longclaw vs Brian...The Epic Battle
Well, I played my second match of the All In HU Championship and it was nothing but epic! I have to say it is the longest heads up match I have ever played. Titan uses a very slow blind structure as opposed to some of the other sites out there and I think that works better for a trapping style of play. I tried to warm up for my match by playing an aggressive style and I was the one who was getting trapped. I lost four in a row before I figured it out. I played one more and I got real lucky to win that one. I really didn't feel good about it, but I went and found Brian and we played our match.
If the first hand was any indication of how the match was going to go, I was going to be in trouble. Brian raised from the big blind and I called. The flop came King-Queen-Two. I completely missed the flop with my Four-Nine offsuit. Brian bet about the size of the pot. I toss my hand in the cyber-muck and he shows me a set of twos. Oh brother, my luck is still running bad. I proceeded to get more crap for hands and Brian chips slowly away at me. I am not that worried though, as long as I can double up and get back to even I feel I am ok. Well, that was about to change as well.
With the blinds at 10-20 Brian raised from the button to 70 and I called from the big blind with Queen-Ten of Hearts. The flop came Six-Jack-Nine with two spades. I bet 80 chips with my open ended straight draw and Brian Calls behind me. The Turn is the Ten of Spades, giving me top pair, but making a flush possible. I bet out 200 chips and Brian immediately raises me another 200. I think for a long, long while. Something tells me he hit his flush. If I call, I will only have 200 chips left, so really it is all-in or fold for me. Even though I have only 400 chips left, I fold. Brian shows me Four-Five of spades. He did have the flush and I would have put my money in with no chance of winning. Oh well, time to get lucky or go home.
Brian punishes me with his big stack. He picks up the next four or five hands without a fight. Finally I pick up Ace-Three in the big blind and I raise from 40 to 120 and Brian folds. The very next hand I am dealt Ace-Five suited. I move in from the button with my last 360 chips and Brian calls with Ten-Nine. I spike an Ace on the flop and double up to 760. Whew, nothing like getting it all in as a 60% favorite. I feel a lot better though.
Now I have a little more breathing room and some chips to work with. I catch a pair of Queens on the turn three hands later and I come over the top of Brian's 120 chip bet. I am almost back to even now, but more importantly, I am getting my confidence back, only to hit another bump. I flop top and bottom pair, only to have the middle card pair on the turn to give Brian trips. I feel lucky to only lose 280 on the hand. Time to switch gears!
When a player switches his playing style from tight to aggressive, or aggressive to tight, he is said to be "switching gears." I start raising aggressively on the button and take down a lot of uncontested pots. I still don't raise out of the big blind unless I have a real hand though. I am trying not to play a big pot out of position. I chip away at Brian and hit a few big hands and suddenly I am in the lead and pulling away from him. Now instead of him raising from the button, Brian is folding out to me, not even wanting to see a flop.
We trade chips for a while and Brian pulls into a 1020 to 980 chip lead when I pick up Queens. I check my option from the big blind. The flop comes King-Ten-Four with two spades. I check to Brian and he bets 120. I check raise to 240 and Brian calls. The turn is the Ace of spades and it goes check-check. The eight of hearts comes on the turn and I move all-in. Brian folds out to me and I am up 1280 to 720.
I raise from the button the next hand with Queen-Three offsuit and pick up Brian's 60 chip big blind without a fight. Hand #66, Brian calls from the button and I check my Five-Ten offsuit. The flop comes Five-Ten-Eight. Top and bottom pair again. I think this could be it. I check to Brian and he bets 120 chips. I just call, hoping he won't get suspicious. The turn is a King and I check again. Brian doesn't disappoint me and bet 180 chips, and I flat call again. The river is a seven and I see he only has 300 left in his stack. I bet 180, hoping he will move all-in on me. He does and I call. Brian shows me King-Jack for top pair. My two pair has won the hand and the match!
I was really worried during this one. Brian made it very tough on me. I think I need to work on my heads up game a little more. Find a balance between aggression and trapping. I ran into some bad luck during the match early on. When I semi-bluffed my straight draw and had to lay it down, I didn't know if I could make it back. Moving in with Ace high preflop was a very dangerous play. I lose that hand 40% of the time, but I got lucky with this one. If I where in Brian's shoes, I don't think I can make that call. As badly as he had me down, he could have picked a better spot to finish me off. I feel the worst thing he could have done is double me up like he did. He played very well to get me down that badly, only to let me back in it when you know that even if you are a favorite, it isn't by that much. You have to play a big stack very carefully. You can pick your spots, you don't have to make a desperate move. I think he just took a chance to finish me and it didn't happen, and by doing so he let me back in the match and I was able to pull it off.
