Morning campers.
Off we trundle in the $1500 Summer Solstice, with 90 minute levels and a fresh crop of mutants to try to vanquish.
I don't want to be "that guy" who is the guy who says he likes his opening table. It might upset someone who doesn't like that guy saying they don't want to be that guy... Screw it. They can always find something else to be pissy about anyway. I kind of liking my opening table so far (all 15 minutes in). Three old guys who are all nice and chatty, couple of robots and two guys who look like they were trying to buy tickets to Penn and Teller and thought they'd sit down.
I win a nice early pot from an oldskin when I flop a straight, then I lose it back to an unsmiling headphone jockey when my 99 lose to his rivered set of sixes.
Off we trundle in the $1500 Summer Solstice, with 90 minute levels and a fresh crop of mutants to try to vanquish.
I don't want to be "that guy" who is the guy who says he likes his opening table. It might upset someone who doesn't like that guy saying they don't want to be that guy... Screw it. They can always find something else to be pissy about anyway. I kind of liking my opening table so far (all 15 minutes in). Three old guys who are all nice and chatty, couple of robots and two guys who look like they were trying to buy tickets to Penn and Teller and thought they'd sit down.
I win a nice early pot from an oldskin when I flop a straight, then I lose it back to an unsmiling headphone jockey when my 99 lose to his rivered set of sixes.
I'm in full comedy patter mode whether I win or lose, and the table has already loosened up and is having a laugh. This is at least in part, the point of why I do it. Plenty of waxwork dummies in the room with no social skills or inclination to bring a little levity to a long day. I enjoy this side greatly, and in part it's why I don't play as much in the UK any more. People just don't like to have fun the way they do over here. Some might disagree with that statement. They'd be wrong.
Found aces and won the 75 in blinds. Happy days.
Found aces and won the 75 in blinds. Happy days.
Been a little up and down already but I'm up to 8500 and playing quite a lot of small ball pots.
Am greatly enjoying dancing around and playing more than my fair share of pots. I'm up to a smile inducing 13k by splashing around. Once cracking KK with a flopped set of tens. Nice easy game this!
Just returned from The end of level 15 minute break. I was going to post a quick video but bumped into James Morris, and "mad" Marty Wilson outside and ended up having a natter about life. Always good to see the nice people in poker when I'm out here.
To recap, I'm now on 13,500 and we are back at 50/100. So a GOOD start for me for once.
To recap, I'm now on 13,500 and we are back at 50/100. So a GOOD start for me for once.
Argh. Just had one of those fun cucumber moments you get in these things. Raised with 10s 9s, got REraised by a guy who's seeing a lot of flops (just like me).
Flop 9d 8s 4s. I'm liking it. He leads and I call.
Turn is the Jh now giving me a pair, a flush draw and an up and down straight draw. He checks and this time I bet, he calls.
River is the 4h giving me a not great two pair and little else.
We both check and he shows 9d8d for a flopped two pair nines and eights and declares "three pair". Yuck. Back to 8k :(
Flop 9d 8s 4s. I'm liking it. He leads and I call.
Turn is the Jh now giving me a pair, a flush draw and an up and down straight draw. He checks and this time I bet, he calls.
River is the 4h giving me a not great two pair and little else.
We both check and he shows 9d8d for a flopped two pair nines and eights and declares "three pair". Yuck. Back to 8k :(
I quickly bully my way back up to 9200 again,old guy on my right just lost a 15k pot KK vs AA.
Hammertime. Got myself back up to 11k after the aforementioned senior citizen couldn't put down QQ on a J4AJ 9 board. Some lucky boat had KJ and milked it.
The two seat in this table has had AA, KK and AA today, has flopped a set every time and got paid. It's a tough life...
Meanwhile I'm pedalling in 11,500 and ducking and diving. The old fella on my right has called off most of his chips and now gets it in with 99 vs QQ on a 5788 board. River is a six, and though it's a mercenary thing to say, I'm glad that he won the pot and not the other guy, who is a far tougher player and would be harder to get the chips from.
Almost at the third break. Screen shows 1,661 players so far.
