Ocean’s 11 tournaments 9/25/09, 9/26/09, 9/27/09 October 3, 2009

I flew out to San Diego to meet friends and play poker at Ocean’s 11 Casino in Oceanside CA.  The California Ladies State Championship was going on and I planned to play in not only the championship but the LIPS event and the tag team charity event.

Hubby tells me I should try one $60 satellite to the clsc and I do.  I was overtired and should have peeked at the starting chips before I signed up.  You only started with 1200 in chips but I decided I could deal with that.  I was doing okay, stealing when I needed to, playing my hands well, moving my chips around well.  It got down to 4 and the button made a move on my bb.  We were the two short stacks at the table so I felt she was making a move against me.  I had KJ sooooted and decided this was a good place to call and hope to double up.  She had Ax and it held up and I was all in in the sb the next hand and went out on the bubble.

Next day was the LIPS tournament and again I wasn’t paying enough attention and didn’t check the structure before it started.  A lesson I learned and a mistake I don’t plan on making again.  The LIPS tournament had a very fast structure, 4k in starting chips, 25 minute levels, with antes kicking in starting at 100 ante somewhere around the 5th level.  My first table held two great players and I spent a lot of time watching and learning and fighting to gather chips.  I did well at that table and when our table broke my momentum broke too.  I got moved again and I moved in with I don’t even remember what just trying to double up because the blinds and antes were so high.  I went out with 6 tables left and about a 1/2 hour later someone told me there were only 3 tables left that is how fast the structure was.

Next day was the CLSC and it had a much better structure.  5k in starting chips, 30 minute levels, and antes kicked in at only 25 and moved up a lot slower.  My first table was good to me.  Me and the eventual winner of the event spent a lot of time gathering chips and both left our table when it broke in good shape.  I got moved to a table with a few great players (not scared of them but definitely kept their play on my radar) and one card rack.  This woman could not lose a hand and eventually went on to win the most money (they did a chop) but went out in 3rd place.  I was getting short in chips and made a move on the button against the bb which didn’t end up working because she was hiding KK.  I was fine with that though, I was getting short and had to double up or go home.  Next hand I moved in with J8 and flopped two pair against card rack’s Q9 and the river brought the dreaded T to knock me out.

I wasn’t unhappy with my play though even with the move I made on the button.  I didn’t want to get blinded out and if the move had worked I would have been in position to make it deep in the tournament.  I went out about 15 before the money started but I’m not complaining because I hopped on a 3/6 table that hit a bad beat jackpot and I got a nice table share out of it.

Last day was the charity event which was a tag team event.  Half limit holdem and half limit omaha h/l.  My husband played the holdem part and I played the omaha part.  The first couple rounds we stayed around our starting chip stack (we took both the dealer bonus and add-on) of 4500 chips.  The third round hubby lost 1/4 of our stack and the next level I almost doubled our stack.  From there we slowly built a chip stack but eventually the levels went from 30 minute levels to 20 minute levels and blinds creeped up fast.

When there were about twenty left he got upset with himself, he made a bad judgement in a hand and lost half our chips.  He was hoping they’d let me finish the tournament alone because he felt if it hadn’t been for him I would have cruised to the money.  We played two more levels and then my next round up when there were 12 couples (or singles as some played both games) an even chop was proposed and we all took it and then fought it out for the trophy.  Hubby and I went out in 7th place, I thought it was cute as he was the last man standing.  He definitely felt pressured playing with all of us scary-good women poker players.

All in all it was a successful weekend.  I met so many wonderful people, I played a lot of live poker which I don’t always get a chance to do, and the whole trip only cost us our airfare because of our chop and my bad beat jackpot share.

Saturday $150 nlhe mtt at Seabrook 9/19/2009 October 3, 2009

I decided that before I went to Ocean’s 11 to see friends and play in the two nlhe ladie’s events I should play in a live nlhe mtt because it had been a while since I’d done so.  Seabrook Poker has a tournament every Saturday at 1pm, $150 entrance fee, 15k in starting chips, 30 minute levels.

I didn’t keep track of my chip stack along with the levels because they announced no cell phones out at the table at all and I normally use the memo feature on my phone.  I could have used a structure sheet to write on but I like to use my youngish naive look to my advantage and keeping close watch on how I’m doing doesn’t do anything for this.  I mostly just remember each table I was at and how I played.

