Found where I want to be.

Posted by Vinay Suchede on 2012-12-17 at 12:00 AM

Finally have a Goa trip where I return with a profit. As posted in my earlier blog, I have sort of given up on tournaments. I will be taking shots every now and then of course at weekends and some Goa small buy-ins turbos till 10K. This was my intention when I embarked on this Goa trip. It was to play the 5K and 7K and satellite to the main and some cash games. I was always a recreational player but had entertained a dream of going pro for a long time. But don’t think that is for me. It is a tough way to make a living. I have found my place – this will be a recreational sport for me. So Bankroll management and all that goes out of the window. If I lose, it’s entertainment expense. If I win, play more. ;-).

Anyway so here is how the trip went:

First day: Played the 1.5K feeder satellite. I didn’t do much except once I did a limp fold at 18bb with 67s after a million limpers. Danish gave me a lot of grief by going to town with it telling Adi and all who cared to listen that I did that. LOL. Congrats buddy on winning the Main Event!!
So on to the events. The 5K re-entry has already a short stack to begin with. 50bb’s at 50-100. The re-enter plan was only till level 2 for me where I would have had 25bb which was still a workable stack. A weak-tight female player limps from UTG at 100-200. I seize the opportunity to mini-squeeze from LJ with KTo with around 25bb. Adi, on my immediate left, senses what I am trying to do but only flats and the pot goes multi-way with the UTG also flatting. Flop K62. She leads for 1500. Not folding top pair here, I shove. Adi tank folds and says he has a 6. Lol. She tank calls with KQ. I hit my T on the turn and double up. My first suck-out since 1960. (haha, just a phrase me and samoh have been using a lot of). I guess it was the last one as well, at least for this trip. On the first ante level, I try to gear up and do a couple of light opens, only for the guy on the left of Adi to shove his 13-14bb stack on me both the times. He says to me, I have read quite a few of your blogs. Goindi sitting on the right of me goes LMAO hearing that. Check his Gangnam dance video which he did every time YJ Kim went all in in the 7k bounty event. Absolutely hilarious.

Anyway, so I finally make a good open 18bb approx at 250-500 with AQs only to run into my nemesis’s QQ this time and that’s the end of that. I then go and play the 100-200 cash booking a small profit at the end of the day.

Second day: Was not able to play the feeder satellite. I was really sleepy after a good massage and heavy meal with Samoh who for a change also joined me for a vegetarian fare. It started badly as I lost half my stack squeezing 3 limpers with raggy connectors. One limper calls. I double barrel a flushy board for him to check shove with complete air on the turn (shows me 64o). In the second level, with around 18bb, I reshove KJs to his open but run into KK of the guy on the left of me. Back to the cash tables where I again book a healthy profit.

Third day: I was not going to play the Main event unless I won a seat in the 6K mega satellite. Fortunately that’s exactly what I did. I doubled up early with AK against AJ and then it was smooth sailing with the field being a little softer, was able to maintain a top 3 chip stacks all throughout.

The main event had low numbers due to Casino Royale running a promotional tournament giving a lot of free seats away to their regular cash game players as rake-back. Good promotion but wonder if such largesse would have been extended if it were not for competition.

With low numbers, the event was always going to be difficult due to field being much more refined and stronger. My 6-7 handed table had Pasricha, KC on my right and Lakdawala, fellow PGMP mate Satchit, and Pulkit on my left. One distractingly pretty girl in the mix didn’t help matters as far as concentration goes. ;-). Maybe the reason that I decided to tangle with KC against better judgement, 3-betting him light a couple of times. Both the times he came over the top. The spots were good imo but he so has a light 4-b shove range. I was however able to double up to over my starting stack against a newly shifted player with my JJ against his AK. But it then started a series of sickening bad beats against the same player called Akash, who busted me with 3 almost consecutive preflop all in hands. First hand, I open and call his 9bb jam with 55 against his A8. Board TT8/5/T. He open jams the next hand with KQo which I call in BB with AA. Board 6K6/2/K. He then limp-calls my 9bb jam with TJs against my KJo. Board ATx/x/x. Sigh.

I didn’t want to play cash after the above. Decided to splurge on Blackjack tables but ran super hot there and came away with a good profit taking care of my satellite buyins. I had pre-booked my flight back for Sunday itself as was not going to play the high rollers event. Even though I ran sucky in the main event, it feels nice to be come back with a decent profit thanks to the cash games.

Till next time then..

Cheers!!