Alex Bolotin Blog

Event 40 5k NL 6max. I play my D game, and as a result I was never above starting stack, . I drew a tough table, Alan Sternberg, Brock Parker, Zack Clark, Jeff Madsen, and a young online kid. Busted before dinner reshoving my last 20 BBs with AQ and losing to Zack’s 88. Very dissapointed.

Event 43 1500 NL. I played 2 hands, and misplayed both of them. 25/25, I open 55 to 75, guy flats, I bet 100 on K84r, he calls, I bet 300 on 5h turn, bringing a flush draw, he calls, river is a 2h, I bet 800, he makes it 2600, I tank/call, he has A9hh for the nuts, his float on the flop worked out perfectly, I should have still folded though. 2nd hand I don’t remember, but it was a mistake as well (in my defense I had like 1/4 of the starting stack).

Event 45 1000 NL. Absolutely zero recollection of what happened (it was 5 days ago, and different hands from different tourneys are beginning to mix together), the only thing I know for sure is that I didn’t win it.

Event 48 1500 NL. Out of the first 4 levels I miss a good hour and a half of playing time for various reasons. My first 4 hands I play bad, but get lucky. This young kid moves to our table level 2, one to my right, and starts ordering drinks right away. He started off playing really well, building a monster stack early, but being wasted+out of position is a very difficult thing to overcome. I get a lot of chips of him, keep running good by making good hands vs others, and finish day 1 as a chipleader with 130k, 370 out of 2700 remaining, 270 getting paid, 650k for 1st, 3k for 270th.
Day 2 I couldn’t get much going on the bubble, but didn’t lose any chips either. Won a big hand when I flatted TT in position, and an old man shipped 35 BBs from the BB, I tank/called after a minute or so, and beat his 66. I get to the high point of 260k, and unfortunately the things slow down. 3bet/folded AQo in position vs an aggro kid like 50 BB deep, I felt even though he was aggro, his 4bet range had me crushed (he showed down QQ+ EVERY time he 4bet). Jon Little minraises with 25 BBs, I have like 35-40 BBs in position with AQo, so I 3bet, intending to call, old man cold 4bet ships for like 30 BBs, fold again, oldie said he had KK. I lose hands/blind down all the way to 93k at 5k/10k/1k, ship J9s in the HJ, and lose to AJo, 42nd place for 12k. This is the closest I’ve been this World Series, but not nearly close enough.

Didn’t play the 10k 6 max, because I’m poor. Didn’t play 5k triple chance, because I was in day 2 of the 1500. Didn’t play 2500 no limit/limit holdem today, because I don’t know how to play limit, don’t like limit, and because I’m lazy. Next tournament for me is the 1k on Sat/Sun, depending on which starting day I choose.

2011 WSOP so far: 16 tourneys, $35,000 in buyins, 2 cashes for $15,600 total, so down almost 20k, attrocious.

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Arrived on time. There was this crazy kid at my table, I had position, and was waiting to snap him off. 25/50 he opens 175 in the HJ, I make it 625 from SB with QQ, he calls, we check AKK flop, I check 3 turn, he bets 50 lol, I call, check King river, he bets 950, I call, he has A2o, down to 3k from original 4500. 50/100 he opens to 275 in middle, I make it 800 with QQ in position, he calls, we check Q92r flop, he overbet-ships 7s turn, bringing a back door flush draw, and I hold vs his J8ss. Same level, old dude limps, one more limp, SB completes, I check 76o in the BB, I lead K76ssx for 225, old dude quickly raises to 800, I raise to 2300, he ships for like 6.5k (I cover), I call and hold vs his AA, very healthy 15k stack. A bit dangerous on my part, limped pot, 70 BBS with bottom two, etc, but whatever, it worked out. BB is sitting out, 2 limpers for a 100, I make it 500 on the button with ATo, 2nd limper ships for 2k more, I call and lose to his AK, tricky overlimp on his part, worked to perfection. I raise TT, grandpa calls from the BB, we check down QQJ3K board, he has to show first, so he flips over an Ace, I show my hand, and then he flips over a Jack, slowrolled! 100/200, big stack raises to 500 UTG+2, another big stack calls, I call in late with 99 and 11k total, flop T98ssx, raiser bets 600, caller makes it 1650, I make it 4700, raiser calls, caller folds, turn is Kx, raiser puts me all in and I lose to his QJo. Yes, the flop was extremely dangerous, and I thought there is some chance he might have TT when he he overcalled 2 raises, but I think my hand is way too strong, and the money must go in. Tomorrow 5k 6-max, my 2nd favorite tournament of the World Series, I will crush it.

