Yesterday was a day of not doing very much. Totally by design. Busting 12th at the Nugget wasn't the end of the world, but effectively bubbling a tournament is always a knock to the positivity. I always feel the key to getting over it is just to do that. Get over it and get onto the next one. Yesterday was spent meeting some friends, recharging and relaxing. Running a few errands, and popping over to see a few of my friends who were playing their own events to lend a bit of moral support. My good friend Joe Vigurs, who is the big cheese at the Wynn poker room always plays the stud 8 or better event at the WSOP, so I went to see how he was doing. Last I saw he was deep into the first day with a stack, so hopefully he's back today to press it up.
For me, I'm up early for a bit of exercise out on the bike in a bit, then some breakfast and a shower and off to the Rio for event#31, the $1500 NLH, with possibly the $1k tomorrow if it doesn't work out. Some interesting responses to the poll I posted, both by email and in person. Good to know I'm generally trusted to do the right thing given the spot I'm in at the time. See how today's table looks and let's crack on. Back around noon.
For me, I'm up early for a bit of exercise out on the bike in a bit, then some breakfast and a shower and off to the Rio for event#31, the $1500 NLH, with possibly the $1k tomorrow if it doesn't work out. Some interesting responses to the poll I posted, both by email and in person. Good to know I'm generally trusted to do the right thing given the spot I'm in at the time. See how today's table looks and let's crack on. Back around noon.
Off and running and generally the atmosphere on the table is upbeat. Little to report. One guy just got crippled with top 2 vs a turned flush. That aside it's plodding along. Currently 1300 players at start of level 2.
Played a couple of small pots with pairs and connectors and missed flops. 4500 is 3900. It's a pretty active table considering it's early on, one guy's got over 1k in about 3 times at 25/50. I'm guessing a big hand or big draw will get played out aggressively here.
I've raised twice and been re-popped twice. This isn't going to fly.
TJ Cloutier, who had a solid tournament reputation before the poker explosion years back once said "in tournaments, draws are death". Most people nowadays wouldn't agree with this, and play the shit out of strong draws to accumulate chips and crack the monster pairs early on if possible.
This just happened to me, I'm not making the dinner break today.
I raised from the cutoff with small suited one-gappers, to either take the blinds and the limp money, or flop something. The utg limper called and one other folded. I then flopped bottom pair and a gutshot, and fired again. I get raised. I just flat. See the next card.
The turn is the Qd which now also gives me a flush draw and looks like blank. This guy looks ready to bet again and I put him on either top pair, or a flopped two pair. Obviously I can be wrong, but this is a good pot to win early, and I've just enough(I think) to make him fold if he bets and doesn't like his hand too much.
He bets about 700 and I shove for 2350. He calls and flips over Q5off suit for a turned two pair which he wasn't folding. I need to make trips, make my straight, or hit a non pairing flush card.
I get none of them, and I'm out on level two.
I can't pretend to be happy, and given the outcome I don't think anything I've said previously about being more or less aggressive had any bearing on the way I played it. I did kind of decide after the flop that if the next card was an improver for me then I was going with it. I've had 2 situations exactly like that so far this trip in the WSOP, and both of them have bricked on the river spectacularly. Maybe Cloutier had it right after all, but I think I'd do the same again . Maybe that's a flaw.
I've now gone to Binions to splash around in a small buy-in one day event. Hopefully at some point I'll break my hoodoo.
Played a couple of small pots with pairs and connectors and missed flops. 4500 is 3900. It's a pretty active table considering it's early on, one guy's got over 1k in about 3 times at 25/50. I'm guessing a big hand or big draw will get played out aggressively here.
I've raised twice and been re-popped twice. This isn't going to fly.
TJ Cloutier, who had a solid tournament reputation before the poker explosion years back once said "in tournaments, draws are death". Most people nowadays wouldn't agree with this, and play the shit out of strong draws to accumulate chips and crack the monster pairs early on if possible.
This just happened to me, I'm not making the dinner break today.
I raised from the cutoff with small suited one-gappers, to either take the blinds and the limp money, or flop something. The utg limper called and one other folded. I then flopped bottom pair and a gutshot, and fired again. I get raised. I just flat. See the next card.
The turn is the Qd which now also gives me a flush draw and looks like blank. This guy looks ready to bet again and I put him on either top pair, or a flopped two pair. Obviously I can be wrong, but this is a good pot to win early, and I've just enough(I think) to make him fold if he bets and doesn't like his hand too much.
