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Home Forum Live Poker and Major Online Tourney…Punta Cana poker classic Nov 8th

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Punta Cana poker classic Nov 8th

cdn_golfer

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October 4, 2011 - 11:26 pm

Is anyone going down to the Hard Rock Punta Cana for the poker classic the week of Nov. 7th?

My wife and baby daughter and I are going for a wekk and I am planning on playing, wondering if any other TPE members going down?

Shadowplay

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Guests

October 5, 2011 - 12:26 am

I'm thinking about it. I'll need a few more increases to my bankroll between then and now but I've been eyeing this tournament for a few months.

And CDN, I think we used to play in the PCL together a while back. Back before BF, OBV.

cdn_golfer

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Guests

October 5, 2011 - 9:52 pm

I miss playing the PCL, it was a good league to play in.

I bought a week at Hard Rock for a vacation and talked wife into going there b/c 5 star and nice resort. Reasonable price from Toronto – $3k Cdn for 1 week at resort, airfare. They have a $200 Satellite on Monday & Tuesday so going to try to Sat into event, otherwise I will pay to play. I have tried to win a package on Doyle's Room, a lot of FT and deep runs but bad beats to bust out. They have a few 5 & 10 package guarentees in October I may try but $100 re-buys and would need to sell them anyways if I won a package.

Let me know if you make it down, I will buy you a beer.

cdn_golfer

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Guests

November 1, 2011 - 7:52 pm

Anyone finalize plans to go to Hard rock Punta Cana. If so let me know and maybe we can connect for a beer and swap % if you want.

Cougars4444

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Guests

November 2, 2011 - 10:50 pm

Really wish I was going to this. Happens to be same time as FSU vs Miami and already headed up for that. Have fun and win the thing!!

cdn_golfer

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Guests

November 4, 2011 - 8:35 pm

80 screens in the sports book room, but I guess you guys love your live football.

I'll give it my best shoot and post some live hands if any interesting ones come up.

cdn_golfer

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Guests

November 15, 2011 - 10:57 pm

Report on Punta Cana Poker Classic:

Resort/Venue:

The tournament was held at the Hard Rock Punta Cana resort. If you read the reviews in
Trip Advisor you can get a feel for the amenities and resort itself. Trust the more positive reviews, excellent rooms,
never had a problem finding good food or things to do at the resort. We my wife had 2 visits to the spa & I had one. Very relaxing. Unfortunately, I did not get to play golf, but the course looks in excellent conditions and people I
spoke to who played it had only positive things to say about it.

My wife, 8 month old daughter and I flew out for 1 week from Sunday to Sunday from Toronto on a package deal for $3k. My plan was to try to satellite into the ME or buy-in if that didn't work. This price is in the normal range I pay
for a week at a 5 star resort in Punta Cana and this resort is now on my top resort list for this area.

The casino is similar to a small Vegas casino, a couple hundred slots, large Sports Beating section with 80+ screens, 10 – 20 regular table games, a VIP area and poker room with a least a dozen tables. Games $1/2, $2/5, $5/10 and some PLO games. It is definitely the larges casino in Punta Cana by far.

Tournaments:

They had $140 super satellites running Monday & Tuesday night, plus SnG's running. The satellite had $10k chips, 15 minute levels. I played on Tuesday night with 122 entries, 8 ME ($1,650) seats & 9th $1,350. The Monday night game was similar. I got to the final table of 10 and it was decided to chop 10 ways for $1,450 each, so a nice first score, $340 to enter ME so my wife was already planning on how to spend the extra $1,300…….

The first thing I would mention is that they had Vegas based TD's and dealers from US and Europe. The TD's did a great job running the events and handling situation that came up, difficult to do under the best of circumstances, more so when 70% of the people spoke Spanish, most often with only limited English. The Tuesday satellite was crazy for them. We had one guy who had about 15 Rum & Cokes and 4 – 1 round penalties during the night (all at my table). He almost got another penalty when he was on a penalty, on one hand it was funny, but on the other, it was making it difficult to focus on playing. He was so wasted and causing so many problems, but in the end the TD's didn't want to DQ him as he had chips & we were down to 15 player left. Just before he passed out, he busted in 13th. Funny thing was I saw him the next day in the ME and he was a Stars Team Online player, nice rep they have there.

The ME had 422 entries and a $603k prize pool. It paid 50 players with $140k for first. Starting stacks of $20, 50/100 blinds, 50 minute levels. I would say a least 200+ won their seats in satellites (Bodog, Doylesroom & other lesser sites). 70% must have been form Latin America, 10% from Europe and rest from US & Canada. Some big name pros including The Shark, John Hewitt (at my table for a couple of levels), Nacho Barbero, Evelyn Ng, and a few that look familiar. At least 10% were your online grinders – a Sunday grind was going down in the main lobby.