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I get no hands for quiet a while, so basically the same starting stack, 7500, few levels in. I raise A3ss in SB, grandpa calls in the BB, I bet KK5ddx flop, he calls, I bet 8d turn, he calls, river is an offsuit Ace, I check, he bets half pot, I convince myself into a call, thinking I might be chopping with an Ace of diamonds lower than an 8, he shows AQo, no diamonds, double-floated and value-owned by a senior citizen, nice. I’m left with 3400 at 100/200, ship button with Q8s, and BB tanks for a full minute before calling me with TT lol. Shove was profitable (especially vs this dude), so whoteva.

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I arrive an hour late, table is a dream, one guy calls on the turn on Q772 board with J9 out of position (I don’t think his plan was checkraising the river), and later claims he had a straight draw. Unfortunately, the table breaks, hands seem hazy, as they happened a few days ago, I build the 4500 starting to the high point of 17k, and end up busting the last level of the day with 88<99 for 18 BBs each. I didn’t play the 1k the next day, because I was tired and wasn’t feeling it (don’t remember the last time I skipped a WSOP 1k NL). 2500 NL on Tuesday.

2011 WSOP stats: 10 tourneys, $22,000 in buyins, $5,300 in cashes, 0 bracelets, 0 FTs, 1 puny mincash, -$16,700. Basically the worst WSOP ever for me, however, all it takes is one tourney to make it the best WSOP ever.

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Played bad, ran good. Very early got it in with AA on KT65 board vs 66 and binked an Ace. Played good for a little while, then late in the day got it in with KQ vs AK for 20 BBs, won, K9s vs KQs for 20 BBs, won, K8o vs AJo, lost, finished day 1 with 32k, coming back to 500/1k/100, 189 left, 126 get paid, I was 134/189. Day 2 I win some hands, then with about 50 BBs this Ukranian kid raises the button, I 3bet AJs in the SB with no plan, he jams for about 35-40 BBs effective, from what I seen he’s been playing sorta tight, so I end up folding. Bubble bursts (not a fan of how I played on the bubble, but I was one of the shorter stacks at the table, so my hands were tied), again the Ukranian raises button (he now has a huge stack), I 3bet AJo in SB with 38 BBs with no plan again, and he jams again. If I fold, I have 30 BBs left, which is more than enough to keep grinding, but the avg stack was ~45 BBs, and I want all the chips, because 1st is 689k, and grinding a shorter stack is likely to bump me up 2-3k on the payscale, but not likely to get me all the money. Also the fact that it’s button vs SB, 6 handed, and it’s a 2nd time he did this, made me believe that I may have the best hand a significant percentage of the time, when it’s a flip I’m getting a significant overlay, and when he has me beat.. oh well, so I call his ass, he turns over 76 of hearts, flops a 6, gg me, 111th place for 5300 bucks. I asked him what he had the last time, he said KQ shoulda called him. The kid put my lucky chips to good use, winning the event for 689k and gold bracelet, making his the 2nd Ukranian to win in history, after Eugene Katchalov. Why couldn’t it be a Belorussian???

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Tough table, as expected. I win some hands that I don’t remember. About 7 handed, Barry Greenstein raises in early, I call with AJo in position, he bets 753r flop, I call, we check 2 turn, he bets 8 river, station calls, Barry has 98o, I should have 3bet pre obv. Guy limps, Barry limps, I complete SB with 22, checks to Barry on T55ssc flop, he bets, I call, he bets 8c turn, I call, he bets 3c river, I call, he has QTcc, pretty horrendous calldown on my part. I get 3 handed with Barry and Jeff Williams, I have 40k, Jeff has 50k, Barry has 60k, blinds are 400/800/100, so we all have plenty. I raise As2x to 2500 from SB, Jeff calls from BB, flop J86sss, I bet 3k, Jeff raises to 7200, I 3bet/call, and lose to his 86cc. Even though I got my money in as a 2 to 1 dog, I’m more or less fine with the way I played the hand, just calling to see the turn seems way to weak. On to the next one…

