the flush but probably hit it. I can’t fold with 10 outs…not at this point.

*** 7TH STREET ***
Dealt to pokerenthusiast [Qc Qs 8c 5c Ah Qh] [6s]
pokerenthusiast checks
hoyazo bets 8,000
pokerenthusiast calls 8,000

I have seen 7 spades up so I figure a split pot. He had 3 more spades for the nut flush. Ugh…Not sure how to get away from this hand or if I should.

*** SHOW DOWN ***
hoyazo shows [As Ts 2s 9s Td Ks 3s] a flush, Ace high, for high
pokerenthusiast mucks
hoyazo wins the pot (114,800) with a flush, Ace high
No low hand qualified
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 114,800 | Rake 0
Seat 2: hoyazo showed [As Ts 2s 9s Td Ks 3s] and won (114,800) with HI: a flush, Ace high
Seat 4: Tom Jefferson folded on 3rd St.
Seat 5: RecessRampage folded on 5th St.
Seat 8: pokerenthusiast mucked [Qs Qc 8c 5c Ah Qh 6s] - HI: three of a kind, Queens

Now I hit the aggression button and start to steal more and fluctuate a little. I don’t care about anything other then getting my chips back or going home. I want a chance for the seat. I eventually knock out RR when I hit a boat when I was priced in to call with a pocket pair. It continued to apply as much pressure as my little stack had and moved back into 2nd for a bit and back to 76K…about 20K behind Hoy when I won with HI: a pair of Sixes; LO: 7,6,5,3,2. I have such skills. But I had to fold 2 pair on a boar of AKJT and I was all but done. TJ ended my night two hands later for my 3rd place finish.

I’m not unhappy with how I played. I used some Razz thinking in the later stages in that players tend to call less because the bets are so big. What could have been didn’t happen.

Congrates Hoy.