Taking a break

With the exception of playing the Mookie next Wednesday while I do a fantasy football draft, I will likely stop playing for the month of September. I have been running so bad lately, I really think taking a break is about the only thing left to do. Several tournament tonight I have lost when I was all-in or put someone else all in with me at least 75% favorite, and nothing has worked out. At this point if I dont take a break I am afraid I will go on tilt so badly I will go through ALL my money left on Full Tilt. Hope to play some live, and I will likely go to play at the Trump Taj the last weekend of September in order to try to get into the USPC.

FTOPS Event #3

Managed to win my way into Event #3 via the $50 qualifer that I had won a seat in over the weekend. Played ok in that, but nothing spectacular, just enough to get into Event #3.
I played a mostly tight and smart game, occasionally having to push when I was under the average stack, and for the most part it worked out for me. I had two incredible suckout early that got me in a position to cash, which I did finally do!! My first cash in on of them events!! When the bubble finally burst I was sitting around 7,000 chips, which was about 1/3 of the average stack. I opened up my hand requirements a bit of that, and managed to get some good flops and a couple of good reads too. The final result: 88th Place. $535.36! My largest pure cash, and secong biggest score ever next to the WSOP $2,000 Package I won in June.

Unreal

Been playing against this guy the entire Sit n Go, and watched him show down with nothing time and time again. I know I was ahead. This kind of stuff gets really old after a while.

Full Tilt Poker Game #3205003867: Tier One $8+$0.70 (Turbo) (24500291), Table 1 - 200/400 - No Limit Hold'em - 21:36:44 ET - 2007/08/09
Seat 1: gambling 86 (5,430)
Seat 2: ALIAlSl (5,270)
Seat 4: SpookyAction (3,675)
Seat 6: Hotrod81 (3,830)
Seat 7: rubbersoul (3,525)
Seat 8: cemfredmd (2,260)
Seat 9: Short Stack Jim (3,010)
rubbersoul posts the small blind of 200
cemfredmd posts the big blind of 400
The button is in seat #6
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to cemfredmd [Ad Jd]
Short Stack Jim folds
gambling 86 folds
ALIAlSl folds
SpookyAction folds
Hotrod81 has 15 seconds left to act
Hotrod81 raises to 1,200
rubbersoul folds
cemfredmd raises to 2,260, and is all in
Hotrod81 has 15 seconds left to act <--- Takes entire clock to decide
Hotrod81 calls 1,060
cemfredmd shows [Ad Jd]
Hotrod81 shows [Th 9s]
*** FLOP *** [Qs Ac 2s] <--- I am in great shape
*** TURN *** [Qs Ac 2s] [Js] <--- Still in great shape, but he still could runner/runner the flush
*** RIVER *** [Qs Ac 2s] [Js] [3s] <--- NOOOOOOO!!!!!
cemfredmd shows two pair, Aces and Jacks
Hotrod81 shows a flush, Queen high
Hotrod81 wins the pot (4,720) with a flush, Queen high
cemfredmd stands up
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 4,720 | Rake 0
Board: [Qs Ac 2s] [Js] [3s]
Seat 1: gambling 86 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 2: ALIAlSl didn't bet (folded)
Seat 4: SpookyAction didn't bet (folded)
Seat 6: Hotrod81 (button) showed [Th 9s] and won (4,720) with a flush, Queen high
Seat 7: rubbersoul (small blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 8: cemfredmd (big blind) showed [Ad Jd] and lost with two pair, Aces and Jacks
Seat 9: Short Stack Jim didn't bet (folded)

Seriously Wondering.....

Why does it take someone like Hoy to actually motivate me enough to play the way I know how. I was railing Hoy over the weekend or late last week, and he was aware of me trying to Sat into the HORSE and other events for the FTOPS V. Played like crap most of the weekend when I did play, so I told the wife the hell with it, I wasnt playing this week until my Friday satellite entry into Event #3 (PLHE). Then I read Hoy's Tuesday column, and almost feel like I was called out (in a good way of course!) to try and satellite into the HORSE event. So I gave it a shot last night, and after a couple of questionable plays I was heads up, but down 2-1 chips while playing LHE. I managed to fight my way back to a slight lead, until we finally hit what I feels is my strongest game in HORSE, the Ohama H/L. It only took 2 hands for me to put him to a major (10-2) chip disadvantage, and another few hands and out he goes.
And the damn sat took forever to fill with 8 people, so I played the token frenzy to get my token for next weeks MATH. For any of you actually reading, what would you do in the following situation:
44 people left, 39 get $26 Token.
In the button with AhQh, so I limp in to see a flop. The flop comes down A66. Big Blind goes all-in for less then I have. Would you call here? I DID. Stupid to say the least as he flips over A6! I am totally crippled to 875 chips, with blinds at 500/1000/125 Ante. All-in blind the next hand, and still 3 people left to get out before a token. I get 82o, it folds around to the small blind, who has about 1450 chips after his small blind. At this point would you call if you were him? Even if he loses the hand he had enough for 4 more hands (one small blind and 4 antes) and if he wins he folds out to his token with only 2 people left to get eliminated. And he folds!!!! All of a sudden I have 2,000 chips (I freaking love Antes!). 2 hands later I have my token.
Well, hope to see some of you in the $50 HORSE Sat tonight - I am talking to you HOY!