He bets about 700 and I shove for 2350. He calls and flips over Q5off suit for a turned two pair which he wasn't folding. I need to make trips, make my straight, or hit a non pairing flush card.
I get none of them, and I'm out on level two.
I can't pretend to be happy, and given the outcome I don't think anything I've said previously about being more or less aggressive had any bearing on the way I played it. I did kind of decide after the flop that if the next card was an improver for me then I was going with it. I've had 2 situations exactly like that so far this trip in the WSOP, and both of them have bricked on the river spectacularly. Maybe Cloutier had it right after all, but I think I'd do the same again . Maybe that's a flaw.
I've now gone to Binions to splash around in a small buy-in one day event. Hopefully at some point I'll break my hoodoo.
Clearly I need to stop playing WSOP events where I can't hit draws, and stick to scratching round in low-rent events where I hit every damn thing in sight. My 20k start stack is now 85k. I guess I'm supposed to be happy but I guess I'd much rather I could just hit a draw at the Rio.
I'm currently taking out my veiled frustration at the fickle nature of form in poker tournaments by bullying the living shit out of my table. It helps a little bit.
Marvellous. Back from 2nd break and get rivered in a 100k pot. Bumped back into the pack.
My tables been fun. As the venerable Robert Garfield would put it "my chips have been up and down like Tower Bridge". I got a full double up again with 'QQ vs a stubborn 44 when I flopped a queen, and I know my card sense is working just fine when I flatted w JJ and then folded to the all-in flop bet when it came 9-6-2 rainbow. I thought for a second and told him he had aces or kings and mucked. He was obliging enough to flip over AA.
From 201 players we're now down to 58. I never look at the prize money (I just don't), it's only a $140 event so the money isn't life-changing, but again it'd be nice to actually cash in something especially when I think I'm playing perfectly OK.
Down to 47 and I'm on 89k but it's turning into a Binions shove-fest. I'm pretty sure the skill factor is diminishing as we edge closer to the magical pay spot of 27.
Dinner break for 30 mins. Still on 80k. 30 mins of not eating anything downtown.
Back from the break and everyone's a shovin'. Blinds are 2k 4k, I'm sitting on about 72k now. There's not much play believe it or not with no min raises getting anywhere, and most people shoving the lot in at the earliest opportunity with a pair or two big cards. It's madness.
As fast as it was a good tournament. It's not a good one. I'm quickly down to 50k in an orbit or two, and find 77 and ship to pick up the 23k or so in the middle. 99 thinks and calls and that's that. 13 off the money. Not happiness inspiring stuff at all. Not a lot to do but just suck it up and move on.
WSOP $1k tomorrow. Back to great structures and a slow burn. I'm still ready for it. Time for bed.
I'm currently taking out my veiled frustration at the fickle nature of form in poker tournaments by bullying the living shit out of my table. It helps a little bit.
Marvellous. Back from 2nd break and get rivered in a 100k pot. Bumped back into the pack.
My tables been fun. As the venerable Robert Garfield would put it "my chips have been up and down like Tower Bridge". I got a full double up again with 'QQ vs a stubborn 44 when I flopped a queen, and I know my card sense is working just fine when I flatted w JJ and then folded to the all-in flop bet when it came 9-6-2 rainbow. I thought for a second and told him he had aces or kings and mucked. He was obliging enough to flip over AA.
From 201 players we're now down to 58. I never look at the prize money (I just don't), it's only a $140 event so the money isn't life-changing, but again it'd be nice to actually cash in something especially when I think I'm playing perfectly OK.
Down to 47 and I'm on 89k but it's turning into a Binions shove-fest. I'm pretty sure the skill factor is diminishing as we edge closer to the magical pay spot of 27.
Dinner break for 30 mins. Still on 80k. 30 mins of not eating anything downtown.
Back from the break and everyone's a shovin'. Blinds are 2k 4k, I'm sitting on about 72k now. There's not much play believe it or not with no min raises getting anywhere, and most people shoving the lot in at the earliest opportunity with a pair or two big cards. It's madness.
As fast as it was a good tournament. It's not a good one. I'm quickly down to 50k in an orbit or two, and find 77 and ship to pick up the 23k or so in the middle. 99 thinks and calls and that's that. 13 off the money. Not happiness inspiring stuff at all. Not a lot to do but just suck it up and move on.
WSOP $1k tomorrow. Back to great structures and a slow burn. I'm still ready for it. Time for bed.
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