Quit while you're ahead

Yesterday, I tried my luck at the ACF charity event. The tourney cost P 3K (P 2K buy-in + P 1K registration fee) and featured unlimited rebuys until level 6 and one add-on rebuy during the 2nd break. The rebuys and add-on both cost P 2K for 4K worth of chips. Starting stack was 6K, As I arrived at the tourney I noticed people who looked like John Estrada, Noel Trinidad and Gary Lising, then realized, they didn’t look like them, they were them!. When the tourney started I also noticed Buboy Garovillo headed to the tables. I sat down and waited for the tourney and felt moderately confident of finishing at a rank, maybe even final table.

The first hand I got, I $hit you not, was pocket Queens! I slow played them, making 5 guys come in. Flop was 10-4-7. So I just checked. Everyone else did. Turn came out 6. I checked again, then one guy bets 1100! I looked at the flop and realized that all this dude needed was an 8-9 and he would have a straight. I did not want to risk it, so I folded. I shouldn’t have slow played my hand, maybe a big bet would have scared him off and I would taken down the pot instead. Somamambitch!

The only hand that paid of for me was an 8-9 suited. Flop paired my 8, so I bet 400, one lady stayed with me. Turn and river were rags so I bet 200 on both. She showed she just had King high, so I took down the pot.

The previous hand was the highlight of my tournament. The blinds slowly but surely crept into my stack and ate into it. I was down to less than half my stack when our table was collapsed and I transferred a table. I sat in between Gary Lising and Danny Javier. I watched Gary Lising do 4 consecutive buy-ins which I found quite amusing. I found myself down to 1100, when I got an A-3. I had previously told myself that if I got an Ace, I would move all-in. True to my word, I did. 2 guys stayed in. I would win more than 4k if I had the best hand. Flop came out A-3-10. I was ecstatic! I hit the two-pair on the flop! First guy bet 2k, the second guy calls. Turn comes out 9. First guy checks, 2nd guy bets 5k. First guy folds. It’s now a showdown! I turnover my hole cards to reveal my two-pair. He turns over his pocket 9s! He's got trips! Somamabitch! River comes out 4 and I lose.

I’m out before the 2nd break and I'm devastated. I can’t believe my friggin' luck. All I had was a 1K in my wallet so I couldn’t rebuy. While I was contemplating going home, I looked over at the cash game room and asked if there was a waiting list for players to join. I was informed, "No sir, kayo po sunod kung magsign up kayo." So I decided to drown my sorrows in one last round of poker. After about 20 minutes, a seat opened up. I went to chip my cash and sat down.

My first hand was an AQ suited. I was 1st to act, so I went all in. Everyone gasped and awed. One guy commented, "Ano yan? Anong play yan? Hinde mo man lang kami bibigyan ng idea kung papaano ka maglaro?" He went on to say, "Gusto ko siyang i-call e. Pero may alas yan na malaki ang kicker. Naghihintay lang ng siraulong magca-call." A girl beside me said, "Kung gusto mo lang pala ng sixty pesos, dapat humingi ka na lang sa akin.” coz that’s the amount I would get when everyone would eventually fold: the big blind (P 40) and the small blind (P 20). I took the pot, naturally. I never had any faith in the AQ anyway. It was either this pot or none at all.

One hand I got was an 8-9 suited, 3 guys stayed in the pot. Flop came out 10-2-8. I checked, old lady checked, man bet 100. I called, so did old lady. Turn came out 7. I had a straight draw. I checked, so did old lady. Old man looks at my stack and bets 500. That was all my chips! I had to make a decision. I had 8 outs (any 6 or any J would give me straight). After a long contemplation, I looked at my watch and told myself, might as well go home. So I called, and so did the old lady. River comes out a Jack! Sweet mother of god! I got a straight! Old lady checks, so does old man. Old man shows pair of Jacks, old lady shows pair of tens, and I show, while motioning making a free-throw, my straight! Everyone gave me a rowdy "nice call pare!” Woohoo! I doubled my starting stack and was so friggin’ happy!