Well, my next match should be today. I get to play CornishJames. He is from England so I might get it done this afternoon. I am going to go play some more and see if I can get back in the groove. Win or lose, I will let you know what happens.
If the first hand was any indication of how the match was going to go, I was going to be in trouble. Brian raised from the big blind and I called. The flop came King-Queen-Two. I completely missed the flop with my Four-Nine offsuit. Brian bet about the size of the pot. I toss my hand in the cyber-muck and he shows me a set of twos. Oh brother, my luck is still running bad. I proceeded to get more crap for hands and Brian chips slowly away at me. I am not that worried though, as long as I can double up and get back to even I feel I am ok. Well, that was about to change as well.
With the blinds at 10-20 Brian raised from the button to 70 and I called from the big blind with Queen-Ten of Hearts. The flop came Six-Jack-Nine with two spades. I bet 80 chips with my open ended straight draw and Brian Calls behind me. The Turn is the Ten of Spades, giving me top pair, but making a flush possible. I bet out 200 chips and Brian immediately raises me another 200. I think for a long, long while. Something tells me he hit his flush. If I call, I will only have 200 chips left, so really it is all-in or fold for me. Even though I have only 400 chips left, I fold. Brian shows me Four-Five of spades. He did have the flush and I would have put my money in with no chance of winning. Oh well, time to get lucky or go home.
Brian punishes me with his big stack. He picks up the next four or five hands without a fight. Finally I pick up Ace-Three in the big blind and I raise from 40 to 120 and Brian folds. The very next hand I am dealt Ace-Five suited. I move in from the button with my last 360 chips and Brian calls with Ten-Nine. I spike an Ace on the flop and double up to 760. Whew, nothing like getting it all in as a 60% favorite. I feel a lot better though.
Now I have a little more breathing room and some chips to work with. I catch a pair of Queens on the turn three hands later and I come over the top of Brian's 120 chip bet. I am almost back to even now, but more importantly, I am getting my confidence back, only to hit another bump. I flop top and bottom pair, only to have the middle card pair on the turn to give Brian trips. I feel lucky to only lose 280 on the hand. Time to switch gears!
When a player switches his playing style from tight to aggressive, or aggressive to tight, he is said to be "switching gears." I start raising aggressively on the button and take down a lot of uncontested pots. I still don't raise out of the big blind unless I have a real hand though. I am trying not to play a big pot out of position. I chip away at Brian and hit a few big hands and suddenly I am in the lead and pulling away from him. Now instead of him raising from the button, Brian is folding out to me, not even wanting to see a flop.
We trade chips for a while and Brian pulls into a 1020 to 980 chip lead when I pick up Queens. I check my option from the big blind. The flop comes King-Ten-Four with two spades. I check to Brian and he bets 120. I check raise to 240 and Brian calls. The turn is the Ace of spades and it goes check-check. The eight of hearts comes on the turn and I move all-in. Brian folds out to me and I am up 1280 to 720.
I raise from the button the next hand with Queen-Three offsuit and pick up Brian's 60 chip big blind without a fight. Hand #66, Brian calls from the button and I check my Five-Ten offsuit. The flop comes Five-Ten-Eight. Top and bottom pair again. I think this could be it. I check to Brian and he bets 120 chips. I just call, hoping he won't get suspicious. The turn is a King and I check again. Brian doesn't disappoint me and bet 180 chips, and I flat call again. The river is a seven and I see he only has 300 left in his stack. I bet 180, hoping he will move all-in on me. He does and I call. Brian shows me King-Jack for top pair. My two pair has won the hand and the match!
I was really worried during this one. Brian made it very tough on me. I think I need to work on my heads up game a little more. Find a balance between aggression and trapping. I ran into some bad luck during the match early on. When I semi-bluffed my straight draw and had to lay it down, I didn't know if I could make it back. Moving in with Ace high preflop was a very dangerous play. I lose that hand 40% of the time, but I got lucky with this one. If I where in Brian's shoes, I don't think I can make that call. As badly as he had me down, he could have picked a better spot to finish me off. I feel the worst thing he could have done is double me up like he did. He played very well to get me down that badly, only to let me back in it when you know that even if you are a favorite, it isn't by that much. You have to play a big stack very carefully. You can pick your spots, you don't have to make a desperate move. I think he just took a chance to finish me and it didn't happen, and by doing so he let me back in the match and I was able to pull it off.
Well, my next match should be today. I get to play CornishJames. He is from England so I might get it done this afternoon. I am going to go play some more and see if I can get back in the groove. Win or lose, I will let you know what happens.
posted by Chris at
10:54 AM
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