Adam recently finished 2nd in the $1,000 WCOOP event for $187,000.  He analyzes some of the hands from the final table below:

PokerStars Game #32632272614: Tournament #200909016, $1000+$50 USD Hold'em No Limit - Level XXXIV (17500/35000) - 2009/09/09 5:54:22 PT [2009/09/09 8:54:22 ET]
Table '200909016 130' 9-max Seat #9 is the button
Seat 1: cabbie182 (1030186 in chips)
Seat 2: O0Brian0O (1940228 in chips)
Seat 3: amrasaralond (409130 in chips)
Seat 4: hoodini10 (934209 in chips)
Seat 5: DuckU (1688089 in chips)
Seat 6: Holla10 (1280776 in chips)
Seat 7: skilled_sox (3834827 in chips)
Seat 8: XTheDecanoX (3137342 in chips)
Seat 9: pedmend (1325213 in chips)
cabbie182: posts the ante 4375
O0Brian0O: posts the ante 4375
amrasaralond: posts the ante 4375
hoodini10: posts the ante 4375
DuckU: posts the ante 4375
Holla10: posts the ante 4375
skilled_sox: posts the ante 4375
XTheDecanoX: posts the ante 4375
pedmend: posts the ante 4375
cabbie182: posts small blind 17500
O0Brian0O: posts big blind 35000
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to skilled_sox [6d 9c]
amrasaralond: folds
hoodini10: folds
DuckU: folds
Holla10: folds
skilled_sox: raises 42777 to 77777
XTheDecanoX: raises 132223 to 210000
pedmend: folds
cabbie182: folds
O0Brian0O: folds
skilled_sox: raises 175000 to 385000
XTheDecanoX: calls 175000
*** FLOP *** [6c 9d 2h]
skilled_sox: bets 333333
XTheDecanoX: folds
Uncalled bet (333333) returned to skilled_sox
skilled_sox collected 861875 from pot
skilled_sox: doesn't show hand

Adam: Deacon was 3 betting me a lot, but at the time I did not think he would play back too much to a 4 bet.  I hit an amazing flop, but I was planning to cbet small and try and take it down either way.

Seat 1: cabbie182 (1003936 in chips)
Seat 2: O0Brian0O (1878978 in chips)
Seat 3: amrasaralond (365380 in chips)
Seat 4: hoodini10 (925459 in chips)
Seat 5: DuckU (1771214 in chips)
Seat 6: Holla10 (1272026 in chips)
Seat 7: skilled_sox (4302952 in chips)
Seat 8: XTheDecanoX (2743592 in chips)
Seat 9: pedmend (1316463 in chips)
cabbie182: posts the ante 4375
O0Brian0O: posts the ante 4375
amrasaralond: posts the ante 4375
hoodini10: posts the ante 4375
DuckU: posts the ante 4375
Holla10: posts the ante 4375
skilled_sox: posts the ante 4375
XTheDecanoX: posts the ante 4375
pedmend: posts the ante 4375
amrasaralond: posts small blind 17500
hoodini10: posts big blind 35000
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to skilled_sox [2h 2c]
DuckU: folds
Holla10: folds
skilled_sox: raises 42777 to 77777
XTheDecanoX: raises 147223 to 225000
pedmend: folds
cabbie182: folds
O0Brian0O: folds
amrasaralond: folds
hoodini10: folds
skilled_sox: raises 4073577 to 4298577 and is all-in
XTheDecanoX: calls 2514217 and is all-in
Uncalled bet (1559360) returned to skilled_sox
*** FLOP *** [4c Qs Kc]
*** TURN *** [4c Qs Kc] [7s]
*** RIVER *** [4c Qs Kc 7s] [9h]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
skilled_sox: shows [2h 2c] (a pair of Deuces)
XTheDecanoX: shows [Kh Ac] (a pair of Kings)
XTheDecanoX collected 5570309 from pot

Adam: Once again I was thinking he was 3 betting me 25% + and I thought he was only calling a shove w/ JJ+ and AK.  I hated risking much of my stack vs what I thought was a weak table, but I thought he was almost always folding.

