Seven Deuce Day Recap

Seven Deuce Day

I’ve been waiting for this day since Tim texted me last year out of sheer jest “Happy Seven Deuce Day,” last July 2nd. Since then, the countdown was on.

I’m happy to report the sheer joy and happiness experienced by every member of Team7Deuce, as we played quite successfully (maybe not by monetary standards, but by other immeasurable standards) at the Bicycle Casino in Bell Gardens.
Nervousness began the day on the part of several of our team. It looked like the 7 confirmed members might be 5, when Tim had car issues, and was bringing Traci along with him. At the last second, we were able to reach Andrew as he was leaving, to pick the two of them up, and we were back to 7. In all, Traci, Tay, Robert, Amber, Tim, Andrew, and I, all donned our Team7Deuce shirts, and stormed the Bicycle Casino in style. The shirts were a huge splash, and the talk of the tournament. Every table was commenting about them, and we got rave reviews.

For the record, and between me, and the ba-jillion readers here at pablosplace, I’d have liked to see how Tim performed without this fiasco. I think that the way that he’s been playing recently, we would have seen him go much deeper in the tournament.

As it was, the whole group arrived at about 12:45, or with 15 minutes till go time. By the time that everyone had received their cards and registered (and Traci had received her sandwich for lunch), we were sitting at our respective tables and playing cards.

There were 162 at 16 tables (a few late entries came in to fill the 10 handed action at each table) final entries to the tournament, and each of us began with 2000 chips. I can’t speak for absolutely everyone, as I didn’t get the chance to see everyone’s play, but I was very happy with mine.

After about 25 minutes, I’d increased my chip stack to around $5000. I was really controlling the action, and just about every pot went through me. But I suffered a few unfortunate losses, and they happened within 3 hands of one another. The first was where I raised with the blinds at 100-200 to 225 holding Ac-Kc. The blinds folded, and I got one caller. With 750 in the pot, and a board of 2s-6s-9c, I was first to act and bet out 400. The guy behind me re-raised all in for about 2500. I went into the tank for a little bit, and made the announcement “I think that I’m behind, but I can catch up. I call.” He flipped over As-5s for a simple flush draw, and I had him for the moment. But when the turn dealt a red 5, and the river bricked, I was left with about half of my stack.

I picked up the blinds on the next two hands with Min-raises. Then got into trouble again. From the button, I made another raise to $225, and the guy behind pushed all in from the small blind. It pushed away three other limpers, and put the action back on me. He had under 2k remaining, and had been playing really tight the entire session. I read him as having two over cards, and decided to gamble announcing “I’ll race you” and made the call with pocket 9’s. He turned over A-K, and I was looking good after the flop. But, the turn dropped an Ace, and I didn’t catch my 9 on the river. This took my stack down to about $450 chips.

At that point, the break was the next hand, and I was on life support after having controlled the table and having eliminated 3 other players. But I came to find out that after the break, everyone was still in. Robert was also short-stacked with about $500 chips remaining, but everyone else was relatively healthy. Amber had a little under $2k, and Tay, Tim, and Traci all had a little over 2k, and Andrew was very healthy at near 6k.

After the break, things came unglued for our team quickly. I think that Tay was first to go, just a couple hands after the break, and then Robert followed her to the rail quickly after. Shortly after Amber then Tim was eliminated.

My story of the day came shortly after that though. I was all in three times, two scooping the blinds, and the third chopping a pot as both of us turned over K-Q. But the 4th all in was the all in of the tournament in my opinion. Down to $950 remaining, someone made it $600 to go, and I looked down and saw “Seven Deuce, off-suit”. I thought for about 2.5 seconds, and moved all in. The blinds folded and the bring in bet called. He turned over Ad-Kd. I stood up and said “I made this move for one reason,” and another guy said “He’s got 7-2!!!!” I flipped the cards over adamantly and said loudly “Seven Deuce ALL IN!!!” I got some attention from the surrounding tables and the flop came out 3-6-9 rainbow. I shouted, “I’m still alive”, and then one of the guys at my table said “it’s coming on this card. Sure enough, the turn was a 7, and I was ahead. I went ballistic as did my table. Laughs abounded as we heard one person say “Happy Seven Deuce Day.” The river was a 6, and I doubled up. I was apologetic towards the guy I laid the bad beat on. He later went to Tim’s table short stacked, and still ranting about the bad beat I laid on him.

Moments later, another shout rose up on Traci and Andrew’s table, as Traci hit quad Q’s. This gave her a much healthier stack as well.

But that’s where the main action ended for the most of us. Tables were reduced to 6 tables, and that’s when I basically went card dead. My final hand, I moved for my last 1k with pocket 2’s, and got called by pocket 8’s. The board ended up K-K-7-7-Q, giving him a better two pair, and I was out in the 50’s. Traci would follow me to the rail after the reduction to 5 tables, having mostly been blinded out. She moved all in, and was called by 3 people. Andrew ended scooping the pot making a K high flush.

Andrew was our last team member in, and he played really well. Sitting most of the tournament to the right of the Chip leader, he had to play conservatively, and still amassed an impressive chip stack, though I don’t think he was ever at 10k. Maybe right around there though. We saw them reduce the tables from 5, to 4, and then to 3, and announce that they were going to pay the 19th place finisher $45. Turns out, that’s where Andrew ended up, as our only casher.

I couldn’t be more proud of the play of our group, and am so happy to see all of the laughs and the smiles of everyone who played. It was an outstanding event. Thanks again for everyone on Team7Deuce for making it so enjoyable, and thanks to the Bike for hosting our Pablosplace Inaugural Seven Deuce Day Tournament, even if they didn’t know that’s what they doing. It was beyond words fun, and it was something that we will be repeating, time and again.

Just a reminder, that pablosplace will be dark this Friday night for 4th of July. Go watch fireworks somewhere. But we’ll resume next Friday.

Congrats again to Andrew for his cash, and assuming the lead on the POY leaderboard. I’m going to keep track of points for Team7Deuce, and I think that this was the perfect opportunity to do so. Soon to be released will be www.team7deuce.com where player profiles and bio’s will be made available, as well as a leader board with the player of the year to be announced. More on that in the near future. Cheers, P