Update and Pics

I have registered to play in the PokerStars World Blogger Championship of Online Poker!

This Online Poker Tournament is a No Limit Texas Holdem event exclusive to Bloggers.

Registration code: 2693651

OK, so, I know that I haven't posted much lately, so here's an update.

Basically, I've been playing PL/NL Draw high on Stars; hoping that I'll be able to cashout when I need to now that Neteller is no more.

Last week Felicia and I went on another cruise and I have some pics.

Felicia was feeling better as you can see from this picture



As Felicia stated before, I love cruising (-grin-).. just look at the overwhelming joy on my face here



Tried getting a little somp'in somp'in on the side, but man, she made it plain that she was taken, flashing ring on one hand and giving me the "talk to the hand" flip with the other



Seriously, we did have a really good time (me too--check out my hair too from Felicia's haircut she gave me; very good, eh?). Felicia even felt good enough to get up and dance with the crew:



Aiy-chihuahua! Mexicans have a thing for Chihuahua's alright. Figurines like this one below were found in tombs:



That was from a museum in the following town. Too pretty, had to show it, even tho pic is big:



Later for now :)

Posted by Glenn

Merry Christmas

So, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.

Beyond all these things {put on} love, which is the perfect bond of unity.

Colossians 3:12 - 14

Merry Christmas!

Posted by Glenn

Address: Final Table

While I've been having a good run at tournaments lately, I've been getting killed in cash games. It's so weird for me, for it used to be the exact opposite! At one point I told Felicia that she could continue to play tournaments if she wanted to, but I would only play cash games.

I think what eventually got me back into tournaments was trying to win her satellites/lammers during festivals. At Rio, Foxwoods, Commerce, Orleans, etc, I would play a ton of satellites. After I won or chopped a few of them, we found that I had a knack for it. It soon came to be: I would play the sats, give her the lammers, and she would play the tourneys.

From then, well, most of you know about my freeroll tourney successes. This sort of got me back into it a bit. Once I won my seat to the WSOP, we started playing more here at Laughlin. For whatever reason, I seem to only win at Riverside. (Although, I was all but locked up for the money once at the River Palms, until a one-outer straight-flush took me out..Doh!)

To give an idea how I'm running in the tournaments, I just got through chopping another one last night. The lady I chopped with had me a little outchipped, asked my name before shaking it for like the 3rd time (she was just 'pickled', as she put it, to 'be here', to chop it). Curtis had just pushed into the box (sorry, Curtis, I should have made her at least play one hand so that you could earn money on the down); he said, "His name is Glenn; address: final table. He lives at the final table."

With currently running so badly at the 4/8 (to the tune of -$20/hr! these past 3 months), it was a nice compliment. Back when Felicia and I used to play the tourneys at the Belle, we used to win enough that they would accuse us of cheating (no matter how many times I refused to soft-play Felicia, they figured that we were somehow colluding..yeah, I really wanted to keep knocking her out instead of both of us getting paid..yeah, that makes sense).

Anyway, it felt good to finally have some recognition :)

Now, I just need to work on the cash game!

Posted by Glenn

Poker Nightmare

Last night I had my first poker nightmare...

I'm in a tournament and just as I'm trying to look at my cards, the guy to my left raises out of turn. As the dealer is pushing his bet back because I haven't acted yet, I see AA. Of course, I limp. Guy on my left follows through and raises, and gets called in a couple places. I shove. Guy to my left calls, as does others. I see him turn up pocket 77's and I turn up my cards and see... pocket 77's. Huh?!?! I see someone else across the table has my AA! Then I also see that a 3rd person that called AI with... 77. Fouled deck. Redo. I was still wondering how my AA's got into someone else's hand when Felicia woke me up. Thank goodness, just a dream!

This was probably born out of the nightmare of a tournament that I played last night.

Early on, I limp in the CO w/ T9s after a few others, and the BB decides to raise. It's the first level at 25/50 and he makes it 250. He gets FIVE callers before it gets to me, so I go ahead and call too. Flop is T-high and he bets 500...? There's a possible straight and flush draw, and he's betting 1/6th of the pot? Sounds like he missed. It gets folded to me, so I make it 1500. BB just calls. On the turn is an offsuit 3 and he bets 1500. We started with 3000, so this puts me all-in. Now I'm thinking that he really had an overpair, but I still have my rebuy chip and figured that I might have 5 outs and that I'll call with all the money in the pot. Five outs? No, three. He had tried to steal the bringins, I'm guessing, with ATo and just got lucky. No 9 on the river and I do the rebuy.

