WSOP Circuit Main Event

While I played well, the cards were not in my favor during the main event. I had a very aggressive table, which I can usually play well against if I am getting even a small selction of playable cards. However, for lasing 9 hours, I only got three pocket pairs the entire time (33 & 55 which were unableable considering my position and the action prior to it even being my bet. My KK ended up costing my 1/4 of my stack, as I bet 100/200 blinds I got called preflop when I re-raised to 1,900 chips and after the flop my 2,500 bet was called. I checked the turn and river when the third club showed on the turn, and sure enough was beat when I had been called on my raises by Ac5c. My only two other playable hands were A10 (which I won a small pot), and AhKh right after the dinner break (which I double up on!). I ended up finally succumbing to the blinds and pushed 78off into AJ, and the JxJxQx flop and nothing on the turn helping me ended my tournament. I did manage to finish 151st out of 442, so for as card dead as I was, I was happy how I played and managed ot outlast almost two thirds of the field!

Quick Update - WSOP Circuit Events - Atlantic City

I know I havent updated much lately, have been very busy with work and family. We decided to take a quick vacation for the last weekend of the WSOP Circuit Events, and I played in the last Mega-Satellite to the WSOP-C Main Event. Got 97 players, which then paid out 19 seats and cash for 20th place. Tough going early, as I won only 4 hands in the first 4 blind levels, with 89off in the small blind actually winning with just a pair 9's, 49off winning in the big blind by turning a straight against 3 other players, and my 99 and KK both holding up for my only two pocket pairs early. By level 6 I was down to 6 BB when I got AK, and pushed and got two callers (one all in). The all-in was short and had nothing, the other player had AK also, and we ended up chopping the pot. A few hand later I got AA, and pushed against the same guy that had AK previously, who called with JJ. I floped an Ace, but had got a flush draw on the turn, and he got there on the river. As I was getting up, it was pointed out that the club that fell also paired the board, giving me a boat and new life. From there I rode my average stack to a seat in the WSOP-C Main Event, and play that today starting at 12 Noon!

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!