Treading Water until the end

Very strange and frustrating day. Was trying to token my way into the Big Game, and was going through the $8 SnGs with too much impatience. I would win a token about every 2 1/2 shots, and then lose the $26 token in the satellite, but twice bubbled to bring my bankroll all the way back up to $90+.

I played the Sunday Hundred Grand, and played pretty well until late in the second hour having AK in the small blind. A few limpers and I get AK suited. Pushed it and was instacalled by the big blind. Who of course had AA. Flop came down QQJ, but the 10 never came, and I was done far to early.

I did finish up with a $9.00 Super-Satellite to the FTOPS Event #3, Pot Limit HE. 14 players, 2 get a $50 Satellite seat on Friday evening to the actual Friday night event. Played the best poker I have in weeks, and was never below 4th place after the first few hands. Had a little scare on the bubble, but played back well and took the chip lead as the 2nd in chips ended up taking out 4tn and 3rd place in consecutive hands!

Probably taking time off until Friday from poker, need to do to much stuff at home/work/reunion to play.

Not Quite There

Played in the $8 Satellite to the FTOPS Event 1 last night. After losing a 1/3 of my stack on the first hand with Pocket 5s, I played super tight and eventually managed to work myself back into the game. Doubled up around the first break, and was eventually sitting with 4,500 chips with 16 left. I limped with AK in early positing, and ended up seeing a flop of KQ3, I pot raised, was reraised, and was put all in. Call and he turns up Pocket 3s. Go home 16th, but I played better.

Going to play the Sunday Hundred Grand, as well as try to sat into the Big Game.

BBT Freeroll

Tough time at the freeroll, was really up and down. Stole a couple of pots early, but kept missing flops at the end of the first hour. Got Pocket 9s on the last hand before the break and went 3X the BB, and was raised 400 chips more. I pushed my 9s into Pocket Jacks and IGH 42nd.

Won a Tier 1 token last night, and played the non-turbo Tier 2 Token SnG. Very tight once we got down to 1 table, with 5 tokens going out. I finally went out in 8th, but my hand that I lost it on was about 3 hands before when I get pocket 10s in the big blind, and the short stack to my left goes all in. I am ready to jump all over that, until the monster stack at the table calls, and then I back off and fold my 10s, figuring one of them has me beat. Shorty turns over AK, Monster turns over AQ, and the flop comes down Four, Ace, ..... TEN. Thats what I get for not pulling the trigger, and I got out three hands later when my pocket 6s run into Pocket Jacks.

Mookie and FPP

Played well in the Mookie. Managed to slow play a set of 8s to take out BuddyDank, makes me wish I was actually listening to his broadcast last night to see how he reacted to it. Ended up going out in 25th out of 64 runners, as my pair of 10s was better then one players pair of 9s, but beat out by another players having Kings, and when no of us improved IGH.

Played one 70 FPP Sit n Go on PokerStars for entry into the Sunday Hundred Grand, and watched as 2 people went out on the first hand. I then slow played my Presto into a set of 5s, and knocked the chip leader down, and then out the next hand. I was basically hit by the deck for 20 minutes, and finished it up quickly with the win and a entry into the Sunday tournament.

Playing the BBT freeroll tonight. Lets see how that goes.

A Brand New Start? Or an ending?

Trying to decide on what to do with my online poker playing, at least on PokerStars. I am down to $0.01, so my playing with cash is over. My thought is to try taking my 1,000 FPP, and playing some of the 70 FPP satellites into the Sunday Hundred Grand. I am guessing multiple satellite wins for the same one will bring me some tournament dollars, which I will use in micro Sit n Go's and try to rebuild my bankroll.

Full Tilt likely depends on how I do in the Mookie tonight (providing I can get internet access at my hotel in Valley Forge, otherwise I just threw out $11 of my bankroll) and in the BBT freeroll on Thursday (which 12th place will net a cool $75.00, up to $650 for winning it all). If I dont cash in either, it will be micro Sit n Go's and Cash games until i building my roll up. And seeing what I can do with my 4,200 Full Tilt Points.

Live I plan on playing the midnight tournament at the Trump Taj on August 18th, and hope to play an Act 1 qualifer for the 2007 United States Poker Championship on September 29th.

So here I go. I guess it really will be a brand new start.