My week at the PokerGO Studios is coming to an end. With only two events remaining, if I don't cash in the $10K Event #5, I won't play in the turbo that closes out the series on Saturday. Earning a spot in the $1M Freeroll will be close to impossible without a cash in this one.
Poker tournaments will test your will. I've bricked every tournament this week, sharing each experience with you along the way. Still, you keep showing up until it turns around, with no assurance when that will happen.
A much better start
After bleeding a bit early, I opened to 5.5K at the 2.5K level with 
from the cutoff. Connor Rash called on the button, and the big blind called as well.
The flop was a welcome 
, giving me top two pair. I continued for 14K on a wet board. Rash raised to 32K on the button, prompting the big blind to fold. I jammed my 90K.
Rash sighed, put the chips in, and told the dealer, "Run it." He flipped over 
.
- Odds of winning on the flop: 66.6%
The board ran out clean for me, and I chipped up to nearly 200K.
Pocket jacks vs. Thomas Boivin
Five hours into the day, I'm sitting on about 340K at the 6K level. Stephen Song is on my right and has me covered. He opens UTG to 12K. I find 
next to act. This hand is a mix in the configuration, and I decide to call.
From the cutoff, Thomas Boivin three-bets to 45K. Song folds, but I call. I could backraise jam, but I'm a little too deep for that. At 50 bigs or shorter, that'd be my choice. Instead, I call to play a pot. Out of position in a swelling pot against a great opponent – I know stacks could be in play.
The flop comes out 
. I check and he continues for 35K. I think for a while before calling. My range mostly consists of pocket pairs of fours through queens, strong Broadway cards, and a couple of suited aces. That's important for how we play future streets.
The turn was the 
. I check. If Boivin bets here, he's likely gearing up to play for stacks with his strong overpairs for value or hands like 
, 
, and for bluffs. Instead, he thinks for a while before checking behind. My jacks are likely ahead, though it's not guaranteed.
The river is the . This is a dream card for both my hand and Boivin's range. If I had an underpair to the board, I'd have to bluff since I would have been counterfeited. It also reduces the combos of sets and full houses I could have. It's a great opportunity for a large bet, and I fire 160K. Boivin thinks for a long while, bleeding into multiple time banks, before calling. I assume he did so with an ace-high hand, though it was never revealed.
Trading blows with Stephen Song
I built my stack through Stephen Song when I raised from the big blind in a blind-versus-blind battle and flopped middle set. I went for three streets, and he called me down on the 
board. He got his revenge in the 12K level.
Rash opened to 24K from the hijack. Song flatted the button with 280K in his stack. I looked down at with about 500K in my stack. I three-bet to 125K. Rash folded, but Song moved all in. That wasn't good news, but I had already put in 125K, so I called his jam of 280K total. Song revealed 
and had me in bad shape.
- Chances of winning preflop - 18.25%
"Bad timing," I said.
"Cooler," Song replied.
The flop bailed me out when the 
showed up.
- Chances of winning after the flop - 87.78%
Unfortunately, the on the turn immediately sent him back into the lead, and I couldn't hit my one-outer on the 
river.
Down to 16 big blinds, it didn't take long to get back in action.
Song opened the cutoff to 25K with . I moved all in for 190K with 
. I won the flip by making top two pair, and my hopes of cashing were back as the field was dwindling.
A Rash ending
Only 17 players would make the money, and there were 24 of us remaining. I had 380K at the 15K level. I opened to 30K UTG with 
. Connor Rash three-bet the small blind to 150K with 
. I moved all in for my 380K, and Rash called with a covering stack.
The 
brought no help. Rash made a straight, and for the third time this series, I was eliminated in a flip against pocket eights.
Series recap
With five bullets and zero cashes, I wasn't able to earn any points towards the leaderboard. I won't be playing the turbo flight, so that wraps up the series for me.
- Bullets - 5
- Buy-ins - $50,500
- Cashes: $0
For all the glamour of final tables and winner's pics we see on social media and on this website, this is what tournament poker usually looks like. Days of grinding, close calls, and losing weeks. This is the game we sign up for. I didn't make money, but I had a great experience in a wonderful venue against some of the game's most talented players.
