Sook PLO Deep Stack Reveiw

Playing the PLO tonight, $15K starting bank, triple chance format. Before I started, my strategy was start with $5k and played very loose, before I used my re-buy cards. Total of 125 players entered and top 16 paid. We played 8 handed all the way.

I started out very well. Double up in the first orbit. Then had AA, I raised the pot in CO, flop A 6 7. One guy had A 5 8 9, we both shipped our stack in there. Turn 7 and he was drawing dead. Then I won another $15k pot, flopped nut flush vs a set. And my hand held up. Before the break, I managed to build my stack close to $50k (including $10k rebuy). Lost a bit at the end, and stack $45k at the break.

After the break, nothing went right for me. I was dealt a lot of those medium rundowns, raised pot and I will call with those 5679, 9 10 J K all day long. Somehow I couldn't hit anything on the flop and slowly down to $30k. Then I bluffed at a pot with K678 in SB. Blinds $300/$600. Flop 5 9 Q. I lead out almost a pot size bet on the flop and got 3 callers. Turn another Q, I lead out again for 1/3 of the pot, everyone fold. Several hands later in CO, dealt J244 ds. Multiway limp pot as well. I caller, flop A 4 5. UTG bet the pot, I called so did button. Turn 2. UTG checked, and I bet the pot for like $3k. Both called. River 5. UTG shoved for $6k. I though for a long while, with $18k inside, I made a tilt call. I knew button on draw and won't be a threat. UTG might try to buy the pot with his wheel, as it turned out, he had A 5. WTF? Calling with 2 pair and hit 4 outer in a 4 straight 2 flush board? SIMPLY AMAZING!!!!

As the blinds kept increasing, $30k didn't look that much. Not a lot of plays remaining. There was a loose cannon at my table, entering in everypot and likely to bet with anything when checked to him. With blinds $400/$800, I had a free look in BB with my 44 8 10. Flop A 4 7 all diamonds. I had a set but no diamond. I checked as the whole table checked as well. Turn 5, I lead out for $3k, and the loose cannon called, all folded. River another 5. This time I checked, figured he will bet for sure. He didn't disappoint me and fired $6500 into the pot. I snapped call him, coz I had an under boat. Can't re-raise in case he fluked a bigger boat. He had straight and I won the pot. Now stack back to about $40k.

Somehow the table playing very slow, people thinking a lot. With each levels only 25 min, there weren't many hands to play at each level. At the meantime the table loved to raise with big pair, and big pair only pre-flop. Dealt a lot of junks and forced to muck. After like 3 rounds, now blinds $800/$1600, my stack down to $25k. All folded to the NIT on button called. SB called and I checked with my KJ86. Flop K 10 8 with 2 diamonds. I flops 2 pair but dangerous board. SB checked, and I bet $4k. The NIT shoved $15k plus. I mucked faced up, and she showed 1010 for set + flush draw. One round later on button dealt KQJ7 with hearts, stack about $12k. The whole table limp and I called. BB raised pot to $9.6k, all folded to me and I shoved. My KJQ7 held up against 6789. Now stack just less than $40k.

The blinds really increasing rapidly. Soon after, the blinds were 1k/2k. After that 2k/4k, 3k/6k and 4k/8k. I forced to fold a lot of hands. I didn't play a hand in 4 rounds, either dealt all kind of junks or totally missed the flop completely. My AKJ10, can't even bluff on a 457 board against several players. Now stack down to $20k+. Dealt AAJ6 ds in BB. A bunch of limpers, and raised., took the blinds and dead money in the middle. Then dealt KK4 9 ds. I raised to $6k UTG, the guy behind me repop to $27K. I folded my KK, figured he either had AA or High pair rundown with sthooted Ace. So either marginally in front or way behind. He showed KK as well with an Ace, but my double suite were live. Still I consider not a bad fold.

Soon after with blinds 2k/4k. I dealt KQJJ. I raised the pot and got called by the BB. Flop 8 AA. He checked and I shoved, took it down. 2 rounds later I dealt AAKJ ds. There were 2 mushroom all-in already preflop and I called. They both had junks, had them all the way and I hit ROYAL FLUSH on the river.

Kept folding my junks and now blinds 4k/8k. My stack still about $50k. Managed to keep my stack in play but the blinds really caught up to me. Now with 17 players remaining, my stack down to $30K. Blinds 6k/12k. Table playing 6 handed. With blinds coming up to me, I had to shove with AQ77 ds. Fortunately the BB folded. After that hand, someone busted on the other table and I sneaked into the money.

I managed to win a small pot when I were in BB vs SB. Now blinds jumped from 6k/12k to $8k/$16k. Dealt KK23, with $55k behind me, I had to shove as well. 1 mushroom called for $4k, but the SB also called. My KK23 vs A899 vs QQJ10 (BB). Flop AQ3 and I almost drawing dead. I picked up a few outs on the turn as the 4 hits. River blanked and I were out in 14th place.

Overall I didn't think I play my best, but I satisfied with my effort. I had a good start, but played a bit too loose in the middle stage. Also, flop dead when blinds 300/600 onwards didn't help my clause. I think I called too many hands OOP with medium run-downs in the middle stage of the tournament. Well, always next time.