There were 51 entrants to start, I had been hoping for more as I was thinking the Sunday $200 would be light on players because of the Patriots game but I was off on that thinking.  My first table was pretty soft, I was able to pick up chips using bluffs, steals, semi-bluffs, decent hands, etc.  I remember making one large laydown with JJ when a person smooth called my raise preflop and then bet out on a Queen high flop.  I had too many chips and it was too early for me to go getting silly with Jacks.  I knocked out one person with AA when they moved in with AK against me.  I also gathered some chips against a very loose female player (obviously loose in the poker sense lol) when we were in the sb/bb (me the bb) and I flopped two pair and she flopped trips and I rivered a boat…she almost blew a gasket but she gave me a free flop and bet small on the turn and I honestly felt I had the best hand at that time. When they broke my table I moved to the next table with around 31k in chips.

At this time there were 4 shortish tables left (about 35 or so players).  I had a player two to my left who I knew was a good player, he is a friend of a friend and I know he had some great cashes under his belt and mostly relied on poker to pay his bills.   I steered clear of him unless I had a hand.  The blinds were starting to get up there but I still had plenty of chips to play with until this happened.

I had AA in mid position and UTG raises 2 1/2 times the big blind (which was 500/1000 at the time).  I’d seen this player get silly with some idiotic hands so I was hoping to isolate him and take his chips.  I re-raised another 5k on top and it was back around to him (he honestly looked like he was 12 and I’m guessing he was just 18 which is NH’s legal poker age) and was unsurprised when he re-raised another 7k to put himself in and to commit a ton of my chips to the pot.  I totally expected when he re-raised that he had JJ, QQ, or KK.

He flips over QJ off and there was a collective gasp at what he re-raised me with since this was my first hand at the table since I’d sat down about 20 minutes before.  The flop came K92…dum dum dum…turn T….river blank and he’s got over 1/2 my chips in his stack.  This man to his right freaked out on him on my behalf while I just sat there silently steaming.  Two hands later I look down at K3 off and think that would be a great hand to put almost 15k in the middle with and decide I need to go for a walk.  I come back recomposed and steal the blinds every round to keep my stack even.

Eventually it is down to two tables and I’m looking for a hand to make a move with.  With 19 players left, I am in the bb with K9 of diamonds.  A player in mid-position limps (he has a ton of chips) as does the bb (who has a decent amount of chips).  The flop comes Kxx (2 diamonds on the xx).  The sb bets out a min bet and I move all in for my remaining chips (I had about 9x the bb at that time).  The big stack folds and the medium stack snap calls 3/4 of his stack with Ax of diamonds.  Turn comes with a diamond and I’m out.

I played so well this day, I really felt as if lady luck had been smiling down on me on the AA hand I wouldn’t have had to make a move with the K9 or at least would have had chips left to continue playing.  I definitely plan on playing this tournament again, it is a really good structure for me.  I had to laugh because one of the dealers saw me and was like “why are you playing nlhe, you are a mixed games player and there is an omaha h/l tournament going on and you aren’t in it”.  I thought that was cute, that he remembered I liked to play the omaha/horse/etc tournaments.

Omaha h/l mtt at Seabrook 8/8/09 October 3, 2009

I was looking forward to playing this tournament, Omaha h/l and Omaha in general is one of my favorite games.  I was hoping for a better turn out than the Razz tournament a couple weeks before.  It was a $100 buy-in and you started with 6k in chips.   There were 32 players for this mtt.

I don’t remember specific hands but I do remember a steady climb through the first break with things going downhill after.

Level 1 – 25/50 blinds and I ended the level with 6450 in chips

Level 2 – 50/100 blinds and I ended the level with 6950 in chips

Level 3 – 75/150 blinds and I’m still making small strides ending with 7450 in chips.

Level 4 – 100/200 blinds and I end with 9800 in chips.  This was a good level.  I didn’t get many good hands but I did get one scooped pot which helped a lot.

Level 5 – 150/300 blinds, win a couple high hands and end with 11,300 in chips.

(this is where the downward trend begins, I stop picking up hands and lose my way)

Level 6 – 200/400 blinds, play no hands really and end with 10k even in chips.

Level 7 – 300/500 blinds, end with 9200 in chips.

Level 8 – 300/600 blinds, end with 8900 in chips.  I’m doing a good job of hanging tight and not losing patience.

