1st step to Australia

If you've ever played in the Poker After Dark, or the Aussie Givaway freeroll sit n go's on Fulltilt, then you know what these tournaments are like: typically during the first 5 hands +, there will be 3-6 all-ins, hoping to double-through quick and coast towards a finish. To survive, you've got to avoid SO many pitfalls -- like the awesome power of the Q7o which won the 1st hand 4-way all-in at my table, and other such lovely occurrences. Any resemblance to "real poker" doesn't come about until about the final two tables, where before that each move is becomes an all-in or fold by the river, with rarely an in-between.

So last night I had time to kill before my brother and his best friend flew into town, and I filled it by playing probably about 10 PAD and Aussie Giveaway freerolls, multi-tabling at least 2 at a time, and up to 4. They can be SO maddening. But after some initial frustration, you either quit playin' em, or you adjust. I adjusted.

315 runners. At one point, with 22 left, I was in 4th chip position, and won only 7 hands (and only involved in 9): 1 preflop, one on the flop, and then all 5 of my showdowns. That's right - if you're going to a showdown early in these tournaments (and pre-final table is early with these), you'd better be willing to get your whole stack in there. The last time I got deep in one of these (made 5th in one once), I played similarly: waited for big hands, pushed them when they came, and let the 64o and the K5s donk their chips to me.

I wish I could say there is some overall killer strategy for these, but really it's simple patience, and then when you get a big hand put your chips in the middle and hope for the best. I played 3 simultaneously, and one I busted around 30th, one PAD with 600+ runners I busted around 40th, and then this one I took down. Slow-playing, trapping, check-raising -- all these are way too fancy for these tournaments, where to many bottom pair is gold. Push small edges (and bottom pair is NOT a small edge). You flop the nutz, bet out, you'll probably get raised all-in, and then you call and double or triple up. Before the final 2 tables it was almost all all-in or fold poker.

Once it got down to the final two tables and I had a big stack, I was able to make some steals and re-steals against other big stacks. Final table was a waiting game -- the mid-stacks were looking to get it all in preflop, so when my 88 in the cutoff was re-raised all-in (I had him covered), it was a no brainer to call. Q6s went down to my 88 (a 3rd 8 on the river was overkill).

For the 3-way, and the HU battle, I have to once again thank riggstad for his 'coaching' during the last break during last week's Riverchasers tournament. My heads up play had suffered so much lately, and one tiny push in the right direction has been amazing for my game. We were practically even HU, but I stole some pots with naked aggression, and frustrated the heck out of my opponent with endless raises and continuation bets. Last hand was a bit dicey:

Seat 7: gsw61515 (241,068)
Seat 9: RuneStone (231,432)
gsw61515 posts the small blind of 4,000
RuneStone posts the big blind of 8,000
Dealt to gsw61515 [6c Js]
gsw61515 calls 4,000
RuneStone raises to 16,000
gsw61515 calls 8,000

I had been raising here with most any face card, but I had just stolen 3 pots in a row from him, so decided to slow down. Calling his min-raise was a no-brainer, as from what I could tell his steal attempts were weak at best.

*** FLOP *** [4h 6h Jh]

Here's where it's dicey: if he's got two hearts I'm drawin' slim... I have top two though. If he has 2 hearts he's slow-playing here, I'm sure of it -- I make so many continuation bets that he would at the very least check-raise the flop. He seemed so predictable as I watched him at the final two tables (he was on the other table, but I opened it up to "scout" the competition).

RuneStone bets 32,000
No slow play = not two hearts!
gsw61515 raises to 225,068, and is all in
massive overbet, I know; I'm trusting my read that he'd slow play hearts. In these tournaments the craziest hands will call your all-ins
RuneStone calls 183,432, and is all in
gsw61515 shows [6c Js]
RuneStone shows [7d 6d]
SWEEEET! Save for running 7's, I'm GOLD!
Uncalled bet of 9,636 returned to gsw61515
*** TURN *** [4h 6h Jh] [Qd]
*** RIVER *** [4h 6h Jh Qd] [As]
gsw61515 shows two pair, Jacks and Sixes
RuneStone shows a pair of Sixes
gsw61515 wins the pot (462,864) with two pair, Jacks and Sixes

And that, dear readers, is how you get through a complete donkfest. It took at least 14 attempts; last night about 10 attempts, when the deepest I got was about 50 of the 600+. I played 4 today, getting deep in 3 of them. I guess that's how "normal" tournament poker can go too -- huge number of barely-cashes or busto's before a big score. Guess that means I should be getting closer to the big score!!

....if only the $28K's attracted this type of play! I'm tellin' ya, though, yea you gotta get cards to win this thing, but more important I think was patience, and pushing what I thought were small edges. If I can bring that into the bigger games, I'm well on my way to bigger online tournament success.