MANILA MEGASTACK 23 Six-Handed NLH

Started with a 25,000 starting stack. Reached the end of registration. 131 total runners. Played well. Wish it was a bounty event because I knocked out about 5 to 6 players to build my stack. Had some lucky runs. My queens made a set that got paid and eliminated by someone calling with mid-pair. It helps to show an early bluff to set these things up. Sent him to the rail.

My kings cracked aces. It wouldn't have been a big loss. The Finnish dude was short-stacked and my three bet raise from the 2,000 bet to 20,000 covered his remaining 12,500 and he called. Flopped a king, rivered a boat. Sent him packing.

Kings Cracking Aces

I had aces of my own, which got paid with what I bet it for. The check-raise on the flop with 2 hearts got called by two players.  I pushed more on the turn and found once caller. Shoved on the river and he folded. Still a juicy pot.

I hit the nut flush straight with A-Q diamond on the turn and got fully paid with the guy going all-in with K-T diamond. He said, "I shoved all-in so you wouldn't buy the river if you had the Ace diamond." Oh well, I wasn't chasing. Easy call. Another KO.

I flopped the full house on a 2JJ board with pocket deuces. Runout bricked with a 6 and a 4 I think. I check-raised the river and he called. I shoved on the river and he tanked, then called. He had trips with J-Q and I showed the boat. Another KO.

Dude opened on the button for 2,000. Dude on small blind jammed for almost 30,000. I was on the big blind with pocket jacks with a healthy stack. And made the call. Button guy folded. Small blind showed sevens. Board ran high and dry for him but gave me a broadway straight. Another KO.

There were also some unfortunate moments. A short stack with 22,000 shoved on the button with A-4 off and I defended my big blind with A-K clubbed. He flopped a four. Grrr.

I flopped a set with Snowmen on a 9-8-4 flop. I check-raised and he shoved all-in with 9-7. Turn J. River 10. Fucker runner-runners a straight. Savage. Clipped 36,000. 

That same guy eventually will bust me out. I flopped top pair and check-raised huge. He called. We check the turn. I hit two pair on the river and he jammed all-in to open. There was a flush on the board and a straight, but I'm not buying it. I figured busted straight. Wrong spidey sense. I called and he showed the flush. OUCH. Goodbye to me. Out in 29th with 17 to the money, and I was playing pretty well.

Next time again.

The bustout hand

Unfortunately, that was the only event I had time to play in the series. Had a lot of commitments to catch up on after two weeks in Taipei, and I really wished I could've jumped in other events to make a score. Oh well. There's always another time.