Little of This, Little of That

Played a lot of poker over the weekend, at least by my standards.

Since the kids were off on Friday due to the snow, and my commute would have been significantly more treacherous than my wife's, I had the unenviable task of trying to entertain two small girls for the day. Even though the older one, for the most part, entertained herself, that entertainment monopolized the laptop with the wireless connection. So, with Diego on the tube and the sounds of webkinz eminating from the computer, I managed to not pull out all of my hair. Finally, around 4:00, I decided that I had enough and packed them in the car for an early dinner at Friendly's. I figured that would kill off the rest of the day until my wife got home.

Graciously, she offered up a poker night which I readily accepted so off to the riverchasers game at the golf course I went. First hand I pick up JJ (which I hear is just ok, and agree), raise and get a few callers (obv). Flop leaves me with an overpair to the board and I c-bet which is check-called by a blind and smooth called by the button. Now, the button player notoriously plays low-mid connectors and semi-connectors and this flop could very well have hit him hard. Being that this is the first hand, I end up check folding the Q on the turn. It was probably a really bad fold, but I just had a bad feeling and decided to minimize my loss. Unfortunately, things didn't really improve from there as I lost another chunk of my stack on a flopped nut flush draw and 5:1 odds to call. It didn't get there on the turn, and a player with a flopped set shoved to chase out the draws before the river. As it turns out, there was another player with the K high draw, so I stood to make a bundle if it came out. Then, a little more than halfway through the field, my KTo couldn't catch up to A6o in a blind vs blind confrontation and I was done. Meh.

So what do I do? I sign up for the losers consolation SNG for RC points only. These things are typically even more laggy than the main tournament, so I went with that flow. I call a raise out of the SB with 88 and am met with a reraise shove from the BB. There was no reason to think that this was a big pair so, when everyone else folded, I called expecting great pot odds on a probable race. He flipped 44. Heh. GG sir. Thank you for your chips.

Very next hand, I get my old nemesis, JJ, on the button. After a raise and a few callers, I decide to play it fast and reraise twice the pot. Two callers! Bad news for them, I flopped top set and both decided to bet into me. Ok then. If you like your hands so much, let's play for all your chips. I shoved and got a call by a gut shot draw. Gotta love the RPT SNGs. Now, with half of the chips at the table, I bullied my way into a heads up match with a full on donkey image. The coup de grâce occurred pretty quickly when I raised on the button with J9 and got a call by 93o. Flop was JJ3 and she bet almost 1/3 of her stack to which I responded by putting her all in. She called. Running 3's were not to be found, and the consolation prize was mine. At least it took the sour taste of the main tournament out of my mouth.

On Saturday, I took second in a micro limit SNG on tilt after I donked off the chip lead heads up. I hate when the table bully finally picks up cards. Oh well. Second is better than the string of fourths I'd been collecting. Then on Sunday, my wife had some party to go to for the afternoon. It was one of those events where someone is trying to sell stuff to the guests, either for profit or for charity. This one was for charity and had something to do with clothes, but the important point was that I got to entertain the girls again for the entire afternoon. I'm not quite sure who got the worse end of that deal.

Anyway, I apparently looked a bit surly when she got home, so she suggested that I go out for a bit after the kids went to bed. Given that this was a Sunday, and all the riverchasers games start on the early side, I went over the local league game that was 5 minutes from home. Played pretty well, but couldn't get a guy with QQ to lay down on a AKx flop where I raised pre-flop. Of course, I was playing JTs at the time, but that's not the point. After he called my c-bet on the flop (he just smooth called pre), I shut down. He was one of the tighter players there, and I had to assume that he hit that flop given his image and action. Wow, if a Q turns or rivers, I stack him. But no. So I have to go back to stealing just to keep up with the blinds since we are now playing 2 shorthanded tables, and manage to keep pace until the final table.

