The Elusive Big One

Saturday, I was itching to play a tournament, and I entered a qualifier for Poker Stars 350K tournament. It was a 36+3 qualifier, which is an expensive qualifier; but 1 in 6 got in, so it seemed like a pretty good deal.

I managed to rack up enough chips to coast in and qualify. I had no idea how big this 350K tournament is ... and by the time the tourney was an hour away there were over 2200 entered, so I withdrew and banked the tournament funds ($215) for better use.

Last night, I played in a 10+1 rebuy at Stars with a 25K guarantee. By the time this one started there were 1100 people entered, still a very large field.

I should have know this was going to be a good one, as I was dealt AKo the first hand. Since it was a rebuy, I moved all in, hoping to double up first hand; but no one called. I must say, I played incredibly well; making great plays, recognizing weakness, laying down in the right spots.

At about 175 left, a guy moves in on my BB from the SB with about 30K in chips. He has been pushing a bit all tournament, I have 33 and about 160K in chips, decide to see if I can bust him. I call, he flips AQo and catches a Q.

With about 100 left, I was in great position with 160K in chips ... blinds 2K/4K ... and I'm dealt AKs (diamonds), which I raise to 16K. Another player with about 100K in chips calls. The flop comes A93 with 2 spades. I bet the size of the pot ... over 32K and the other guy comes over the top of me all in, which I call. He flips AJs spades. Of course he rivers a flush on me.

That pot would have put me roughly tied with the chip leader. I still had a good amount of chips, but instead of top 15, I was now below average. Couldn't catch a hand, and ended up 51st for a $118 payday ... a big disappointment considering what might have been. The final table paid really well for this tourney ... 12K to the winner.

I am greatly encouraged though, I really played well! Plus, I have a bank of tournament funds at Stars to work on my tourney game.

Grind Grind Grind

The grind continues, and I have actually really slowed down my poker play. I came very close to withdrawing half my bankroll and bidding on a 1969 Buick Riviera at EBay. I had a 69 Riv in college, someone rear-ended me and totalled it, and I have missed it ever since. I decided that since I didn't really want to hog half my garage, and there are better uses for $5K, that I would pass on it. It was very tempting though, especially because the seller was local and I wouldn't have had to worry about shipping.

I still enjoy playing, but I just have hit a bit of a wall. I was playing 3 or even 4 tables at times; but I am now pretty much playing one 5/10 table.

I played a $9 WSOP qualifier, winner got into the 150+12 qualifier that gives away a $26K prize package including entry into the big one ...

It was a small tourney, 35 entrants, first won the entry, 2nd won $75, 3 and 4 paid as well ... Of course I finished 5th. I was fairly pleased with my play though. I made one mistake late in the tournament when a guy limped at my blind with KK ... I had A7 and the flop came 237. He bet, I reraised, he called. Turn was a Ten and he bet into me again. I should have laid it down on the turn, but I had him covered pretty easily, and the pot was really too big to fold. It was a really nice play by the other guy, even if he did risk me flopping an ace.

That pot knocked me down from 17K to 9K and I ended up going out with AJo v 99.

I have pretty much stopped charting my bankroll, which is probably a really dumb idea, but it was a bit of a pain, and I decided that I was only doing it for my ego. That's not to say that I don't have an idea of how much my bankroll is, it's just that I don't know exactly how much I had on March 29th any more.

Overall, my play is still stuck in neutral. I lost $300 Tuesday, won $170 Wednesday, and won $130 tonight. Neutral is better than reverse though!