This is where trying to put people on a hand in these small tourneys is really insane. All those draws out there and he bets so small with a relative monster of Top Pair Top Kicker. Then he does a small bet on such a vunerable flop. Too bad I was the only one that had anything, I would have folded my TP.

Later on, I flop a set of 4's on a board of 3c4h6h. It's 50/100 now and a middle position player bets 500 (there were 6 players to the flop). I make it 1000 and I get cold-called by the button and the SB, folded to the middle position who mucks (? I think he took a stab at the pot, and since he knows me, folded, probably any pair). Turn card is a death card: 7h. SB pushes in. I can either call all my remaining chips and hope to fill with only one card to come, or wait. I chose to wait.

Before the break, it's 100/200 and I have just under 4000 chips. So, my M (see Harrington's books) is > 10, but with the blinds about to double, I shove with AKs. Carl, a local that I've played with many times before, thinks he's making a loose call with... AKs. We both make K's full of A's and chop the pot. I made a whopping 100 from chopping the BB (Carl was the SB).

Very next hand, someone raises in front of me and I find KK. "Let's try this again", I said, and shove. BB moves AI (he covers me and the original raiser) and the original raiser goes AI and shows 88. BB shows AK. As I'm thinking "no ace, no ace", the dealer flops AA7, and I'm drawing dead. Ugh! I head to the cash game.

On a brighter note, I did chop the tournament at the Riverside the previous night. Combination of good play and good cards that mostly held up.

In the beginning of that tournament, I had to rebuy early (again) because my AK ran into the powerhouse of A6s (UTG) that choose to call my heafty preflop raise. Then he check-raised me and I called, getting about 2-1 on my money. He had flopped 2 pair and it held up. AK another time did NOT hold up and I thought I was doomed for the tournament. Before the break, I had AK yet again and was able to survive this time.

After the break, I choose my spots and shoved at times that I felt were either good timing or good hands. Once I got lucky to have A9o vs A8o and kicker played and I doubled. Made it to the final table, but only 4 paid on the relatively low turnout.
I had some really passive players, unfortunately to my right. However I did get lucky that one of the heathier stacks was directly to my left. Once or twice I stole from him because I knew that he didn't want to jepordize his chip position before the money (once it was him in the BB and passed to me in SB and I raised with 97o cause I just knew he would fold.. and he did).

The kid to my right was way too tight. Once he limp-opened [LO] the SB, and I found A4o in the BB. I shoved and he folded. To really show how tight he was, it happened again later in the tournament. He LO'd the SB and this time I found AA. Since I had done it once before, I was hoping that he might have something if I went ahead and shoved again. He folded ATo face up! He was even short stacked! I would have insta-called. (Really, I would have shoved pre given his chips stack; if I was up against AA, so be it.) Then, I showed him my AA to enforce his tightness -grin-.

I was lucky enough to have AA early against an early raiser, whom ended up calling my AI with KJs(?). Guy is even a dealer there and should have known to lay it down. I think he figured he had raised too much and felt he had pot odds and would try to out draw me. Once we were 5 handed, I managed to capture the chip lead. First from the AA vs KJ hand, then with QQ vs another early raiser with JJ. I had probably twice the chips of anyone. I'd have played the bully, but 2 of the other stacks were desperate and would call me with anything, probably, in order to double up. So, I just waited. Soon the bubble finally burst when it was short stack vs short stack in the blinds. Then the kid with the ATo busted himself as well and we were 3 handed.

Local guy [LG] to my left asked about chopping. I still had 1/2 the chips at the table, so I repectfully declined. Very next hand UTG/button limps. He's an older guy [OG] that has been playing well and I see him kind of like keeping his head down and I'm thinking he has a good hand. I only have 23 in the SB, but it's soooted, so call, hoping to bust OG slowplaying something with 2pr or straight. LG checks.

Flop comes down 764 giving me a gutshot, but no clubs (my suit) and I check. LG shoves and OG shoves. I turbo-muck and sit back to watch. LG has K5o for open-ended straight draw, and OG has 77 for top set. Set held up and OG had him slightly covered. With blinds at 400/800, and OG having only 20k less, we ended up chopping. With only 80$ difference between chopping and first, I figured it was best to chop.

