Online Poker Tournament - 58th of 2500 - First Table #157

I played the $5000 NL Holdem Freeroll onlier poker tournament at Party Poker again last night. This time, the story was different, as was the way I played. I started out the night by playing A8s. I saw the flop for 30 and missed so I folded.

The next hand I played was 89s. I decided to simply raise to 30 preflop to see if I could setup a post flop bluff and also because many people folded to me preflop. The flop came with an ace so I bet 30 to see if they were bluffable or not. I ended up getting called by 2 people and quit right there. They ended up having a flush and a full house. What a crazy online poker tournament! I was now down to $900 in chips and folded for many hands.

The next hand I played was my big blind with 65o. Somebody raised to 30 preflop but I called because I love calling just a little bit into a raiser, that way if I catch on them they will tend to pay me off on the hand. Another blank flop and I fold.

My Small Blind was J7o so I called $5 to see a flop. Sure enough I got lucky and caught top two pair on a flop J72. Since I was first to act, I bet out 45 to see if anybody who had a jack with a high kicker would raise me. I smooth called the raise and checked to the raiser on the turn, which was a 9. Just as I wanted him to do, he bet very heavily... $400. So, naturally, I put him all in. The river was a King and he showed 72o for two pair, but mine was higher. I raked in $1770 chips on that hand and began to take chiplead at my table.

Contrary to what many may believe, I played even tighter after I gained my chiplead. I was folding mediocre hands such as K9s and Q10s. I didn't play another hand for quite some time.

I did get sick of not playing so I called 10 for my small blind with K3o. The flop looked poor, A82 and I checked as did my opponent. I smelt weakness so I threw in a post-oak bluff of 20 chips to see if he had a horrible hand, but he called. I still felt my hand was good and put him on a draw so I bet another 20 on the river and he called. He just had a pair of fours.

My chipcount was not at $1690 and it seemed like the only hands I truly played were my blinds. I always say the blinds are the most dangerous players because you can never tell what they may have. I played A4o for 10 and checked down to the river until a guy bet 80 with a board of 777210. I called him cuz I knew he was full of crap and we split the pot with Ace high.

I got pocket fours about 10 hands later and raised to 60 preflop with them because I was close to the button. Somebody reraised me to 125 preflop and I just called. The flop came 599 and I checked to the button. He made a "healthy" pot sized bet so I put him on pocket jacks or up and folded.

My bankroll was now at $1555 and I was still sitting tight. The very next hand i was dealt 99 and simply raised to 60 from an early position. I took the pot preflop.

I got KQo shortly afterwards and just called from under the gun preflop. The flop was 732 and I bet 30 to see who had overcards and who had a pair. I only recieved one caller so I bet 90 on the turn which was another 2. The river came a 5 and I knew this guy had nothing so I made a healthy looking bluff of 125 and he folded out. I took a $500 pot down.

I played A5s on the big blind and it was heads up between me and a lone caller. I caught an ace on the flop but decided to check raise because I knew the player was loose. He bet 90 and I raised to 200 and took the pot down. Soon after that I won a pot of $150 with King high.

Now my bankroll is up to $2040 and I look down to see J9s. I called preflop and guess what? I flopped the nuts, 810Q. One guy bet so I raised to 90 and bet more on each street. I took down a $550 pot after he folded on the river.

2 hands later I got pocket kings and took down a pot right after the flop. It seemed like I was only winning every hand I played!

I played a hand or two and lost them, the I was dealt K10o. The blinds were at 25/50 and I called a $100 raise preflop. The flop came J92 and I bet 50 and called a raise to $100. The turn came a 3 and we both checked. That was a biggest online poker mistake on his part because my gutshot card came on the river and he bet $375 into me and I simply raised all in and made him fold. Slowly but surely my bankroll was climbing in the tournament.

Bankroll: $2880 Blinds $50/$100
After a few hands I found myself with A4 spades. The flop was in my favor 5c 6s 5s. The pot was pretty big already so I bet $150 immediately and was raised to $400. I showed no mercy and pushed them all-in right away with the draw and the ace. The called extremely fast but only showed Kd 2h, which was nothing at all??? I caught my flush and they caught a two allowing me to win a $5785 pot and take chiplead at the table by a VERY large margin. It was time to get cocky!

Before I knew it, I was raising preflop with hands such as J9o and betting 4x the blind ($200) on the flop and taking pots left and right. People were just plain afraid of my power. Nobody wants to mess with the chipleader!

A tight player raised all in preflop with 2210 when I had AJs, I figured if I win I will have an even larger chiplead and if I lose I won't be out or even shortstacked for that matter, so I called and won with two pairs, aces and kings (board pair).

Bankroll: $8175 Blinds: $25/$50
Went all in preflop with Q9s next hand, picked up a small pot and moved to table #3. I have noticed that the bigger chipstacks tend to get moved to the lower number tables like tables #1-#5. This is probably to keep the game at a level playing field so it's more fair.