Bow to Squizzy

Been watching High Stake Poker Season 5 tonight, all of the sudden Squizzy nudge me on MSN and he is going deep in PS $11 tourney. There were 1200+ entries, with around 50 players remaining he is in the middle of the pack. With stack around 28k, blinds 1500/3000 with 300 antes. Squizzy made some tight fold pre-flop (folding is his specialty), and found 99 on the button. All fold to him, he open shove and SB (looks a bit solid, not willing to commit big pre-flop with AK, middle pair. Once he shove pre-flop, most likely the top 3 pairs) called. His 99 held up against A 10. His table image was very solid (just a bit looser than Dan Harrington). After that he manage to win a couple set of blinds in the next hour.

I am watching him the whole way and chat with him at the same time, hopefully I can find some secret of his poker success. He said to me, " Patience and timing are the keys!" With 40 players remaining, he was still short stack. All of the sudden he manage to double up twice. All against the same person. (Wow! He serve Squizzy better than his old man's gold VISA card). His QQ beat AK, JJ beat AK, then he bust a short stack with AA.

Still below average chip stack, about 18 players remaining, he found KQ in SB. With blinds 4k/8k with 400 antes, Squizzy sitting with 180k stack. All fold to Squizzy, he pop to 24k, Gold Visa in BB called. Flop 4h 8h Qd. Squizzy lead out for 40k on the flop. Gold Visa called. Turn 4d. Squizzy shove for 118k, as there were 2 flush draw on the board. Gold Visa snap called with 8s 9d. River Js. A massive 370k pot award to Squizzy and now BB could go Platinum.

Squizzy then used his image to perfection, maintaining his stack. No one willing to call his raise, now cruising to the final table. With around 300k, 8 players remaining he found QQ. Flop A 8 8, went check/check. Turn Q, squizzy milk the guy with 60k bet on turn and river. Next hand against the same guy, he found AK on AJ6 flop. Squizzy lead out, got raised and he shove. MP fold, now stack 637k.

Folding a lot of hands and let players bust each other. At the meantime I ask him a very serious question. " How does it feel playing at the final table?" Squizzy humbly reply, "Like about to play a snooker final. a bit nervy!", and I ask about his recent success, he replied, " need to want it more, or hate losing more". Very true!

Blinds now 12.5k/25k with 2500 antes, 5 players remaining. Stack got blind to 420k, table very aggressive. All-in poker at it best! A lot of KK vs AK, QQ vs KK confrontation. All fold to SB mini raised, Squizzy smell something and fold.

As game gone short handed, Mike Sexton and Vince van Pattern said you need to open up your game. There are some truth behind it, but it seems Squizzy has tighten up even more. Why? Is it because folding is the best weapon in this situation? or if Mike and Vince are that good, they will be WPT champion, instead they just wishing everyone's card be live and pots be monster?

Blinds now 15k/30k with 3k antes. Looks like the only way squizzy can win a pot is thru a walk. Now stack 240k after folding for 45 min, Squizzy open shove and got no action. Bugger! Fold the blinds and now on the button, open shove with Ac4c, SB shove with AhQh. Flop 9 10 K K 8. Squizzy finished 5th for $642.

Consider last week he only had $4 in his account and play only $1 SNG, now he manage to run it up to $701. It is quite an accomplishment. Once again, Why are you so good?