Meanwhile I'm pedalling in 11,500 and ducking and diving. The old fella on my right has called off most of his chips and now gets it in with 99 vs QQ on a 5788 board. River is a six, and though it's a mercenary thing to say, I'm glad that he won the pot and not the other guy, who is a far tougher player and would be harder to get the chips from.
Almost at the third break. Screen shows 1,661 players so far.
We're midway into level 4 now, which is the last level before the dinner break. I'm back to 11,500 and a few bodies have been carried out. We've had three AA vs KK confrontations on here today. I've been involved in none of them.
Nice disaster. Down to 6k.
I seem to be getting rivered a lot today. I flopped top two with 9d7d on a 972 board. QQ rivered a set and if I'd played it like a dummy I'd have been out by now as he wasn't folding if I played it stronger and committed on the flop. Sighcopters.
Back to 9k when a soul read with 99 picked off a 1600 river bluff with a busted draw with a King and a Ten on the board. The opponent said "lucky call, I could have a ten a lot of the time there"
"Yep. But not that time", I replied. And that was that.
Pretty Russian dealer joins the table and tries to be very stern and unsmiling. Fortunately I know a little Russian and with my normal line of table horseshit she is not only smiling but also blushing. A happy table is an action table. I'm back to 8300.
Nice disaster. Down to 6k.
I seem to be getting rivered a lot today. I flopped top two with 9d7d on a 972 board. QQ rivered a set and if I'd played it like a dummy I'd have been out by now as he wasn't folding if I played it stronger and committed on the flop. Sighcopters.
Back to 9k when a soul read with 99 picked off a 1600 river bluff with a busted draw with a King and a Ten on the board. The opponent said "lucky call, I could have a ten a lot of the time there"
"Yep. But not that time", I replied. And that was that.
Pretty Russian dealer joins the table and tries to be very stern and unsmiling. Fortunately I know a little Russian and with my normal line of table horseshit she is not only smiling but also blushing. A happy table is an action table. I'm back to 8300.
Yahtzee.
I raised with J9s and got a REraise from A6. After all the dancing died down on the turn the board was showing 8 7 9 10. I made a HUGE overbet, and the one seat agonised, then called me with the low straight. Wonderful. He was drawing dead to a chop which never materialised, and I'm back to 14,000.
The perfect spot.
Dinner break approaching and I'm on a heater. Up to a very comfortable 21k and off for a 90 minute snack.
Return from the dinner full of hopes and dreams and fresh as a daisy ready to resume my onslaught.
A 4k stack immediately shoves with 77 after I raised with AK, another player calls and we check it down after both missing (no side pot). The short all in wins a 14k pot and is now chirping again. I could have done without that upon starting the new level. Down to 16k.
The screen says 890 players left from 1766. Still two levels for people to buy in!
A 4k stack immediately shoves with 77 after I raised with AK, another player calls and we check it down after both missing (no side pot). The short all in wins a 14k pot and is now chirping again. I could have done without that upon starting the new level. Down to 16k.
The screen says 890 players left from 1766. Still two levels for people to buy in!
My table broke. I consider this to be pretty bad news as I had a handle on every player. Now I have a full set of unknowns to contend with... This table also has at least five BIG (over 30k) stacks to contend with so I need to re-evaluate my strategy.
This table is a lot tougher and more of a grind than the last. Directly on my left is JJ Liu's dad, who just came 5th in the Seniors for around $136,000. Nice guy and obviously no mug. The table is playing a lot tighter and I quickly find myself from 16k down to 12k.
Struggling a bit on here currently. Card dead and on a tough table as we approach the next break at end of level 5. Currently we're embroiled in a very long hand which results in a four way all in!!!
Flop 4s 7d 5d
Hands are:
5h6d
7s3s
AdQd
AcAh
JJ's dad wins a big pot with the 56 when he makes trips and fades everything else!!!
Break. I'm on 10k.
Flop 4s 7d 5d
Hands are:
5h6d
7s3s
AdQd
AcAh
JJ's dad wins a big pot with the 56 when he makes trips and fades everything else!!!