I stay away from the push fest that erupts until we get down to 5. I open push with KJo and get called by QTo. Unfortunately, the river double pairs the board and, with the Ace on flop, we chop the pot. Booo! Finally, I push UTG with 86s (sure to be live), get called by the same guy as last hand, and the big stack pushes all in. If he doesn't have a big pair, I'm getting great odds with live cards. He flips AKo, but I don't get there. 5th place for the night. Meh.

My current contract is expiring at the end of the month, and I usually take a week off before starting with the next client. I'm thinking about heading to A.C. for some daytime poker at some time during that first week in March. Anyone else going to be down there that week? I'm planning on playing the morning tournament at the Trop one of those days and maybe some cash if I bust early.

Back On Trappe

After a disappointing deep run but early final table elimination in the local league finals on Sunday, I got myself back to Riverchasers last night at the Trappe Tavern.

My initial table was just about the LAGiest thing I had ever seen. Thankfully, I was able to stay out of the crossfire. About 15 minutes in, I called a raise with 88 as did 4 others and saw a flop of 865 rainbow. After a bunch of checks, I fired out for 1/2 the pot and got 3(!) callers. I figured at least one of them for a 7 (maybe 77) but, at that table, anything was possible. Hopefully, no one was slow playing 97. We turned a 10 and it checked around to me again. I bet a little less than 1/3 of my remaining stack and 2 of the 3 stuck around for the river, a beautiful second 5. The pot is now bigger than the starting stack, so I shove for about 1/2 the pot with the 3rd nuts. First guy insta-mucks, second guy really wants to call but can't seem to pull the trigger. I'll take the double as I don't find another good spot for what seemed like an hour. I picked up a few blinds with nothing and speculated on a few hands but, for the most part, my stack just dwindled.

Thankfully, that table broke and I sat myself in the vacated SB of my new table. At this point, I'm down to T200 and blinds are 25/50. Fold once, fold twice. I'm UTG+1 and UTG shoves for 4x BB. I have A3o... and fold. UTG shows J9s. Best fold ever as we are about to commence deck to face slappage. Next hand, I'm UTG and find KK. I'm like, "I guess it's my turn" and push. MP calls with 33 and 82% is g00t! Back up to T475. I give back 50 of it in my BB when SB turns 2 pair and I refuse to pay him off. Then, in my SB (blinds now 50/100), we have a limp from UTG (33 guy) and I find JJ. Let's try it again, all in for 425. BB folds but UTG calls again, this time with A6s. I fade the Ace and the diamonds and am now sitting on T950. With just T175 left, BB throws his chips in the middle pre-deal and leaves the bar. Issues, sir. Get them dealt with.

Anyway, at this point, our table breaks and the final 9 are set. After a few hands, blinds increase to 100/200 and I chip up to T1000. Nothing in the BB, but find JTs in the SB after one EP limper. I complete, the BB checks, and the flop comes Q9x. This is basically the flop I was looking for (would have liked some spades, too, but not that greedy), so I pushed for my last 600. BB instacalls with A9o and UTG folds, so I have 14 outs twice and get there on the river. Up to T1800. I fold a bunch of garbage until, once again, I pick up KK UTG. Raise it 3x BB and MP reraises for 900 more all-in. Amazingly, the next player calls all-in for 800 and I have an easy call leaving 300 behind. KK holds up against JTo (reraiser) and AQo (caller) and suddenly I'm sitting on more than T4000.

At this point, I start raising frequently, stealing the 300 and then 600 in blinds. Pretty soon, I have the rest of the table covered collectively. When we get down to 4 handed, I start finding an Ace almost every other hand and can steal at will. We almost get down to 3 when the BB is all-in blind for 100 over his BB, I call with T8o, and he flips 94o. I pick up 2 pair on the turn, but he rivers a straight to survive, temporarily. The prior big stack busts him a few hands later, and then the new short stack pushes his K high into my A high and doesn't improve. Now heads up, I have about a 5:1 chip lead and just want to stay aggressive, but not do anything stupid to double him up unnecessarily. The hand that really crippled him saw me on the button with KQs and I raised 1000 on top of the 600 BB. He called and the flop came QJT rainbow. He checked, I bet enough to put him all in (about 2/3 of the pot), and he folded leaving himself less than 3 big blinds. Predictably, the match didn't last long after that as he pushed with KQo and couldn't catch up to my A4o and it was over.

