Today was one of the more frustrating days of poker I've had. Most times I raised, I got shoved on, and I had 3 guys at my table regularly shoving for 15 to 20 BB's. I only woke up with 3 hands the whole day - AA (bought the BB from the SB), AKc bought the blinds, QQ (busted a shove monkey).
I wasn't really upset with my finish considering I could never get anything going. Plus I won a huge pot allin with A8 vs AK. However, after that hand I lost A9 to 88 for a big pot and KQ to JJ when I was short to go busto. Another final table would have been sweet, especially given the size of the field and therefore the size of the prizepool, but alas it wasn't meant to be.
I maybe done until the main event starts. I will be playing day 1b (which means this Friday, July 4th). With some luck and good play, hopefully I can make it 3 straight cashes in the Main, and with some really good luck and great play ---- who knows...........
Monday, June 30, 2008
Sunday, June 29, 2008
My First Donkament Cash....
I reached day 2 of today's $1500 NLH tourneywith a 51,900 stack (avg around 40K). As the title says, it was my first cash in one of these dinky WSOP NL tourneys. I've always thought they were great EV because of all the dead money, but you still need to navigate the mine field.
Today, I ran ridiculously well. I hit at least 4 or 5 sets. Almost all were for big pots. I also chopped with AQ vs AK and won a "race" with AJ vs AQd on a (JTd)3 flop. Both of those were also fairly large pots. I still played really well in not making any notable mistakes, but today was a day I just rode lady luck's back.
Today, I ran ridiculously well. I hit at least 4 or 5 sets. Almost all were for big pots. I also chopped with AQ vs AK and won a "race" with AJ vs AQd on a (JTd)3 flop. Both of those were also fairly large pots. I still played really well in not making any notable mistakes, but today was a day I just rode lady luck's back.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
58th
At least I didn't get teased with a deep run. I played two hands. One I called a raise pre and folded on a complete whiff post. The next I raised with A6cQ4s only to get called by two guys (one allin). Flop came T(97s). I shoved and the other guy had a fairly simple call getting about 5 to 1 even though he only had A247. The other guy showed KK22?!? (not exactly the hand I want to go with calling allin). In any case they only held 1 spade combined. I even got a nice tease with an offsuit 5 coming on the turn to give me an open ender. However, the 4 on the river sealed it for me.
In other news, I can safely say I already miss my wife and kids, and they've barely been gone. Anyone who has kids knows how great it is to come home to children who love you unconditionally. They run and give you a hug as soon as you walk in the door and just want to cuddle. Who cares that you busted from a big tourney on the bubble? Also, my wife is wonderful and a saint for taking care of the kids on her own for basically a month and a half straight.
In other news, I can safely say I already miss my wife and kids, and they've barely been gone. Anyone who has kids knows how great it is to come home to children who love you unconditionally. They run and give you a hug as soon as you walk in the door and just want to cuddle. Who cares that you busted from a big tourney on the bubble? Also, my wife is wonderful and a saint for taking care of the kids on her own for basically a month and a half straight.
Boring but alive...
I made it to day two of the $1500 PLO8 tourney today. We are barely into the money and I am on a short stack of 16,100. Average is about 31K. I was up to about 23K early into the 5th level, but from that point on I never went above 23K or below 15K. I would chip up in small pots and then blind off. I never picked up much of anything. However, in this game you can survive a long time with nothing if you play patient and smart. I am hoping the patience I displayed the last 4 levels today pay off tomorrow with a nice rush.
My wife and kids leave tomorrow for home. It was a nice change of pace to have them here, and I wish they could stay longer. It's always nice to come home after a bad day at the tables to three people who are just happy to see you. Hopefully, my wife will be able to come back out here in early July, and drive back with me once the series is done.
My wife and kids leave tomorrow for home. It was a nice change of pace to have them here, and I wish they could stay longer. It's always nice to come home after a bad day at the tables to three people who are just happy to see you. Hopefully, my wife will be able to come back out here in early July, and drive back with me once the series is done.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Good News/Bad News
Good news - I played one of my best tourneys today. Bad news - It didn't matter.
I busted a guy on the 50/100 in a 4500 pot with AKc vs JJ to get to 6K. My table was ridiculously weak. The 5 players to my left were all tight and extremely predictable. I was in ATC mode when folded to me from the button to the HJ-1 . I chipped up to around 8k and then I busted one of the remaining two decent players in a 4k pot with AK vs AQ. When I saw my table was breaking soon I raised 3 straight pots to end it. At my new table, not much changed. I literally chipped up to 24K without showing down a hand except for calling a very short stack's allin with 44 from the BB. He had KTs and won the coin flip.
Right before dinner, I got moved to my 3rd and 4th tables within 5 minutes. Ten minutes later dinner came and I had 21.5K.
