An apology to pocket Queens

Lots I should catch up on here since lots has gone on since my last entry. I had no idea it had been that long and I will catch up on poker doings soon.

Right now though I owe pocket Queens a little bit of an apology. They CAN work out fabulously as this hand shows...

Hand #8113211-10750 at Madrid ($.50/$1 Hold'em)
Powered by UltimateBet
Started at 13/Sep/05 11:43:50
 
     goirish8 is at seat 0 with $47.35.
     wingnut_willy is at seat 1 with $22.50.
     pikoo is at seat 2 with $38.65.
     glenn453 is at seat 3 with $45.45.
     Country Livin is at seat 4 with $2.65.
     guru4yall is at seat 5 with $41.35.
     ToBones is at seat 6 with $57.95.
     bellypelly is at seat 7 with $17.25.
     St of Killers is at seat 8 with $23.55.
     mancie is at seat 9 with $77.75.
     The button is at seat 9.
    
     goirish8 posts the small blind of $.25.
     wingnut_willy posts the big blind of $.50.

     goirish8:  -- --
     wingnut_willy:  -- --
     pikoo:  -- --
     glenn453:  -- --
     Country Livin:  -- --
     guru4yall:  Qh Qc
     ToBones:  -- --
     bellypelly:  -- --
     St of Killers:  -- --
     mancie:  -- --

Pre-flop:
 
          pikoo folds.   glenn453 folds.   Country Livin calls. 
          guru4yall raises to $1.   ToBones folds.   bellypelly
          folds.   St of Killers calls.   mancie folds. 
          goirish8 folds.   wingnut_willy calls.   Country Livin
          calls.  

Flop (board: 7s Qs Qd):
 
          wingnut_willy checks.   Country Livin checks. 
          guru4yall checks.   St of Killers checks.  

Turn (board: 7s Qs Qd 6d):
 
          wingnut_willy checks.   Country Livin checks. 
          guru4yall bets $1.   St of Killers folds. 
          wingnut_willy raises to $2.   Country Livin folds. 
          guru4yall calls.  

River (board: 7s Qs Qd 6d 2c):
 
          wingnut_willy bets $1.   guru4yall raises to $2. 
          wingnut_willy calls.  

         

Showdown:
 
     guru4yall shows Qh Qc.
     guru4yall has Qh Qc 7s Qs Qd: four queens.
     wingnut_willy mucks cards.
     (wingnut_willy has Kc 7h.)
         

Hand #8113211-10750 Summary:
 
     $.60 is raked from a pot of $12.25.
     guru4yall wins $11.65 with four queens.

Wasn't a very big game but it adds up, at the least these $0.50/$1.00 games pay my tournament buy ins :) Hands like this help too!

Tough week

This is being a tough week. I've not had a decent tournament showing since I took third in the $65 buy in morning tournament at MGM a week ago tuesday. I think that mostly I'm just having bad luck but I also wonder if that accounts for all of it. For that matter I'm starting to once again question if my limited successes have been more luck than skill. It's so easy to start doubting yourself and I know no one who can sit down with me and analyze what I've been doing or watch while I play and critique my play. Oh how I'd love to find a mentor but with my virtual inability to make friends that is very unlikely to happen. I'll just have to spend some more time in books and keep practicing and hope that my skills get better and I find some luck somewhere along the way (other than bad luck, that I have plenty of.).

I should have posted an entry about the MGM tournament I got third in when I was still on a high from it and believed it wasn't just luck that got me there. Now is not the time to write about it. Oh well.

I'm off to get some tums or something, the 27 seat sit and go's I've busted out of tonight have me feeling like I'm getting an ulcer...also has me wanting chocolate, a lot of chocolate. Sigh.

WSOP Circuit Event

I've been watchng the WSOP circuit events that ESPN has been covering as they work up to showing the 2005 WSOP. Even with all that it never occured to me to look on the web site to see when and where this year's circuit events would be held. A friend of Connie's told her that there will be one in Biloxi coming up before too long. I'd heard that the Biloxi Grand Casino was getting some sort of major poker tournament. That led me to finally check out the schedule.

I wish I'd checked it out earlier because starting tomorrow, August 11th and stretching through August 25th there will be an event in Tunica. I've always wanted to go to Tunica and this would have been the perfect time to go. Alas I've got my Vegas trip scheduled for most of that time period so I can't go.

The good news is that there is indeed an event coming up in Biloxi. It will be September 29th through October 12th. I've got mixed feelings about it. I have major questions as to whether I'm good enough to give it a shot but I'm excited about the opportunity.

I try to remind myself of that "Live like you were dying" philosophy I claimed I would try to live. Of course fiscal responsibility enters into the mix too. I will NOT be buying into the main event. Not with a $10,000 buy in I won't. On the other hand there will be continuous satellites and other smaller events. I can see very easily trying the $300 and $500 buy in events. Those I have enough for in my poker bankroll at the moment. I'd cheerfully use the results of cashing in one of those tournaments to buy into the main event if I don't just win a seat through the satellite process.

