Mutiny on the Bounty

It has been a full two years since I have made the arduous trek to Spirit Mountain casino in Grande Ronde, Oregon.  It is almost a two hour drive each way around very curvy roads and usually in the rain.  I decided years ago just not worth it during the summer do to heavy tourist traffic and during the winter due to early darkness.  So, I figured it was time for a visit with daylight savings time and nice weather lately.  Mike, my poker friend and I have been talking about it for a while and decided Saturday was the day.  I picked him up in Wheeler, just South of me at 9:00 and we headed out.  It was a much more enjoyable drive with company and Mike and I arrived in plenty of time to get player's cards and get extra chips for early sign up for the noon tournament.  There was even time for some live poker, so I bought in for $200 in the $1-3 no limit game just starting.  Clearly it was filled with big time gamblers as most bought in for the full $300 limit, and most of them were on the list for the bigger game $2-5.  I watched one player get stacked early on, re-buy then get stacked again.  Another player was felted and I was not playing many hands as straddles were almost always in effect and pre-flop raises were common.  A straddle was in effect with a couple of limpers when I picked up K/K.  I made it $26 to go and everyone folded.  I was the only stranger at the table so they probably picked up on my tight play and gave me credit for a big hand.  Later I played AK deceptively by checking an un-raised pot out of the blinds and betting on the king high flop.  I had one caller who had not lost a hand.  He called my turn bet as well (20 flop, 25 turn), but folded to a 20 river bet.  Tournament time was starting so I racked up my $31 win and drew a seat.

I did not realize that this was a $25 bounty tournament until after we began playing.  I never do well on bounties but basically only want to reclaim mine at the very end.  Still, it was a compelling reason to call a short stack shove.  I was on the same table as Mike and neither of us gained much traction.  Mike collected one bounty while the kid two to my right had a monster stack and 3 bounty buttons.  He later donked off all of his chips, including doubling me up once (9/9  vs. J/7 hearts).  I doubled up once more with AA vs. A10, but the player had me covered so no bounty!  Mike missed a huge opportunity but made a wise fold in a juicy pot, calling a big raise with AJ, but folding to AQ shove with a caller.  The AQ held up, but with a jack on the flop would have really chipped Mike up.  We talked about that hand later and both agreed that it was the right action given stacks, action, etc.  Missed another bounty when calling a small raise with A/3 of clubs and flopping the flush.  The original bettor continuation bet, I called, then check raised him on the turn.  He called, and I felt he was pot committed so I shoved the river only to get his shorter stack to fold.  Like I said, I seldom collect bounties.

Mike went down and I continued on to the final table.  There were two eliminations with one player to my immediate right catching fire knocking both of them out.  He took a big stack out with his A7 vs A2 on a A/7/x/2 board.  He next got me with blinds at 1200/2400 and 300 antes.  He limped in with K/10 and I shoved on the button with A9 and a stack size of around 7000.  When other hands folded to him he had good odds (2400 antes, 1200 small blind, 2400 big blind, 2400 limper, his 2400, my 7000 = 17,800 pot, with "only" 4600 to call giving him 4/1 odds with a monster stack remaining if he lost.  He turned a king and my day at Spirit Mountain was over in 8th place with only 3 places paid (35 entrants).  Mike and I commented on the lousy pay structure and small payouts...1st was only $750.  With bounties and rake it is definitely not worth the long drive.

We made the trip safely back in the rain and agreed that it was fun if not profitable.