Level 9 – 400/800 blinds, end with 11,700 in chips.  I had a good level, split a couple pots.  I’m feeling good at this point and still have confidence I can win.

Level 10 – 500/1000 blinds, down to 9000 in chips just from paying blinds.

Level 11 – 500/1500 blinds (these blind levels are weirding me out lol), I pay my blinds and then get moved to a new table (2 tables left) and get moved in to the bb and by the end of the round after losing a big hand I am down to 3500 in chips.

Level 12 – 1000/2000 blinds I go out in 11th place and they do a 7 way chop a few victims later.

I played well I felt, it was only my 2nd Omaha h/l tournament.  The first time I played in one was at Foxwoods and I was the true bubble and just missed the cash and one person out of the 5 left refused to pay the bubble.  I really enjoyed this tournament and kept a good attitude throughout.  A couple of the dealers commented on recognizing me as a mixed game player which I thought was funny as I play more holdem than anything.

Razz mtt at Seabrook 7/25/09 October 3, 2009

I’d never believe that they would hold a Razz tournament but they did.  It was held late on a Saturday afternoon and the same weekend as a big event down at one of the CT casinos so it didn’t get a good draw.  There were 19 players to start with top 3 getting paid, so basically a large sit-n-go.

We started with 6k in chips and the rounds were 30 minutes if I remember correctly.  I wrote down everything on my memo on my phone except the blind length, oops.  The first few rounds until the break were eh, too many players playing and I watched my stack dwindle a bit.

Level 1- 25 ante, 25 bring in, 50/100 limits ending the level with 5450 in chips

Level 2 – 25 ante, 25 bring in, 100/200 limits ending the level with 4925 in chips

Level 3 – 50 ante, 50 bring in, 150/300 limits ending the level with 4975 in chips

Level 4 – 50 ante, 50 bring in, 200/400 limits ending the level with 4475 in chips

Level 5 – 75 ante, 100 bring in, 300/600 limits ending the level and going to break with 4225 in chips.  They raced off the green chips during break and I came back to 4200 in chips.  I’ve never gained any momentum up to this point and was hoping after break would be better.

Level 6 – 100 ante, 100 bring in, 400/800 limits and end the level with 3400 in chips.

Level 7 – 200 ante, 200 bring in, 600/1200 limits (where did 500/1000 go darnit!) and end the level with 3800 in chips.  I finally finally won a hand woohooo!

Level 8 – 200 ante, 200 bring in, 800/1600 limits ending the level with 2ooo in chips.  There are nine left at this point and this level was a very bad level for me.  I was the bring in almost every hand and it really affected my already dwindling chip stack.

Level 9 – 200 ante, 300 bring in, 1000/2000 limits and this is the level I went out in with 8 left.  I had the best hand until 7th and he hit a 75 low to beat my first five card made 85 low.  He was running well and the last card was kind to him.  After I and 7th place got knocked out (same hand) they did a 6 way chop.

This was a hard tournament for me.  I was considered to be a solid razz player and either one of two things would happen if I entered a hand.  If I raised or showed agression at all everyone would fold to me and if I slowed down and checked or called or just bet and got called I would get chased to 7th street and would lose the hand.  I just could never find a good balance in this mtt but was very happy to get to try a Razz tournament.

HORSE mtt at Seabrook Poker Room July 19, 2009

I noticed on their calendar that they were holding a HORSE mtt and that as opposed to past months they had lowered the buy-in from $150 to $100.  I was hoping it might draw a bigger crowd than I’ve noticed it had in past months but alas it was not so.  I haven’t played live poker since the end of October 2008 so I felt this would be a fun way to get back on the horse (snicker snicker).

When I signed up there were 18 other players.  I was fine with that, it’s like playing a 3 table sng.  In the first level we were up to 24 players for 3 full tables.  By the end of the 2nd level they’d added another table which I thought was weird.  40 minutes in to the tournament and they allowed a full third table to start with full starting chips.  I got over that quick though lol.

Started with 6k in chips, 20 minute levels, blind structure a bit strange but ended up working towards my style of play.  After the first holdem level (25/50 blinds, 50/100 limits) I had 7150 in chips.  Our first level of play was short handed and my play was getting respect.  After the omaha h/l level (25/50 blinds, 50/100 limits) I had 7250 in chips.  In the next level, razz (25 ante, 25 bring-in, 100 complete, 100/200 limits), I didn’t have a single playable hand until the last one and ended with 7550 in chips.

