The Law of 5

I fulfilled the law of 5's in the RPT weekly tonight: came in 23rd. Got home late from work, so didn't get started until about 6:15 or 6:20. I didn't play particularly well, I waited for cards and tried to play big pots when I had big hands. Moved me up nicely, but my luck ran out.

My first big hand came with QQ:

By the turn I'm all-in, as I wouldn't have enough ammo left for the river if I get called on the turn. iam23skidoo tanks, and apparently puts me on aces according to his chat. Not surprising, as it was the first pot I put any significant amount of chips into.


Here's where I doubled-through with AA double-suited:

I raised preflop, MiamiDon calls from the small blind. The two queens hit the flop and he shoves. I just cross my fingers and pray he doesn't have a Q. I didn't think he did, as I'd seen him check-raise a number of hands from OOP, and assumed if he hit that flop he'd let me take the lead. He seemed an observant player, probably observed I was not in many hands and made c-bets almost 100% of the time if I raised preflop. That was I believe during the first hour, so if I busted then so be it. I just didn't think he'd really have pushed if he held a queen, he'd probably let me lead out.


I didn't screen-cap my 10 10 v 99 double-through in a battle of the blinds. Folded to me in the SB, and I put in a raise with 1010. Smooth-called. I didn't particularly like the flop, as I think it was suited and had a jack (and maybe a Q or an A), but trusted my read that if he was that strong he'd probably have popped it pre. I shoved, and got an INSTA call. I'm almost positive if I'm him there, I don't call my shove with 99. Again, I played so few hands that the chances of me having a big hand are pretty good. Turns out it was just big enough.

I made a few little steal-raises here and there; however, not nearly enough. Not NEARLY enough. I did get to outplay the small blind in this hand, though:


I checked my option. With the double-gut-shot straight-flush draw, I bet about 2/3 the pot on the flop when checked to, and got a call. Turn went check/check. River was checked, and I took some time, figured out how much I'd have bet if that queen helped me, and fired off 1/2 pot bet. leftylu folded.

Mostly, I folded until I got big hands, which was not often enough to stay afloat. I hovered around the average chipstack most of the time (even when i was 10 out of 50+ left, I was still right near the average chip stack!), and just didn't try to pick up enough dead money. I've loosened my cash-game playing to a comfortable level, I just don't know why I couldn't do the same in this. Hell, it's my first tournament in over a month, so I guess I should be happy with making it to the top 25%.

The end came quickly; after raising with AK sooted, there was a shove after me; folds back to me and, esp. being that low in chips, that's an instacall for me. 99 v AK; flopped a 9 which crippled me down to just over 2x's the BB. Pick up J9o next hand, might as well give it a go:


Damn river. Knocked me out here; gave a split to leftylu when her shove with A5o from the sb met my AQo in the bb and the river gave us a chop. Oh, well, that's poker.