Like I said in my earlier entry I'm questioning my skill and ability somewhat but I think I have to give myself a shot, test myself against the people that are doing what I want to do. Only in that way can I know for sure where I stand. I'll be doing it with money I can afford to use, indeed with money set aside specifically to be used for that kind of thing. I've been almost hoarding it, afraid to lose it. If I keep that up I won't lose it....but I won't ever find out if I could have done more either.

Time to stop talking and start...

living like I was dying....

See ya'll in Biloxi Sept 29th through October 12th.

Luck or Skill?

I'm doing horribly in tournaments this week. I'm not sure if it's lack of luck or lack of skill. I wish I knew. I wish I had a little birdie who would sit on my shoulder and tell me if I suck or just have bad luck. Not a good sign when I'm supposed to go to Vegas this coming week. I may take the rest of this week off from poker because even cash games are not going well. I'm just trying to decide what will get me to Vegas in the best frame of mind. Actually if I could cancel it now I would but the air fare is not refundable. LOL might be cheaper to take that $200 hit than to go try to play though. I hate feeling this way but I have NO feedback other than my results and they suck. I need poker playing friends who can and will watch and discuss my good moves and my bone-headed ones. This is one of those times I really regret my total inability to make new friends. Well I'll muddle through and just hope that luck will smile on me.

Two Satellites, two disappointing finishes

I played two satellites today both $3 rebuy satellites for main events on Sunday.

The first was on UB and early on I had pocket aces overtaken by a worse hand and had to rebuy. I finally went out in that one when, holding pocket 8's,  I called an all in from a loose player. They flipped over pocket 7's and you'd think I was home free but fate didn't have that in mind, a 7 flopped and I didn't manage an 8 or the 10 I needed for a straight. My day was done, out in 20th place with 40 entries in that one.

The next satellite was on Poker Stars and was for the Sunday $500,000 guaranteed event. I played fairly well and decided to take the add on at the end of the rebuy period. I was not near the lead but I was roughly at the average stack size. Just before the second break at the 200/400 level (50 ante) I picked up pocket aces and made a healthy preflop raise. One other player raised me all-in with enough to cover my 8000+ chips. I couldn't not call. I really needed to double up. I hate calling off all my chips but I'd have gone all-in preflop if I thought I'd get a caller or two. He flipped over pocket 9's and you guessed it a 9 flopped ending my day. There were 392 entries in that one and I was out in 152nd. I needed to be in the top 19 for a seat that time.

Obviously this was just not my day but tomorrow will be another day.

Connie and I may go check out the Amateur Poker League thing they have at a local billiards place on Wednesday nights. The weather is REALLY bad though so it may not be worth going out. She just called and said she is not even leaving work until it settles down some. I'm interested to see how this league thing works since they don't play for money, just points or something. If it's decent poker it could be fun and good practice and have the side benefit of meeting some local people who play poker. I'm sure if and when I finally get there I'll write about it here.

July Tournament Play

The month of July has been a good one for me. Tournaments were especially encouraging. I played 7 live tournaments and was in the money three times with three final table appearances.

While Connie and I were in Vegas I played in 4 tournaments. Three were low buy in tournaments at the Gold Coast but in the last one I got 5th for 4 times my buy in. The fourth one in Vegas was the single WSOP super satellite I played. I wish now I'd started earlier and played more of them. I was intimidated by the prospect at the time. After finishing in the top 1/3 of the field while doing no rebuys and no addons I feel much better about my prospects for next year.

In Gulfport last week I played three tournaments. The Monday NL rebuy tourney, the Wednesday Limit rebuy and the Thursday NL freezeout.

On Monday I once again never did a rebuy and didn't do the add on. I made the final table very short stacked but managed to finish 8th. I got $270 for my efforts with a total investment of $15, not bad at all I don't think. It was amazing really, there were 95 entries, 310 rebuys and 68 add ons. One guy at the first table I was on must have rebought 10 times. Now you know why I didn't have to, I just kept taking his chips :)

Wednesday's tourney was something I tried because of my success in Vegas and on Monday. I really do NOT like rebuy tournaments and HATE limit tournaments. I figured I have to learn somehow though so I gave it a shot. I even did one rebuy since you got twice the starting chips for a rebuy. It didn't help though and I was out before the break as I determined it was just not worth another rebuy. I'm going to have to read up on Limit tourneys and log some simulator time I guess. I could just skip them but I have a feeling learning to play them could be beneficial to my game. I don't see how it can hurt.

Thursday I was actually late picking Connie up at the airport because I made the final table in the $60 NL freezeout tourney.  I was actually in decent chip position when I made the final table, probably around 5th as near as I could tell. It went up and down with them discussing and turning down deals. A couple of hands hurt me and I finally ended up out in 8th. I got $242 for that one. Naturally they chopped right after that and if I'd held on and let somebody ELSE go out first I'd have been $400 or so richer. Such is life.