The next two levels, stud and stud 8 or better (25 ante, 25 bring-in, 100 complete, 100/200 limits) I didn’t do much of anything except pay my ante and bring-in and went to break down to 5675 in chips.  After a ten minute break we came back to holdem with 100/200 blinds and 200/400 limits.   I picked up KK in ep and raised and the guy to my left (very loose and already mentally moved on to the next tournament starting) cold-called and the blind called.  The flop came Q, 9, 2 rainbow and I bet out.  The guy to my left raised me and the bb folded.  Because of how loose this player had been playing and the fact that I know he is ready to go play in the 4pm nlhe mtt I don’t put him on a huge hand.  I feel that if he’d had a pair preflop he would have raised which he didn’t.  I put him on two face cards with a Q.  I still chose to cold call to see the turn and get a raise in there.  The turn came with a ten and I checked and he bet and I raised.

He flipped out saying that I obviously was running around with the Seabrook nuts which happens to be KJ and that I very obviously hit my straight.  He called anyway.  The river came putting 3 spades on board and I fired out a bet and he bitched and moaned for a minute and then called.  I turned over my KK and he turns over….Q2 offsuit lol.  He says that he had to call the river because there was too much money in the pot.  I say I understand but that I don’t understand why he called my raise preflop.  His answer…oh I was just trying to donkey off my chips so that I can take my seat in the 4pm tournament.  Well gee thanks for that, sigh.  After this level I am down to 2250 in chips and there are still 32 players.

After the next omaha h/l level (100/200 blinds and 200/400 limits) I am down to 1175 in chips and am feeling despondent.  One of the dealers comes up behind me with a tray and tells me I’m being moved to another table because one of the other tables lost 2 players.  He said that it’s probably a good thing for me and he feels my luck is going to turn around.  I start at the new table at the beginning of the razz level (50 ante, 50 bring-in, 300 complete, 300/600 limits) and I get down to 800 chips and I pick a hand and move in with it and double up.  Next hand I have another low to start and I get my chips in the middle with another short stack and knock him out.  I end the level with 4225 in chips.

Stud and Stud 8 or better (50 ante, 50 bring-in, 300 complete, and 300/600 limits)…I lose about 1000 chips during stud and gain another 1000 during stud 8 or better ending that HORSE round with 4400 chips.  Still struggling but managing to stay in.  At this point I honestly felt if some luck would enter my side I could make it to the money.  The next holdem level (200/400 blinds, 400/800 limits) I end with 4200 chips and we have 16 players left.  Omaha h/l (200/400 blinds, 400/800 limits) was rough for me and I end with 3100 chips (a miracle that I even had that left).

I end the razz level (100 ante, 100 bring-in, 500 complete, 500/1000 limits) around 2600 chips.  Stud hi (same antes,bring-in, complete, limits) I end with 2100 chips.  My last level was stud 8 or better (same antes, bring-in, complete, limits)and I decided I had to go now…double up or get out.  I got my chips in while holding A, 3  in the hole and had 7, 7, 3 up.  I got called by a guy with no low possibility and a pair of kings.  His last two cards, 5 and 5 to knock me out since I never improved my hand.

I lasted 15 levels, I managed to fight back after getting muckled with a full field of players still left and I’m actually very proud of how I played and of my attitude.  I only had one bad moment right after that one hand and I got myself right back together.  I felt that this tournament was a very strange but good structure for me because I was able to last a long time fighting with a small amount of chips.  Next week they are holding their very first razz tournament ($100 buy-in, 6k in starting chips) and I think I’m going to go play.

Foxwoods day trip 10/29/08… October 31, 2008

I took the bus to Foxwoods yesterday to play some 4/8 limit.  I was seated at a new table and sat at seat 7 and grabbed the first seat change button to keep my options open.  I spent the first two hours watching my great flopped hands go down in a ball of flame to a chased river hand.  I flopped two king high flushes and went down both times to a rivered full boat.  I flopped trip nines and went down on the river to a chased gut shot straight draw.  My Aces and my Kings went down in a ball of flames.  I thought of changing tables when I was down $150 after two hours but the table was just so good I had to stay.   It also helped that two different guys at the table soft-played when against me when they had the best hand and I had the 2nd best hand and they knew it because they were “giving me a break” lol.

