More Poker Content! And a rare winning night.

Decided to fire up Full Tilt while waiting on Survivor to start on Wednesday night. Found a $4.40 On Demand Rush tournament going, and jumped in as it was starting. Played well early, getting paid off on my good hands and staying away from the bad ones. I have found that with the $4.40's Rush that a lot of people will pay almost anything for all their chips early, so getting the nuts a few times in the first 30 minutes builds a stack quickly. Unfortunetly two tough hands just after the money bubble burst put me out in 23rd out of 264 for $6 and change. I saw the $6.60 token frenzy starting up then, and decided to jump into that. BAD IDEA. Took less than 10 minutes to get bounced from that mess. Getting JJ and QQ in the first ten hands and losing both times is not a good sign. Finally settled on a $5.50 H.O.R.S.E. tournament that started at 8:15 PM. Figured I could get some work on all the games at one time. Basically played the hold'em and omaha super tight early and was running people over in Razz. Still managed to only have just over my starting stack as we approached the bubble, but got a triple up scooping in Omaha when my AA26 ends up getting nut low and 6 high straight. This moved me into the top 5 with 15 left, where I stayed for the rest of the night. Amazining enough I took the chip lead as the former chip leader spewed 50% of his chips to me in two Razz hands, including one where I am showing 8643 and he is showing QJ75. Play got slow when we got to 5 handed, but I was able abuse most of the table in both Razz and Stud Hi/Lo, and eventually got heads up with a slight chip lead. Hold'em and Omaha heads up cost me my chip lead, and I was actually down 4:1 in chips at one point, but as soon as we hit Razz again I was able to crush my opponent and took the win for $162!

Poker Content!

Yes, I do actually still play poker! Decided to try a do or die with the rest of my Full Tilt bankroll last Wednesday, with me sitting a just under $35, I took two shots at satellites to the 50/50, since I figured if I won on of them I could play wiht the next day being a day off for me. Play a $7.70 SNG, and naviagated a minefield of bad play by others to end up in the final three. The chip lead went back and forth between the three of us, until a badly timed bluff ended the tournament for the player to my left, leaving me heads up but at a 2-1 chip disadvantage. Using a bit of agression I was able to take the chip lead after about20 hands, and 4 hands later won the tourament! So far so good, but I was already playing the $14 MTT for another 50/50 seat, and jumped out to a nice chip stack early on. Played a semi-tight agressive style throughout, and easily won a 2nd seat to the 50/50! Decided to just cash both seats out and play the Very Josie instead, which ended far to early as I was getting a too agressive and let the betting of other dictate how I was going to play (Yes, I am looking at you HeffMike and Very Josie!). Went out 8th, but still have a GREAT time playing the Very Josie and a good night on the tables. Played my WSOP group on Friday night, and as is uncommon for me in those tournament, I actually got off to a nice steady build of chips early, and was easily at on above the average chip stack most of the night until we got down to 5 players. At that point, I was 4th in chips, and was picking my spots to get my chips in. I watched as a very poorly timed Hammer bluff was by the chip leader was called down by the 2nd place in chips, leading to a HUGE stack by one player. Let everyone else take desperation shots at the new chip leader, and played my two good hands as three others were elimiated and I ended up heads up! Down 4 to 1 in chips, I ran my Pocket 3's into Pocker 4's but spiked a 3 on the river, and actually at one point took the chip lead! It didnt work out though, as my A8 was eventually outflopped by KJ, and I was crippled again and finished 2nd. Still awaiting the overall standing after 3 (of 5) events, but I am definately still in the running for the overall win and Main Event WSOP seat if I play good the last two tournaments!

It's been 2 Months??

Wow, I didnt even realize it has been that long, until I read comments on my last post from Lightning and Bam-Bam asking about my trip to Vegas, which as LAST month! It just seems like life is getting in the way of poker. I guess that is what happens when you have a kid at 39! She turns 2 in December, and is becoming more talkative and smart every day. The Vegas trip was great, I only got to play poker twice the entire trip, once finishing 3rd in a SNG. Super Turbo with the guy that won being a complete drunk who was a regular as the poker room so....
Got to get remarried in a wonderful little ceremony, saw the Freemont Street Experience again, and the fountains at the Bellagio for the first time. Generally had a great time. Have been playing very infrequently online, maybe once a week, and even then just a Steps touranment or two, currently have two Step 2 ($8.80) tokens. My life events, I have the two series I play in that both had their first events in October. The WSOP group I finished 7th (out of 20), so I am still in the running, but need to not finshing any worse then that the rest of the way out. The TDSOP group I finished a disappointing 17th out of 40, but earned a few points and feel comfortable that with a little smarter play I should easily qualify for the final tournament. Of course the wife plays in the TDSOP group also, and finished fifth, so I guess she is the better player right now!

Vegas Bound!

My wife and I have decided to head to Vegas later this month to renew our vows for our 5th Anniversary. Definately looking forward to getting to Vegas for the first time in a 18 months, a little gambling and a lot of fun! We will have the cutest little flower girl in our 21 month old daughter, and hope that if any of you bloggers are living there or will be in Vegas the week of Sept 22-27, that we can get a chance to meet up!

Until later, good luck to you all!

