Gavin Smith at the Gold Strike in Tunica
Tunica started off poorly. Early on in Day 1, I had managed to eliminate almost three-quarters of my stack. I was down to 6,000 in chips from a starting stack of 20k. But I managed to plug away, and eventually worked it back up pretty well. It helped a lot when I busted Daniel Negreanu. We both flopped an ace; however, I had a club flush draw to go along with mine. Ironically, we both had lousy kickers; I had A-4, and Daniel had A-3. The flop came A-x-x with two clubs. We both got all our money in, and I hit the club on the river. So that pot got me back on track for the day.
There was another hand on Day 1 that I felt really set the tone for my tournament. It was the key pot of the day. I limped into an unraised pot with pocket fives. The flop came down 7-5-2 with two spades and I led out. This other guy, who had been playing fairly solidly, raised me, and I re-raised him back. He came back over the top for what was, at that time in the tournament, a pretty large amount – I think about 30k. I went all in for my 60k or so, and he called. He flipped over 10.-7., for top pair and a spade flush draw. I was lucky enough to fade the spades, and that put me well on my way. Before that hand, I had somewhere between 50k and 60k in chips. Now I had over 100k, and the rest of the day was pretty smooth sailing. I finished second in chips, so it was a great Day 1.
Day 2
Early on in Day 2, it seemed like people just wanted to give me their chips. Less than half an hour in, this one guy opened the pot in early position for 2,400. I looked down at two kings and made it 8,000 to go. He made it 30k and I went all in. This guy started the hand with 70k in chips, when the average stack was probably around 37k. He thought for a while and finally called off his last 40k with A-J! I won a big pot there.
I seemed to pick up almost every pot throughout the first level of play, and had become a very big chip leader at this point. I ran my way up to about 370k, when the next player had about 200k, maybe less. Oddly enough, I had Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi to my left for about two hours, which could have spelled disaster; but somehow we were both able increase our stacks, which rarely ever happens with two huge stacks next to each other. I found myself on the button, and the action was folded around to me. I looked down and, once more, saw two kings. I made my standard raise, and John Bonneti, who had about 70k in chips, called me out of the blind. The flop came down A-K-x. Bonnetti checked, I bet 4k and Bonnetti check-raised me to 40k. I went all-in, thinking he had to call, and he threw away his hand immediately. He check-raised me for more than half his stack on a stone cold bluff! Now things were going really well.
But then I had a couple back-to-back of hands that hurt me pretty badly. I got it all in preflop with pocket aces against A-J, and lost when the A-J hit a straight on the river. The very next hand, I was dealt pocket queens and got it all in again, finding myself up against A-K. Lady Luck deserted me once more and A-K hit a river king to beat me. Those were two pretty big pots and they brought my stack back down out of the stratosphere – down to about 300k.
After that, I was able to grind back about 100k in chips, and ended the day with 404k. Scotty Ngyuen and Gary Gibbs, a local from Tunica, were now the two big chip-leaders, so I was going into Day 3 in fifth place.
Day 3
As with the previous day, things started off great and I was able to chop away. I had position on the chip leader, so I could really push him around. On the bubble, with about 27 players remaining, I got involved in a pot with Chris Bell. I held J-9 and the flop came down K-J-x. Chris led out at me, I raised him, and he called. The turn was a blank, and we checked it through. The river was a good card for me, a nine. Chris checked, and I bet 200k, and he called me with K-Q. I got really fortunate to win that pot, and it put me into the chip lead again. But little did I know, I was about to get involved with the second largest stack, in what was probably the most important pot I would play in the entire tournament.
I was on the button with the 10. 8., and the gentleman second in chips made it 18k. I called his raise, knowing I would have position on him throughout the hand. The flop came K-Q-5, with one spade. He bet 50k. I had a pretty good read on the guy, and thought that he was weak and that I could take this pot from him, so I called his bet. The turn was the 7.. He bet 150k, which gave me the right price to draw at my flush, with the implied odds of his huge stack that could be mine if I hit. I still also felt that he was weak and that I could steal this pot from him, with or without a flush. The river was the 9.. He checked, and I bet 400k really quick to make myself look weak. He thought for a bit, and moved in for 250k more. I called instantly, and he turned over 6-8 offsuit. My read was correct, he was weak on all streets, and I end up getting the joker of all jokers on the river. That pot put me up over 2 million in chips and I had a monster chip lead.
From there on, things turned crappy. I ran A-K into aces and lost a pretty big pot. I then lost a substantial pot to Scotty with 8-9 on a nine-high flop. I also lost a decent pot to Bau Lee, when I had queens and he had jacks. We got it all in preflop and Bau spiked a jack on the turn. Things had turned sour. My erstwhile stack of 2 million had dwindled to about 700k by the end of the day. But I was fifth in chips and felt I still had a great chance to win the tournament.
Day 4 – Final Table
I flew in an entourage of family and friends for the final table. And boy, things started well for me! I was picking my spots, winning pots and building my stack until it reached the point where Scotty, The Grinder, and I were all about even in chips and down to four-handed play. The key hand in my tournament came up when I limped in the small blind with Q-7, and Scotty checked his option. The flop was 7-4-2. I led at the pot, Scotty raised me, and I went all in. He beat me into the pot and flipped over 7.5.. The turn was a deuce, then a king and we ended up chopping. Scotty had survived by the skin of his teeth. If I’d won that pot I would have been up over 3 million in chips, and Scotty would have been crippled. Goes to show you the impact of a chopped pot on the course of events.
An orbit or two later, I picked up two sevens. I raised it up, The Grinder reraised me all in, and I called. He had two queens and, in a flash, that was the end of the road. I was out fourth, which was pretty disappointing since I felt I played about as well as I possibly could for four straight days.
But hey, you can’t dwell on things too much in poker – because the next day you’re right back at it.