After a couple hours, the man in seat ten left and I exercised my seat change button and moved to his seat.  It is one of my favorite seats and I figured the change of scenery just might help.  Oh boy did it…within the next half hour I saw AA, KK, QQ, JJ, 99, 88, AK, AQ and WON with them all lol.  This was not to last though as the cards went cold again and my hands stopped holding up.  Luckily because of my rush though I was only down for the day about $80 (I was actually up for the day during the rush).  I’m sure some people would have left after their rush ended but when I take the bus to play poker, I am in it for a long haul.  I could have changed tables but it was still filled with bad play and I couldn’t leave that.

Towards the end of my day I had a key hand that got me to even.  I had A5 of diamonds in the sb…4 people limped and I called and the bb called.  The flop came Ks, Jd, 3d…I checked wanting a free card and 2nd utg bet and all of us called.  The turn was the 2d giving me the nut flush and the straight flush re-draw (fun)…I checked again, the bb bet, the 2nd utg raised, I called thinking I’d be able to pop it on the river and then the bb re-raised (BINGO), 2nd utg smooth called and I capped it and they both called.  The river came a blank and I bet out, the bb raised me and 2nd utg smooth calls again, I re-raise and they both call.  When the cards were turned over…I had Ad5d, bb had Qd7d, and 2nd utg had KdTd. 

After another round or so I decided to quit for the day as I was getting fatigued and I don’t like playing for cash when I’m overly fatigued.  I ended my day up $15 and although it is frustrating to be hit by the deck on and off all day and not show a huge profit by it I am very proud of the patience I showed, not letting my emotions get the best of me, and making the most out of the hands that did stand up.

Foxwoods trip 10/24/08-10/25/08 October 30, 2008

I arrived at Foxwoods on Friday and headed right for a 4/8 limit holdem game. Hubby and I got seated at a new table together (which isn’t to my liking) and hubby promptly got in the middle of no-good. Sometime in the first round he had AJ suited and a player before him raised and half the table called including hubby. The flop came Jack high and the original raiser bet and hubby raised him to see where he was at. Everyone folded and the guy called hubby’s raise. Turn came a blank as did the river and the guy check-called hubby down. My husband flipped over his top pair, top kicker and the guy slow rolled over KK and smirked at him and said some snide comment that I didn’t catch but I got the gist of from his tone.

Hubster turned to me and said to ME “that hand was played so wrong from beginning to end.” and I agreed and then the dealer was barking down hubby’s throat telling him that if he ever berated how a player plays his hand again that he would be banned from Foxwoods. First off, he said nothing about the player but how the hand played out. Second, this coming right after the KK guy slow rolled hubby and did his smirk/comment thing. The dealer and him got into a pissing match for a bit and then all seemed calm. Except for the fact that in the next hour he was dealt every big hand in the world and did not rake in a single pot. It was unreal to watch. He went broke pretty quick and headed back to the room.

After he left, it felt like a weight was lifted from my shoulders. My attitude lightened up and my play improved and I went from being down $100 to ending the night up $100. I didn’t see any big pairs or many drawing hands. As someone mentioned, I was very creative with my play and took advantage of a couple key situations which helped build up my chips.

Saturday was the $300 ladies event. It started at 10 am (yuk), started with 5k in chips, with 45 minute rounds. The first table I was seated at was MAGIC. I could do no wrong. Not once at that table did I lose a hand that made it to showdown or lose a gross amount of chips. I’ve been reading Gus Hansen’s book and it really had an impact on my play in the early stages that day. So many of the players at that table were scared to raise preflop or to value bet or bet out if they felt they had the best hand and I took advantage of all of it. There was one woman who was a constant bettor/raiser and who I used the check/raise on twice with success. Anytime I was raising or re-raising everyone at the table would get comments that I must have Aces again…yep, don’t they wish lol.

There was one thing said at that table that really bothered (and still does bother) me. A woman at my table said that when she is playing against friends that she tends to soft-play against them, meaning that she’ll check down with them, she won’t bluff them, she won’t value bet against them. I found this to be so WRONG. I don’t care who I am playing, I’m always looking to play my best game.

