Black Hawk Redux

I returned to Black Hawk again this past Saturday for some more punishment. I arrived at Lady Luck about 1.5 hours befor the 2pm tournament and got seated at the 2-10 live game (1-2 blinds with a $10 limit on ever street). With the exception of one or two small pot wins I was bleeding chips the whole time. I am a tight player (even at a limit table) and I guess I got no action because of it. I used my image to bluff one hand against a loose player (LP) heads up. I had AKs in middle position and made my standard $7 raise, everyone folded except LP and we saw a flop of 10 high. I made a small c-bet and got called. I missed the turn and the river, but I fired the max - $10 on both streets and while I was counting out the chips for the river bet the dealer started shoving the pot my way. I guess my mannerism mde LP think I had a big pocket pair and he folded before I could get my chippies into the pot.
Despite bluffing that one hand I was still bleeding chips as the 2 o'clock hour approached. I had announced to the players near me my intention to switch to the tournament at 2 but I wanted to get in as many hands as I could before the game started. It was almost 2pm and I stll han't paid for my tourny entry yet when I picked up J7 suited (diamonds) from late position. Along with 2 others I limped as did both the blinds. I don't normally play J7, but this would probably be my last hand before the tourney, and they were suited, and I had seen enough "any-two-suited" hands winning big pots so I jumped in. The flop came J33 and the BB bet $10. I considered he migh have a 3, but I was going to play this last hand no matter what. I called. The turn came a 7 and the BB led out again for another $10. I was still losing to a 3, but like a donk I called anyway. The river was a J, I filled up. The BB checks to me and I lead out for $10. He raises to $20, I pop it to $30 and he calls. He did have a 3, I sucked out and won the pot. The part I felt bad about is I left the table right after that hand. I felt like I hit-and-run. But I was going to the tourney and the players around me knew it.

I was bubble boy in the tourney. I should never have made it that far. Final table with seven players left, 4 with big stacks and 3 short when this hand came up. Blinds are 400-800 and UTG min raises. The table was tight up to that point. Small stacks waiting for a hand to shove with and big stacks waiting for the small one to bust. UTG+1 raises to 4000, the next big stack shoves AI, and the 4th big stack also shoves. All 3 small stacks fold. UTG and +1 call AI. The young lady to my left comments that if the big stack wins we will be at 4 players and the tourny pays 3 places. It was one of those hands you don't see too often but you know it when it happens. UTG min raised with AA trying to get some value, hoping one player might shove and he'd (UTG) be in good shape to win a bunch of chips and take a player out. UTG+1 had QQ, made a big raise to try and isolate the initial raiser. The other two big stacks had KK and 99, there was enough money in the pot to justify an AI call (I don't know if that's true for the 99 hand). Sure enough AA held up and he took out the other 3 big stacks all in one hand. Now its one player with 95% of the chips in play and the other 3 with less than 10 BB each. I was the bubble boy when I shoved AI with about 5k against a smaller stack in the BB and the chip leader in the SB. The chip leader folded and the BB called AI with 57diamonds against my AJ off suit. The BB hit a 7 and took most of my chips. I was AI and lost 2 hands later.
I thought I may have played my AJ wrong. I shoved AI hoping to pick up the blinds, but instead I put the shorter stack BB to a decision. I think she figured she couldn't give up her BB and needed to gamble to make the money so she called AI pre-flop. Had I though about it I might have just limped and then shoved on the flop. My thinking here is that it might be easier for the BB to fold after the flop if she didn't hit it hard. If she did hit hard then the result is the same as if I shove pre-flop (she calls, hits and I lose). The risk in limping of course is letting in the other players (button and SB) and seeing a flop against more than one opponent. I guess I played it right and just got unlucky...