After generating some nice ratings in Season 2, The Syndicate is back for a third season starting on July 29!! It even has a web site now (thanks Jerry!) for fans to capture a behind-the-scenes look at the players, the group, event results, and the upcoming schedule.
http://www.sdsyndicate.com/
With two players having WSOP Main Event experience and 4 others gaining WSOP experience in 2007 preliminary events, The Syndicate can promise a high level of tournament poker (followed by an equally low level of live poker -- with Tequila added!).
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Congratulations to Tom Standring who became the first Syndicate representative to cash in a WSOP event, a $2000 No Limit Hold-Em event.
Let's spread the word to San Diego poker players that we have a terrific set up and a great product to offer. The higher the attendance throughout the season, the more prizes we will have to divvy up at the end.
As we approach the beginning of the Syndicate season, I look forward to further honing my skills in a good group of players. Of course, it will be kinda nice to have a target on my head as the one to beat -- I'm looking forward to the challenge.
As I look back on Season 2, I remember not taking the first several events as seriously as I might have. I hadn't studied the game very much at that point, and I didn't have realistic expectations of winning the title. With more focus at the beginning of the third season, I hope to put myself in a stronger position coming down the stretch. I have put in a lot of hours of tournament (and live) poker in the last year, and I feel my game is much stronger now compared to the beginning of Season 2.
I really want to get back to the big dance in 2008. Syndicate members beware.
[and thank you, Heather, for your understanding as I go for another win in Season 3]
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Viejas - Ace of Aces
I forgot to post about my long day at the Viejas $100,000 purse tourney on Saturday. I got there about 10:45 am and was given an Alternate seat card. It turns out that 3 of us got there right about the same time and all were "alternates." This means that we wouldn't sit down until people busted out of the tournament. But as it turns out, they found another table and another dealer, so the first 10 alternates got to start with the rest of the field. It sucked though, that 3 of us (Chris G, Will G, and I) were all at the same table to start with.
Nothing too eventful happened to my chip stack in the first 2 levels, but in the last hand before our table broke, I called a raise on the button with QdJd. The flop came 566 with 2 diamonds. I called a small bet. The turn was the Jc, putting 2 clubs on board, but giving me top pair. I called another bet. The river was a 3rd club, and I checked behind with top pair. He had 5c2c for a rivered flush.
At my new table, I called a min-raise in the small blind with 4s3s. I flopped three 4s and check raised the preflop raiser. He went all in over the top of me I called covering him. He showed QQ. Wow -- he minimum raised the big blind preflop with Queens, and then came over the top of a check raise on a paired board. Thanks dude!
I later flopped trips in the small blind again, this time with 2-3 in my hand. I led out into 4 players, was raised, and I went all in. He called with K-10, top pair, good kicker. Thanks again guy......I guess he failed to realize that I was in the small blind in an unraised pot.
A couple of other hands of note:
I smooth called a late position raise with AK in the small blind and checked dark. An Ace flopped ....he went all in and I called. He had AJ and my King kicker held up.
I called an all in push from a short stack with pocket 10s only to have another player push all in for less than the bet. He showed 10s too! The initial pusher had KQ, so us 10s had to dodge Kings and Queens. Well, the Qd hit on the river and he let out a cheer, only to realize that my 10d had made a flush to knock them both out! Crazy hand.
I later doubled through with AJ vs. A3. But the real hand that killed me was when we were down to 50 players with 40 getting paid. I had 28,000 chips on the button with the blinds/antes at 2500/5000/500. I was medium-short stacked, as were most of the others at my table, but I probably could have made the money by just playing tight. I didn't have to pay the blinds for another 8 hands. I might have already been in the money by then.
I pick up Ad6d on the button in an unopened pot. I figure people will be playing bubble tight and push all in. The 12,500 chips in the pot with the blinds and antes would increase my stack by close to 50%! The SB immediately calls, and I know I'm dead. He shows A-10. Wow - was it that easy of a call with A-10? Anyway, no help for me leaves me desperately short stacked.
2 hands later I push with 7-4 offsuit, and get some protection when pocket 33 re-raises all in behind me. Wow - I didn't expect to be in a race here. I flopped trip 7s and tripled up!