Our table was one of the first ones that broke up and the next table I was moved to was like hitting a brick wall, literally. I went from a table full of happy, smiley women who were keen on handing me their chips to a table full of grumpy, silent women who were keen on taking my chips. The first five hands I saw played out, the same woman was raising and betting and stealing and never showing down a hand. I took this as she was the aggressor at the table. Her and I got tangled in a hand and she continued her aggressive ways (I had KJ on the button, first one in and raised), she took control of a flop of QQJ and I called, she bet smaller on the turn and I raised and she called. River came with a J and I could not put her on a Q so I called her when she bet out. She had QJ, sigh. I lost a good portion of my chips for mistaking aggression when I should have realized she was just catching cards.

My demise was KQ of hearts…I raised all in with it and was called by pocket 3’s which held up and I was out the door about half way through the field.

After that I headed down to play 4/8 limit holdem again. Again, I was not catching a lot of cards but did have some interesting drawing hands. I was up and down the same 60 or so dollars all day. The one key hand that stands out to me at my first 4/8 table was KQ of hearts (déjà vu). This time though it produced a better outcome in the form of a flopped Royal Flush. I had limped in preflop after a couple other limpers and the button raised and 5 people called his raise. I checked the royal on the flop lol and it was checked around. I checked again on the turn and the original raiser decided it was time to bet out…all 4 players called him and then I raised and they all called. I bet out on the river and two of the four called. Everyone was stunned when I turned up the royal, not a single person suspected it. For my royal effort, I received a nice sized pot and a $50 gas card.

About midway through the day, this older woman sat to my left and proceeded to be GROUCHY, very very GROUCHY. About anything and everything. If she won a pot, she whined and complained. If she lost a pot she whined and complained. If someone bet her out of a pot she whined and complained. If she couldn’t see the cards at showdown she whined and complained. It was HORRIBLE and dragged down the whole vibe of the table. I had KK one hand and raised and she quick called my raise as did a couple others. The flop came with an ace and it was checked around to me. The fastest way to find an ace is to bet out on the cheap street and see what happens so that is what I did. She quick raised me and someone quick called her so I folded my KK.

After the hand was over she showed down A7 off lol. Someone asked me which big pair I folded and I said it didn’t matter, I just know it wasn’t A7 off and it wasn’t the winning hand. I usually don’t say anything but this woman’s vibe was getting me down. She asked her friend sitting next to her if she shouldn’t have played a hand like that and her friend says “no, definitely not”…it didn’t sink in though as a few hands later she snapped off some young gun when his AK went down in a ball of flames to A3 lol. It was at this time that I asked for a table change to a table that one of my chix friends was on. I left my table down $80 and over the next hour I had a much better time and slowly got back most of my chips so I ended the night $25 down.

My hubby said “how did you get a royal and lose $25 for the day?”…well the only big pairs I saw all day I lost with and the only drawing hand that really paid off was the royal flush hand. My other favorite hand of the day is when after numerous callers to a raise when I was in the big blind, I had to call the extra bet with any two cards…even 2,4 off (which is whats I had lol). The flop came 772 and I checked and it was checked around to the button who bet out. I check-raised him and it was folded around to him. This was the weekend of the check-raise for me lol!

$100 nlhe tournament at Seabrook Poker Room… October 14, 2008

So hubby convinced me to go play in this tournament yesterday because it had the same blind length and chip stack as the women’s event at Foxwoods that I’m playing in later this month.  I’m pretty sure the tournament structure was a bit fast as compared to Foxwoods but still a better structure than normal for Seabrook.

$100 buy in, 40 minute levels, with 5k in starting chips (we suggested to tournament director maybe next time he does this structure to start with 7k or more in chips). 

Level one…25/50 blinds…I win the first 5 hands of the tournament…the first 4 were steals based on the situation and the 5th hand I actually probably had the best hand.  I ended the round with about 8k in chips and after the 5th hand I showed down AQ suited that went with a coordinated board of A73 with two clubs (I had clubs) to show what a tight lil player I am.

Level two…50/100 blinds…I can’t pick up a hand here and a person has joined through late registration and is now stealing away and we’ve not figured out how to stop her yet (I eventually will).  I end the level with just over 7k in chips.

Level three…100/200 blinds…Again no hands, and the table has become overly aggressive.  I’m just stealing blinds where I can to stay afloat and end the round with about 6k in chips.

Level four…200/400 blinds…same same, lose about another 1k this round and end the round with 5k in chips knowing I need to make a move.

