Shen’s first final table

Shen made his first final table at the Sunday Empire £10 rebuy today. I sat over his shoulder the entire time, making on the spot notes on the blackberry, thought I’d drop them here for posterity…

Don’t look at your cards yet. Watch players to your right not left. Tough in seat 9 tho, view is restricted. I’d be watching Chinese dude opposite, he’ll have position on you five hands a round, this info is valuable.

Second hand – A5s you raised mid pos. Won it. Good bullying with your big stack.

AJo you move all-in. It’s too big a bet from 4th position, too much chance of deadly AQ/AK with 4 players to act behind you. You win against 88. I would have made a normal 4-5x BB raise, that gets you enough info. If a massive stack raises you, you can get away cheap. If 88 raised you, you’d prob call anyway, as have enough left behind if you lose.

Heads-up to blonde chick. She flat called from SB. You checked 94o. Flop all big cards. Check check flop, you should have bet your better position here. She takes it down with bet on the turn.

Down to 7 players.

Folded round to your button. You fold 92o, I would have raised 4x BB, they both have medium stacks, are not going to take a chance at not moving up. Always punish the mid stacks, keep out of way of big stacks, they can hurt you, small stacks are liable to call you with junk out of desperation.

Down to 6 players. Blinds are 3000/6000, you are joint chip leader with about 60k. Avoid the woman with the big stack like the plague.

Your SB, folded to blonde’s button, she raises to 12k. Is probably a steal. Tough move, but a resteal here may pay. She has a mid stack, can be pushed around. Your 84s is irrelevant. She makes a comment next hand (which she raises again) about good hands going in phases, this makes me more inclined to think she has nothing. She raises third hand in a row, I feel this one is genuine, she’s now raising from early position which means more. She is called by chip leader. 6TJ all diamonds. Check, blonde moves in, leader folds. Blondie shows AA no diamond.

Blonde no longer has a small stack, watch out for her. She’s now playing off 80k.

Interesting, two small stacks get it in preflop with JKo against ATo. Jack wins, down to 5 players, you’re second chips. With position on blondie you’re in a great spot.

Folded around. You have 36o in BB. Blonde raises 9k from SB. You’re correct to lay it down, don’t tangle with her.

Your SB, you raise and win it with A3o. Correct play. Notice that the table has tightened up a lot now that it’s down to worthwhile money. Many hands going to blind against blind.

Your button, you raise 20k more with 68s, sweet move. Blinds fold. Notice the guy in seat 2 is now low on chips and likely to make a move with any ace this round.

Low and behold, he moves from the button just after I show you this update. He shows AK when called by blondie. A lucky big hand. He wins against her 75o, notice that blondie is correctly calling to eliminate players and reading the situations well. She is an experienced player.

Blind against blind. Blonde flat calls. You apologise (!!!) and raise 88, she folds. Note that when she’s flat calling the small blind to you she’ll fold to a raise. Use this info to experiment a little later and take pots off her.

Your SB, you announce raise, chinese chick moves in before you can put it out there. You have A6o. The house calls it wrong, says you can take back your raise. You take this option, which I think is correct, she’s been quiet for a while and could easily have a bigger ace.

You’re UTG, you fold K7s. Correct. Play that when down to three handed.

Blinds are 4000/8000, with about 70K you have an M of 6. However not a lot of play left at the table, so it’s now more about relative stack sizes. Still though you can’t play drawing hands, big cards and medium pairs are more powerful at this stage.

Still 5 handed, chips quite even among the bottom 3. Is a good time to think about stealing, as they’ll all want to outlast each other. You fold 75o from cut-off with blondie big stack out. I think this is a good spot for a steal.

You’re UTG again, you raise to 20k with KTs. Woman and blondie fold, you win the blinds.

Your BB with 92s. Chinese chick and blondie call. Flop ATT, all check, turn 7. All check (you definitely should have bet here). River 7. You put out a desperation 8k mini-raise. Get called by king high from Chinese chick. You bet too little too late. Betting the turn looks like it may be a slowplayed flop, betting the river just looks like a steal.

Your SB, raise by woman, all in from blondie, you correctly fold 75s. Woman calls with A6o against TT. Ace hits the river. That sucks, you want blondie to your immediate right to take the chips. Blondie is out.

You move across on my advice to her seat. You can now see the whole table. Watch them look at their cards. Watch them look at the flop when it is revealed.

Your button, you raise A8o to 20k. BB deliberates and moves in. You have to call. He shows same hand, after a scary three heart flop it’s chopped.

Your UTG, you raise to 20k again with K7s. All fold. Good, be the bully.

We’re playing four handed. Chinese chick is low on cash, she’s going to make a play next few hands.

Woman is chip lead, she raises her SB to 20k, you fold your BB 87o. Marginal, but against the big stack is correct.

Small stacks go head to head. Chinese chick goes out. Three handed, you’re about joint second chips. Smart move to leave your chips in a messy pile but only if you know how much you have. Do you??!

Blinds to 6000/12000. You’re third chips.

Your BB with 96o. SB woman raises 21k more. Alb and I think she’s stealing, maybe moving in here works, but you’re quite low.

Your SB Q5o, raise 15k. All fold. Good. Aggression very important at this stage, cards almost irrelevant.

Your button, fold J4o. I’d have raised from position (and lost a stack to woman’s JJ!!)

Your BB, J4o again. SB raises. You fold. I think you have to play back at her from position. You only have one move, all-in, is touch and go now.

J4o three times in a row!!! Argh. Woman raises her button. She’s definitely bullying, and you’re giving it all away. Take the initiative man!!

She gets called by AJo, shows A3o. Remember that she’ll raise any ace now (which is correct). A bad result as bloke wins the hand and is now chip leader. You’re now quite a dog in third place. However he’s playing too tight for three handed, and you can take advantage of that by putting pressure on him anytime woman has folded.

You fold T6o from button, should have moved-in with position.

You have 73o. SB flat calls for the first time, be wary. Flop 8JK two hearts. She checks, you move in. She deliberates for a while, calls and her J3o wins. You were unlucky that she caught a little bit of the flop, in position I think you played this hand right.

We all agree however that you definitely should have raised the previous hand.

Good play, you won £320 and gave Alb and I 10% each. Best finish we’ve had here yet after our series of fourths!