Felicia brought up a good point after, however. I should have agreed to a chop of most the prize pool, but put aside like $50 or so and to play it out for that extra amount. Get some HU experience.

Next time, definitely!

Posted by Glenn

Card Dead at WSOP

Well, I made it for 13.5 hours, but that still wasn't good enough to survive day 1. I got knocked out when I shoved vs what I figured was a steal attempt of my blind. Dude's 66's held vs my AJo and I was out at 1:30am. I'm glad I got to play, but just wish I had more to work with.

Felicia asked me the day before how I was feeling. It was really weird. I was more excited when I initially won the seat. I think all that we went through trying to get the seat transferred, then to get actual confirmation, was such an emotional roller coaster that once I got there it was kind of like just another tournament.

It was a little surreal to be there at WSOP, having 10K in tournament chips, but still condensed into one stack. Seemed so anticlimatic. I wanted a pyramid of chips! If I remember correctly, we got 7 1K chips, 4 500's, 8 100's, and 8 25's. So almost a stack and a half. Hummf. (-grin-)

Anyway, during the first few rounds people were being tight. I was hoping to catch some hands, maybe sneak in with a suited connector, catch good and make some chips. I think the only suited connector that I limped with was 54s in late position and didn't get anything. I did get a draw and was priced on the flop, but didn't get there. Turn, guy bet the pot, the guy in between dropped, and I didn't think that the implied odds were there, so I just folded.

Few rounds later I'm in the BB with 97o and I got a free flop. This one Hungarian guy two to my left had limped in UTG+1. I think he'd only come into a pot 2 other times. So I kind of got a tightish impression of him, but it was still within the first hour, therefore, I didn't have a hard cast read of him. He could have just been card dead for all I know.

Flop comes Q99 with two hearts. I flopped trips. With two draws on the board, I lead out. This also disguises my hand to many, who would think that if the blind flopped trips that he'd naturally check in the hopes someone else would bet. The Hungarian guy [HG] called, one person folded, and a late position guy [LP] called. I figured that they were on a draw (possible hearts, possible JT); so when the turn brought an 8 that would complete the straight, I checked. HG checked, LP checked. Both heart draws? River is another offsuit (no flush), but a 7! I filled.

I think I bet 200 (half the pot) on the flop, so getting two calls, there was about 1000 in the pot. I did a weak-lead 200 bet again, hoping to be raised by a straight. HG raised to 500 and LP cold-called. Great, I thought, just what I wanted. I added 2 yellow 1k chips to the two black I had out there to make it 2200 to go. The HG dude looks at me for a little, then makes it 5000. Excuse me?

Meanwhile, the LP guy, who had called the bet and raise to 500, cold-called the 5000. Wow! I immediately started thinking that the HG must have limped with QQ and slow played his top full house to the river. Trying to put the LP on a hand, I was wondering if he had the straight or the case 9, but wasn't full. Can't raise because he can't beat a straight, or he slow played the straight on the turn, but with the raising thought a full house was possible, but won't lay it down.
So I figured I had at least had LP beat. What about HG? The alarm bells were blaring and he seemed confident. I tried talking to him: "Did you really just limp with QQ?." No response. "You have Queens full, don't you?" He says, "Excuse me?" in such broken english that I'm finally understanding that I'm not going to get any reads on him because he doesn't understand what I'm asking! Aiyaa. I looked at the pot that has over 12k chip in it and that I have to call 2800 more to make sure he didn't just raise with a turned 88's full or straight since the turn was check-check-check.

I really didn't want to be under 5k within the first round, but I didn't want to fold and find out that HG had a straight and LP had the case nine and my hand was good. Getting better than 4-1, I called and got shown what I feared: QQ for Q's-full on the flop. Back to the drawing board.

I kept folding hand after hand waiting for cards. I called a small raise once with 88 since there was another caller in between. No set and too many overs and I folded.

As time went on, I got shorter and shorter. I stole when I could. A couple times I got nothing and my flop bet was called. I wasn't able to defend a river bet, so had to give it up. (Once the pot was 3 handed so I couldn't call the bet when he was betting into 2 people; the other the flop was KKx. Since the player I was against was there during the Q's full hand, he knows that I'll bet trips. So when he called, I didn't think he was just trying to take it away, I think he really had it and was trapping.)

