Summer Open Showdown

I participated in the Summer Open Showdown at the Showboat in Atlantic City last night. It was a private tournament with a $250+$30 buy-in. They were hoping for 75 people, but I think there was only 50+.

Got off to a great start in this tournament. I was more relaxed, patient and was able to play my game. I think the fact that I retired my IPod while playing was a big factor in my more patient play since I wasn't listening to the tunes that get my pumped up while at the gym.

I flopped a set in one of the first few hands with pocket 8s and got it all the way to the river before my opponent folded. I also picked up a higher two pair than my opponent in another hand when I rivered an ace. Things were going well and I was up to about 16K in chips after starting with 10K, and then I got moved to another table where my downfall started.

I could tell right off the bat there were some pretty aggressive players at this table so I needed to be smart and careful. First hand of my downfall was when I was dealt AQ suited. I raised and had one caller with a short stack. Flop comes out 6-6-2 and I liked my ace high in this situation. My opponent bet and I called. Turn brought another 2, and I still liked my 2 pair with an ace kicker. Opponent bets again, half his remaining stack which wasn't much, and I call. I figure the worst I'm going to do at this point is chop. Turn is a blank and my opponent goes all in and I call and he shows pocket 4s. Maybe I should have put him on a pocket pair, I found it hard to lay that hand down.

2 hands later I get mixed up with the same player. He raises preflop and I call with QJ off suit. Flop comes out K-Q-blank, 2 spades. He bets out and I call. Turn is a blank and we both check. River brings a 3rd spade and I bet out, representing a flush, plus I had the pair of queens. My opponent immediately re-raises the minimum, so I figure he hasme beat. Only way for me to win the hand is to reraise and hop he folds, which I knew he wasn't going to do, so I folded. He showed me pocket queens and his flopped set.

Now I'm down to 8K and I got very tight, especially with the players at the table. I was waiting for that hand to slow down the aggressiveness, but it never came. Antes and blinds started to eat away at me and with 2 limpers in front of me in the small blind, I call with Q9. I had a feeling for some reason. Flop brings Q-J-blank and I push for my last 4000+ with top pair. One player calls and the other folds, with the caller turning over pocket jacks for his flopped set and the end of my tournament.

Overall, my play was 1000% better than the prior Friday. Just couldn't catch cards or a break for an hour and half or so and that's all it takes with an aggresive blind structure. I finished in the middle of the pack for the tourney.

I'm hoping to play one or two more times before I leave for Vegas in less than 2 weeks.