Weekend Plans

No poker until Brooklyn. No wait, that is another song and story. But it sort of rings true this weekend. I am off to Play with Grip Sr. (my dad) in a mixed format golf tournament in Benton, Kentucky. I will not be on line all weekend, and it will be nice.

I will, however, be stopping by the gang in Murray on Sunday to play a couple of hours of 10-20 hold em. These are great guys, and generally are not that tough a competition. But I must not forget, the crew at Nathan's can't play either and they are killing me this summer.

I wade into the waters with my eyes wide open. I will update on Monday. Until then,

Good Luck and See You at the Felt............

Tournament Cash - But Come on Guys....

Went to the $220 NL tournament last night. 27 players, paying five spots. Finished fourth for $448 with a huge beat when my A10s goes down to 105 off that moved on my big blind and caught a miracle 5 on the river. Regardless, it was the best I have played since the WSOP in June. Two interesting hands:

First hand of Tournament

We started with T-5,000 in chips, 25-50 blinds and 20 minute levels. Need chips, but not too fast. UTG limps folds to me in mid-position, I raise to 200 with K10s, just splashing around. Cut off calls as does the big blind. Limper then makes it 200 more, for a total of 400. I call as do the other two. 1,600 in the pot. Flop comes K 10 6 all clubs. Big blind checks, UTG moves in for 4600. I think about it for 10 seconds and I tell Crazy Tom (who is at another table) that he may well win the $20 last longer because I am going to have to call this unknown guy. I call, both the other players fold and he turns over...............

10 2 of hearts. Wow. I bust him and more than double up the first hand of the tournament. He starts talking trash, saying "Wow, I want you in my game anytime! How can you call my bet? You are so bad." I just stare at him and say one thing... "I thought you had AA with the A of clubs and I knew I was ahead regardless. Easy call."

Second Hand of Interest.

I get short stacked during the next hour and when we get to the final table I am last in chips. Double up once and then:

Blinds are 1000-2000, I have 6700. I am in the SB and get JJ. UTG, Car Man, limps as does a mid-position player and the button. I move in and all three players call my all in. There is 28,800 in the pot. Flop comes 10 8 4 with two spades. UTG and mid-position check and the button goes all in. WOW. Must have run into a set. UTG and mid-position player fold. He turns over A9 of spades, misses and I quadruple up.

Question is, what would you do with the A9 of spades in the button's position? The debate is an old one with one player all in. Do you check it down or bet into a dry side pot? It really was a semi-bluff move on his part. He said that he wanted to get a caller that misread his bet. Oh well, the entire room was split as to whether his bet was a good play or not.

Give me your comments on the hand. Until next time....

Good Luck and See You at the Felt.....

Frustrated Again in Pokeriaville

Went to the 15-30 limit game last night. Played 4 1/2 hours, lost 1400 and just called it a night. This game is really getting under my skin. These guys are worse than bad and keep hitting weird winners on the river. I think the variance is too big for such a game and I am really close to giving that game up for a while.

Going to the local $220 NLHE tournament tonight. I hope there are 3 or more tables for a good payout. I am beginning to think that NL may have to be my only game in the future, both tournament and cash play. Although the risk is slightly greater, bad players pay off bigger in fewer pots. That would be a positive.

I will post an update tomorrow. Until then,

Good Luck and See You at the Felt......

Interesting CNN Goof

I was reading the story detailing the tragic Greek airplane crash that happened this past weekend. It kinda makes you want to say, "okay, and........."

"We have performed autopsies on six people. Our conclusion is they had circulation and were breathing at the time of death,"

Don't we all have circulation and breathing occurring at the time of death?

WSOP Weekend

Tunica WSOP Update

Okay guys, I had a great trip to Tunica except that I did not cash in either the $1000 or the $500 NL Event. Ended up over $3000 for the trip and had a blast.

Friday, August 12

Got to Tunica around 9:30 with JM and Kentucky Rock (KR). Head straight to a $65 single table with KR and promptly bust out 9th, but KR went out 10th with a bad beat. Down 65 to start. Get in a 2-5 NL game, get bust for first $800, rebuy for $500 and end up booking a $330 win. Move over to JM's 2-5 NL game and make a couple of good moves and end that session up $740. Total for the day, up $1,005. Not a bad start.

Saturday, August 13

Went down to the poker area around 10:00 am and play one $120 single table. Bust out third with a save for the entry fee (Free roll) and then buy in the $1060 for the full fare. Make it to level five and get extremely short stacked. Bust out with AQs v. 33. Flop comes Q high, turn is an A, river is a .......

3. Sigh. Finish 110/390. 36 got paid. $20 last longer shipped to the Weasel. That's ok because I have 5% of the Weasel and JM. JM goes out right before the dinner break around 90th. Weasel is health with 190% of average at the dinner break. Oops, the Weasel stumbled down the stretch and went out 44th. No cash from the no-playing Weasel.

While the Weasel was grinding down, i finally do well in a $230 single table and take it down, giving the second place finisher a $230 save heads up. Won $2,150.

Went to play with KR in a 4-8 limit game. Had fun, built it up to +240 but ended up stuck $70. Imagine those pots.....

KR and I then played let it ride and slots to end the night. Ended that fiasco down $110.

End of day total, up $1,275.

Sunday, August 14th

Get up and promptly lose the only $120 single table I played. Wanted to play another, but no go, table space at a premium. Buy into the $550 for the full fare and bust out before the first break. BUT, while I was waiting for the tournament to start, I sit down for the first time in a long time at a $1 video poker machine. Put in $40, build it up to $80 and start playing $5 a hand. Get 4444A for $800!!!! Woo Hoo. Free roll day. Sold 10% to JM five minutes before I bust out of the $550. Sorry JM, but thanks for the support.

After busting out, I sit down with KR at 4-8 until a seat opens with Crazy Tom, JM and Mr. Roberto White from Nashville in probably the best 10-20 limit holdem game in the history of poker. I play five hours, get knocked up side the head by the deck and play well ending up $1704 for the session. At one point I had $2600 in $5 chips in front of me ($500 buy in). Ended up cashing out $2204 in chips. Nice five racks on the way to the cashier.

Total for the day up $1,859.

Trip Total: Ended up over $3100.

Great trip, some interesting hands, but I will save those for future posts.

It is my intention to start posting interesting hands for analysis and discussion. If you have any hands you want the Grip'nRip nation to analyze, please forward them to me and I will put them out into cyber space for such. Until then...

Good Luck and See You at the Felt.