Of course, I didn't get home until almost 1 AM and usually have trouble sleeping after playing poker. After a win, sleep was non-existent and I'm running on fumes. It's all good, though.

Reraising a pot committed opponent with JTo? That's a paddlin. Calling the reraise with AQo? You better believe that's a paddlin.

I Guess I'm Just Horribly Out Of Touch

Pictured here is the front page of today's Philly Inquirier, above the fold. This story is surely in a similar position in countless other daily papers across the country. Whether or not a photo of a critically or fatally wounded shooting victim should be included on the front page of a major newspaper is only of small concern to me. What I find disturbing is the collection of students in the background, not 3 feet from the body, in the process of also snapping photos using cell phones and a blackberry. Why? Some a$$ clown just murdered a bunch of people on the campus of the university at which you attend, and you want personal visual evidence? WTF is wrong with people?

Semi-Final Top 10? Check

The local bar league that I infrequent held their semifinal round last night. Basically, the top 14 in points for the season got a pass directly into the finals, while the rest of the points earners could play their way in. This tournament was basically a satellite where 10 seats were awarded. Good thing was that only 25 showed up to play. Bad thing was that even though I had more chips than last time, I was still short against most of the folks who were there. Depending on your final ranking, you received somewhere between 20 and 45 BB to start (I had 30), and the blinds doubled every 20 minutes.

Since there were two decks in play, we were able to get in almost twice the usual number of hands per level. I figured I had around 30 hands (levels 1 and 2) before desparation would kick in. During the feeling out process of level 1, nothing really came along so I just played patiently. Then, during level 2, I was down to around T1100. A short stacked UTG shoved for 375 and I figured his range was pretty wide. I wanted to isolate the shorty, so I shoved AQ over the top. The blinds folded and I was way ahead of his 97o. Then he rivered a 7 and Al Qaeda blows up in my face again. Suddenly, I have less than 9 BB left and am in binary decision mode.

First I steal the blinds from UTG with the suited JackAce. Then, right after the blinds go by, I continue the limp train with A♣7♣ on the button. With a bunch of callers, I'm hoping to hit the flop hard, or at least pick up a major draw. It comes 357 with two spades. It checks around to me, so I shove with TPTK and get called by Q♠6♠. One over, flush draw, and a gutterball. Somehow I survive that one and double plus the limps. I'm now at T2000 and the blinds move to 100/200. Still not comfortable.

In a nice change, I pick up QQ in consecutive hands. The first time, I just pick up the blinds. The second time, though, I make the same 3x BB raise and get one caller (same player with the Q6). Flop comes Axx rainbow, which does not make me happy as over 1/4 of my chips are already in the pot. I check to see how she wants to play it and she checks behind. Then I hit my set on the turn and bet 1/2 pot which she calls, leaving me T1000 and her T1200, with a pot that is now almost at 4000 chips. When the river bricks, I push my last 1000 in and she folds.

Then, just a few hands later, it's time for JJ. Standard raise gets called by the BB and we again see Axx on the flop. I sniff out the slow-played AK after the checked flopped and lose only the initial raise. After that hand and paying a few more blinds, I get whittled down to T2100 with 200/400 blinds. We're down to around 16 or 17 at this point, so I think I still need one more nice pot. It folds to me on the button and I open push with AKs and get called by the same player who was giving me chips all night with JTo. That call left her T200. Idiot. In the very next hand, she is all in in the SB, I call from the cutoff with TT and the BB checks. We check it down, my tens are good, I add another set of blinds to my stack and, now that were are only 3 off the button, I go into fold mode. I easily have enough chips to fold every hand for 5 or 6 orbits, knowing that we will certainly lose 3 more before I will go broke.

