HORSE Cash

I was 0 for 3 entering into the 4th of 4 tournaments I planned on playing in a recent series. I went deep in an Omaha 8/b tournament but didn't cash. I got extremely unlucky in a stud tournament and was the first one knocked out. I made the second best hand a few too many times in a 2-7 triple draw tournament and failed to cash there also. I figured luck would be on my side going into this HORSE event.

I was slowly accumulating chips and maintaining an average stack early in the tournament. We were playing stud and I made Kings and sevens on 4th street. I led out on 4th - 6th streets and got called by a player with split nines. My opponent caught the case 9 on 7th and I was now a short stack. Two hands later I get priced in with an A-Q in the hole and an exposed 2. I had the bring in bet and there were so many players involved, I figured I could draw and try and make a big pair with my live cards. I was almost committed to the pot, but I folded to one bet on 4th after a player led out and everyone else folded. I didn't like that two queens, an ace and a 2 came out on 4th. I had to fold as I essentially had 2 outs. My opponent had pocket jacks. I was now crippled. I get it all in on the next hand with 3 hearts on 3rd street. I squeezed my fifth heart on 7th to win the main pot, but I was still short. Two hands later, I start with split kings and make two pair on 5th. I win the pot on 5th by check raising. The game changed to stud 8/b and I picked up pocket kings with a low card exposed. I'm still short at this point and I get involved in a pot where I 4 bet 3rd street and run into an opponent with pocket aces. I get a 1o on 4th and 5th to take the lead and go on to win a large pot and double up. I out played my opponents in the stud 8/b round to accumulate a lot of chips and was among the leaders at break time.

I ride my big stack and play solid poker for the next few levels. When we were down to two tables, I win a nice omaha 8/b pot where I make the dumb end of the straight on the river. Due to the escalating stakes, the last 7 players agreed to a large save and leave a little extra cash for first place. Of course, I'm playing for the win at this point. My problem was that a couple of other players were doing the same and I was completely card dead. I finally go bust in razz in a pot where I was drawing dead on 6th.

I'm still amazed with the poor play in HORSE events. It is amazing that players will enter a tournament where they don't even know how to play all of the games. I guess I really shouldn't be complaining though as I was glad to finally get my first HORSE cash.