But with less than 10,000 chips, I wasn't long in the tourney. I open pushed with A7 suited two hands later and was re-raised all in by QQ. He made a flush on the turn. I'm out in 49th place out of 454 with 40 being paid. Ouch.
I had a nice cash session to make up for it, but still, I hate the bubble.
Nothing too eventful happened to my chip stack in the first 2 levels, but in the last hand before our table broke, I called a raise on the button with QdJd. The flop came 566 with 2 diamonds. I called a small bet. The turn was the Jc, putting 2 clubs on board, but giving me top pair. I called another bet. The river was a 3rd club, and I checked behind with top pair. He had 5c2c for a rivered flush.
At my new table, I called a min-raise in the small blind with 4s3s. I flopped three 4s and check raised the preflop raiser. He went all in over the top of me I called covering him. He showed QQ. Wow -- he minimum raised the big blind preflop with Queens, and then came over the top of a check raise on a paired board. Thanks dude!
I later flopped trips in the small blind again, this time with 2-3 in my hand. I led out into 4 players, was raised, and I went all in. He called with K-10, top pair, good kicker. Thanks again guy......I guess he failed to realize that I was in the small blind in an unraised pot.
A couple of other hands of note:
I smooth called a late position raise with AK in the small blind and checked dark. An Ace flopped ....he went all in and I called. He had AJ and my King kicker held up.
I called an all in push from a short stack with pocket 10s only to have another player push all in for less than the bet. He showed 10s too! The initial pusher had KQ, so us 10s had to dodge Kings and Queens. Well, the Qd hit on the river and he let out a cheer, only to realize that my 10d had made a flush to knock them both out! Crazy hand.
I later doubled through with AJ vs. A3. But the real hand that killed me was when we were down to 50 players with 40 getting paid. I had 28,000 chips on the button with the blinds/antes at 2500/5000/500. I was medium-short stacked, as were most of the others at my table, but I probably could have made the money by just playing tight. I didn't have to pay the blinds for another 8 hands. I might have already been in the money by then.
I pick up Ad6d on the button in an unopened pot. I figure people will be playing bubble tight and push all in. The 12,500 chips in the pot with the blinds and antes would increase my stack by close to 50%! The SB immediately calls, and I know I'm dead. He shows A-10. Wow - was it that easy of a call with A-10? Anyway, no help for me leaves me desperately short stacked.
2 hands later I push with 7-4 offsuit, and get some protection when pocket 33 re-raises all in behind me. Wow - I didn't expect to be in a race here. I flopped trip 7s and tripled up!
But with less than 10,000 chips, I wasn't long in the tourney. I open pushed with A7 suited two hands later and was re-raised all in by QQ. He made a flush on the turn. I'm out in 49th place out of 454 with 40 being paid. Ouch.
I had a nice cash session to make up for it, but still, I hate the bubble.
2007 Meadows Del Mar Tourney - Chez Kral
Thanks John for being such a gracious host for a nicely run tournament. Too bad you got knocked out so early!
With 4 levels of re-buys, the action wasn't as fast and furious as I had expected. I played a fairly straightforward game, which is probably better suited for freeze out tournaments. I might have thought to step up the aggression during the re-buy period, but I didn't pick up that many hands.
I did the add-on and was slightly above the average at my table with about 10,000 chips to start the freezeout portion of the tournament. I picked up a couple of nice pocket pairs early (JJ and QQ), but broke about even as an Ace and a King came on the flop when I had JJ.
Then I found KK on the button after a middle position raise by Dustin. I re-popped it. He thought for a second and went all in. He barely had me covered. I insta-called. I could have folded but I had about 40% of my chips in the pot already and was behind exactly 1 hand. I have laid down KK pre-flop before when I was sure I was beat (and I was right), but in a relatively turbo tournament as this was, I had to take the chance to double up and get some chips. I wrote it off as a cooler -- especially cuz I was the person who dealt the cards!
I should have thought through the hand a bit more before I called, but I believe I would have come to the same conclusion. Versus his potential range of hands, I was a favorite. He could have had QQ, JJ, or AK, or even KK. All of which I'm happy to be in against.
