Maronie47 Dominated

Maronie47 dominated the final table. She went into the last ten in fourth place but didn’t take long to assert her strength. Then she rolled over the field for her first Holdem Affair victory. Jennifear battled hard in the heads up match but just didn’t have the fire power tonight to overcome Maronie. Coachstove rounded out the money table and I went out on the bubble.

Twenty-five players saw the return of the Holdem Affair. It was great to be back. I don’t know about the rest of you but I missed you folks. One of the things I noticed most was the level of competition. I just don’t see that in the SnGs that I can afford to enter. This field is good every week and this week was no exception.

We were only down to 20 at the first hour break. As usual, the first hour play was very strong. Here are your first hour leaders:
Sunbob = 4320
coachstove = 3970
Maronie47 = 3530
Msrinny02 = 2920
Papoorboy = 2685
Txmom22 = 2600
von ebb = 2525
big lar8 = 1790
Jennifear = 1760
goodtime chas = 1510

The action really heated up in the second hour. It only took another 35 minutes to pare the troops down to the final table. Your final table faces included:
Jennifear = 7235
ThisBods4U = 6825
Maronie47 = 6445
Sunbob = 6180
Coachstove = 4125
Marti = 3150
Txmom22 = 1600
Msrinny02 = 1095
Papoorboy = 515
big lar8 = 330

It was the fifth hand and it was Txmom22 that made the early exit from the final table. With just one limper ahead of her, Txmom raised to 900 to open the hand. ThisBods4U was the limper and the only one to call. The flop came 3d Ks 9d, TB4U checked and Txmom pushed the 600 that was left in her stack. ThisBods4U thought a moment and made the call holding Ah Th. It was a great call when Txmom showed her Ac 8d. The table ended up missing them both and the ten kicker was the deciding card.

On the very next hand Papoorboy was UTG with only 815 left in his stack and facing a 200 big blind the next hand. He chose to gamble and pushed holding 7s Th but Maronie47 called with her Ah 7h. Pa was dominated and the board missed them both. One of the most successful tournament players on UB was gone in 9th place. You could almost hear the collective sigh of relief coming through the screen.

Hand 8 and msrinny was feeling short with only 795 chips. She pushed holding Ah 8h and I called with the Ad Qd. My queen was the deciding card and msrinny was gone in 8th place.

Maronie won the next two pots to take over the chip lead. Then on hand 11 it was time for Big Lar8 to make his stand holding Ac 2d. With the blinds 150/300 he pushed his last 360 chips into the middle. ThisBods4u made the call holding Ad Jh. When the flop came Qc Jd Js it was all over for Big Lar8.

Over the next 16 hands Maronie strengthened her position and now was almost double Jennifear in second place. Hand 27, with only six left at the table, Marti raised to 600 and I called to see the flop come 2d 3h Ac. Marti checked to me and I minimum bet 300 – Marti responded by pushing her last 750 into the middle. I thought awhile, Marti is a formidable opponent, but I held As Qd and just couldn’t give up top pair. Marti showed pocket jacks. The aces held and Marti was gone in 6th place. That hand put me in second place for the time being.

Hand 33 was the next big one. Maronie raised to 1475 and ThisBods4U made the call. The flop was an uninspiring 7d 7h 3s but ThisBods4U pushed in his last 945. Maronie thought about it, but didn’t believe Bod and made the call holding 2 over cards – As Td. It was a great call, ThisBods4U turned over Kc Qh and it was all over. Gone in 5th place.

At this point Maronie had 17805 chips, Sunbob had 8315, Jennifear 7135 and Coachstove 4245. We danced around trading small pots for the next 34 hands. During this time Jennifear took back 2nd position and Maronie strengthened her position even more. Then hand 68 was significant – at least for Coachstove and me. The blinds were still 150/300 but antes now 25 as well. I raised UTG to 600 holding pocket sevens. Coachstove reraised me to 2350. I pushed back taking him all-in. When Coachstove turned over 6s 6h I was feeling pretty good about making the money. But the poker gods were fickle again tonight. The very first card to hit the table was the 6c. Coach had his set and I was on life support.

I battled back as best I could. I even doubled up through Coachstove on hand 83. On hand 84 Coachstove raised to 900 before the flop and Maronie reraised him holding Ac Jc. But coachstove held big slick and pushed it all into the middle. The board missed them both and Coachstove took over the chip lead. But Maronie took it right back from him only three hands later.

Over the next 20 hands we traded punches. I was just trying to stay alive. At one point I was down to 1000 chips and tripled up when my 57o paired a five that held up. But finally on hand 104, I limped UTG and check raised Maronie when she opened for 1600. Bad timing for a check raise bluff. Maronie held big slick and thought nothing of making the call. My 9c 7c looked pretty puny in comparison. The flop was Qd 6h Td, giving me a gut-shot straight draw to go with my under cards but none of my 10 outs made an appearance and I was gone in 4th place – just out of the money.

Just two hands later Coachstove made the play that so many of us have kicked ourselves for doing. We tell ourselves not to do it, but of course, we all try it. Some times it works great but all to many times it comes back to bite us. Coach looked down in the small blind and saw two red rockets staring back at him. When Jenni folded he wanted to get some value and just min-raised to 600. Maronie called and the flop came Qh 7h 9s. Coachstove checked then smooth called Maronie’s 300 bet. The turn was the 8d. Coach checked again and when Maronie bet 1875, he pounced – 3750 was his response. Maronie made it 5625 and coachstove put the rest of his 8860 into the middle. Maronie almost beat him into the middle if that is possible online. Maronie turned over Qs 8h. Coachstove had slowed played his pocket aces and Maronie had hit two pair. Coachstove was out in third place.

Going into the heads up match, Jennifear had 9365 in chips and Maronie held 28135, three-quarters of the chips in play. Everybody knows that Jennifear is a formidable opponent heads up but tonight we found out the Maronie knows what she is doing as well. The match lasted 27 hands. Jennifear just couldn’t get any traction and gain any of Maronie’s stack. Maronie finally took it down with two pair and Jennifear with a missed flush.

It was a great night and it was great to be back in Holdem Affair action. Thank you Marti, for all the hard work putting this event together.

Peace,

Sunbob