Seat 1: cabbie182 (1082686 in chips)
Seat 2: O0Brian0O (2130833 in chips)
Seat 3: amrasaralond (334755 in chips)
Seat 4: hoodini10 (951709 in chips)
Seat 5: DuckU (1613714 in chips)
Seat 6: Holla10 (958921 in chips)
Seat 7: skilled_sox (1564708 in chips)
Seat 8: XTheDecanoX (5639336 in chips)
Seat 9: pedmend (1303338 in chips)
cabbie182: posts the ante 4375
O0Brian0O: posts the ante 4375
amrasaralond: posts the ante 4375
hoodini10: posts the ante 4375
DuckU: posts the ante 4375
Holla10: posts the ante 4375
skilled_sox: posts the ante 4375
XTheDecanoX: posts the ante 4375
pedmend: posts the ante 4375
Holla10: posts small blind 17500
skilled_sox: posts big blind 35000
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to skilled_sox [6c 6h]
XTheDecanoX: folds
pedmend: folds
cabbie182: folds
O0Brian0O: folds
amrasaralond: raises 295380 to 330380 and is all-in
hoodini10: folds
DuckU: folds
Holla10: folds
skilled_sox: calls 295380
*** FLOP *** [8d Qh 8h]
*** TURN *** [8d Qh 8h] [2d]
*** RIVER *** [8d Qh 8h 2d] [2h]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
skilled_sox: shows [6c 6h] (two pair, Eights and Sixes)
amrasaralond: shows [Jc As] (two pair, Eights and Deuces)
skilled_sox collected 717635 from pot

Adam: He had under 10 blinds and high antes.  Standard call.

Seat 1: cabbie182 (1083659 in chips)
Seat 2: O0Brian0O (2471960 in chips)
Seat 4: hoodini10 (1216309 in chips)
Seat 5: DuckU (1436614 in chips)
Seat 6: Holla10 (915171 in chips)
Seat 7: skilled_sox (1575836 in chips)
Seat 8: XTheDecanoX (5490586 in chips)
Seat 9: pedmend (1389865 in chips)
cabbie182: posts the ante 4375
O0Brian0O: posts the ante 4375
hoodini10: posts the ante 4375
DuckU: posts the ante 4375
Holla10: posts the ante 4375
skilled_sox: posts the ante 4375
XTheDecanoX: posts the ante 4375
pedmend: posts the ante 4375
hoodini10: posts small blind 17500
DuckU: posts big blind 35000
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to skilled_sox [5h 5c]
Holla10: folds
skilled_sox: raises 42777 to 77777
XTheDecanoX: folds
pedmend: folds
cabbie182: folds
O0Brian0O: folds
hoodini10: folds
DuckU: raises 162223 to 240000
skilled_sox: calls 162223
*** FLOP *** [3s 2d Ad]
DuckU: bets 210000
skilled_sox: calls 210000
*** TURN *** [3s 2d Ad] [6s]
DuckU: checks
skilled_sox: checks
*** RIVER *** [3s 2d Ad 6s] [4h]
DuckU: checks
skilled_sox: bets 1121461 and is all-in
DuckU: folds
Uncalled bet (1121461) returned to skilled_sox
skilled_sox collected 952500 from pot
skilled_sox: doesn't show hand

Adam: Was pretty frustrated and thought he was 3 betting light.  I could have shoved but I did not want to go out at 8^th with a weak table so I flatted.  On flop I semi-floated, figuring I was good on a 4, 5 and possibly already good.  I was also going to bluff shove a diamond a fair amount of the time.  I don’t really know what he had but I thought I could get hero called a lot when a 4 or a 5 turned or rivered, oh well.

