I went ahead and entered the freeroll last night based on my theory that it would be relatively easy to advance due to a smaller field. There were a number of last minute signups, but it was still only a field of about 250. I needed to make the top 40, so it seemed like pretty good odds.
I usually play very tight in the opening stages, but lately I’ve been experimenting with a slightly looser style. I still think I’m tighter than most people, but I’ll raise first-in with a wider range of hands and limp in family pots a lot more now. The goal is to find a big hand where I can take advantage of other people’s mistakes. I played only hand in Level 1, but it was a great one. I raised ATs from MP3 first-in and got flat called by the button and the BB. I flopped top two pair and bet out about 1/3 the pot. I was hoping to entice someone to come over the top and to my delight the button did. The BB folded and I just called the Button’s raise. The turn was a rag that made a flush draw possible. I check-raised the button and he called me. I pushed on the river since we only had about half the pot left in our stacks anyhow and he called with AQ and I doubled up very early.
In Level 2, people were playing quite tight so I stole a few blinds and lured a short stack into coming over the top of a raise from me with 88. I had AQs and quickly called him. The flop brought trip Queens and I was the overall chip leader.
In Level 3, I made another blind steal with 99 from EP and got called in one spot. I had an overpair on the flop and turn, where we end up all-in. I’ve got the overpair and he’s got A6s for second pair and no real draw. I think I’m a lock to have twice as many chips as the second place player, but he rivers the Ace. I’m still in the top 10. I make a nice call of a suspiciously large river bet with AT unimproved from the BB to snap off a bluff from KJ at the end of the level. I’m proud of this one because it was just an instinct play. I was sure he was bluffing, but I usually couldn’t call there even when I knew that.
Level 4 marked the start of a bad card-dead period. I might have won the blinds once and I had to let go on the flop once. Mostly I just folded and drifted down to 19th or so.
Level 5 continued the dry spell. I fall all the way to 42nd without seeing more than one flop. Finally at the end of the level, I use the fact that I’ve been folding for orbit after orbit to steal an away player’s blind from EP with air. Three hands later, I find AK on the SB and reraise someone who tried to steal from late position. He decides not to tangle with me and I’ve squeaked back up to 22nd with 69 remaining at the break. Since 40 players will make it through to the next level, I’m already feeling better about my chances.
Level 6 starts with a couple of playable hands. No one calls my KK raise and a continuation bet on the flop with 88 takes down the pot and I’m back up to 16th. I do nothing but fold for the rest of the level and end the level in 27th.
Level 7 gives me 77 in the BB where I call a raise from the big stack. I flop a set on a King high board. He bets the pot on the flop and I just call. The turn is a blank and I check-raise another pot-sized bet all-in. He thinks for a long time and mucks. He claims to have mucked AK, which would be a hell of a fold if true. I doubt it seriously. I’m now all the way up to 8th and pretty much assured of winning a ticket to the next round.
Levels 8-9 I only play one hand. It is a flat payout event, so there is no reason for me to get involved with any hand and I fold into the money. There was one interesting hand where the table short stack was trying to squeak past the bubble. He winds up all-in on the BB. The first four players fold (making me grumpy about people having no clue) and I limp with Kx. Four of us wind up seeing the flop of K99. I check and the player to my left pushes all-in. I have him well-covered. I grumble in chat that I’m going to fold a King and if he is stupid I’m going to be annoyed. I fold and he rolls quad nines. I’ve been wondering what he should have done. No one will call his push without a nine (or KK) and he has all of the nines. Maybe he should have bet smaller and hoped to build a side-pot?