About ten hands later, we reach the bubble, and the BB at our table only has T700 with 300/600 blinds. That hand, UTG big stack picks up his BB with a turned nut flush and now he only has T100 left in the SB. I call dark before I even get cards, and expect anyone else who is comfortable to do the same. Shows what I know. Everyone folds and the BB says "Check it down?" Of course I wanted to check it down. I wanted all 5 of us to check it down. So much for implicit collusion. Sheesh. Anyway, my K high and BB's A high were both better that whatever SB had, and there you have it. The final field is set.

Sunday afternoon at 1PM. Three tables. Double stacks. $500 winner take all. (unless the inevitable chop)

Things That Go Kaboom!

If AK is the Anna Kournikova because it never wins, then AQ is definitely the Al Qaeda because playing it is like being on a suicide mission. Anyway, for the two people who drop by from time to time to read my drivel, what's up guys?

Yesterday, my older daughter had a morning dentist appointment which I had the privilege of bringing her to. So, by the time we were done and I got her back to school, it was going to be lunchtime before I would be able to get down to Wilmington just for a half day of work. With impending doom from the heavens in the form of a "wintry mix", I decided that I wasn't going to deal with that commute and went to play the afternoon Riverchasers freeroll in Limerick instead. Easy decision? I though so too.

Given the weather forecast, turnout was a little light, and we only started with 4 full tables. I really like this afternoon game as it's mostly retirees, night shifters, and the unemployed. This mix generally makes for some less LAGish poker.

I almost busted in the first hour. Almost. I checked my option in the BB with Q5o after 5 limpers and flopped top and bottom pair (Q95 rainbow). After SB checked, I bet out about the size of the pot and got 3 callers. Then an 8 hit the turn and I decided to check to see what would happen. UTG bet almost 1/2 the pot and got two callers. I considered just calling, but with so much money in the pot and a good but vulnerable hand, I shoved right there. UTG agonized before folding and then the other two callers folded quickly. I flipped the Q5 and dragged the nice pot, practically doubling, when UTG said, "nice bet, real nice bet" and pulled his Q8 out of the muck. I don't know of another player on this tour that makes that laydown. Just sick.

Now that I was comfortable, I was able to loosen up a bit if I wanted, but just wasn't getting spots I thought were right. I did pick up a nice pot with a suited JackAce where I raised 3.5x BB preflop, got two callers on that bet and on the flop c-bet (with an A on the flop) and nothing more. Some more chips came my way when my OESD filled on the river and cracked top pair in a multi way pot. And by that time, the table broke and we went down to 2 tables.

Now up against a couple big stacks, I really needed to pick my spots carefully. Of course, when you really need one is when it is least likely to come. I blinded down a bit and then an AQ went kablooie on a KKT flop against AT. As soon as we hit the points bubble, I picked up AQ UTG (5 handed) and raised all-in 3.5x BB (50-100 blinds). Evidently, my fuse wouldn't light as I just picked up the blinds. At the same time, someone went busto at the other table and the final 9 were set.

Fast foward a bit, there has been one elimination and I'm in the SB with AQ. There are two limpers before I shove and, even though BB and EP fold, MP big stack calls with presto. T2TJT, the belt detonates, and IGH 8th.

Anyway, my win a few weeks ago in "that other league" once again qualified me for their semi-final event which is tonight. Top 10 in that advance to play with the overall top 14 in points (who earned byes) in a final 3 table event, $500 winner takes all. Last time around, I was able to dig myself out from my short starting stack of 20 BBs to advance. This time, I finished in the top half of the field for the season (even though I only played once) so my starting stack should be a bit more comfortable.

I predict that the Sixers will not win another game the rest of the season. There, that should get them into the playoffs. Some will attest that there are bigger coolers out there when it comes to sports betting. I humbly disagree. Bet against me every time. You can quit your job.

