At 3am last night, I'm gutted. Again

Well hello there folks.

Last night I played in the $10+1 - $15k guaranteed on Stars. There were over 2200 runners and a first place prize of over $4500. In this event in the past i have braved that field to finish 80th and 12th in (successive days) for a $180 profit. Last night i went back to my old stomping ground. I did not cash restored a bit of faith in myself. (A bit low after no cash recently, no jobs, no auditions and reading UKGatsby's blog who only had to pay the buy in to an MTT and he makes it to the money. ;-) Just jealous, very impressive, and a good read.) Finishing just outside the money at 250th. It paid to 225. I could have hung on but i would have been blinded off and i was not
interested in just scraping into the money. Shit or bust, as we say.

(incidentally, they have increased the starting stacks from 1500 to 3000 with the same 15 minute levels. I think despite the size of the field, for 5 quid, how can you not have a pop at winning 5k?)


The edited highlights (and lowlights) go a bit like this.


Level 1 - KK - I reraised pre flop and reraised a bet on a low flop. He folds.

Level 2 - AK diamonds - Maniac is making regular over bets and all in plays pre flop. I have AK diamonds in the sb. He raises 800 - (the bb is 30). I believe i have a better hand and move all in he calls and shows JJ. Much better than expected but the K high flop gives me an early double up.

I managed to steal a few pots here and there through others being weak and having position. Nice when it works isn't it. People were playing generally quite tight. Raises with A4, A8, 58 all claimed the blinds. Unfortunately so did JJ, AK etc.

Interesting hand. I call a small raise in the sb with K10 diamonds and lead out on a J10x flop (with the J of diamonds) I bet, he min raises and i call. The turn is the ace of diamonds giving me the royal flush draw with any Q, J, 10, or diamond to win i check raise him all in and he folds.

Lose an annoying pot which i should never have hung around in. It was between me in the BB and villain the SB. The pot was unraised and by the river we had both made a FH, his was better than mine. The pot was too big and i shouldn't have even hung on.

We go into the first break having lost nearly 1000 players.

There are 1305 remaining

Average chips 5206

My chips 6110

After the break

Pocket Jax on the button with 2 limpers. I raise larger than normal to compensate. 2 limpers bot call. Flop is a scary QQ9- with 2 diamonds. (Hey, its Pokerstars. You know one has 99 and the other Q9..!) But no, they check to me and the bet takes it down#

again 1010 takes it down uncontested

Pocket 8's in the bb - there is a raise in first and a call in second. I go to raise and it probably would have been the best play considering his holding. I give credit to his position and call. The flop is a nice one 1075. I think anyone would like that with pocket 8's. I check to him and he bets, 2nd position folds, i just call. I am giving him 2 overs here so perhaps i should have raised right there. The 4 on the turn gives me the pair and the gutshot straight draw. I again check call. The river unfortunately isnt the 6...its the 8. Amazing. I bet about half his remaining chips and he calls. He actually had A10 off suit. I am surprised and was very nearly fucked. However i'm not and i now have a good amount of chipolatas.

That hand put me on 13k with the average still at 6k. Put me in 66th place.

Took a few more blinds with K10, AQ, A4,

I lost a chunk when i called a raise in position with 55 and was then squeezed by an all in from the blinds and folded. The hands were AK against QQ.I would have lost. Obvious fold but nice to see their cards were better.

I reraise the button with 44 as a shortish stack has raised in mid position. The bb goes all in he has a lot less chips than me. We all get it in my 44 takes the side pot from the mid raisers AQ and the blinds JJ takes the main pot.

I now have 11k with the average at 9 - they're closing...

Now level 8 and although my stack is above average, with the blinds as they are a raise of three times the bb is over 10% of my stack. I want to make some moves...

BAD HAND ALERT!!

Big stack raises in early. I am calling him. Before that though a smaller stack goes all in. I call and the big man calls. The flop is JJ7. I check to him. He bets small - i call. We check it down and the hands are; me - AQ - Big - 33 Small - AA. Whoops. My instinct given my recent desire to make a move was to move all in pre flop. So although i lost a chunk here, it could have been much worse.

Lots off limpers. I collect when i move all in with A4.

I raise and get called (yikes) in 2 spots. I have A6. The flop is a scary KJx. It checked to me and i take it.

