AIPS III Event No. 1 -- Limit Hold ’em

Wormed my way to 43rd in the Ante Up! Intercontinental Poker Series III in 3-D event last night (limit HE, $5.00+$0.50). 155 runners, all told (probably the most ever for an AIPS). Ended up a bit shy of the money, as the first 27 spots paid.

I’m writing this post without the benefit of hand histories, so forgive the imprecision with some of the numbers. I lasted just over two hours, getting bounced the first hand back from the second break. During that interval I had made a hasty check of the leaderboard to determine just where I stood . . .

I had around 3,400 chips, a good bit below average (approx. 5,200 at the time). Of the 43 players remaining, I was in the low twenties. For Level 13, the blinds were 250/500, with 500/1,000 stakes. I had decided I was probably going to be picking a hand and going with it. I had also decided I had as good a chance as anyone to go deep. So much for optimism.

Sure enough, first hand back I get dealt pocket tens in LP. I raised, and it folded to the BB who three-bet. I just called, leaving me with under 2,000, and the flop came K-K-5. The BB bet, I raised, and he called. The turn was a blank, and we ended up getting it all in right there. He tabled QQ, I didn’t spike a ten, and that was that.

When the tourney began I thoughts of writing up one of those epic chronicles in the manner of Hoyazo. Probably had such thoughts ’cos the Hammer Player was at my starting table, as were Ante Up! co-host Scott Long and frequent guest host Mike Fasso. I even took some screen shots along the way, thinking I would do a Hoya-homage of sorts. But when I looked back, none of the pics I grabbed were all that interesting. (This was a limit HE tourney, after all.)

Hoyazo took a couple of hits early on, then grinded his way back to a decent-sized stack before finally busting. Meanwhile, Fasso (on my right) was entertaining us all with frequent verbal jabs directed toward Scott whose little gecko was across the table. After one hand where Scott raised preflop then let go somewhere down the road, Fasso told him “Keep raising with napkins, Frenchie.” When asked about the trash talk, Fasso blamed it on his meds.

Actually, my most interesting hands of the night came against Fasso. Somewhere during the first half-hour I picked up AA on the button. It folded to Fasso who raised in the cutoff. I three-bet, he called, and together we saw a flop of K-3-5. He checked, I bet, and he check-raised me. I just called, putting him on a king. When an eight came on the turn, I raised Fasso, but he three-bet. Now I thought KK was possible. I called. Another eight came on the river and Fasso bet again. I just called, and he showed K-3 suited. I’d counterfeited him with that eight on the river. I hadn’t really thought Fasso would raise preflop with K-5 or K-3, but he did.

That hand helped cripple Fasso -- he was down to 350 or so at one point -- but he came back. Later I was getting low, and was under 1,000 in chips when he and I had an interesting blind-vs.-blind hand. I was in the BB with 2-3 offsuit. (I routinely picked up the worst hands in the blinds all night.) He just completed, I checked (of course), and the flop came 10-10-8. Fasso checked. He’d tried a check-raise bluff in that situation against me earlier (which I three-bet & he folded), so I didn’t want to give him the chance to do so again as I couldn’t possibly call or raise him this time. I checked, and the turn was a trey. Fasso checked, I bet, when he folded I showed my deuce-trey. “Dammmmmmmmmmmmit!” typed Fasso. “Played that awful.” No subject in that sentence, but I’m pretty sure his criticism self-directed.

Fasso kept his cool, though, and as I said worked his way back into contention, having a nice-sized stack (over 10,000) when I finally busted. (The tables got reset a couple of times, but I ended up next to him again for my last few hands.)

Don’t know how things turned out, though I hope Fasso did okay. Will come back and add a link to the Ante Up! site later today once they post the results. (EDIT: Looks like he made the final table. WTG, Mr. F.) Be sure to catch this week’s show, where they’ll probably review last night’s tourney, but also have Fasso on to talk about his trip to Tunica where he played in a few prelim WSOP Circuit events.

As far as last night went, I think played okay. Made a few so-so decisions, but some good ones, too. Had a hand in Level 12 where I was again dealt pocket aces (no hearts) and ended up actually folding it on the river in the face of a board and a very excited opponent. (Might’ve been wrong, but I probably saved 800 chips on that one.) The fact is, once we reached Level 13 I think three-fourths of us were down to four or five big bets or less, meaning only a few players had any leeway for maneuvering in a given hand.

Those of you who play AIPS already know there’s a neat, friendly community of poker players who’ve gathered around that Ante Up! podcast. Those of you who haven’t (and who are interested in some cheap entertainment) should come check it out sometime. They attract all varieties of players -- from tourney interlopers like me to seasoned punters like Hoyazo to 2007 WSOP Main Event final tablist Lee Childs. (That’s right -- Childs was there last night.) You can see the full AIPS III schedule here.

Thanks to Aquaman, for the AIPS poster. Have a good weekend, all.