Level five…300/600 blinds…make a move time has come!  I’m sitting in the sb with JJ, a super-short stack moves in for her last 1600 and then two people FLAT CALL lol.  There is no way in heck I’m flat calling or folding as this is my big chance to double up or go home.  I move in for 5kish, bb folds, a limper folds, and the two flat callers fold after lots of biatching and agonizing over the hand.  Short stack turns over K7 and I win the pot to more than double up to 11k in chips.  Guy to my right is whining that I made a bad move by moving in because if I hadn’t he would have won the hand.  Uhm yah sure, great logic lol.   By the end of the round I’m down to 8300 in chips though, sigh.

Level six…400/800 blinds…I need to make moves again because I now only have about 10 times the bb.  I’ve finally figured out the early raiser.  She’s a double and triple bettor lol.  If you bet out 1600, she’ll raise to 3200 trying to steal.  If you limp, she’ll raise to double or triple the blind trying to steal…mostly with hands like QJ.  I got her twice by betting, letting her raise and then moving in. I had my stack up to 13,500 in a couple hands by doing this to her.  I had a very tight image at the table and was using it to my advantage.

I had 88 utg and decide if I’m going to play it, I’m going to raise with it or just fold.  So I raise my standard 4 times the bb (that’s what it took in this tournament to attempt to thin the field at all) to 2400…it’s quickly folded around to the bb who is super tight and only shows down great hands.  He goes in to the tank for a while and then moves all in…he has me covered by about 3k.  In hindsight, I probably should have taken a stand here but I counted down my chips and decided that I had enough time to make a move with the 11k I had left and folded.  I put him on AK suited at the very minimum with the possiblity of an overpair…if it was AK suited we were racing and if anything else I was in trouble.  He knew what I had and he nicely showed me that we would have indeed been racing as he did have the AK suited I thought he had.  I could have called there but I definitely prefer to be the aggressor with 88 than the caller.  If it had been any other person but me he wouldn’t have moved in but they had me pegged as a solid player that could lay down after a raise if needed, and in this case he was right.

Two hands later I’m in the sb with AK suited.  I’m planning on making a move with this hand as with the blinds I’ve just payed, I’m at about 10k in chips.  One of the guys at my table had just sat down and he was pitching a fit because the guy after him was trying to hurry to sit down and play his hand that the dealer was mucking.  He freaked out that the guy shouldn’t get to play and he was all huffy and then he says “fine I raise to 4300″…wtf, FORTY THREE HUNDRED, 5 1/2 times the bb lol???  The blinds are 400/800 and he is 2nd utg.  I peg him as being on tilt and having an Ace but not AK or not a big pair.  It is folded around to me and I move in for my 10K or so in chips and he gets all snooty and ticked off and calls. 

I was right, he had AQ off and he was ticked I had the better hand…until a Q spiked on the turn and I was out.  Then he tells me nice hand and good game.  I don’t say anything but I do kind of snort and I roll my eyes at hubby and say to him (him being hubby) “omg so sick, let’s get out of here”.  Idiot AQ off guy hears me and freaks out.  He says to me “what are you going to cry” “haven’t you ever been sucked out on before little girl” and saying all this idiotic stuff.  I had to about drag my hubby out of there because he was ready to punch the guy for heckling me.  Why can’t people just have class, why do they have to rub it in like that?  That never happened to me live, only online where I expect it.  What I don’t expect is a grown man to say it to me in a room packed with people gawking at us.

So once again, I’m close but no cigar.  I went out about 20 or so from the money.  Again, besides a couple big Ace hands (AQ where I won, and AK where I lost) and having pocket Jacks twice, I had no huge hands.  I forced my way through that field (started with 188 players, I went out 40 something) with just sheer determination that I wanted to further my game.  I had a bad attitude about it all evening but I’ve calmed down a lot to realize that you can’t control the luck factor of the game and I just need to roll with that.

nlhe tournament at Seabrook Poker… October 2, 2008

I’m trying to get out more and play live and decided to head down to Seabrook Poker room for their nightly $70 nlhe tournament.  You start with 4k in chips, 20 min levels, no antes.  There were 61 players and they were paying top 6.

Things weren’t going great for me…no big hands at all, no pairs and no big aces.  After the first level I had 3500 in chips.  Same with the second level…I ended it with 3100 in chips.  Ditto for level 3, not much going on with me but the two guys to the left of me were raking in the chips, their cards could do no wrong.  When break came I was happy to see that I was getting moved to a new table. 