Seat 1: cabbie182 (924959 in chips)
Seat 2: O0Brian0O (803289 in chips)
Seat 4: hoodini10 (1906309 in chips)
Seat 5: DuckU (1257206 in chips)
Seat 6: Holla10 (543678 in chips)
Seat 7: skilled_sox (1243059 in chips)
Seat 8: XTheDecanoX (5340820 in chips)
Seat 9: pedmend (3560680 in chips)
cabbie182: posts the ante 6250
O0Brian0O: posts the ante 6250
hoodini10: posts the ante 6250
DuckU: posts the ante 6250
Holla10: posts the ante 6250
skilled_sox: posts the ante 6250
XTheDecanoX: posts the ante 6250
pedmend: posts the ante 6250
O0Brian0O: posts small blind 25000
hoodini10: posts big blind 50000
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to skilled_sox [Ac Tc]
DuckU: folds
Holla10: folds
skilled_sox: raises 50000 to 100000
XTheDecanoX: folds
pedmend: folds
cabbie182: calls 100000
O0Brian0O: folds
hoodini10: folds
*** FLOP *** [4s Ts 3c]
skilled_sox: bets 155000
cabbie182: raises 663709 to 818709 and is all-in
skilled_sox: calls 663709
*** TURN *** [4s Ts 3c] [3h]
*** RIVER *** [4s Ts 3c 3h] [7c]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
skilled_sox: shows [Ac Tc] (two pair, Tens and Threes)
cabbie182: shows [As 7s] (two pair, Sevens and Threes)
skilled_sox collected 1962418 from pot

Adam: Super standard hand from my point of view.  He prob should have shoved preflop, but I was calling.  I was lucky to  hold up.

Seat 2: O0Brian0O (1305717 in chips)
Seat 4: hoodini10 (1686309 in chips)
Seat 5: DuckU (1436912 in chips)
Seat 7: skilled_sox (2281768 in chips)
Seat 8: XTheDecanoX (5024114 in chips)
Seat 9: pedmend (3845180 in chips)
O0Brian0O: posts the ante 7500
hoodini10: posts the ante 7500
DuckU: posts the ante 7500
skilled_sox: posts the ante 7500
XTheDecanoX: posts the ante 7500
pedmend: posts the ante 7500
DuckU: posts small blind 30000
skilled_sox: posts big blind 60000
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to skilled_sox [8d 4d]
XTheDecanoX: folds
pedmend: folds
O0Brian0O: folds
hoodini10: folds
DuckU: calls 30000
skilled_sox: checks
*** FLOP *** [7s 8h 2d]
DuckU: checks
skilled_sox: bets 88888
DuckU: raises 111112 to 200000
skilled_sox: calls 111112
*** TURN *** [7s 8h 2d] [6s]
DuckU: bets 360000
skilled_sox: calls 360000
*** RIVER *** [7s 8h 2d 6s] [9s]
DuckU: checks
skilled_sox: bets 1654268 and is all-in
DuckU has timed out
DuckU: folds
Uncalled bet (1654268) returned to skilled_sox
DuckU is sitting out
DuckU has returned
skilled_sox collected 1285000 from pot
skilled_sox: doesn't show hand

Adam: I thought he could limp shove preflop, and I really like playing flops IP so I was happy to check behind.  I hoped to take it down on flop.  I hated the c/r but it was small and he was aggressive so I peeled.  The turn was awful for me, but I thought I was good sometimes and that on the river I could either draw or bluff shove a fair number of rivers.  I think folding here is fine, likely even better, but sometimes I have a severe FPS.  When he checks the river I don’t think he’s very strong, and I can represent a lot of things including a runnered flush, or a 1 pair + a str8 draw hand that hit.  I think he could have had a good 8, a rivered 9 or an over pair even, but I think all of those hands would fold.  There is so little air in my range that without really knowing what he had I don’t think he intended to C/C.