My best hand of the night was when I was in the blind and there was an UTG raise from a new guy at our table. I found AKs in the BB and shoved; he called with ATo. That really surprised me that he called, but it was good for me. There was a moment I thought I was out when the flop came ATx, but the river was a King and I had doubled up. I was almost back to the original 10k with about 9800.

After that, I was mostly card dead again. As my stack got below 10x the pot size, anytime I had a good Ace or a pair, I was AI. I did this once with AQs vs an early raiser. But I knew he didn't have to have a better hand then mine to raise. I was right when he folded. He saw how tight I was and said he had folded AJ. Once I tried to raise in late position with KJo. Same guy, who was the BB, remarked that the raise scared him more since I didn't just go AI. However when both HG and the BB called my raise, I figured I was dead. On a flop of AQx, HG bet and the BB raised, so I folded. I made a production of it though. I wanted them to think that I was still playing tight and that the raise was a huge hand. I sighed and said, "The one card I didn't want to see on the flop", referring to the Ace. I was hoping that they'd assume that I had raised with KK and that now I'm folding because of the bet and raise with the Ace on board.

This might have been able to allow me to steal a couple times that I did only raise and not go AI; once with J8o and once with K6o. The majority of the time, however, others were raising and I wasn't able to steal. And I never had a hand to come over the top.

My best hand, besides the AK where I doubled up, was 99. There was already an UTG raise and a cold-called by someone that I knew had to have AK or better (basically group one) to call, if not reraise. I figured with the implied odds, I'd call with my 99 and hope to flop. Flop was QJx. UTG bet 3/4's the pot and the other raised. I quickly folded, figuring the raiser for either QQ or JJ. He had JJ, the other KK. Just as I thought, if I had caught and they didn't, I could have doubled through. No set for me though, and I was back to the fight.

I kept getting blinded down, and no one would call my AI's. Once went AI 3 times in one round (AQ, AQs, AJ) and no one called me once! After that, it was the standard fare of 52o, etc. Once I stole UTG with 22. Again, no call. I thought about being maniacal, but at the same time, like I said, most of the time someone was raising ahead of me. That kept me from having the ol' "first in vigorish".

Finally, my last hand was that 66 vs AJ for me in the BB. It was 200/400 with a 50 ante. The guy who raised, I had seen raise with KTo, so he didn't have to have a hand. Plus, with my tight image, I know people attack my blind, and since I mostly didn't have much, I couldn't fight back. This time, the raiser was in late position and when I saw the AJ I figured 2 things: I could have the best hand; and/or with my image, he might fold. Either way, I had only about 7000 in chips when it costs 1100 to go around. If I didn't have the best hand, I hopefully had at least one over, if not two and it would be a coin flip. I was glad to see it was (my best chance to double), but no go.

Although I didn't make it past the first day, I outlasted over a thousand of the 2100 or 2200 that they had that day. I know I can do it, but some cards might have helped :p I never held a pair above 99 and that AKs was the best Ace that I held. Hopefully I can win a seat again next year and get another chance.

Until then, back to the grind!

Glenn

Posted by Glenn

My Turn

OK, it's my turn for suckouts :)

Felicia and I went to Riverside for cash games again, but then ended up at the Palms for the 8pm tournament.

We started out the night at Riverside to try to get Felicia's O8 game going. Not long after we got there, they started up the table. I guess people have been itching to play, after not having a game all week. They only had 6 names on the list, but the floor called the game (me included, only to start the game, then I high-tailed it out). Before the game even started, the table was full. Floor started calling names for a HE game too and asked if I still wanted on the list. Yes! Don't know why, but I can't win at that $2-6 spread limit Omaha8 game. Seeing the O8 table full, I told Felicia I was going to take the open seat. They even were able to fill my seat before the game started. All week couldn't get a game going, but they really came outta the woodwork last night!

I was called to a $2-6 HE game and made a little before going into a NLHE game. I limped in later position with AKo and had my first suckout of the night (suppose you could call it "re-suck"). There are some people who will raise to the full $8 with AK (2 to come in, you can raise 6 at anytime, to make it 8 to go), but I usually only raise AK in early position in this game. One thing I've learned about 2-6, if there are enough people already in the game, people will call anything. They think they have the odds, based on the people who called, but they DON'T when they originally came in for only called 2. They just don't understand. In some ways, this is good. When you have a premuim pair, they're making the biggest mistake. But when it's AKo, where your odds are severely lessened by having multiple callers, it really does no good. I've seen people lose a ton because they'll keep firing with Ace-high. These donkeys just don't know to fold top pair.