I played my usual tight semi-aggressive play during Day 1 and built a stack to 70K with 1 level to go in the day, but a couple poorly played hand later, I was bagging $32k (20BB). Day 1 ended with 137 players left, average 62k. I blame my
poor play on the late night in the satellite (not to bed until 3:30 AM and up at 9:00 to take baby to pool to play) plus end of the day (1:00AM). You can rip my play apart below, the Q8 & AK hands. A lot may be due to limited live play,
this was my 5th live tournament.

The next day I had a quick double up with JJ vs 88 then went card dead for a level or two, lost a few hands before the break and was back to around 30K (10BB). I busted out in 88th with AQs vs. 10 10. All in all I had a good time, I should have played better and I think I see the mistakes I made on a few key hands that may have put me in better position going into Day 2 if I had played them differently. Let me know what you think of the hands and how I should have played them. If you have any questions about the tournament or the resort, let me know. I would highly recommend this event next year for anyone looking for a good vacation combined with a few poker tournaments and cash games. They also had a few other events during the 5 days, but I didn't play any. Sorry for the long post.

Hands for Review:

This hand is from the satellite and the player making it was one of the better players I ran across. During a break, we were talking and he has been travel Europe playing EPT events and won a $2k Euro at EPT Berlin for $156K Euro.

11 players left, 5 handed at our table.

$2.5k/$5k with BB down to below 3BB, I have $90K in Hijack.

Player 1 folds, I raise to $15k wth KQs to put BB All-In expecting the Button and SB to fold,
if BB calls, I have a good hand to knock him out.

Button folds.

SB (Mr. EPT Berlin) shoves $58K.

BB folds.

I was a little surprised at the play, but it was a good spot for him to
make it. Any options here other then folding? Is this a standard shove spot in
this type of satellite so close to the payout as he knows I have to fold all but AA KK QQ and maybe AK?

Final level of Day 1, haven't played a hand in 30 minutes or so.

Blinds $600/$1200, BB is flatting all raises and checking down or calling bets, showing any 2 cards, but
has been lucky and up to over $100K.

Folds to me in the hijack with $60K so I raise to $2,500 to steal.

Button and SB fold.

Mr. BB raises to $5,500.

If I re-raise to $12k, I am concerned that he shoves All-In and I have to fold. If I shove All-In it is too
big of a bet. I flat for $5.5K.

Flop is A 6 4 rainbow, he checks so to me it looks like a flop that hits my range with the Ace so I bet $7.5K which he calls???

Turn 7. He checks – next move???

Last hand I messed up before the end of the day.

Folds to me on the button with AK hearts. I raise to $2.5k with $50K.

SB folds, BB calls. He is a good player, looks and plays like a Stars Super Nova player, picking spots, showing good cards when called down, sitting on one of the larger stacks at the table, 100K plus.

Flop is 10s 10h Jh check, check – okay rip away, wtf am I doing, likely 20+ outs and I check.

Turn was 6c, check/check.

River 10s, check – I bet $8,100 and get called. I expect I should have raised the flop and taken a line of an over pair after not hitting any of my outs.

These last 2 hands are the ones I could replay. Let me know what you think. I would like to know if my re-evaluation after the fact is correct for future reference and if I need to take a more aggressive line in these type of spots.

bennymacca

Adelaide Australia

Road Gambling with Doyle

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November 16, 2011 - 12:31 am

nice writeup

Hand 1:

im not sure what the raise to 15k is for – yes, it might put him all in, but i doubt the bb is going to flat after the sb folds, so making it 11k has the same effect as making it 15, except for the obvious case when the sb shoves on you.

another option is just to open shove yourself which is higher variance but i dont think its a bad play as it takes the resteal play away from the sb

Hand 2: im not sure you have told us what your hand is. i cant see it

Hand 3:

I would definitely bet the flop and probably look to get it in on that board. as played on the river, are you trying to bet as a bluff or for value? i actually think you can bet that for thin value a lot of the time, worse aces will call you down a lot on that board i think. if you were trying to bluff, i would much rather check and hope to get to showdown as i think you have showdown value.

My Personal Blog: .....ymacca.com

cdn_golfer

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November 16, 2011 - 5:01 pm

Second hand was any two cards, playing the situation more then anything. My cards were Q8 off.

Last hand the river bet was more of a bluff if he had weak ace or small pair.
First hand was 3x instead of my normal 2.1x or $11k open. $15k more then covered BB.

If I learn from the mistakes then there is value. Thanks for input.

I can post complete hands and results latter if ppl wish.

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