Don't Play Tired

Maybe I am getting old. No, that can't be it! Maybe I am a little (a lot) out of shape. That could very well be the case. Maybe I just did not care enough. Probably contributed. Whatever it was, I made a huge tactical error in the $10 rebuy event last night and I knew when I did it that it was just so wrong on so many levels.

1350 players started, down to 205, I am 140th in chips, 135 get paid. I am in for the minimum, $11. I doubled up three times before the first break with very big hands and had $15,000 in chips. At the second break, I was at $45,000 and going strong without playing too many hands.

I get it up to $51,000 in chips, but then I hit a wall. I am down to $26,000 in chips in the BB with the blinds being $800 - 1,600. A fairly tight player opens for a more than adequate raise to $6,000 with $28,000 behind. It folds to me and I see AQs. I remember thinking, well I am going to push this and if he folds great, if not, and I lose, I can go to bed (It was 12:40 AM). Of course after thinking for about two seconds, he calls and flips over QQ. I am drawing thin and I do not catch it. I actually flopped a four flush, so I do not think I could get away from it had I called preflop and saw the flop.

What bothered me most was that it was a bad decision based upon good information. I knew the guy had a quality hand and I about doubled him up with AQ. Stupidity got what it deserved: a place on the rail. It also taught me a valuable lesson for next weekend. Do not play tired, you will make too many strategic errors.

Until next time,

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

$4 Event with Cloudy and FT

It has been almost two weeks without a final table and my bank roll shows it. However, I finally broke through last night in an event that I would not have played in if Cloudy not signed up as well. It was a $4 180-Player event. 18 spots paid. Cloudy started off slow as he was card dead, but picked up a very nice pot with a flopped flush to triple up before the first break. We got down to 63 players in the first hour, break neck speed. I hit a few hands and was in the top ten in chips from very early until we hit 35 remaining. There I lost three key pots and got short stacked.

Interesting Hand

Cloudy had been doing a good job of playing tight, and somewhat aggressive. I was steamrolling the table as I had shown the ability to play mediocre hands strong, but not too strong. I was winning 3/4 hands per round without showing. I finally got action with AK v. A8, he of course hit his 8.

I then raise with 46s (hey its suited) from mid position, cloudy moves in for about 130% of my raise more. I was getting 5-2, so I called. He had A-10. I out flopped his butt with a 6 on the flop, but of course he sucks out an ace on the river to stay alive. What a luck box. I lost another hand and was now at 6x the bb.

Last hand before the second break, we are down to 22 players and in the SB. Folds to me, and I move in with Q10 off (Varkoni would be proud) and the BB goes into the tank as it will take 80% of his stack to call. He finally does and has AJs. Took too long with that hand dude. However, I did turn a 10 high straight to survive and get chips back.

I play aggressive to the bubble and then have to go with KQo with a 4 J Q (all hearts), K turn, J river. The guy played it just like AQ with the Ace of hearts and ended up pushing on the river. I made a crying call and doubled up to get back in the top five in chips. Tough hand the way it played out.

I finished second, Cloudy finished 14th. Nice finish Cloudy, first 180-player event, cash. Not bad, not bad at all. All of $8 for your efforts.

Tournament is filling up for Saturday. Until next time,

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

Eventful Weekend

Wow, what a poker downer, and a bigger roller coaster weekend.

I reloaded Stars with $400 on Friday night to take advantage of their current bonus. Made a quick $100 playing 3-6 limit while playing a $20 180 player event. In order to earn the bonus, you almost have to play cash games as you need to get so many points to get the bonus. So, I play rock style full ring limit poker and grind out the time.

Nothing good to report on Poker other than I have not made a final table in two weeks and I am still excited about the WSOP. We are having the $200 event this Saturday and should have a full tournament. A win in this one would pay the nut for the event in Vegas.

Went to spend father's day with Grip Sr. Took my daughter with me so she could see the grands. Played in a 2-man scramble with Grip Sr. and came OH SO CLOSE to a hole in one.........

On a par 4. I hit my drive to within six feet of the hole and it rolled two feet past. It had to have rolled over the edge of the hole. What really would have been cool about that feat was that I got my first birdie and first eagle on that exact hole. What symmetry that would have been having my first double eagle on the same hole. OH SO CLOSE.

On a very bad note, I took Mrs. Grip's new Lexus to Kentucky for the trip. Instead of going over and playing in the very soft 2-5 NL game in Metropolis, I decided to go out to eat with Barbed Rose (now this name is original - only Brian will know the real story here), who is the same guy that went to the WSOP last year with us, but did not play. We sat in the restaurant for at least two hours talking and having dinner. I go outside and find a nice new large dent on Mrs. Grip's nice car. Oh crap, oh crap!!! She is going to kill me. Someone had hit and run her car, while I had it. I guess I should have gone to the NL game.

Anyway, this is going to be a very busy week including playing time to practice for the WSOP. Until next time,

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