Tucson Open $24 + $2 5 players End 3rd 72 hands

With five players, three places pay, but 3rd place only pays $24. This was the last of my $26T.

Mixed play. I mainly ended up 3rd because when we were down to four players two players got into an all-in battle and after it was over, one was gone. My high pocket pairs did not fair well tonight as you'll see.

Hand 11. I'm CO w/pocket Q's (Qc Qh). UTG opens w/30, I raise to 90, BB & UTG call. Flop 2s 4s 5d. Interesting. No help to me and unknown what it may do for the other two. BB and UTG check, I make a modest raise of 105 into the 285 pot. BB folds but UTG calls. Maybe I should have bet higher. Turn Ac. Not good at all and I suspect UTG may indeed have an Ace. UTG checks and I do the same. River Ad. Grrr. Not looking good at all. UTG bets the pot (495) and though I'd like to check them out it's still pretty early in this tournament and I fold.

Hand 13. I'm BB w/7c 5d. BTN limps in, SB calls and I check. Flop 6c 8s 4s. BINGO, I hit the straight and likely it's not obvious. SB checks, I bet the pot (90), BTN & SB call. So far so good. Turn Ah. That could be helpful if one of them has an Ace! SB checks and I bet 195 into the 360 pot. BTN calls and SB folds. River 2s. That might be helpful too if they were going on a low straight draw and hit. Anyway I bet 360 into the 750 point, hoping for a call but the BTN folds. I pick up 750 chips and now have 3120, 120 more than at the start.

Hand 14 I wasn't involved in with but hurt one of the players when pocket 2's hit a set on the flop and the other player paired his K. Flop was 2s Ks 10d. Turn Qd. The paired K player bet 300 into the 660 pot and the 2's set raised to 1200. I don't know why the paired K's called that raise. The board showed possible flush draws, as well as a possible straight. River 5s. Now a spade flush looks even more likely. The paired K player went all-in with their 1440 chips which would put the 2's set who had 780 chips all-in. That might have been a last ditch effort by the paired K player to try and get the other player off his hand but it didn't work and he was down to 660 chips.

I didn't mention that the paired K player had Kh Jc, so when the Turn was a Q he did have an open ended straight draw on the River. Still I felt he over bet/called his hand.

Hand 21. Paired K player in previous hand is SB w/650 chips, BTN bets 3 BB (120) and SB calls, BB folds. Flop Ad 3s 5s. SB & BTN check. Turn 10c. SB goes all-in w/520 chips and BTN calls. I'm sure to the dismay of the SB, the BTN shows As Kh having paired his Ace on the flop. River 4s and we are down to four players.

Hand 35. I'm BB w/2740 chips and pocket J's (Jh Jc), SB limps in w/40 and I raise to 120, they call. Flop 5c Kd Kc. Not a nice flop for my J's.  SB checks & since I'm not sure if they are trying a check raise, I check too. Turn 10c. I didn't notice this at the time, but I see the board now shows a club flush possibility. SB checks again and I make a modest bet of 100 into the 240 pot and SB folds. Looks like they didn't have quad K's or a flush. :-) I pick up a small 240 pot.

Hand 36 I give a few back. I'm SB w/As 10s. Action folds to me and I bet 3 BB (150) and BB calls. Flop 8d 8s 2d. Not much help to me.  I decide to test the waters and bet 150 into the 300 pot, BB calls. Turn 6h. Nothing changes for me and since BB called my bet last time I just check. BB bets 300 into the 600 pot and it looks like a good time for me to fold and I do.

Hand 57 almost gets us down to three players. UTG limps in w/60, I fold, SB calls, & BB checks. Flop 9h 8c Ac. All three check. Turn 9s, board pairs. SB & BB check, UTG bets the pot (180), SB calls, BB folds. River Kd. SB bets 180 into the 540 pot, UTG raises to 360, SB reraises to 720, UTG reraises to 1080, SB then jumps all-in w/4090 chips, which puts UTG all-in who calls. What might they have???? FH? SB shows 9d 7s having trip 9's. UTG shows 9c Ad, and indeed has a FH. SB is down to 445 chips.

Hand 59 was interesting and I thought I was dead right here. I'm BB, have 1850 chips w/pocket A's (Ah As). UTG & BTN fold, SB opens w/3 BB bet (180) and I just call. I'm hoping for the kind of flop where I may be able get some decent chips as SB has 7,590 and could nicely double me up, with not too much damage to themselves. Flop 8d 3d Ad. Shoot. I have hit my set BUT there's a possible diamond flush out there; at least I'm only against one other player. SB bets the pot (360), and though I cringe, I decide to gamble they don't have a flush yet and go all-in; if they do, maybe the board will pair and I'll get a FH. Maybe they'll fold, but no they call, showing pocket 2's (2d 2c). Weaker cards than I expected but they do have a flush draw! Turn 6d. Rats. So much for my pocket's A's!!!! and it looks like I'm heading into 4th place again this week. Turn 4d. Oh great, another diamond I think, and then a surprise CHIPS COME MY WAY. What's happening??? I didn't win, but I CHOPPED!!! That last diamond did it!! Since the SB only had the 2d, the board had high flush with the 3d. Whoopeee!!! I'm still in.

Next hand, hand 60, CO folds,  BTN goes all-in w/7,770 chips, as SB I fold, and short stack BB w/ 475 chips calls. BB shows 8d 6s, BTN shows pocket J's (Jc Jh). I imagine BB was just hoping for two good cards. The board played out in a sort of a cruel way. Flop 7c Jd 9d. BTN hits their set and BB  has an open ended straight draw. Turn 8h. River 6c, giving BB two pair but not good enough to beat the J set. We are down to three and all in the money. I have 1880 chips, middle stack has 4785, and big stack has 8335. I need more chips.

Hand 69 I take a hit. I'm BB w/1380 chips and As 9s. BTN bets 3 BB (240), SB & I call. Flop  Ac 6d 10c. I pair my Ace, but no nut flush. We all check. Turn 7h. One more time we all check. I'm not sure what would have happened if I had bet into it, but with my modest kicker I opted not to. I do have a gutshot straight draw now. River Js. Nothing obvious showing. SB & I check, BTN bets 480 into the 720 pot. I decide to call. BTN shows Kc Qh, having hit a straight. That will be the mantra for my demise later. I'm down to 740 chips.

Hand 72. I'm BB w/620 chips and Qh 6d. BTN bets 3 BB (240), SB folds, and I decide to go all-in and hope for two good cards and that the BTN was just trying to steal with poor cards. BTN calls and shows 10d 9h. I have one over card. Flop Qd Ks 4c. I pair my Q. BTN has a gutshot straight draw; pairing his 10 or 9 won't help him. Turn Js. He hits his straight and I'm drawing dead. River 9s.  I take 3rd place.