Event #40: Razz

 

After licking our wounds from the HORSE tourney, its time to get back in action with the Game of Kings: Razz! Just in case you don't know, Razz is a variation of 7-Card Stud where you're trying to make the lowest hand possible. So the best possible hand is 5-4-3-2-A (straights and flushes don't matter in this game). Just like the HORSE tourney, the play in this one is fixed limit. Hopefully, we'll run deep.

Level 1

Winning lots of small pots, but I lost a big one to the two seat when I misread my hand, thinking I had a 6 when I had a 76. Oops! Let’s hope that doesn’t happen again. 

Starting stacks were 25k. At 24.4k at the end of Level 1

Level 2

Win one against Kessler. I he raises pre with a 6 and I 3! with a 4. He ends up folding to my bet on 5th street. 

Win another small one against the 5 seat when I raise with a 3 and he defends with a 9. My hole cards weren’t great, but luckily he bricked out on 5th and folded to my scary board. 

At 26.2k at the end of the level

Level 3

Not much poker action to report. Still floating right at a starting stack. The big debate is whether the structure for the 1500 limit events is too shallow, which makes the tourney go to fast. Kessler is lobbying the WSOP to deepen the structure to 30k starting stacks or to change level 1 from 300/600 to 200/400. FWIW, with 10 mins to go in level 3, 4 players have busted. If you have any opinions on whether you’d rather a tourney play slower or faster, let me know in the comments. 

Chip stack has decreased a little this level, as I think I’ve been the bring in roughly 897 times. Down to about 24k. 

Finish the level at 23.4k. 

Level 4

Said hello to Todd Brunson during the break, and I resisted the urge to buy a $12 hot dog. 

First hand back, I start with A26 against a 7. I go Q-K to his 2-4 and have to fold. 

Complete with (52)A and get called by a 6 and a K. I go K-T and have to fold again. Down to 20k. 

I made 6532A against a wheel. Lose about 6k. 

Catch up on the river to make a 6 against an 8 perfect. Back up to 20k. 

Level 5

Start with (52)A. Get action from an 8. Run out is K-T-2 and I have to fold on 5th to a probable made 8. 15.6k

Start with (42)3. Crazy run out leaves me playing K7432 against a K732 board. When he checks, I have to bluff at it. He raises, and I fold. He shows Q8732, and was bluffing with the best hand. Down to about 10k. Not going well so far. 

And I bring it in 6 out of 7 hands in a row. 7800. Meanwhile seat 3 is playing every hand and hitting everything. Dude must be close to being the chip leader. 

Level 6

I have 7400 to start this level, which is 3.7 big bets. Luck has to turn now or I’ll be an early exit. 

Kessler almost makes an early exit, but he makes an 8 on the river to survive. Wins a 20k pot against seat 3, who somehow still has like 80k chips. 

Parade of bring ins continue. Down to 5900. Fighting to make the second break.

Typical of how this has gone, on a board where three players have Ks, I’m the bring in with the Kh. And I have the Ks under. 4700. Time to pick a hand and go with it. 

Get it in with 8-5-A against a T. I run out 5-A-5-A. I’m out. 

So that was a total debacle.