Triumphant Evening at the Silks – Tampa, FL
The Poker Gods and the spirit of Eddie Handler aligned for me last night at the Silks Card room in Oldsmar-FL as I tool 3rd place in a deep-stack 65 seat event. A $650 payday put me in positive territory for the year.
One of the more painful things I’ve been working on since the beginning of the year is record-keeping and last nights cash put me in positive territory for the year. The Silks is newly renovated and poker in Florida is alive and well. The Poker room is located in Hillsborough County, which is considered Tampa-FL off Racetrack road in Tampa Bay Downs. The staff are some of the best in the state and they have a nice restaurant and bar.
My Dad, Andy – recently transplanted down there and lives in Spring Hill-FL. He’s a regular at the Silks and I saw him last night as he finished up an earlier tournament. He ended up at a final table but bubbled. What my Dad’s table did when they were down to six people was that everyone kicked in a few bucks as “bubble insurance.” So even though my Dad bubbled, he got his buy-in back due to everyone at the table kicking in a few bucks. I like the idea of Bubble insurance. It’s a nice touch.
I wasn’t supposed to see my Dad until the weekend, so he was surprised to see me when I showed up in the poker room. My Dad is a lifelong Backgammon guy who has turned to poker. He plied his backgammon trade in the 1970’s and 1980’s in NYC at the Mayfair, with the likes of Dan Harrington, Jason Lester, and Eric Seidel. While he was not friends with these guys, he remembers them quite well. He was Poker player of the month at the Silks in January 2008. He is retired and all he has to worry about is sleep, eat, a dip in the pool and poker!!
$80 got me 6000 in chips, with the blinds beginning at 25/50. For an extra $5.00 (for the dealers) you get an extra 1,000 chips. You should ALWAYS get the dealer add-on in these events, because it represents great value.
My game was pretty solid. I would describe it as tight. There were other Disciples at the event from our old internet game….Guys who work at Nielsen and play at the Silks…Momo, Umiforever, Bushleague, and Irishbob where all there.
The first 3 hands I got involved in during the first hour, I won. Then I sculled the ball pretty badly close to the break…misplaying a hand and costing me my gains. With blinds at 200/400 I was dealt pockets 33’s (Patrick Ewing or Kareem). There were 5 limpers and I felt it was a good time to Hijack the pot. There were a series of grumbling folds along the way and I took down a decent pot. I did not show any of my hands until the final table and I think that helped me. I then proceeded to fold a bunch of hands and was sitting at about the chip average. However, my M (Harrington on Hold’em) was slightly over 5, which meant that aggression was still in order. Everyone else was pretty much in the same boat (M-wise) as blinds and antes escalated. The next key hand was 7/7 on the button. The under-the-gun guy raised to 2,000 and it was folded to me. I pushed all-in with about 8,000 in chips and it was back on him. This guy was moaning all night about stolen blinds, so he was in a natural state of tilt. He had about 5,000 left in chips and chose to fold. A few hands later he was out and giving me the evil eye as he exited. Then, I was in a 3-way pot and caught a woopsie 9 on the river to give me a middle pair, which held up when everyone checked on the river and another 5,000 in chips came my way.
With about 30 people left, I am moved to what would be the final table with about 18,000 in chips. Blinds were at 1000/2000 (200). My M was still about a 6, which called for aggression, but not necessarily and all-in move. Momo joined me at this table and was eventually eliminated by a flush on the river.
I was then dealt Q/3 suited in th big blind. A person in early position made a stupid raise to 4,000 and attracted two callers (including an all in) and myself. The pot was offering about 7-1 odds and I felt like I was priced in to see a flop. A three did come on the flop and everyone checked, including the raiser. Then a 3 on the turn and I bet out. The river brought a blank and I raked a nice pot….and low and behold…the raiser starts steaming at me….A series of mumbles under his breath for the next few hands. Finally, I said to him that I was priced in to see the hand through and that he essentially made a stupid raise and no continuation bet!! A few hands later, tilt had overtaken him and he was gone.
With about 11 players to go, I was the short stack at my table and the big and small blind were facing me like Boardwalk and Park Place with Hotels on them! Then, I caught a series of breaks. Another player was eliminated and we had a final table before I had to post. Then, I get the button at the final table with 10 people and six places to pay.
By this time, blinds were at 3000/6000 (400). Two players fell off and eight to go. I had to cough up a big blind. In the small blind, I was dealt 4/8 off suit and everyone folded to me. I only had about 15,000 left and I was asking myself…..What would Harrington do?
I really could not fold this hand, and hand the big blind a 12,000 pot….so I pushed all-in.
He went into the tank for a couple of minutes and released his big blind hand. He asked me what I had and I flipped over my two cards. He tilted and we went on a break.
After the break, it was Picket’s charge!! On the button, I am dealt 9/9. Everyone folds to me and I push all in. The guy, who saw my 4/8 off suit, thought about it again….He was looking at me and I told him that “revenge is a dish best served cold.” He folded. Then, I’m dealt 6/6 and move all in and everyone folds. By now, I am up to about 30,000 in chips. Then, I’m dealt pocket 5/5’s and there are two all-in’s!! I release them in what would have been a losing hand. I dropped a number of low wired pairs that night on stiff raises and re-raises. With 7 people left, everyone kicked in $20 for the bubble insurance and we were all guaranteed money. The bubble exited and so did the 6th place winner.
With 5 people left and 4th in chips, I am dealt “The Classic Handler” in the small blind 7/2 off suit, and I push all-in on what was clearly a poker DUI. I am called by the big blind that holds K/5 off suit and Eddie from heaven looks down upon me with a smile and I spike a 7 on the flop. The Handler holds up and I’m sitting 3rd in chips with about 40,000 with blinds at 4000/8000 (500). The 5th place guy does his best Lazarus imitation by winning a pot, but going down against the chip leader. Then, I knock out the 4th place guy and have about 80,000 in front of me. The chip leader had about 120,000 and the other guy was about even with me.
With blinds at 6000/12000 (1000), I have only one goal in mind….Just win baby. First place was $1,400 and second place was 950, with 3rd place $650.
My final hand was KJ suited and it was between me and the big stack. I decide to limp from the small blind hoping to trap. Flop comes K, 6, 3 rainbow. I decide to check and he checks. The turn brings a 10 and I bet out 10,000. He raises to 20,000 and I decide to smooth call. The river brings a 4. He goes all in and I call. He flips over 6/4 for two pair which beat my Kings.
I beat myself up for a little while, but I really don’t think I played the hand incorrectly.
Since this guy caught a piece of the flop, he was not going anywhere. He told me that he never would have put me on a King, so my deception play did work. Obviously, if I had raised pre-flop he was gone and I would have pulled down blinds and antes. He got lucky on the river….I was ahead up until that point. Again, my mindset was to win the damn thing.
It has been a very long time since nice cash. All in all, I think I played my A-game for most of the night. I caught some breaks, did not tilt and managed a 3rd place finish. I’m hoping to keep the momentum going and hopefully start a string of good outings.
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