Sixers / Clippers

My wife scored tickets in her company's suite for the Sixers game against the Clippers Saturday night. Mind you, it's the sixers and it's the clippers, but it's also in the suite so it's all good. The good guys managed to put a hurtin on their left coast competition making a 3 game win streak. That, of course, will end abruptly tonight against Dallas.

Not much on the poker front. I played the Sunday night freeroll at the golf course and did not win one hand in 2 hours. Not. One. Hand. In fact, the only break from the insufferable monotony of T2, 92, 73, Q7, and J5 was JJ once and JackAce once. Unfortunately, once I had established my image as a patient player, and thus could start trying to steal a bit, there were a few bustouts at the other end of the table. These were replaced by a couple of ultra LAGs who weren't there to hear the story I had been telling for 3 levels. So, another 3 levels go by with no cards and no spots to be found. I finally push having hit second pair on the flop and get called by overs and a flush draw that hits right on the turn. Fitting end to the night.

Three playable hands in two hours? You better believe that's a paddlin.

Bah Trumbug

Last night I decided to try out a new (for me) riverchasers venue, the Trum Tavern. It was made known at the TOC on Saturday that at least a half dozen players that finished in the final 40 play regularly there, including the winner. Sounded like a good game to me and, as it turned out, I wasn't disappointed with the play there. I rolled in less than 5 minutes before starting time and was pleasantly surprised to find that the TD there is the infamously plunderrifical Perticelli.

I found a seat at the only non-full table and happily received the button for the first hand. Not that it mattered. I was in full fold mode for the entire first orbit, trying to get a read on the rest of the table. It seemed to be (for the most part) a no nonsense, straight forward bunch who would bet for value but didn't really want to chase when behind. I played my first hand of the night on my second button, a small suited ace. It was literally the first remotely playable holding I had seen, and since everyone else folded, I elected to see a cheap flop in position. However, after the SB completed, the BB raised 3x and we both came along for a pretty small percentage of our stacks. Although an ace came on the flop, there were none of my suit and the BB fired right out making it an easy lay down for me. My read was spot on when he showed the JackAce while collecting the small pot.

A few hands later, I picked up AQo in MP and raised one limper 4x BB. Cutoff called and everyone else folded. Flop came with an ace, I 1/2 pot bet the flop, checked the turn, and 1/2 pot bet the river and was paid off by ATo. Then, when the blinds hit me again, I found AQs in the BB and decided to disguise the strength of my hand and check my option. Flop was Qxx with two clubs and I opted for the check raise after a min bet and a few callers. I lost all but one player who called another bet on the turn but folded on the river. And that's where everything dries up. For a while.

Finally, toward the end of level 4, our table is broken and I am moved to the immediate right of the TOC winner (same guy whose KK I cracked with TT when I flopped quads). Since it's a new table, I try to get a read on what's going on as quickly as possible. Most of the table seems pretty loose/passive pre-flop but will fold on the flop if they don't hit. They also don't seem to like making or calling raises. In the first hand I play at the new table, I decide to gamble a little and complete my SB with 62s after three limpers. The BB is kind enough to check and I decide to get a little trappy on the A22 flop. Alas, no takers. No one came in with an ace? A 7 turns and I bet a little over 1/2 the pot, but I guess this was too much as everyone scampered. Oh well. It was still a 20% increase in my stack.

I go back into fold mode as we reach level 6 (15/30) and I am sitting on 190 chips after having just paid my blinds. Everyone folds to me on the button and I find 88. For some reason, I just call in position planning to push an innocent looking flop. SB completes but the BB makes it 90 to go. Now, this guy had been betting a lot heavier than 3x BB with his strong hands so the raise felt a little stealish. However, he had plenty of chips so I really didn't have any fold equity. I decide to go with my gut and shove with what I think is the best hand and am called for 100 more by Q♣T♣. I was happy to hear that the SB thoughtfully threw away A♣7♣ to the raise and reraise so I realistically just needed to fade the 6 outs. An 8 on the flop ended that race immediately and I doubled plus a little. I chipped up a little more with some pre-flop aggression to pick up a set of blinds and then sniffed out a bluff by an ace high when I was holding second pair.

