Hoy-rific

Well, I cashed for a second time in the Hoy. But it was highly dissapointing. I should have won. And I think I blew it.

It started early when Kat and I tangled. I was very aggressive early, picking up small pots post flop. In the case, I had ratched up to a plus +30% on my stack. There were no players eliminated yet and we were getting close to level 2. I called a raise with I think J9 suited and flopped TP and a golden flush redraw. Then money went it, with Kat tabling QQ. She made a big bet and when I came over the top all the money went it. The flush redraw hit.

So I was an early big stack, which I never relinguisehd (I was only as low as 5th). I love these smaller 3 table MTT as it really plays to my strength. Lots of short handed play mixed with never having to chase a monster chip leader. You are in it until the moment you are out.

With 5 left, I switched styles to "fundemental theory" mode, but could not help playing every AJ suited ("The Hoy") as if it was golden. I ended up putting shadow all in and it turns out he is on a draw and folds to my pair of Jacks. I had to show. The only two hands I showed all night were my hammers and my Hoys. Later I will bust shadow when my JJ out flops his AQ on an QJ board. He must have thought he was lucky until my hand flipped up.

At the end I had Hoy and Soprano out chipped 2-1 and still blew the lead. The worst transgression on the last hand (for me atleast). I was trying to see flops and make decisions afterwards, especially with Aces. In this hnad I defended my blind with J5 (rare for me to defend, I thought this would help). The flop was AQJ and Hoy made a weak lead, which looked like a blocking bet. So I came over the top. Aparently he had the same strategy I did, as he showed down his Ace-rag. In retrospect, the blocking bet doesn't make as much sense here as this was the flop not the turn. I could have just folded here, but I was card dead for that last 5 minutes and had folded away the chip lead.

I cashed, but I coulda won. I coulda been a contender...