As you likely saw, I made day 2 of the DSE $340, albeit with next to no chips. That restarts tomorrow, so for today I decided on the Encore $550 one day event.
First table is affable enough. I miss a few flops and 20K looks more like 16K now.
The structure is a little fast and furious...it feels that way anyway. After all, it is only a one dayer. Level 4 already and it's 100/300/300 (big blind ante). 129/151 players right now.
First break, and in the run up, I've repopped once with QQ, and lost with 99. Still on 15K or so, which is OK.
Back from break and one guy has busted with KQ vs AQ on a Queen high flop. He was nice enough initially, but after he busted he criticised the AQ for playing his hand so badly. Always amusing.
Dodged a bullet with Q 10 on a K 10 3 flop when K 10 played it crafty but I failed to bite. Grinding mode at the moment. 14K.
Right now it seems to be win one hand every orbit or so. My Qc Jc just beat 99 to get me back to 16K. An unsmiling European kid just shipped Qd Jd and got called by 2 people who both had AK. Not sure why the second AK was in there for so much money, but I've given up trying to understand the workings of these guys minds.
Now 131/197 left. Blinds about to go to 600/300/600.
First table is affable enough. I miss a few flops and 20K looks more like 16K now.
The structure is a little fast and furious...it feels that way anyway. After all, it is only a one dayer. Level 4 already and it's 100/300/300 (big blind ante). 129/151 players right now.
First break, and in the run up, I've repopped once with QQ, and lost with 99. Still on 15K or so, which is OK.
Back from break and one guy has busted with KQ vs AQ on a Queen high flop. He was nice enough initially, but after he busted he criticised the AQ for playing his hand so badly. Always amusing.
Dodged a bullet with Q 10 on a K 10 3 flop when K 10 played it crafty but I failed to bite. Grinding mode at the moment. 14K.
Right now it seems to be win one hand every orbit or so. My Qc Jc just beat 99 to get me back to 16K. An unsmiling European kid just shipped Qd Jd and got called by 2 people who both had AK. Not sure why the second AK was in there for so much money, but I've given up trying to understand the workings of these guys minds.
Now 131/197 left. Blinds about to go to 600/300/600.
For some reason my internet decided to die for a while, apologies.
Lost a few players, and one kid who has sat lost one pot to me, then got AA and got paid, and then KK and flopped a set, and his opponent decided to reshove bluff the river with Ace high, which of course didn't go so well.
I found JJ on a 10 high flop and shoved and the same kid gave me a full double up with J 10. I got to over 23K but have dipped back a bit.
107/214 left and we're at 800/400/800. Prize pool is up and it's almost 29K up top right now. Which would help a bit. I've run it up to 40K now, partly by having 10 10 vs 77.
108/227 left, so a ways to go yet.
Internet is still playing up so updates are sadly a bit sporadic.
I raise with JJ and a guy who has around 40K now shoves. There are tons of players left and I'm not some internet dweeb living in his parent's basement, so to me it's not an auto call. In fact with my chips it's actually an easy fold, so I muck. He shows 10 10. Lovely.
A while later a very ABC player raises my blind. I call with Ah 3h, and the flop comes 339. Fantastic. I check to him, and he C-bets 3500. I make it 13500 and give him the speech about him bulling. He tanks for a while, and then shoves allin with...AK! Wonderful. I hit 72K and leave him wondering what just hit him.
88 players left, blinds now 1200/600/1200.
Some poker people are hilarious. This structure is OK, but some guys are still jamming 20K or 30K allin preflop with A 10 or similar. I find it funny, but that's just me perhaps. I am doing fine chip wise and over the average, all we need now is just a decent run to bring home the money. Still a long way to go.
71 remain. I've been moved to a new table with my pal Tammy, and a bunch of over-aggressive internet dweebs who don't like folding anything and who like scabby min raises. Hate is a strong word, but I guess if I had to qualify, these are the players I hate. They're like a virus in poker. They all basically play the same way, and have virtually no personality of flair. Never mind.
Up to level 12 now, and 64 players remain. Has been a lean last level and I'm back to 60K after winning very little. Average is 72K, so time to get moving again as we are now at 2K/1K/2K.
Annnnddd..
yet again we get to see how fair poker can be when you play well and do everything right.
I look down at JJ. An aggressive guy makes it 6K to play. An equally aggressive big stack now makes it 13K and I shove for 55K, knowing 100% I'm winning. First one folds, second one dwells and then asks for a count, then calls and then tables 10 10. He immediately flops a 10 for a set in a 125K pot, lets out a large unruly cheer just to compound the pain, and that's the end of my tournament after nearly seven hours. Bust in around 60th when that pot almost certainly gets me to the money, and likely to the final as well. That would be no fun would it? Over and out. All I can do is play well and get it in good, the rest is down to variance, which of course can be brutally cruel when it feels like it.
Lost a few players, and one kid who has sat lost one pot to me, then got AA and got paid, and then KK and flopped a set, and his opponent decided to reshove bluff the river with Ace high, which of course didn't go so well.
I found JJ on a 10 high flop and shoved and the same kid gave me a full double up with J 10. I got to over 23K but have dipped back a bit.
107/214 left and we're at 800/400/800. Prize pool is up and it's almost 29K up top right now. Which would help a bit. I've run it up to 40K now, partly by having 10 10 vs 77.
108/227 left, so a ways to go yet.
Internet is still playing up so updates are sadly a bit sporadic.
I raise with JJ and a guy who has around 40K now shoves. There are tons of players left and I'm not some internet dweeb living in his parent's basement, so to me it's not an auto call. In fact with my chips it's actually an easy fold, so I muck. He shows 10 10. Lovely.
A while later a very ABC player raises my blind. I call with Ah 3h, and the flop comes 339. Fantastic. I check to him, and he C-bets 3500. I make it 13500 and give him the speech about him bulling. He tanks for a while, and then shoves allin with...AK! Wonderful. I hit 72K and leave him wondering what just hit him.
88 players left, blinds now 1200/600/1200.
Some poker people are hilarious. This structure is OK, but some guys are still jamming 20K or 30K allin preflop with A 10 or similar. I find it funny, but that's just me perhaps. I am doing fine chip wise and over the average, all we need now is just a decent run to bring home the money. Still a long way to go.
71 remain. I've been moved to a new table with my pal Tammy, and a bunch of over-aggressive internet dweebs who don't like folding anything and who like scabby min raises. Hate is a strong word, but I guess if I had to qualify, these are the players I hate. They're like a virus in poker. They all basically play the same way, and have virtually no personality of flair. Never mind.
Up to level 12 now, and 64 players remain. Has been a lean last level and I'm back to 60K after winning very little. Average is 72K, so time to get moving again as we are now at 2K/1K/2K.
Annnnddd..
yet again we get to see how fair poker can be when you play well and do everything right.
I look down at JJ. An aggressive guy makes it 6K to play. An equally aggressive big stack now makes it 13K and I shove for 55K, knowing 100% I'm winning. First one folds, second one dwells and then asks for a count, then calls and then tables 10 10. He immediately flops a 10 for a set in a 125K pot, lets out a large unruly cheer just to compound the pain, and that's the end of my tournament after nearly seven hours. Bust in around 60th when that pot almost certainly gets me to the money, and likely to the final as well. That would be no fun would it? Over and out. All I can do is play well and get it in good, the rest is down to variance, which of course can be brutally cruel when it feels like it.