Final Table of Season 14

Final Table Update

On Saturday, June 29, 8pm, eight of ten players actually showed up on time to play at the final table.  Partap showed up after the first couple hands were dealt.  But, Qtip was unaware that the final table was being played at all.  Fortunately, Kevin called him to ask if he was going to make it.  Qtip did show up just before play began.  This is a good time to remind everyone that we do have a website people.  Set up an account if you play in our league and check out the stats as well other pertinent information, such as final table dates and other dialogue pertinent to the league.  The continued dialogue of points, partnering, final table adjustments in times at each level, missing the final table, substitutes at the final table, and (my favorite since I suggested it) the deduction of your one point if you show up late, because it sucks to play at a table with a missing person or two.  You have to put in their blinds and shuffle for them and often there are misdeals due to this.  The one rule that was passed and will be enacted this season, which was kind of unofficial, is that any player that does not show up by the first chip-up is out. 

*Now, on to the update of the final table.

Final Table Starting Stacks

It certainly was a well-played final table, as we did not lose anyone until the last hand prior to the second chip-up/break.  This means we made all the way to 800/1600 in blinds before losing someone.  We did not start with abnormally large chip stacks.  Since we did use a graduated system in which each point was calculated to have a 250 chip value or 250 chips/pt earned for the season.  This gave us the most even numbers and was the closest value to the last point total of 43 divided into the minimum stack we wanted which was 10,000.  This gave the chip leader approximately 22,000 and 10th place 10,750. The starting chip stacks were as follows:

1. 21,500                 Chris            86 points earned for the season
2. 20,000                 TK                 80 points earned for the season
3. 19,250               Kevin           88 points earned for the season
4. 16,750                Mayhem (Barker-Baker)  67 points earned for the season  
5. 16,250               Judd               65 points earned for the season
6. 14,500               Ryan            58 points earned for the season
7. 14,250               Evans           57 points earned for the season
8. 12,750               Qtip             51 points earned for the season
9. 12,750               Eliseo           51 points earned for the season
10. 10,750               Partap         43 points earned for the season

Final Table Action (My Perspective – Feel free to share yours!)

*Disclaimer: I will not be able to remember or record as many hands as usual as I actually had a couple beers instead of my usual 52 oz of Double Gulp Dr. Pepper. 

First and Second Levels

I won a couple hands early putting me up to about 14,000 and giving me confidence.  But, the one accumulating chips fast and in the chip lead was Judd.  Chris was also accumulating more chips early.  But, Judd was the clear leader, betting large and taking pots down.  For example, Judd calls this hand the Armada (I guess it’s cause 4’s look like flags on a ship? I have no fucking idea really, he was drinking. ) Judd raised 2 off the button, I called from the BB.  It was heads-up to the flop.  The flop came 4-2-10.  I had QT, so I bet out 600 with top pair Judd called.  The next card was an 8.  I bet out 1200 and Judd called.  The river came a 4.  I bet out 1200 again and Judd raised to 3200, I called because I thought he was full of shit and on a stone cold bluff.  He turned over pocket 4’s, quad 4’s, unfucking believable.  There went half of my stack and I was sitting at about 8,000.  I laid low for a good while after that since the blinds were not tremendously high and was able to raise and take some blinds, which was fine with me since I was raising with any big Ace.  This helped me to sustain for a good while.  But, I was a little desperate when we got to around 400/800 blinds.  I raised to 1600 with A-9 suited spades, I know not the best hand, but the best hand I had seen in a while.   Baker and someone else called, can’t remember who.  The flop came 9-4-6.  I shoved all-in with my remaining 6400.  Baker called with pocket Jacks.  The other person folded.  I had put Baker on a range of A-K to A-10 or some medium pair.  So, I was surprised when he called.  Unfortunately for Baker, the turn was another 9 and an insignificant card on the river.  Doubling me up, plus 1600.   A couple hand later, I got into a hand with Chris, in which I had pocket Jacks in the Big Blind.  Chris min-raised from the button after everyone else folded around.  Kevin to the right of me folded and I called.  We saw the flop, A-6-9, I bet 1200 Chris called.  The next card 4, I checked, Chris checked.  The next card a 8.  I bet 1600 and Chris raised to 5000.  I called the 3400 more.  Chris was bluffing with a Q-3!  Holy crap! I was pretty sure he didn’t have an Ace.  But, I at least thought he had a pair of 9’s or 6’s.  My stack just increased by 7,900.  Right before second break/green chip-up, we had our first casualty.  Evans went all in with A-Q on the short stack.  Chris called him with pocket 6’s and they held up.  Eliminating Evans in 10th place. 

Chip Up – Greens Out and the Craziness Ensued!

After chip-up, the blinds were astronomical, the action was crazy, and the chips got passed around the table like a giant blunt.  It was literally a blur, since Judd had acquired most of the chips at this point and everyone else was pretty even around 14,000 with the blinds at 1,000/2,000.  So really the only move we had after the blinds increased from that point was to go all-in.  I know Baker was a short stack and was able to accumulate more chips.  But, he did lose another battle with pocket Jacks against Partap who also had A-9 in which Partap flopped an Ace and turned another Ace.  Jacks were just not holding up for Baker.  Up to this point, I had been card dead and was paying out blinds.  Until, under the gun, I picked up to beautiful red Aces.  I went all-in for  8,000.   I got two callers, Judd and Partap.  The flop came 6,7,10 all black.  Partap checked and Judd bet. Judd had a 10. Partap folded, who claimed to also have a 10.  I turned over aces and acquired about 26,000 on that hand, which gave me some breathing room as I was going to have to pay the blinds at the high cost of 3,000.   I believe that we lost the majority of players at the next level when the blinds went to 1,500/3,000.  I think when we started that level we still had 7- 8 players.  After this point, we lost Qtip, Partap, Kevin and Ryan.  TK had the Chip lead, Judd was 2nd in chips, Chris was 3rd, Baker in 4th and me in 5th.  I was able to raise a couple pots and get some blinds at 4,500 a pop.  Baker went out. Surprisingly TK had folded his big blind to the all-in, because it was just over a minimum raise with the blinds at 3,000/6,000. Right after this point the blinds had risen to 5,000/10,000, I am not sure how this happened so quickly.  But, at this point after putting in half of my stack on the blind, I had to go all-in with 5-7 hearts.  TK called with A-K.  The flop came Q-5-10, turn a Q, and 7 on the river.  My pair of 5’s held up and I doubled up to 40,000.  Judd went all-in under the gun and Chris called, I folded and TK folded.  I do not remember this hand, but Judd was eliminated in 3rd.  The blinds were now Big-Big-Little.  Chris was first to act and folded.   I went all-in, TK tanked and reluctantly folded which added 25,000 to my stack.  If you want to know what I was holding ask Jack, he'll know. I believe it was the next hand TK went all-in with pocket 7’s and Chris called.  TK’s sevens did not hold up.  Chris and I went heads-up for one hand as I picked up pocket 7’s and raised, Chris raised with A-Q, of course I called and I was the short stack.  The flop looked good, 2-6-7, the turn 8, and the river a fucking Q!  Yes, Judd, I know, I know, I almost won, I should of won, I almost had it! Good job everyone and Congrats to Chris.