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Couldn’t fall asleep, finally passed out at 8:30am, overslept the noon start by an hour, 2800 out of 3k starting stack when I arrive. 25/50, guy in early limps, I limp next to act with 99, late position makes it 200, fold, I call, I check/call 300 on JT3ssx flop, check/check brick turn, I checks Js river, he ships for 1300, I call and beat his 55. Guy, who opens often and c-bets with BarryG’s frequency opens to 125 in late, I defend BB with JTo, checkraise him on A94ddx flop, he asks how much I have left, but folds. I have 5300, there’s a raise in early to 150, one call, I make it 400 with AA in middle, raiser folds, caller calls, he check/calls 600 on 322ssx flop, checks on 2 turn, I bet 1300, he tanks forever and finally ships it in, I snap my remaining 3k, he turns over 55… and binks it. Despite his little celebration dance, I shake his hand and wish him good luck (should have drop kicked him instead). Tomorrow is 1500 PLO, which I might play, and Tuesday is 5k shootout, which I definitely will play.

2011 WSOP so far: 7 tourneys, $13,000 in buy-ins, bagel hole to show for it.

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Biggest 1500 ever, 3200 players, 730k for first place. I woke up at 12:45, arrived to the table at 1:15, 4500 starting stack, Kevin Saul on my direct left. Guy limps for 150, I make it 525 in CO with AK, Kevin makes it 900 on the button, tight BB ships for like 4k, I fold, BB has KK, Kevin has AA. I open middle with AJo, Kevin 3-bets, this was pre-ante, I had like 30-35 BBs, kinda felt he had it, so I decided to wait for a better spot. I build to the the high point of 7700, down to 7k at 100/200/25, I open ATo in HJ to 500, Kevin makes it 1275, and I 3200/call, only to see AKs. Not the best hand I played, but I can’t just keep folding to 3bets all day. Tomorrow 1k NL.

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Arrived half an hour late, 9 handed, 4500 in chips, built to 9k, KO 4th place finisher with AK vs his QQ, play a hand dumb where I 3bet KQs in BB vs SB, check AK5, call half pot on x turn, and call half pot on T river, only to lose to AA. 3 handed I double up vs Thayer for 23 BBs each, my KQs besting his AJo, Thayer KOes 3rd place guy, we get HU my 12k vs his 28k, I get down to 8k at 200/400/50, limp Q6o, he check/calls QT3xxs flop, leads on 5s turn, I ship, and lose to his Q9, making me the bubble boy. Not sure if I’ll play the 1500 PLH tomorrow or 1500 HORSE Friday, but I’m definitely playing 1500 NL on Saturday.

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4500 starting stack, with an option of taking it in 1500 portions, I take the entire stack right away. Notable hands:

Bust a shorty with AK>QQ, win few hands, up to 8k, lose AK

I open A7o in CO, Andrew Chen calls button, I double barrel for over half my stack on K963, and check/fold on Q river.

I ship 12 BBs over late limper with A6o, Andrew wake up with QQ, limper folds AQ, 6xxxA.

I ship 21 BBs in SB vs BB with KJo, BB calls me with A7s, and he’s drawing dead on QJxJ turn.

I 3bet AA, raiser flats me OOP with 55 (which he shouldn’t have done, due to relatively shallow stacks), I stack him on A538, ez game. Sam Simon, the creator of Simpsons sits down with a monster stack, but our table quickly breaks before I can get a piece.

I go berserk with QQ for 60 BBs in SB vs button, he raises, I 3 bet, he 4 bets, I 5-bet ship, he folds, I’m at 32k at 300/600, which was prob double the average (not sure if it was a good move on my part, but at least it was aggressive).

300/600/75, I raise AKs to 1500 in early, Ted Forrest makes it 5k from the SB with 19k total, I make it 10k more, he tanks forever and finally ships with QQ, I lose a flip, and my stack is down to 20 BBs.

Half an hour left till the end of the day (12:30am, we started at noon), 400/800/100, Ted open HJ to 1800, I ship 12k from SB with J9dd, he tank/calls me with AJo, I flop KT7ddx, and somehow can’t get there. I think my ship is a mistake, Ted was playing solid, and he isn’t folding much getting 1.5 to 1. I got a little impatient and paid for it. At least I made all the breaks of the day! Tomorrow $1,500 shootout.

2011 WSOP so far: 4 tourneys, $9,000 in buyins, 0 bracelets/FTs/cashes.

Good luck to Jeff Papola, who is 2/16 in $1,500 6-max, and to Eric Buchman, who is 4/26 in 10k O8!

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