Hollywood Poker Open Tunica, MS

Wow, has it really been almost a year (the 12th) since I last posted here?? I guess so! The last year has brought many changes for me; divorce, a move to a new town, working 2 jobs, etc., and little time for live poker. But I do play on Bovada when I can, where I've been consistent in cashing the 400+ player MTTs, but no final tables or wins (yet!). My last finish was 17th and I really thought I was gonna make the FT in that one, but it didn't go as planned. I need to review and re-think my middle and late game strategy, obv, because there is definitely a min-cash pattern going on there. 

I probably won't be getting back to posting regularly, as I am just too busy, but I'm off work today for a snow day(woo hoo), so thought I'd share my experience at the HPO series I played last Sunday. 

I have one question: Why do the Tunica area tournament players, of which there are many, not support this poker series?! This is their 2nd visit to the Hollywood Casino in Tunica and the numbers are as bad as last year, if not worse. The daily/nightly tournaments at Horseshoe draw more players than this and I legit don't understand why. So, if someone could enlighten me, please??  

Here's a link to the series schedule. Check the results tabs to see the ridiculously low entry numbers. I played event 9. The results can be seen here. A total of 19 entries and several of those were re-entries. I think we actually had 12 players. 

We didn't have a real clock when play started, so they used this board and a kitchen timer. LOL

Because their trnys use 9 handed tables, this meant we had to play 2 tables short handed for the most part. We were 4 handed for the longest time and fluctuated between 4 and 5 players up until the final table merge. 

Things were going well, but at every table there is a luckbox. It was not me this time, unfortunately. He had knocked out a couple of people and had me well covered. Anyway, we were 4 handed at the time and he opened UTG for a min raise. I defended J9 from the small blind, which I think is a reasonable call. Plus, he was a really straightforward player, not tricky or bluffy, so I felt like I had a post-flop edge.

Soooo, the flop comes J J 4r...boom!

I check, he bets, I call.

Turn 6.

I check, he bets, I raise...he re-raises. Ruh roh.

I pause, obv. The fours have been his lucky numbers so far. He's had a set of fours, a full house with fours and quads with fours. This highly discounts a flopped full house in my opinion because how many times can you have them in one trny, amiright? 

And I've got trip Jacks, dammit! 4 handed! But, I really wanted to fold here, because he is repping such strength, how can I ever be good? 

I wish I had noted the pot size, because I have forgotten, but his re-raise was a min-raise. A 'please call me' sizing. So, I did call, knowing I'm drawing to a 9...

River 8. 

J J 4 6 8 

I check, because ugh. He bets enough to put me all in and I end up folding. The TD was standing behind me, she saw my cards and when I folded, she said, "How do you fold that?!" I said, "Well, I was beat." lol My opponent, a nice guy, showed KJ. The others were surprised by my fold as well, but I was a little ticked at myself for not folding to the turn re-raise and conserving some chips. Blah.

Coolered 4 handed, sigh. 

I couldn't get anything going after that and finished 7th. I saw they chopped it 3 handed.

We got a real clock for the final table.

It was fun to get out and play a live tournament, though. I missed all of the WSOP circuit in January, which made me sad. I may play this Sunday's HPO tournament, but the numbers are so small, I haven't decided yet. I just wish more players would've supported this series. I doubt they return next year.