On the flop, it's KTx, and I get bet into for $2. OK, my first mistake. I figure it's someone with QJo looking for a cheap card, or a weak King, so I raise it to 8. I hear her saying something like, "we must have the same thing". That does NOT sound like QJo! Hmm. I figure if she has a set, she's raising me back, and we definitely do NOT have the same thing. I might have been in trouble, until the Ace on the turn. She checks, I bet, and she just calls. OK, not QJo, and prolly not AK, she might have raised or bet either of those holdings. River brings a possible flush and I check behind (even though I don't put her on the hand, now there's the flush and the straight that she could have been drawing with). She shows KTo for the flopped top two. I show my AKo for my 're-suck' and take it down with the turned top two.

In a little while, I get called for the NLHE game. No max buy-in, 2/5 blinds. I'm listening to Dee and Russ and they're talking about the game from last night. Said it was wild. One hand was bet the whole way; someone called a $300 river bet with AK-high. They didn't tell me if it held, since I was just listening in, but sounds good. After the ME, I'm going to have to sit in on these games more often :)

For my next trick, I will perform a one-outer!

Russ, one of the wealthy locals, cold-calls $80 preflop from Ernie, one of the dealers sitting in the game. Flop comes J55 with two hearts and Ernie puts out a stack of red. Russ puts him AI (all-in) and Ernie calls. Although it's not a tournament, there's no slow-rolling here. Russ says, "I'm on a draw", and turns over Ah9h; seems he kinda thought he could win the hand by the push. Ernie turns over TT and must have known his tricks, calling with an over card on the flop. Turn is a heart, and Ernie moans and hits the ATM.

Two hands later, after Dee and Russ are saying "Oh, man, he's going to be AI, AI, now," (referring to Ernie) I'm in the blind with 84o. Ernie is in the hand. Flop is A84 rainbow, and with no raise pre, only like 20 in the pot, Ernie says "AI". Gets to me and I call, thinking that he must have limped with AK or AQ. Nope, A8o... ouch. Blank turn, 4 on the river. Guy to my right, not wanting to say anything before hand, says, "That's the last one, I folded a 4". For once, I'm the one getting the one-outer. Ernie hits up the ATM again.

Felicia comes over not too long after and reminds me to call the Palms to ask about their tournament, since she says her game is no good and I need more tournament experience. Find out that they do have some people signed up, so we end up heading over.

There were a bunch of new players who didn't know what they were doing. Man, talk about lucky. We arrived at the right situation. Majority of the time, you just bet, and they'll fold. Felicia got trapped three times on her first table. Once, in her free play BB, a guy caught trips on the flop and checked. Queen on the turn pairs Felicia and when he checked again, she bet. Bet the river, too, but not too much, because she had no kicker, and he just calls. She turns over 2pair, and he turns over a full-house, with Q3 under-the-gun, LOL. Never raised. We figure he just really didn't understand the monster that he had.

I got slow played in the blind about midway through. Just me in the BB and the SB limps. AT8 flop and SB checks. I have JTo so make about a 2/3rd's bet. He calls. Turn is a Jack, he checks again, and I bet again. I was watching his eyes, and I felt he had something when he called the flop, but after I turned two pair, I figured, well, let's see how strong he is. I doubled my bet from the previous round, and he just calls again. On the river, since there was a straight possible, I just checked behind. He shows me top pair of Aces, but I show my two pair to take the pot. Sucked out again :p Ye 'olde "making my own luck." I think this was a good set up for later though; I bet, I have something.. riiiight ;)

Once again I didn't get a heck of a lot during the early part of the tournament, but then started getting hands during the later stages. Plus, got a bit of Axs hands that I used to steal. Once I did the "See? I have a hand when I'm raising" and showed an AQs to the BB who was short. This again helped my image, allowing me to steal the blinds a bit more then I usually do.