Level 8 (50/100) commences and I am in the BB. One shorty limps for 1/3 of her stack and I immediately put her on a bad ace. Everyone folds and I look down at AT and decide to see a flop before committing more chips. AJ7 rainbow. I check to try to induce the bluff but it doesn't come, so when a 6 turns, I just put her all in for another 175 and she calls with A5o. Even though she said she just wanted to go home, one of the three remaining fives falls on the river and instead of having T900 in my stack, I'm down to a piddly T350. And now in the SB. The table folds to me and I shove my QJ0 for 3.5x BB and, after a minute or so of thought, take down the pot. The very next hand the table folds again and I shove for 4.5x BB with AQo. The SB again reflects on the situation and comes to the same conclusion. BB folds instantly and I recovered what I'd lost 2 hands prior. Then, a few hands later, I pick up another uncontested pot with a 3x BB raise with AKs.

Then in the BB again for 100, the SB completes and I check 44 for a blind vs blind battle. Flop comes a very favorable 933 and I put the SB all in for 200 after his check. Unfortunately, he actually had J9o and I doubled him, leaving me around T600 as the table breaks and we go to the final 16 players.

The new table is quite a bit more aggressive with very few flops seen. I have to fold my first set of blinds and they come around again fast at level 9 (75/150). I pick up QQ UTG and, although I only have 3 BB left, no one has anything worthy of calling my all in. Too bad I wasn't in LP on that one. I could've either happily called a raise from up front or my raise might have looked like a desparate steal attempt. Finally, level 10 starts (100/200) and, after paying my blinds, am down to T450. 92o on the button goes into the muck, but A4o in the cutoff looks good enough to try to get through three more players. Unfortunately, SB has AQ and, even though a 4 comes in the door, there is also a Q through the window. Ace on the turn just rubs it in and IGH 13th out of around 56 runners.

That 550 chip swing was just huge in derailing my effort to accumulate enough chips to make a good deep run at the final table. As everyone knows, even when you are playing really well, and a player does something stupid, just like you wanted, sometimes they get rewarded. And it really hurts your chances.

Losing half your stack to a rivered 3 outer? You better believe that's a paddlin.

TOC Recap

Saturday afternoon was the Riverchasers 2007 4th quarter Eastern PA regional TOC. At stake, in addition to real prizes for the top 20 or so, was a slot in the final tournament and the chance at a WSOP main event seat. Even though I had qualified for all 4 quarterly tournaments, due to scheduling conflicts, I was only able to play in 1 of the prior 3, which I finished close to the qualifier bubble. This meant that this was my last shot at playing for the '08 WSOP.

The official count was 239 runners when we got started. My first (and only) table saw a few familiar faces as well as the infamous Perticelli, who I had never met. Aggressive but tight was the starting strategy for the table, as was to be expected. I picked up a small pot at level 1 with the JackAce when an A flopped, and missed a few set mining calls, but ended the level close to even. At level 2, I found QQ UTG and raised 4x BB and was called by only the BB. I bet around 2/3 of the pot when the flop came 9 high and the BB mumbled something about needing runner runner and folded. The aggression at the table picked up a bit starting at level 3 as chips were getting redistributed, but it was still good solid poker. There was one hand where I got to see a free flop with T♥9♥ out of the BB. I flopped a massive draw, AQJ with 2 hearts, but did not want to put a good portion of my chips at risk so I checked. I just couldn't afford to get raised off of a semi-bluff by the player UTG who was starting to get a little short. I was pretty sure he had at least paired his Ace, but chose to see if he would give me good odds to chase. He actually bet more than the pot (almost half of his stack) and, having been paying attention to his patterns, I put him on either AK, AQ, or AJ and he was protecting against the flush draw. I decided to fold and look for a better spot.

