$5000 Heads Up Tourney

The $5k HU tourney was limited to 64 players, with 32 starting on Day 1 and the other 32 starting on Day 2. I opted for Day 2 and so yesterday I headed down to the casino to try and make my mark. Each match was played as a best-of-3, meaning that even if you lost the first game, you still had a chance if you won the next two in a row. I really like the structure because it increases the skill factor and obviously reduces the luck factor.

My round 1 draw was Lee Watkinson, who just won the PLO tourney here for $180k and also made the final table of this year's WSOP ME. I took control of the first match and eventually won when my 88 held up against his ATo. I made a stupid bluff in the second match and was left crippled, eventually the money went in bad for me on a 764 flop with my K6 vs his 75. His hand held and so it was 1-1, making the last game a do-or-die situation. I had the upper hand early on and was pretty surprised by his tight playing style, which he maintained throughout all 3 matches. I had him outchipped 4500 to 1500 when the money went in preflop with my AA vs his A2o. On to round 2...

The only thing I knew about my 2nd round opponent Alexs Lackovic was that he defeated Adam Junglen in round 1 of the tourney. He started off much more aggressive than Watkinson, but I won our first game within 5 minutes after I fired 3 streets of value with AK on a KK472 board and was called down (and all-in on the river) by KTo. Obviously a set-up, it would be nearly impossible to get away from his hand HU.

Our 2nd game was a little more challenging. I took control after winning a couple 3bet pots early and had him outchipped 6k to 4k when we got it all in preflop with my 66 vs his AJo. The board came down 22T2J and he caught a lifesaver to stay in the tourney. It was pretty frustrating for me but I quickly forgot about it and moved on. That hand left me pretty short, but I did win back some chips and then got it all-in (3k to his 7k) preflop with my KJo vs his A9o. The board came down AQ9K4 and he took the second game, making the score 1-1.

And so once again we had a winner-take-all 3rd game, which went back and forth in the beginning. After about 3 levels of play, he had a slight advantage when we got it all-in. I flopped a flush draw with an overcard and checkraised him after he donked the flop, which he called. The turn blanked, he checked, I shoved for just around pot-size and he made the call with top pair. I missed the river and was therefore eliminated from the tournament.

I'm going to play the $2k shorthanded tourney today which starts in 2 hours. Also, good luck to Nico Behling and Max Bracht, who both have nice stacks with 22 players remaining the in Main Event!