Literally Killed the Foxwoods 10/25 Game

Yesterday was a long day. It was the first tournament of the BDL’s fifth season, and though I’m no longer the director, I still very much wanted and needed to be there. So I woke up around 6AM, spent the next twelve hours on my feet helping to run a debate tournament, then drove straight to Foxwoods to meet some friends from my old home game there.

I played 10/25 NL at the Rio over the summer but had never played in the Foxwoods game. There was only one person ahead of me on the list, but it still took nearly an hour to get seated because there was only one game going.

When I took my seat, it looked like a tough lineup. On my right were two young guys with huge stacks (one had like 25K) talking about 2+2. A few seats to my left was a strong player named John who I imagine was the infamous John the Lawyer whom I’ve heard about in various Foxwoods threads on 2+2.

However, the game had apparently been going for over 24 hours, and not long after I sat some of the tougher players, including everyone mentioned above, quit. Which was fine with me.

I only had about 6K on me, so I couldn’t buy in too deep. I bought 3K and played pretty tight, making the occasional move and getting a ton of credit when I did.

Happy Birthday to Me

I was on the button in a straddled pot. One of the aggressive guys on my right opened to $150, and I made it $500 with KQo. A young Asian guy who seemed to be a regular called cold from the SB, and everyone else, including the raiser, folded. Since I only had a little over 2K behind, I feared that cold call was extremely strong.

My fear turned into hope when the flop came QQ7. Thinking that this kid wasn’t going to fold any pair that he flatted for 25% of the effective stacks, I bet $700. Sure enough, he shoved all in, and I of course called. The board ran out J J to give me a boat, and he showed Ts9s nothing but some backdoor draws. Someone should have told him my birthday was last week.

Maximum Overdrive

Soon the game got down to 6-handed, which was fine by me. Not only was I getting in more hands against opponents who didn’t know how to play short-handed, but Foxwoods was only charging half time. I abandoned my previously tight image and poured on the aggression. No one was even trying to stand up to me. Their only defense was to call more loosely out of position, which is of course the worst possible response to a good LAG.

Still, I kept thinking that the playback was coming. I tried check-raising the flop against a guy who 3-bet me, but he called and I gave up. Then I got min-checkraised when holding air on an A-high flop. I came back over the top for a small 3-bet, and the guy quickly folded.

Then I raised J4s on the button and got called by a youngish guy with a long pointy beard. The flop came 7s 6x 4s. He checked, I bet $150, and he made it $400. I felt like he might be bluffing, and that regardless, he was definitely weak. I decided to call and decide later in the hand whether bottom pair was good or whether I should turn it into a bluff.

The turn brought a K, and we both checked. The river was the Js, giving me two pair and putting a possible flush on the board. My opponent bet $400. I contemplated a bluff-raise but figured two pair was probably good anyway. I called. He showed T7o and proceeded to berate me for “calling $400 with a pair of 4’s.” I love live donks.

Flip

Same pointy-bearded donk is getting ground down and now has only like $1300. For some reason I call anyway with K8s when he makes it $100 from the SB. Flop is T-high and gives me a flush draw. He bets $400 (yes twice the pot) but I shoved anyway and he called and his QT held up. Bummer. I’m not sure this was actually a good shove, because he may well play AA, KK, and the nut flush draw like this also. But whatever, it’s not like this was the internet where doubling the donkey risks causing him to quit. This guy was in it for the long haul. In fact, he eventually retrieved more cash from the cage, though I was disappointed to see it was only another thousand.

Heads Up

As players dropped out, the game continued to dwindle until only me and Beardy were left. He seemed to eager to play heads up with the guy who calls $400 with fours, and I was glad to oblige.

Hand 1– He open folds his button.

Hand 2– I raise AQo on the button, he calls. Flop QT5, all clubs. I don’t have a club. He bets $300, I raise to $900, he jams for $3000 or so, and I snap call. The board runs out Q T to give me Queens full, but from the way he mucks I’m sure I was good all along. I definitely would have heard about it if I had bad beat him.

He quit, and just like that, I was the last man standing in the biggest game at Foxwoods!