In a big buy in, slow structured tourney, it is possible to fold that hand after collecting information with raises and re-raises, but I think I did the right thing at John's house by calling all in.
Looking forward to the next installment of the Meadows Del Mar Invitational!
With 4 levels of re-buys, the action wasn't as fast and furious as I had expected. I played a fairly straightforward game, which is probably better suited for freeze out tournaments. I might have thought to step up the aggression during the re-buy period, but I didn't pick up that many hands.
I did the add-on and was slightly above the average at my table with about 10,000 chips to start the freezeout portion of the tournament. I picked up a couple of nice pocket pairs early (JJ and QQ), but broke about even as an Ace and a King came on the flop when I had JJ.
Then I found KK on the button after a middle position raise by Dustin. I re-popped it. He thought for a second and went all in. He barely had me covered. I insta-called. I could have folded but I had about 40% of my chips in the pot already and was behind exactly 1 hand. I have laid down KK pre-flop before when I was sure I was beat (and I was right), but in a relatively turbo tournament as this was, I had to take the chance to double up and get some chips. I wrote it off as a cooler -- especially cuz I was the person who dealt the cards!
I should have thought through the hand a bit more before I called, but I believe I would have come to the same conclusion. Versus his potential range of hands, I was a favorite. He could have had QQ, JJ, or AK, or even KK. All of which I'm happy to be in against.
In a big buy in, slow structured tourney, it is possible to fold that hand after collecting information with raises and re-raises, but I think I did the right thing at John's house by calling all in.
Looking forward to the next installment of the Meadows Del Mar Invitational!
Friday, July 20, 2007
Oceans 11 last night
i've been running pretty bad lately in live games and the beginning of last night was not any different. i was quickly down $200 at 2/3 NL, doubled up with a set a Jacks, but then grinded for hours, not making any hands or getting any cards. i more than doubled up with unimproved pocket Qs when i raised on the button and got 4 callers. with 2 other short stacks all in on the flop, and then me going all in over another caller, i was lucky that 1 pair of Qs held up, especially with an Ace on the river.
i could never hit anything better than 1 pair on the flop and continued to get check-raised. very frustrating. i was finally ready to leave, down about $500 when i raised in early position with KQ suited and a guy came over the top of me. i pushed all in, for only $50 or so more and he called. Flop was A-K-10. I stand up and say, "Do you have an Ace?" He smiles and says, "Yep -- 2 pair." He shows A-10 for top and bottom pair. I am drawing to 2 Kings and 4 Jacks, but the board comes runner runner Queens to fill me up for the biggest suck out I can remember giving. wow. i am one lucky donk.
soon thereafter the night got fun. our table broke and i went to sit at another 2/3 table. there was 1 complete fish with over $700 and then there was the crown jewell - our friend we call the Oceans 11 Maniac - Mo. he has actually calmed down a bit, but i remember several months ago sitting with him at a 2/3 table and he was in the game for over $3000. the crazy part is he made it back to even playing the same maniacally loose game that is his style.
soon after sitting down, he doubles through THE fish by making a flush with 10-5hh in a raised pot. the fish turned the nut straight with K-10 as Mo made his 10 high flush. they got it all in on the turn and the flush held. wow -- over a $1200 pot. how do you call all in when you are re-re-raised as the 3 flush hits the board? i just wish i could have gotten in a hand with that guy.
i win another nice pot with QQ, and then call a Mo raise with Q-10ss. i flop top pair of Qs, and he calls my bet. i turn 2 pair and he again calls my bet. i began to doubt myself when he check calls on the river, but he held A-8, no pair. wow. i think he used that hand as advertising for the future, cuz he started catching some cards and got paid off big. people continued to try to bluff him out of pots, but they failed to realize that he will call if he has a piece of the flop. it was unbelievable how time after time he would check call a big bet on the river and be good with third pair. he soon had over $2000 behind. he also made some nice hands: he flopped 2 straights, and flopped 2 sets in the span of 2 hours. he also won a decent pot from me when i flopped top pair with AK and he turned a straight (i re-raised preflop and he called with J-9). i was able to get away from it for less than my whole stack which was nice.