$3 Tournamnet and Charles Town Races & Slots

Friday Mrs CEM and I managed to make it up to Charles Town Races, which had just statted doing table games on July 4th Weekend. From what we had heard that first weekend was a total zoo, so we waited a couple of weeks. The Good: The table games are literally as soon as you come in the door from the Valet (which is only $6), so very easy to find. Plenty of games, including Craps, Blackjack, Three Card Poker, Roulette, Let It Ride, Pia Gow Poker, even a Big Wheel. There actually seemed to be a few open seats if you looked (mind you we got there at 5:30 PM on a Friday, so those from DC/Baltimore were still on their way from work/home. The Bad: Dealers were amazingly slow and showed very little understanding of the games they wer dealing. I am a huge fan of Pia Gow, but it shoudlnt take 7 minutes to deal, determine winners, and pay out for 6 players playing a hand of Pia Gow Poker! The other major issue were the limits. $25 was the cheapest table found (except for Let It Ride, which was $15, and the Big Wheel which was $10!) when we got there at 5:30, by the time we left after Midnight the minimum at Blackjack had hit $50.
The poker room as basically a tarped off/darkened area where the horse racing upstairs betting was done. They had a number of games, both Limit (5/10 and 10/20) and No Limit (1/2), plus some 4/8 Omaha. There sign up screen showed a waiting list for the most popular choice there (1/2 No Limit) was at 121 people before 6 PM Friday night. No tournaments were shown to be planned at casual glance. So they are definately going through their growing pains right now, but there is at least hope for the future.

On Saturday night, I played the Daily Dollar and went out about 1/2 through the field, and decided to fire up a $3 Double Stack 6 Max tournament, which had a nice structure and 487 runners. A beat in the first hour put me at 1500 chips early, but I worked on playing TAG, and found myself moving up the board well for the following couple of hours. 54 people cashed, which I easily made it past, but once we got down to 5 table, I was having to play short stack ninja poker, pushing and/or stealing in the best opportunities. Even though I was 25th of 25 at one time, I played my stack back up long enought to last all the way to 13th place, winning about 4 times my buy-in.

Until next time, good luck on the felt and with all you do!

Starting Anew

Have played a little bit in the past few days. I played 4 $1 9 man Turbo SNGs. These thigns are a wonder to play. Some of the worst players ever, as I tried a Tight Agressive approach, and after a few early exits realized that for $1, these people really dont care at all about playing well. I did finally manage to adjust my game well enought to take a 3rd place in the final of the 4 SNGs, but even then I managed to get chased down two hands in a row when we got the money AIPF with me ahead both times! I also played some .01/.02 cash. 2 sessions of about 30 minutes each. First session was very unexciting, with a very quiet tight table, and I managed to grind out a $0.24 profit. The 2nd session was much more interesting, where I stacked the player to my left when his pocket 6s flopped a set, but I turned a bigger set with my Pocket Kings, and the river pairing the board got him to call my all-in. I managed to finish up $1.78 (almost a full buy in), so I think I will continue on my playing the micro cash games as well as adjusting my game to the level of player in the $1 SNGs for now. Bankroll is about even after the week.

Trip to Charles Town Races and Slots tonight with Mrs. CEM to check out the table games and bet some on the horses!

Good luck to you all on the felt and all you do!

Missing In Action

Yes, it has been a while since I have posted. My self imposed leave from online poker is pretty much still in effect, as I have managed to put my bankroll on Full Tilt below $100, and I sit at a mere $16 on PokerStars. I have played a couple of SNGs, with very limited success, but decided last Friday to play a $3 MTT, which I finished a fine 14th place out of 382 for a $12 profit.

So what have I been doing, you may ask yourself, or maybe not, I would not be surprise if anyone is even bother to read anymore. It seems like I am not the only person that has gone missing as far as Poker Blogging, with even those that still do blog not blogging as often or as much. Not sure if it just another let down period after the BBT5, or maybe with everything else going on that the Poker Bloggers are just moving on into other stages in their lives.

At least with me, my family has continued to be a far more encompassing part of my time. My daughter K is now 19 months old, and really its not just changing some diapers, keeping her fed, and watching her sleep anymore. All the interaction that I do with her keeps me so busy that by the time she is ready for bed, I am ready to get the other things I need to have done with/for my wife and or myself.

Does this mean the end of this blog? Or me playing poker? NO! It is just a shift in priorities for now. I am actually working on my game, but on the learning side from reading books instead of playing currently. I feel that I had been running bad to a point where I was letting it affect my play. Was I actually runnding bad, or playing bad? Probably a little of both. So I am going to work on my game. Do I still have big goals in mind? YES! I hope to play in the 2011 WSOP. I will be a part of a 20 person tournament series again that the winner plays in the Main Event (I actually finished 4th last year, after winning the 1st tournament I just played badly for a couple afterwards). So there is always that, or trying to win myself a seat again for a $1,500 Event. I also plan to play at either the Harrah's or Ceasers Atlantic City WSOP Circuit Event (most likely an event that is the day before/after the ladies event, so the wife and I can make a weekend out of it).

So I hope to be playing more soon, but will likely be "starting anew" as far as my bankroll, and following proper bankroll startagies, so it is unlikely I will be playing many of the Blogger tournaments for a while, until I build back up the bankroll and feel I am playing a better game.

Until my next updated, I hope you all do well on the felt and in all you do!