First hand after the break, I have 2200 chips and the blinds are 100/200 and I look down at JJ utg.   I raise to 3 1/2 x the bb (700) and it’s folded around to two off the button who is looking down and reading a magazine and says “raise to 800″.  The dealer tells him that I’ve already raised and the guy looks up and is completely lost and says “so I just call then”.  The dealer tells him no, you have to min raise now since you said “raise”.  The guys says “okay then I’m all in” and he moves 6k in chips to the middle.  The dealer again tells him no, he can only raise to 1200.  The guy does and it comes back around to me.  I don’t put him on a big hand since he seemed to be just raising to steal the blinds.  I put him on some kind of Ace or small pair at the most.  I have a choice, I can just call and see the flop or call the raise and push the last 900 of my chips in as well.

I decide that since they are going in on the flop anyway to just push them now. I feel that he’s going to call me no matter when the money goes in as he’s really steaming away over his mistake.  He flips over AJ (so my read was right) and a guy at the table says I folded AT off so the guy is drawing to two Aces.  Flop is 9 high rainbow, turn is a 7 and river is….AN ACE.  Always so lovely to see such bad play get rewarded.  It won’t deter me though, I’ll be back to play again next week.

Stud tournament… September 28, 2008

So true to my word I went back to Seabrook Poker room the next night to play in their $100 stud tournament.  Hubby ended up coming along with me and playing as well (and he doesn’t like stud lol).  We started with 6k in chips, 74 players entered, and again 20 min rounds so another fast structure.  I didn’t realize how fast a structure it really was until we started playing.

Level 1…$25 ante, $50/100 limits, $25 bring in, $50 to complete…nothing much exciting happened except me paying lots of antes and bring ins and ended the level just under 5k in chips.

Level 2…$25 ante, $100/200 limits, $25 bring in,  $100 to complete…nothing much exciting happened, I won a hand and ended the level at about 5600 in chips.  By this time I’ve heard from about everyone at the table that they aren’t stud players, they have no interest in stud, they are just there looking to win more points.  The guy to my left had come in 2nd the night before and was trying to cement his points win for the weekend.

Level 3…$50 ante, $150/300 limits, $50 bring in, $150 to complete…this round was good to me.  There was a drunk woman two to my left who was just there playing because her husband was playing and was in every hand.  I had a King high flush draw in the first four cards, caught a pair on the next street, and ended up calling this woman to the river where I caught my flush.  She was disgusted I chased her but she was in every hand and I had a better hand than what was showing on her board.  I ended this level with just under 10K in chips.

Level 4…$50 ante, $200/400 limits, $50 bring in, $200 to complete…no good hands, no good action for me and I ended the level with just under 9k in chips.

Level 5…$75 ante, $300/600 limits, $100 bring in, $300 to complete…I lost quite a few chips in this level to the drunk lady who decided that even though I was showing a better hand and she thought I had a straight or a boat that she’d chase me to the river and she caught a boat on the river.  I lost 1/2 my chips in this level and ended with about 4k or so in chips.

Level 6…$100 ante, $400/800 limits,  $100 bring in, $400 to complete…I won a few chips back and ended the round with about 6k in chips.

Level 7…$100 ante, $600/1200 limits, $200 bring in, $600 to complete…not many hands but lost quite a few chips to antes and bring ins/completions and ended the round with just under 4k in chips.

Level 8…$200 ante, $800/1600 limits, $200 bring in, $800 to complete…I got moved to hubby’s table in this round just to the right of him (I was in the 1 seat and he was in the 2 seat) and both of us were short stacked.  He decided to make a move as the bring in (he did this blind) and completed the bring in for $800, the chip leader of whole tournament raised him (with an 8 showing up), and the bully next to him re-raised (he had a 6 showing), and I look down and I have 99 in the pocket and a Jack showing up which was the highest card on board.  I decide this is time to make a move.  I re-raise all in and Jason calls all in and the other two call as well.  They check us down and when the cards were turned up it was shown that I had the best hand until the river where the bully caught a 2nd pair for 88’s and 22’s to beat my 99.

I decided to forget playing any other tournament there this weekend.  I wasn’t running well, wasn’t catching cards, and when I did they weren’t holding up.  The highest pair I saw in the pocket in this stud tournament was 99 which was the hand I went out on.