I think I ended up taking out a couple people, plus the blind steals, and I had a good stack. With only 16 total people who entered (in Laughlin, a $125 event is big dough), Felicia and I ended up at the final table together. She was a little short, being cold-decked, but almost tripled up with QQ vs. 55 and an unknown hand--the first PFR folded). A few others knocked themselves out, and we were down to 5.

SB completes the blind against the BB and they see a flop of TT9. SB checks and BB (who was really short for a while, but had been going AI enough to get his chips back up a little) goes AI and SB insta-calls. SB shows T5o and BB shows A9o. (Way to raise BB, lol, this is the same guy who tried to slow play me ;) BB says "nice hand" and figures he's toast, until it comes runner 9's to give him quads! SB is shocked, but takes it well. Not long after he's out and we're in the money!

I end up knocking Felicia out with AK vs her 66 (can't wait to see what she says in my comments -grin-) and I have a good lead over the other two. Billy, folding his blinds a little too often ends up going AI vs my blind, but for so little more, I call blind. I think he had me high carded, but I pair and it's HU.

Him playing me HU was like me trying to play Phil Ivey. I pretty much ran over him as I'd expect Ivey to run over me. I doubled him up a couple times when I tried to knock him out when he had only one chip left. Both times I put in the last chip blind, but he won each time. Finally, 3rd time was the charm; he limped again, and I had 77, a real hand for once, that held up and I won.

I finally got to play one out to the end. Felicia and I actually asked if they wanted to chop once we got in the money, but the others didn't want to. OK by me, good practice :)

While I 'effectively' won the one the other night, when we chopped 3-way while I had the chip lead, I really did win this one. Good feeling.

Glenn

Posted by Glenn

Are you going to post?

"Are you going to post? Are you going to post?"

This is the constant question from Felicia. But I try to wait for something interesting to say. I don't want to bore people with:

"Well, I lost today. Here are the hands. What suck outs. Oh, woe is me."

Just as bad is:

"Won today. Boy I'm a great player. See my rising bankroll $$$." -grin-

I like to tell stories. Perhaps like during the Orleans Open, the guy that took out the first THREE players at our table within the first hour or two (called all raises, pretty much), then lost all his chips before the dinner break (fortunately, some to me when I doubled up through him when I flopped top set vs his bottom two on a flop of T96 -- yes, he played 96o). Unfortunately, the rest of the tournament was boring as I about folded myself out of the money. Got card dead. Then caught QQ vs two limpers and the short stack who limped decided he'd had enough and called all-in with 33 and spiked a 3 on the river to cripple me. I made a last stand with A2s UTG and got called by A8s, which held. Pretty unexciting, so I didn't bother writing it. (Readers, all 2 of you -grin-, you'll have to let me know if you want me to write stuff like that up. If there is interest, I will.)

Once you've played enough poker, you've pretty much have seen it all. I mean, come on, what can be as exciting as when I tripled up at Binion's with top set vs middle set vs TPTK (top-pair-top-kicker)? What can be more depressing then having it AI pre-flop, flopping quads, then losing to runner-runner perfect straight-flush??

I can't say that I'm really that jaded (yet). I still get excited. Felicia always marvels at the fact that once I enter a card room, that I just gotta play. "Don't you look around? See if they have promotions, etc?" Um, I look around.. at the tables :-} What games are being spread, are there chips flying, or are people folding.

I have good days and bad, just like everyone else. Yesterday and the day before were bad days for cash games. I played some NLO8 on Stars. Got it AI on the flop with top set and got called by someone with top two with back-door flush that got there.

Since Felicia felt that my wanting to play some local tourneys was a good idea for practice for the WSOP ME (should I ever get any confirmation and my seat assignment from Harrah's), we ended up at Riverside last night and ended up playing the tourney there.

We went there for the cash games primarily. Felicia wanted to play their donk-fest O8, but there was no game going. She ended up playing 4/8 with me instead. As my cash game losing streak continued, she was running over the game. While I'm getting trapped with top two vs bottom set, she's catching premuim pairs and stealing with relative impunity. My card-dead self just couldn't compete. I even lost to her when I flopped TP from the BB vs her bottom two from the SB, ugh. Don't worry, when it was just HU on the river, I mucked to her bet, I figured TP no kicker was no good. She showed me her 63o two-pair, lol.

