Day 2 of Venetian DS and Final Table

I started the day with 19 bbs. I raise early with aq and take it down. Go through blinds. My table was all a about reraising and three bet shoving. I raise utg +1withAJhh to 21k with 90k behind with absolutely no plan of what to do if I get shipped on. Mr. tightey shaking hands on button re- raises to 50k with 100k behind, which screams monster.

I hate the spot I put myself in. I know I am behind. However I felt like I should go with this hand and hoped to get lucky- maybe he has 88-10s (probably not). I reluctantly shipped after tanking and got snapped by KK. Lucky me and there was an ace in the window -I doubled to over 200k. I got moved shortly after this. I had about 24bbs and chose to 3 bet all in whenever I found a spot instead of just reraising. There was one particular hand where I was at 295k. Utg tight raised to 30k with 110k behind. I had AKsp. I was utg +2. I shipped. Folds to utg who tanks and folds qq. Omg. He said he was sure I had aa. Wow We broke to 2 tables.

After I got moved, I lost one pot and then was super card dead + I was at super aggro table. I got ground down to 7.5 bbs. I felt annoyed and handcuffed however remained focused. I picked up 77 in the bb. The action folded to mp, a scandi kid who was obviously frustrated but had a real hand here. It didn't matter. He raised 3xbb. I shipped w 77. He called a akss. Flop was aa....7 ! Wow! And I held. Up to 300k. After that hand I went on ten min heater and took someone out. I went to the final table w 1.1million on chips and lots of confidence.

FINAL TABLE

My strategy going to most final tables is to play supertight and let players knock each other out. Therefore anyone who knows me would be completely shocked to learn I was all in 4x in first 1.5hours LOL Here is a description of final tble:

(S = seat)

S1 me 1.1 mil.

clS2 Robert Varkonyi 600k

S3 Richard from uk talented player. Outclassed much of the table;

S4 Bruce from FL. 1.5mill

S5- german aggro

S6 unknown solid tight

S7 unknown super tight

S8 asian aggro solid (l

S9 Canadian kid solid but made big mistakes

S10 older tight guy.

I raised once an orbit for a little while and chippped up a bit. I knew I had a slight "I'm trying to be aggro bc I'm CL image". It happened that I raised two hands in a row and took down pots pf. A few hands later I pick up QQ utg+1. I raise to 105k. Blinds 20k 40k. I have 1.4 mill. English kid re raises to400k with 750k behind. I'm annoyed bc I know I'm racing with ak and wanted to avoid this situation. However English guy was very aggro. In this spot, I knew he knew I had a real hand and I knew he had a hand he was going with- I most likely put him on 10s jj aq or ak.

I thought for a bit And shipped. He made a face, was not happy but called with AK. Board ran out with two A A and now image short. Sigh and now I am super short with 260k = 6.5 bbs.

I pick up AK utg nrxt hamd and put my 260k in. Vark calls w 600k behind. Tight s6 is all in.

Vark folds77. My opp has k k. Flop is nothing. Ace on turn! 7 on river LOL thank goodness vark folded. I am back to 800k after that hand. We lose a player next hand-aggro kid in s5.

The very next hand. I am in sb. Richard (english kid) raises to 105k utg. S8 smooths and button smooths I look down at two tens. I tank. I have 20 bbs. I'm not worried about Richards opening range with a raise utg but I am worried that the asian kid smoothed with a monster. Tight on button I know is folding if I ship. This is such a good spot too bc I'm much stronger than I normally would be here and it looks like a squeeze so Asian might call me with two 77-99. In his range is also jj though. And over last two days I was at two different tables and bc he's aggro I thought he would re raise with aa kk qq and aa almost 100% of the time.

So I shoved.

Utg folded, Asian insta called and button tank folded. Asian had AK! Ugh. But utg folded an Ace and button folded AK also! I held and I'm over 2 million and have the cl again. Nice roller coaster. Those were the biggest hands at the final table. When we were 6 handed, I lost a sizeable pot to vark with aj v his qt. I flopped top top and he turned a straight. I couldve found a fold to his shove on the turn but I played the hand in such a way that I felt committed on the turn. In any case, vark and I switched stacks after that. I had 900k and he had 2 mill. After I said nh and shipped my chips- and I Did so very unemotionally and professional- he turns to me and says I was hoping we would be hu with you in this. I literAlly laffed out loud and said I still have 900k im not out yet LOL.

I built and built. We got down to 3 handed. Literally second hand of 3handed play s6 who was left with me and vark ships his cl stack into me. I was bb. I had 99 and snap called. He had a7os and I held. Vark finished him off in the next twenty minutes. Then vark and I decided to do a chip eqity chop which worked out great for me. It was almost an even chop but vark had 2/3 of the chips in play. I felt great after that final table. Renewed my belief in poker and my confidece was 100% regained.

On to play Sunday tournaments today! Good luck and more Vegas stories to come shortly (including Jon's deep run in event #54 and his unlucky satellite runs).

Good money and peace,

Garnet.