Seat 2: O0Brian0O (1215717 in chips)
Seat 4: hoodini10 (1791309 in chips)
Seat 5: DuckU (786912 in chips)
Seat 7: skilled_sox (2886768 in chips)
Seat 8: XTheDecanoX (5039114 in chips)
Seat 9: pedmend (3860180 in chips)
O0Brian0O: posts the ante 7500
hoodini10: posts the ante 7500
DuckU: posts the ante 7500
skilled_sox: posts the ante 7500
XTheDecanoX: posts the ante 7500
pedmend: posts the ante 7500
O0Brian0O: posts small blind 30000
hoodini10: posts big blind 60000
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to skilled_sox [Th 8h]
DuckU: folds
skilled_sox: raises 60000 to 120000
XTheDecanoX: folds
pedmend: raises 165000 to 285000
O0Brian0O: folds
hoodini10: folds
skilled_sox: raises 300000 to 585000
pedmend: calls 300000
*** FLOP *** [5d 7d 9s]
skilled_sox: bets 999999
pedmend: raises 2267681 to 3267680 and is all-in
skilled_sox: calls 1294269 and is all-in
Uncalled bet (973412) returned to pedmend
*** TURN *** [5d 7d 9s] [2d]
*** RIVER *** [5d 7d 9s 2d] [6s]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
skilled_sox: shows [Th 8h] (a straight, Six to Ten)
pedmend: shows [Kh 7c] (a pair of Sevens)
skilled_sox collected 5893536 from pot

Adam: Weirdest hand of the day.  He 3 bet a lot so I 4 bet to try and take it down.  It threw me off some when he flatted.  The flop was pretty good as if he had AQ or something he is likely giving up.  I bet an amount that appeared to commit me and if he shoves I will just call and hope to suck-out.  I thought it was an aggressive enough dynamic that big pairs would have stuck it in pre and I would usually get a fold on the flop.  When he shoved it was really gross but I had no choice so I insta called.  I would be more interested to hear his thought process behind flatting K7o.  It only makes sense to me if he thought I was so light he thought there was more value in letting me cbet and fold, giving him more value than just shoving pre.

Seat 5: DuckU (1371324 in chips)
Seat 7: skilled_sox (4726624 in chips)
Seat 8: XTheDecanoX (9482052 in chips)
DuckU: posts the ante 10000
skilled_sox: posts the ante 10000
XTheDecanoX: posts the ante 10000
skilled_sox: posts small blind 40000
XTheDecanoX: posts big blind 80000
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to skilled_sox [Th 8d]
DuckU: folds
skilled_sox: raises 120000 to 200000
XTheDecanoX: calls 120000
*** FLOP *** [7s 2s 6h]
skilled_sox: bets 222000
XTheDecanoX: calls 222000
*** TURN *** [7s 2s 6h] [As]
skilled_sox: bets 555555
XTheDecanoX: calls 555555
*** RIVER *** [7s 2s 6h As] [5d]
skilled_sox: checks
XTheDecanoX: checks
*** SHOW DOWN ***
skilled_sox: shows [Th 8d] (high card Ace)
XTheDecanoX: shows [8c Ah] (a pair of Aces)
XTheDecanoX collected 1985110 from pot

Adam: Tried to barrel, but on river I was afraid he had a flush, 89 w/ a spade or would hero call me.  Duck was short and I wanted to get to HU with enough chips to play so I just gave up river.