Before the next level started, I had to move to my 5th table. The only player I recognized was Gobboboy. I raised the 1sy hand from the CO with KT and bought the blinds. Two hands later, I got JJ and raised to 1525. A newb to my left RRed to 4500 leaving him 4700. Normally this seems like a monster (specifically AA/KK), but I just didn't think this was the case. I decided to stop-n-go any flop. A93 flop came. Not exactly what I was looking for, but if he has KK or QQ it should work everytime. He called with AQd and held. I picked up all the chips on the next hand with QJc. I raised and the only other big stack at the table called from the BB. He was a very cocky young kid who Gobboboy had said was very agg. Flop came JT4 with 2 diamonds. I checked behind him and he says "good check". 9d on the turn and he immediately starts saying "oooh man that hit me nicely", and I called his 1975 bet. River x and I just called his 3875 bet. He says nut ten. I quietly flip over the winner and he is shocked. He just couldn't believe I would actually check away from top pair. He also said he would have called me if I shoved (lol). I guess I missed some value. 6 hands later I get AK. 2nd pos made it 2k, then a shortie shoved for 4600. I raised it to 9k. Unfortunately the button then instashoved for 15575. The first guy folded, and I was literally sick to my stomach. I had to call 6575 for about a 32K pot. I was virtually certain he had AA or KK obviously. However, I only needed 17% eq. I called and he "luckily" showed KK. The other guy had TT. Incidently my eq turned out to be 25%, but against AA there it only would have been 6%. I still dont know if I should have called. I suppose there was a small chance he had QQ or AK. I mean this is a $1500. Anyway, the board ran out QT899. This knocked me down to 5300. The next hand, one guy limped and I found 88. This was an easy shove. However, the BB ended up calling off about half his stack with AJ. He turned an A and I was out. I thought it was a semi-loose call given his stack size and the danger of the limper maybe having a monster, but maybe he thought I was tilting.
I busted a guy on the 50/100 in a 4500 pot with AKc vs JJ to get to 6K. My table was ridiculously weak. The 5 players to my left were all tight and extremely predictable. I was in ATC mode when folded to me from the button to the HJ-1 . I chipped up to around 8k and then I busted one of the remaining two decent players in a 4k pot with AK vs AQ. When I saw my table was breaking soon I raised 3 straight pots to end it. At my new table, not much changed. I literally chipped up to 24K without showing down a hand except for calling a very short stack's allin with 44 from the BB. He had KTs and won the coin flip.
Right before dinner, I got moved to my 3rd and 4th tables within 5 minutes. Ten minutes later dinner came and I had 21.5K.
Before the next level started, I had to move to my 5th table. The only player I recognized was Gobboboy. I raised the 1sy hand from the CO with KT and bought the blinds. Two hands later, I got JJ and raised to 1525. A newb to my left RRed to 4500 leaving him 4700. Normally this seems like a monster (specifically AA/KK), but I just didn't think this was the case. I decided to stop-n-go any flop. A93 flop came. Not exactly what I was looking for, but if he has KK or QQ it should work everytime. He called with AQd and held. I picked up all the chips on the next hand with QJc. I raised and the only other big stack at the table called from the BB. He was a very cocky young kid who Gobboboy had said was very agg. Flop came JT4 with 2 diamonds. I checked behind him and he says "good check". 9d on the turn and he immediately starts saying "oooh man that hit me nicely", and I called his 1975 bet. River x and I just called his 3875 bet. He says nut ten. I quietly flip over the winner and he is shocked. He just couldn't believe I would actually check away from top pair. He also said he would have called me if I shoved (lol). I guess I missed some value. 6 hands later I get AK. 2nd pos made it 2k, then a shortie shoved for 4600. I raised it to 9k. Unfortunately the button then instashoved for 15575. The first guy folded, and I was literally sick to my stomach. I had to call 6575 for about a 32K pot. I was virtually certain he had AA or KK obviously. However, I only needed 17% eq. I called and he "luckily" showed KK. The other guy had TT. Incidently my eq turned out to be 25%, but against AA there it only would have been 6%. I still dont know if I should have called. I suppose there was a small chance he had QQ or AK. I mean this is a $1500. Anyway, the board ran out QT899. This knocked me down to 5300. The next hand, one guy limped and I found 88. This was an easy shove. However, the BB ended up calling off about half his stack with AJ. He turned an A and I was out. I thought it was a semi-loose call given his stack size and the danger of the limper maybe having a monster, but maybe he thought I was tilting.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Castle of Pain's Good Week Continues
Last night, Seth Fischer had the COPs 2nd final table of the week when he placed 2nd in the $2500 NLH 6-max tourney for a mere $330K or so. He seemed to play very well from what I saw. Although he did run very well in his allins throughout the tourney (including an AK vs AA win that basically could have knocked him out 3rd), in a sick reversal of fortune he was one card away from the bracelet before losing. He got Dario Minieri allin with KK vs 43s, and the flop brought two spades and then running 4s. Sad to say, he was unable to mount a comeback after this and lost a little while later with KTd vs QQ.
Hopefully, all of us can continue this streak with good play and deep runs. I am playing tonight's 10K O8 World Championship.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Mixed Emotions
To find out what place I got today, all you need to do is refer to the quote on the left surrounding the picture of me. I really felt all day long that I was going to pull it out. I had over half the chips in play at a couple points 3-handed, but unfortunately this one guy repeatedly doubled through me. Only once did we get it in with him as a favorite, and a few times he was drawing very thin. This left a bad taste in my mouth when I got knocked out because he was easily the worst player at the final table. Congrats to Barry G for taking home the bracelet.
I am extremely pleased with my performance in the event. I did make a few mistakes at the final table, although only twice did it potentially cost me. The money was much needed for me because of the cold streak I had been in, but I really wanted that bracelet......
Thanks for all the HOP II guys for sweating me. One of these days one of us will bring the big prize home. Also thanks for all my family supporting/rooting me on back in IL.
I am extremely pleased with my performance in the event. I did make a few mistakes at the final table, although only twice did it potentially cost me. The money was much needed for me because of the cold streak I had been in, but I really wanted that bracelet......
Thanks for all the HOP II guys for sweating me. One of these days one of us will bring the big prize home. Also thanks for all my family supporting/rooting me on back in IL.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)