Back to 12k and above average.

2nd break

525 remaining

Average 12942

Me 12020

Now the binds and antes are 1500 so couple of steals for a nice 3k

Someone raises just double the bb. I call from the bb with Q6. (Is this an automatic call in this spot with any 2 cards?) The flop is Q high all spades. I check raise the flop with the Q and the 6 of spades. He folds.

One limper in early. I raise AK. All fold.

Now 18k average 14

Call 3x bb raise in the bb with A9 hearts. The flop is nasty. 63K (one heart). I check to him and i am shocked and suspicious to see it checked as well. The turn is the 6 of hearts. Now if he has flopped a set things have got a lot better for him. If he hasn't, its a great card for me. I bet and he smooth calls. Arrrgh(?) The river is the 10 of hearts. Gives me the nut flush but 44 levels from the nuts. I pause. I love the flush card but not the board. I bet and he has selected auto fold Phew. Much easier than expected.

Up to 24k average 16 and i've doubled up since the break (less than 1/2 an hour)

The next hand i raise with K9 suited in late position. The button pauses and raises all in. I'm getting over 3 to 1 and I call. Pretty shitty to look at the rockets. Ho hum! The flop could be worse giving me the 9. The turn seals it with another 9! Cant fucking believe it. This does not happen to me!

Up to 33k

Few hands later i pick up AA in early. There is a limper and i am pretty sure i am due some "Poker God Retribution". I raise 4x the bb.They all fold.

40k average 19k I'm up 28k in 33 minutes.

One limper in late and i raise the button - he calls. I have 66. The flop is QKx. He checks i bet he calls. The turn is and x. It goes check check. The river is an ace he checks, i bet - what else can i do? - again he calls - shows pocket 10's. Ok, he won the hand but i hate the way he played it. He is behind to so many hands and at no point does he show any strength or desire to win the pot. Cost me a lump of chips the fucker. Reminds me of one of my pet hates in the game; the players who limp for whatever reason (but not to trap like AA in first, limping with a mind to reraise, that's a different play) and then call your all in. With hands like AQ to A8, 99 down to 66. You know what i mean. They didn't want to bet to eliminate the limpers or get information because common opinion says to get in cheap and see a flop. They're like "ok ok, cheap flop, call. Oh he's gone all in. I've got a pair. Call" Dumb asses.

The next hands see huge action where i would have flopped a flush and the next hand where, had i stayed, my 63 would have cracked QQ and AJ. Obviously correct plays by me in the long term but in the day 30k i could have had which would have put me top 10.

Nasty pot. I raised 88 and called a shorter stacks all in with over 2 to 1 odds. He has KQ and hits both of them. I was thinking today "should i have passed?" as that hand did represent the start of my undoing. But i think; (1) I was actually ahead when the money went in. And(2) i was getting the odds. So, although i lost a big chunk i cant help but think it was correct. The only thing i will say is that i knew it was a gamble hand so could have saved 7k or whatever it was to call. I lost 15k that hand.

Then i moved tables and am looking at everyones chips and see that as per usual they have put me right nest to a huge stack with over 3x my chips. He is currently 5th.

It folds to me and i raise his bb with my ace small. He moves all in. I have to fold.

I have 20k - grrrr

There is a raise and a call in front of me. I call with A7 suited (it is 3k to go) the flop is A10x - 2 clubs. The first player checks. Second bets. I am stuck. I feel I am behind but have top pair and it just goes through my head that why did i play this had if not to hit the ace. I can't just expect to flop the flush draw and be done with it. So i pause and move all in. This nearly works as the bettor has a long think before making the correct call with AQ.

I am out in 250th, just outside the money. Balls.

I will say this though. I was donking off cash at the low limits all day yesterday and I actually prepared for this tournament. I sat up properly, got a drink, hadn't played for a few hours up until that point, and took it seriously. I took longer to act and gave more respect to the players and the cards i was prepared to play. I guess what i am saying is, the money was significant. The low limits are a fucking grind and people, including me often play like shit because they can affors to lose. I think i'd rather play a bit higher and give myself a better shot at winning a significant amount of money where i will actually learn something and become a better player.


Sorry for the long post - i doubt you are even reading any more are you??

HELLOOO??

nothing...

Just me then....

Duck for dinner, mmmm!

Good luck everyone.