things finally came together in the span of about 45 minutes, i flopped the nuts twice and doubled up both times. obviously it helps to flop the stones, but the challenge was getting all my money in the middle and getting them to pay me off. thankfully, my opponents both had strong hands with some outs to beat me, but my hands held up.
in the first pot, i held AKss on the button and raised a few limpers pre-flop. it folded around to the cutoff, who re-raised me $40 more. this didn't really make any sense. if he held a strong hand in the cutoff, he would have raised. i called instantly. flop was 3 spades. jackpot. i hollywooded the shit out this hand. he checked, and i did the hole card peeky "to see if i had any spades". i checked behind. turn Q. he leads for $70. i think and call. i have only $75 left. the river was a blank and he bets $25 (!!!) into more than $260. what the hell are you thinking dude? i ponder and try to look weak as i push all in. he calls and i show him the nuts. he tells me later he turned top set of Qs, so he had outs on the river, but why bet $25? either check or push me all in for $75....thank goodness for terrible players.
the pre-flop action here was incredibly weak by him...he limped in in the cutoff with Qs, with 3 other limpers already in the pot?!?!? trying to go broke he was.
about 30 minutes later i make a small raise with KJ and flop the nut straight. a guy doubles me up with top 2 pair Q-10. he was pissed at me too for being "greedy". what sir, would you like me to just check down the nuts? we're playing this game for money if you didn't notice. i checked dark on the turn and then raised his $100 bet. he called and then called my all in on the river. he was normally a fairly solid player able to laydown hands, so i was surprised that he paid me off there.
anyway, i got back to positive territory at about 6am after being down for almost 10 hours. crazy game.
i'm planning on playing the viejas $100,000 purse tourney tomorrow and am feeling confident about my game. i plan to cash.
i could never hit anything better than 1 pair on the flop and continued to get check-raised. very frustrating. i was finally ready to leave, down about $500 when i raised in early position with KQ suited and a guy came over the top of me. i pushed all in, for only $50 or so more and he called. Flop was A-K-10. I stand up and say, "Do you have an Ace?" He smiles and says, "Yep -- 2 pair." He shows A-10 for top and bottom pair. I am drawing to 2 Kings and 4 Jacks, but the board comes runner runner Queens to fill me up for the biggest suck out I can remember giving. wow. i am one lucky donk.
soon thereafter the night got fun. our table broke and i went to sit at another 2/3 table. there was 1 complete fish with over $700 and then there was the crown jewell - our friend we call the Oceans 11 Maniac - Mo. he has actually calmed down a bit, but i remember several months ago sitting with him at a 2/3 table and he was in the game for over $3000. the crazy part is he made it back to even playing the same maniacally loose game that is his style.
soon after sitting down, he doubles through THE fish by making a flush with 10-5hh in a raised pot. the fish turned the nut straight with K-10 as Mo made his 10 high flush. they got it all in on the turn and the flush held. wow -- over a $1200 pot. how do you call all in when you are re-re-raised as the 3 flush hits the board? i just wish i could have gotten in a hand with that guy.
i win another nice pot with QQ, and then call a Mo raise with Q-10ss. i flop top pair of Qs, and he calls my bet. i turn 2 pair and he again calls my bet. i began to doubt myself when he check calls on the river, but he held A-8, no pair. wow. i think he used that hand as advertising for the future, cuz he started catching some cards and got paid off big. people continued to try to bluff him out of pots, but they failed to realize that he will call if he has a piece of the flop. it was unbelievable how time after time he would check call a big bet on the river and be good with third pair. he soon had over $2000 behind. he also made some nice hands: he flopped 2 straights, and flopped 2 sets in the span of 2 hours. he also won a decent pot from me when i flopped top pair with AK and he turned a straight (i re-raised preflop and he called with J-9). i was able to get away from it for less than my whole stack which was nice.
things finally came together in the span of about 45 minutes, i flopped the nuts twice and doubled up both times. obviously it helps to flop the stones, but the challenge was getting all my money in the middle and getting them to pay me off. thankfully, my opponents both had strong hands with some outs to beat me, but my hands held up.