I continued being card dead in the tournament... As I said, we really didn't go there for the tournament this time around; however, there ceases to BE a cash game (4/8 anyway, there's always a 2-6 game) when the tourney starts. Though we don't like the structure and time limits as much at Riverside: 20 min levels on first hour, starting at 50-100, when everywhere else starts at 25-50; then 15 minute levels until the final table--huh??; then 30 minute levels at the final table--again, huh? Wacko. Still we ended up playing. It was either that or 2-6 spread limit. As Felicia said, "I'd rather cut off my right hand"; especially given my run of cards. I was hoping that I'd at least be able to manipulate at the tournament, as people fear getting knocked out.

Once again, being card dead for the first hour, I couldn't bring myself to try to do anything fancy. I like to actually have something to work with. I can say that I stole a pot when it was just HU, me in the BB and the SB limped. He checked, I bet complete air and he folded. But I knew he really had nothing, he was just too new, and I took the shot and it worked.

After that, I finally got a hand: TT. Since I've been reading Harrington, and I was UTG, I was looking at the blinds and my current "M", and decided that I really didn't want callers and shoved in (pretty much if I raise, I'm committed). I was immediately called by "Papa", one of the older guys from the Riverside that cashiers there. Since he knows I'm tight, I was sure I was sunk: AA or KK. Once it got folded around, I asked him if he has Aces, "uh huh", and he turns them up. I pat him on the back and say "nice hand, Papa". Then the flop comes down 789 with two spades and I have two black Ten's. Jack of hearts on the turn, and that sealed the deal. I told him that I was sorry, and he just grumbled. Although I hate sucking out on other's Aces, after 22 sucking out on my AA at the Palms (see my comment on the last post) and the QQ's out run by the 33's above, I got over it rather quickly -grin- .. what can I say, but, "that's poker".

After that, there was no stopping me. Felicia, in the SB when I was the BB (had gotten moved to her table), passed up trying to steal my blind, and I looked anyway found JJ and made motions to shove in my chips ;) . Finally was getting hands.

I got short again and when it was passed to me on the CO, I found K4o. With an M of something like 3 or 4, I just shoved it. Most the players to my left and in the blind were tight anyway, so I was just looking to pick up the blinds. I actually did get called AI by the BB (since she had no chips either) but I had her high carded: she showed QJo. I turned a King, which would have been enough, but I ended up making a straight with the 4 on the river, LOL.

Knocking out the BB brought us to the final table.

The first guy out at the final, I don't recall. He was short, made a stand and was busted. I think someone had an Ace that held against his K-high hand (don't recall).

Then I single handedly, seriously, got us to the money (top six). Short stack [SS] UTG limps, UTG+1, folds, I find QQ and shove. Then the call fest happened. Exactly what you don't want to see with QQ, right? Last position SS says, "well, I'm getting odds" and calls AI with KQs. BB SS calls AI with 86o. UTG SS calls with KJs. Wow. Flop is 8TJ with a heart (the KQs was hearts) and I'm seeing two people with a pair and one with an OESD. Turn is a low heart, giving more outs to KhQh. River is a Queen. I knocked out 3 people and propelled the rest of the table to the money (Felicia included).

Felicia was shocked that I seemed so blase.. well, I was a little nervous about getting out run. Later tho, she kept saying something about the case Queen. Finally I figured out that, since she was at the other end of the table, she thought the UTG SS had KK, not KJs, and that I had sucked out on his KK's with the last Queen in the deck. I was ahead the whole way, that's why I seemed blase to her, LOL.

After that, I think I played my big stack well. I did complete the SB against Felicia's BB rather than appearing to "dump" to her and fold my T2o. Once again, I was big stack and could afford to see a flop. I flopped bottom pair of deuces and bet out. She went AI with TP which held up after I called. Yes, we play hard against each other. Last thing we want is for someone to accuse us of soft play.

Anyway, someone took out of the others I think. Then the forth basically folded her way out. She went AI for my blind and I paired up where she didn't and we were down to three. "Dee", who is a local that I've talked about before, and Felicia and I. We ended up chopping it. I had about T190K , Felicia had T75K and Dee T80K. With blinds of 10K/20K, and soon to go up, it would just take one suckout for one of them to become chip lead. If Felicia wasn't one of the 3, I would have asked for extra via my chip position, but since she was, just did the even chop.

This was great for me after the suck outs at the Palms and the recent cash games downswings.

Yes, I do know how to play.

Ah, OK, good.

Glenn

Posted by Glenn