Next, I got a Q-9 diamonds. I just pay the big blinds and watch it unfold. Flop comes out H-D-H. One guy bets a hundred, so I stay in. Next is a D. I’m on a flush draw so I stay in, even with the 200 bet. The river shows a D! I hit the flush. I see the guy across me make a bet of 500. So I match his bet of 500. The dealer then tells me, "Sir, 1100 po and bet niya". So I say, "Sige, call ko din yun". So the player motions for me to turnover my cards. I asked him, "Flush ka din? Flush din ako, queens and nines". He then blurts out a "mother f*cker! beat by a bigger flush!" He had an 8 high diamond apparently. That too was a huge pot! I was now looking at more than tripling my starting stack. So I decided to play a little bit longer.

A couple of bad decisions later, I found myself back down to two-thousand. I got a 7-8 suited and pay the big blinds to look at the flop. It shows J-10-9. I hit the friggin’ straight on the flop! So I check. So does the other guy. Turn shows a K. Guy bets 300, so I call. River shows another Jack. Guy bets 300, so I re-raise to 600. He quickly calls and shows his pair of Kings and I show my straight. He could not believe it. He looked at board and said, "Straight? Straight? Meron siyang straight?" Woohoo! I felt friggin’ invincible!

Next I got a K-9 off suit on big blinds position. Flop shows 7-4-2. I decide to bluff by betting 600. Everyone folds except for this one lady who stays. "This is not good, is what I tell to myself". Turn comes out a rag number so I bet 500 again. She quickly calls once again. River comes out King! Woohoo! I hit my pair. So I bet 500 again and she quickly calls. She says, "You got it on the river! Nice" She hit her top pair at the flop with 7s. I told her, while raking lots chips, "that hand will make you love and hate poker at the same time." She gives me rye smile and says, "ehh, that’s alright" Obviously experienced player and behaved very professionally.

I then got a KJ off suit. I slow play it and pair my King on the flop so I bet 500. Old lady stays with me. Turn comes out rag number so I bet 500 again. Old lady still stays. River comes out Jack! I hit the two-pair. So I slow-play it. I check. Unfortunately, so does she. She turns over her pair of Kings, while I tell her that I had planned to trap her. If you're reading this "mommy", as the table affectionately calls her, nice check!

One hand I got was K-9 suited. Being in the big blinds, I checked. Flop pairs my Kings So I check. One player does the same, the other, however, goes all in with 340. I naturally call. He looks at me and asks, "Did you hit the King? I’m only on a straight draw". The other lady calls, and the both turnover 7-8! Turn and river don’t help them and I take down the pot. Both players laughed at the fact that the both had the same hands. I laughed coz I took a lot of their money. See, we're all happy.

This stage saw me at almost 5K. I should have quit. But I didn’t. Instead, I kept playing and playing. And eventually lost it all. I lost huge to a guy who got 4 queens. Then frustration led me to go all-in with my remaining 1600 with pocket 6s. Two players call. One of them had pocket Aces! The other one was just there for the ride. The board did not improve any of our hands, so the Aces won. I left coz it was getting kind of late and I was tired. I should have left when I was getting bored.

At least I got to see the final table of the charity event of the tourney played out. Winner was an old guy everyone called, Pokemon. He won the 32" LCD TV. The 2nd runner up, who also happened to have the most number of rebuys, 19 I think, won a 32" projection TV. Being the guy with the most rebuys, the charitable organization awarded him a 4 day - 3 Night stay at a resort in Boracay. Something told me that this guy played no-limit holdem professionally and was making a decent living doing so. I wonder if I'll pursue this career. Who knows?


Another thing I can be moderately happy about is seeing Aliya Parcs in person. Damn! Damn! Daaaaaaamn! She was wearing this tan colored top that showcased her ever so white and silky skin. Plus, she's got a smile that will literally dissolve your underwear while you are wearing them. She can flush my straight any time!

On the cab ride home, I contemplated on the days events and wondered if maybe the cash game was more to my suiting. The blinds would never increase, thus never forcing me to make rash decisions. I could walk out any time I wanted. Plus the buy in would just be 1K. Ill have plenty of time to decide. I’m really low on the cash side as of the moment. If there’s anything I can take away from this session, it’s that I need to learn to walk away and quit while I’m ahead. I think anyone who had a sliver of common sense would leave if they had already quintupled their starting stack. C'est la vie.

Will post again once I hit that casino floor. Peace!