in the first pot, i held AKss on the button and raised a few limpers pre-flop. it folded around to the cutoff, who re-raised me $40 more. this didn't really make any sense. if he held a strong hand in the cutoff, he would have raised. i called instantly. flop was 3 spades. jackpot. i hollywooded the shit out this hand. he checked, and i did the hole card peeky "to see if i had any spades". i checked behind. turn Q. he leads for $70. i think and call. i have only $75 left. the river was a blank and he bets $25 (!!!) into more than $260. what the hell are you thinking dude? i ponder and try to look weak as i push all in. he calls and i show him the nuts. he tells me later he turned top set of Qs, so he had outs on the river, but why bet $25? either check or push me all in for $75....thank goodness for terrible players.
the pre-flop action here was incredibly weak by him...he limped in in the cutoff with Qs, with 3 other limpers already in the pot?!?!? trying to go broke he was.
about 30 minutes later i make a small raise with KJ and flop the nut straight. a guy doubles me up with top 2 pair Q-10. he was pissed at me too for being "greedy". what sir, would you like me to just check down the nuts? we're playing this game for money if you didn't notice. i checked dark on the turn and then raised his $100 bet. he called and then called my all in on the river. he was normally a fairly solid player able to laydown hands, so i was surprised that he paid me off there.
anyway, i got back to positive territory at about 6am after being down for almost 10 hours. crazy game.
i'm planning on playing the viejas $100,000 purse tourney tomorrow and am feeling confident about my game. i plan to cash.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Day 2, Level 7 - 500/1000/100
I have a top 10 chip leader 2 seats to my left. He has over 150,000. Great. Other than that, I like my table for Day 2b. A couple of medium stacks and a couple of short stacks. I am THE short stack though and need to find an opportunity to double fairly soon.
Ugly cards for an hour straight. I had weak Aces twice, but other than that, no playable cards whatsoever. In a cash game, I wouldn't mind so much, but it sucks to be a short stack and not have a chance to even see two high cards. I was pushing with 2 paint or a decent Ace, but got no opportunities to do so. The big stack shows 9s and Qs within the first 8 hands -- so not fair.
Anyway, I was patient, but couldn't wait too much longer, as I'd been blinded down to under 8000 chips an hour + into day 2. I open pushed with J-7 offsuit, which was the best hand I'd seen in a while and was called by 8s. After pairing my J on the turn and taking a big lead, we both make a flush on the river. But his is 8 high and mine 7 high. Done.
Can't wait to play again in years to come!
Ugly cards for an hour straight. I had weak Aces twice, but other than that, no playable cards whatsoever. In a cash game, I wouldn't mind so much, but it sucks to be a short stack and not have a chance to even see two high cards. I was pushing with 2 paint or a decent Ace, but got no opportunities to do so. The big stack shows 9s and Qs within the first 8 hands -- so not fair.
Anyway, I was patient, but couldn't wait too much longer, as I'd been blinded down to under 8000 chips an hour + into day 2. I open pushed with J-7 offsuit, which was the best hand I'd seen in a while and was called by 8s. After pairing my J on the turn and taking a big lead, we both make a flush on the river. But his is 8 high and mine 7 high. Done.
Can't wait to play again in years to come!
Level 6 - 400/800/100
Didn't play 1 hand at this level, besides 2 open pushes with QJ and K10 when it was unopened to me in either the small blind or on the button. With 12-14k chips, I was actually looking to double up if someone called me with A9 or something. Varkonyi wouldn't oblige.
Made it to Day 2b with 13,700 chips. Short stacked, but ready to double!
Made it to Day 2b with 13,700 chips. Short stacked, but ready to double!
Level 5 - 300/600/75
Re-raised a bad early position raiser to 5000 from 1800 with Js. Everyone folded and I took down a smallish pot. At 18,500 chips.
Re-raised all in for 12k more chips on the button with AKo. I stood up and walked around. He thought and eventually folded 9s. I would have been happy to race there, as I couldn't get anything going and was getting terrible cards for long stretches. I felt sorry for Mark who was behind me on the rail, waiting for hours to get to see me play a hand.
Re-raised all in for 12k more chips on the button with AKo. I stood up and walked around. He thought and eventually folded 9s. I would have been happy to race there, as I couldn't get anything going and was getting terrible cards for long stretches. I felt sorry for Mark who was behind me on the rail, waiting for hours to get to see me play a hand.
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