Seat 7: skilled_sox (3489069 in chips)
Seat 8: XTheDecanoX (12090931 in chips)
skilled_sox: posts the ante 10000
XTheDecanoX: posts the ante 10000
skilled_sox: posts small blind 40000
XTheDecanoX: posts big blind 80000
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to skilled_sox [As Jh]
skilled_sox: raises 80000 to 160000
XTheDecanoX: calls 80000
*** FLOP *** [Jc 8h 2h]
XTheDecanoX: checks
skilled_sox: bets 180000
XTheDecanoX: calls 180000
*** TURN *** [Jc 8h 2h] [Ts]
XTheDecanoX: checks
skilled_sox: bets 555555
XTheDecanoX: raises 11185376 to 11740931 and is all-in
skilled_sox: calls 2583514 and is all-in
Uncalled bet (8601862) returned to XTheDecanoX
*** RIVER *** [Jc 8h 2h Ts] [Kc]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
XTheDecanoX: shows [Tc 9h] (a pair of Tens)
skilled_sox: shows [As Jh] (a pair of Jacks)
skilled_sox collected 6978138 from pot

Adam: First interesting spot is the turn.  I considered checking back for pot control, especially because he might c/r a Jack on the flop, so it can be hard to get 3 streets of value.  I bet because he thought I was nuts and maybe I could get value from weak hands.  I thought he might c/r straightss, 2 pairs, draws, or 1 pair + draw.  If he checkraised small I would have probably given him credit for a straight.  If he c/r all in I figured it would be 2 pair, 1 pair + draw or just a draw.  With all the dead money AJ plays well vs that range so I just bet/called his shove and was lucky enough to hold.

Seat 7: skilled_sox (6978138 in chips)
Seat 8: XTheDecanoX (8601862 in chips)
skilled_sox: posts the ante 10000
XTheDecanoX: posts the ante 10000
XTheDecanoX: posts small blind 40000
skilled_sox: posts big blind 80000
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to skilled_sox [8h Jc]
XTheDecanoX: raises 120000 to 200000
skilled_sox: raises 380000 to 580000
XTheDecanoX: calls 380000
*** FLOP *** [9c Kh 2c]
skilled_sox: bets 620000
XTheDecanoX: raises 620000 to 1240000
skilled_sox: folds
Uncalled bet (620000) returned to XTheDecanoX
XTheDecanoX collected 2420000 from pot

Adam: I 3bet light as I often do.  I missed the flop, and tried to take it down on a cbet, got raised and basically had no choice but to fold.

Seat 7: skilled_sox (5598138 in chips)
Seat 8: XTheDecanoX (9981862 in chips)
skilled_sox: posts the ante 10000
XTheDecanoX: posts the ante 10000
XTheDecanoX: posts small blind 40000
skilled_sox: posts big blind 80000
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to skilled_sox [Kd Jh]
XTheDecanoX: raises 130000 to 210000
skilled_sox: calls 130000
*** FLOP *** [Qc Js 7h]
skilled_sox: checks
XTheDecanoX: bets 250000
skilled_sox: calls 250000
*** TURN *** [Qc Js 7h] [2s]
skilled_sox: checks
XTheDecanoX: checks
*** RIVER *** [Qc Js 7h 2s] [2d]
skilled_sox: bets 800000
XTheDecanoX: raises 8711862 to 9511862 and is all-in
skilled_sox: calls 4328138 and is all-in
Uncalled bet (4383724) returned to XTheDecanoX
*** SHOW DOWN ***
XTheDecanoX: shows [5c 2c] (three of a kind, Deuces)
skilled_sox: shows [Kd Jh] (two pair, Jacks and Deuces)
XTheDecanoX collected 11196276 from pot

Adam: I’m still very upset about this one.  The stacks were awkward to 3 bet call or fold so I flatted.  I flatted the flop for pot control.  When he checks turn I was sure I was ahead; he was going to 2 barrel 2 pair +.  On river I assumed I was still good and I could easily have missed straight draws so I bet near pot hoping to get called by ace high, low pairs or 7x . When he shoved I clearly should have folded.  My thinking was I had the top of my range, and even that still seems like a fold so it’s a super easy shove for him with his entire range.  However, he shoved very quickly and even if he was capable of that thought process, there is no way he thought of that so fast.  It was clearly a fold, but I was tired, didn’t have a time bank and made an awful call.