Channeling Jack Straus

"Chip and a Chair"

Sure this wasn't the WSOP Main Event, it was only a $5 + $0.40 Heads Up Shootout (4 players) on FullTilt.

I ended up my first headsup opponent in 23 hands.

BLINDS ARE 15/30
The first hand of my second match (each have 3000 chips), I'm dealt A3o. I call the BB and my opponent just checks.
*** FLOP *** [Ah 9c Qd]
I simply bet the 1/2 the pot (30) and my opponent folds. I win 60 chips.

Hand 2. I'm in the BB with 6c4c. Opponent calls the BB, I simply check.
*** FLOP *** [3d 2h 5s]
BINGO! Can't beat that flop. I bet the pot (T60). He smooth calls.
*** TURN *** [3d 2h 5s] [5d]
Stupiditiy abounds here. I bet the pot (T180). I get min raised to T360. I raise to T1,260. He raises to T2,160. I finish it off, pushing all-in to T2940. He calls his last T720. I get T60 back (woo freakin' hoo).

My opponent flips over his Quad 5s. I'm done. I congradulate him on a good game. And wait to throw in my final chips.

Chip Count (T5940 vs T60).
I'm dealt 6c9c in the SB. and I push all in for 60. I hope he folds (yeah right). He calls, and shows pocket 3s.
I flop two pair and double up.

(T5880 vs T120).
Next hand I'm dealt pocket 7s. I push all in and he calls with Q7. My hand holds up.

(T5760 vs T240)
I call the BB (additional 30) w/ Jd2d. We check it down and he catches a 5 on the river.

(T5790 vs T210) - Blinds increase to 20/40.
He min raises to 80, I push all in with KQo and he folds. More chips!

(T5710 vs T290)
I have Q6o. Call the BB. FLOP is [4s 3h 3s]. We both check. TURN: Qc. He bets 80, I push all in and he calls. He shows 4dTd. The river is a 3, giving me a better boat.

(T5420 vs T580)- I definitely have some breathing room now (with the blinds 20/40), despite the huge chip disadvantage. That was the 7th hand of heads up with this guy.

A few hands go by where not much happened. We checked down to the river, only losing the blinds, or I fold to a bet on the turn.

Hand #10. (T5340 vs T660)
I'm dealt 57off in the SB. I limp he min raises to T80. I call.
*** FLOP *** [Kh 5h 5d]
Opponent bets T160, I of course push, he calls and shows KJo. I, of course and sweating because preflop I was 98% to lose. No improvement for him and I have T1320!

Again there's a lot of checking down or folding to bets. I re-raise him a few times to take down pots.

(T3710 vs T2290)
Hand #58 - blinds are 40/80.
I'm dealt KJ in the BB. He limps, I just check.

*** FLOP *** [Qh 6h Ks]
I check, he bets T160, I just call.
*** TURN *** [6c]
We both check.
*** RIVER *** [8s]
I bet the pot T480. He calls.

I show my KJ, he shows T8 and I take down a T1440 pot to take a slight chip lead.

(T2990 vs T3010)
ABout 10 hands later, I lose the chip lead when I bluff of 1200 in chips, trying to represent a flush with 4 spades on the board. I bet 1/2 the pot value bet bluff on the river, he calls with 2 pair. I wonder if I bet more if he would have folded?

(T3600 vs T2400) - Blinds 50/100
I beat Kojack AGAIN this time with KQ. I'm in the SB. He min raises to T200, I call.
*** FLOP *** [Qc 4c 2s]
I check, he bets T400, I min raise to T800, he calls.
*** TURN *** [Ks]
I check, he pushes all-in, I call for my last T1400. He shows his KJ, I shows my KQ for two pair. The RIVER brings an unneeded Q for my boat. I'm the chip leader again.

(T1200 vs T4800).
It's over two hands later.
(T1100 vs T4900)
He raises to T200, I call with Kd7c.
*** FLOP *** [Tc 8h 9d] I hit an open ender, but with the idiots end. The reasoning behind my next move was two fold. First it was late (3:30am) and second, I figure I could push him around, and even if he wins, I would still have a slight chip lead. I pushed All-in. T4700 (though really only the T900 he had) into a 400 pot. He calls with AJ. He also has the, I guess, genius end of the OESD.
*** TURN *** [Js] Gives me the straight.
*** RIVER *** [Qd] For a split second I thought this was a chop giving us both the Q high straight on the board, but then I noticed my little King sitting there, all neglected, giving me a K high straight and taking down the Shootout.

A hard fought battle and a the biggest comeback I've ever faced. 99 to 1 chip deficit. Probably won't do that again in my life.

HERPES LIVES!