Then, at the end of level 4, in the last hand before the break, I called Pert's raise with AK on the button. Cutoff had also smooth called, so I considered a squeeze, but Pert had been playing pretty darn tight (when he was actually sitting there), so I decided to see a flop before deciding. Q94 all diamonds. Neither of my cards was diamond, unfortunately, and Pert semi-bluffed a pot sized bet with KTo with the K♦. After the cutoff folded, I decided to lick my wounds and limp into the break down about 25% of my stack. Since I was dealing, and we were now on break, I asked Pert if I could run it out. Turn ended up being the A♦. Nut flush for him, good fold by me.

When we get back for level 5, blinds are 10/20 and I have T140 left. It's also announced that there are still 201 players. Not a typical RPT game at all. Usually, by the end of 5/10, almost half the field is gone but today, only about 1/8. Anyway, I get nothing through the blinds and am down to 110. Two hands later, it folds to me in the cutoff and I open shove with 44. BB decides to call for about 40% of his stack with A♦T♦ and a 4 comes right in the door. Unbelievable. I won a race. He whined for a good half hour about my pushing with fours. Somehow, he honestly believed that my pushing as a short stack with a pocket pair was donkish, while calling off almost half his stack with a medium suited ace and losing was getting sucked out on. Whatever, dude. Most of my range had ATs crushed pre-flop. Plus, I was betting, not calling. Understand the difference?

So, eventually, we are now at 15/30, I have paid a set of blinds and am at T185. I find TT UTG and open shove again. Everyone folds until the BB checks his cards and asks how much more. Ok, I figure AK/AQ or something like that. He calls and flips KK. Fawk. Until the ridiculous suckout. Flop is T8T. DQB!!!!!! He is rightfully pissed. He played some damn good poker to build his stack up, and then lost almost half of it to a huge setup. There was no way it wasn't going to happen. I was certainly going to play the hand. If I was going to come in raising, anything less than all in would be just stupid. And if I chose to limp, he was certainly going to raise and all my chips would have gone in pre flop anyway. Just filthy. But at least now I have T385, and that's about where my stack would stay until the next break. I stole the blinds with KQo just to keep up, but I couldn't find any traction.

In an interesting hand at 25/50, Pert open shoved his short stack from UTG+1 for about 2x BB. AT boy reraises all in for about 1.5 BB's more and I find 44 again in the BB. I chuckle out loud as I fold the fours face up and he shows AT again. I think Pert had something like A70. This time, there IS a ten on the flop and Pert is gone. Maybe I'm just a bit evil. I decided to retilt the guy by opening up the old wound and adding a little salt. "Bet you wish I would've played pocket fours THAT hand, huh?" Hmmm, raise, reraise, pocket fours go into the muck. Every time. Open push? Huge difference. Anyway, he was the BB when I stole the blinds with the KQ. He thought about it. But I had him covered.

When we get back from the second break, blinds are 100/200, I only have around 2 BB left and am in the SB. Official count is that there are 59 players remaining. I fold to a raise the first hand and each and every hand until I am UTG. There I find A♠K♠ and this will have to do it. BB calls for 100 more and tables Q♠9♠. QJ6 on the flop. So damn close. Wait, T on the turn gives me broadway and I'm back on the respirator although I have to give back what I won right away to the blinds. But now I have 8 more hands to look at. Right about that time, we go down to the final 6 tables and hand for hand play goes into effect. I need 8 people to go out in the next 6 hands. I know I have absolutely no chance at making a strong run to the final table, so I invoke satellite bubble strategy. ATs? Mucked. 66? Ditto. Raiser flipped his cards both times. Both times I was crushed. I am still UTG+1 when we go to the bubble and, thankfully, there is an elimination. W00t! A final table would have been nice, but in my last chance for the year, I'll take the seat in the final tournament.

Anticlimatically, I pick up QTo UTG and call all in for less than the blind and lose to a rivered 6 high flush. Tee hee. 39th is just fine for me. Hopefully, I can make a good run next month.