Break. I'm on 10k.
Two levels before wrapping up for the night and I'm not as comfy as I'd like to be on around 10k. It's 50/200/400 so not critical, but I can't be calling off left right and centre and bleeding down.
As if by magic, a new players joins the table and I flop a big combo draw, he bets the flop, I bet the turn, and I miss everything on the river and he shoves. Marvellous. 7600.
As if by magic, a new players joins the table and I flop a big combo draw, he bets the flop, I bet the turn, and I miss everything on the river and he shoves. Marvellous. 7600.
Fighting for my life here on 7400, but oddly enough am feeling very relaxed and focused. I saw what happened in the big 4 way all-in earlier, and you only need that little rub of the green to turn things around rapidly. You just have to still be around when it happens!
640 players remain from 1809 starters. I find QQ and limp as its a pretty raise-happy table. Obviously a bunch of others now limp too and we see the flop six handed!
It comes 348 rainbow and we check around. The button makes a small bet and is called. I raise 3/4 of my stack showing I'm committed and everyone grumbles and goes away, allowing me to take it down. Still not comfortable but I'm taking the initiative, and that counts for a lot against savvy opponents.
A10 in the big blind and a 2100 short stack jams before the big blind reaches him. Everyone folds and I'm obliged to call. He has AA. Marvellous. Down to 8k.
It comes 348 rainbow and we check around. The button makes a small bet and is called. I raise 3/4 of my stack showing I'm committed and everyone grumbles and goes away, allowing me to take it down. Still not comfortable but I'm taking the initiative, and that counts for a lot against savvy opponents.
A10 in the big blind and a 2100 short stack jams before the big blind reaches him. Everyone folds and I'm obliged to call. He has AA. Marvellous. Down to 8k.
The 2100 AA guy is busted. The table is quite chatty again but it's a different kind of chat and I'm mainly sitting back and soaking it up. People are discussing hands, one of the things I really don't do and am not a fan of. Not to say it's wrong, just to say it isn't what I do. The conversations here and in general always seem so robotic and repetitive..."he doesn't bet a ten in this spot", "clearly he's repping a straight", "do you jam the river and hope to get called by worse?", etc, etc. obviously some of these guys are talented players, and of course in poker it's legal to lie, but I always see these sort of chats as SO counter-productive to being a good player, and conversely very informative to the astute player who can learn a ton of stuff about people's playing style, without ever having to give anything away. All you need to do is sit and let them explain away their strategy, and then just exploit it. It bewilders me why they feel the need to spill their guts about the "correct" way to play a hand, especially when it's often not.
Anyhoo, nearly at the final break before the last level of the day. I'm on 7400 and we're still at 50/200/400.
Anyhoo, nearly at the final break before the last level of the day. I'm on 7400 and we're still at 50/200/400.
We're 75/250/500 and I'm on 3800. Time to get it in before I get auto called, I may get action anyway.
Perfect. Find QQ and make it 3200 leaving myself 325.... The big blind has no clue what to make of this and calls with A3 off suit. The rest goes in on the flop and I double. Patience is a virtue and all that.
Final tournament numbers:
1840 entrants
510 remain
276 get paid
Deja Vu from my experience in the $2k event....
Perfect. Find QQ and make it 3200 leaving myself 325.... The big blind has no clue what to make of this and calls with A3 off suit. The rest goes in on the flop and I double. Patience is a virtue and all that.
Final tournament numbers:
1840 entrants
510 remain
276 get paid
Deja Vu from my experience in the $2k event....
Ugh. I just busted out in 498th when my AJ reshove loses to a raiser who called with 10 10. It was a fair fight and I've no complaints about it. The flop was 89Q so I had plenty of ways to win it and if I do I'm back up to about 18k and comfortable. It wasn't to be and though I'd rather it wasn't (again) 40 minutes from bagging up for the day, I just grit my teeth and move onto whatever is next.
Thanks for the messages and comments etc. always good to see people appreciate my inane rambling. Off to go home and sleep after yet another twelve hours in the trenches...
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