Back here in Orlando I played some online tourneys this week. It wasn't going well at all. I barely made the top half of the field in anything early this week. Then one night I helped Connie win one of Poker Stars $1+.20 45 seat sit and go's. She is really pretty good at the early to middle stages of tourneys and I learn a lot from her patience in that phase. I hope she is learning from my aggression in the late middle to late stages though. She likes to just sit back and I find that doesn't work, you need to be attacking, constantly keeping pressure on your opponents. Sure sometimes I get beat that way but I am finishing higher and higher and have won many low buy in tourneys that way.

I played a $20+$2 tourney on UB a few minutes ago. There were 154 entries and I was finally out in 15th getting $30.80 for my efforts. LOL it only amounted to about $3 an hour profit but at least it WAS profit. I felt I played well which is good as early in the week I definately did NOT think I was playing well and it felt like I was being outplayed constantly. I see now that it was mostly me trying to make bad cards work for me. I was very card dead and was not as patient as I maybe could have been.

As much as I hate to admit it I think I may be starting to like tournament play as much and possibly (just possibly) more than cash games. I do like just sitting down to a live cash game though. I can be totally relaxed and enjoy the setting and the people. In the places I usually go and the games I usually play I now feel totally at ease which is cool. I like knowing that if I just play my game I can count on making at least SOME money by the end of the night. I did it again last night in Melbourne. It started out rocky as there was a total maniac on the table raising in the dark but he ran out of money and left. My main regret there is that I never got a hand that would get me any of his money :) I caught some good hands later and also out played a couple people for pots and was up around $22 when I left. Not much but 11 big bets in just a couple hours is not too bad either. It's not gonna make me rich but it was great entertainment.

I'll be heading back to Vegas on August 13. My plan is to play a lot of poker of course. I'll try to do at least one tournament a day for the week I'm there and fill the rest of the time with cash games, probably $2/$4 and $4/$8 at the Gold Coast and $3/$6 at MGM primarily. I may hop around and try out a few other poker rooms too, we'll have to see on that. I'll be hopping around to get in a tournament a day anyway as I'm going to aim for buy in's around $60 each day.

Aruba Satellite

I just finished a $3 + rebuys satellite for an entry to a $200 + $15. Wow was this thing wild! 46 people entered. There were 96 rebuys and 20 of the 29 people left at the end of the rebuy period did the add on. I thought I was just going to bail on this one during the rebuy period, the people were acting totally nuts. I had determined that rebuying would not be worth it. I was down to around 1100 chips when the guy to my right started one all in after another, rebuying when it didn't go his way. He did it in fairly late position meaning few potential callers after me and I had pocket 3's, not a great hand but I figured what the hell, I was so short stacked relative to the leaders that I just went for it. That doubled me up. Then the next hand he did it again and I had pocket 8's so I went for it again and doubled up again. A few hands later I did it again, or nearly and hit the end of the rebuy period very close to average in chips so I went ahead and paid the $3 for an add on.

Things settled down a lot, as you might figure, once the freezeout part started. I managed to move up some and held on well to make it to the final table but I was the small stack at roughly 1/8 or less of the leader. I doubled up on a desperation move with KTs which may have been questionable when I ended up all in against A4s, I had hearts he had diamonds. I caught a ten on the flop and it held up.

I won a few little hands, stole some blinds and held on to where I was 6th with 6 left. That was the bubble. The first two places paid seats and the last 3 cash.

I limped in in the small blind with K7o when the button limped, the big blind checked. The flop came down Q 7 3 rainbow. I bet out on the 7, around half the pot, about 1/4 of my stack I guess. The big blind (the chip leader) raised enough to put me all in. That is where I went brain dead. I called in the rest of my chips with a hand that could not even beat top pair. I had outs but not many. Far better I'd have just folded. I would not have had much to work with but I'd have had SOME chance to finish in the money then. The big blind turned up pocket 9's and my day was done when neither a K or another 7 came on the turn or river. 

Have I learned my lesson? I certainly hope so. No way should I have called like that without top pair and only 6 outs to even beat top pair. Also with the BB having limped in he could have had anything including any two pair. Oh well live and learn. I'm getting so sick of bubble finishes. I did it twice last night in SnG's. Those I think I played well though, just didn't get what I needed when I needed it. I was actually fairly lucky to get to 4th in those considering I was getting nothing much in the way of cards. In the second one I never even saw a real premium hand. I think the best I got was pocket 8's or maybe ATo.

Sometime soon I'll have to write about my poker experiences in Vegas. I had a blast needless to say and just being there while the WSOP was going on was awesome as was playing the one Super Satellite that I played.

On a happier note I've been in Melbourne and Daytona the past two days. Monday night in Melborune I took $65 out of the $2 straight game in around 2 1/2 hours. Tuesday in Daytona I was up $106 in about the same time period. I'd have stayed then but the table was breaking down, again, and didn't look like it was going to come back, also the player mix felt like it was changing and I decided it was as good a time as any to quit while I was ahead.

I've got a trip to Biloxi scheduled for this coming week and after that I think I may take a week off from poker and work on the other house. I'm starting to feel maybe  a little burned out since I've played a lot of hours and every single day for almost a month straight now including what will be three out of town trips in a little over a month.