Close no cigar

Didn't wait to use the token. Entered the DS 90 man knockout last night and just missed the money. :/ 12/90 and 9 cash. I played a few hands well I thought. My big chip up the first hour I raised an ep limper in late position with 9T spades. He called and the flop came Q 5 x with two spades. Limper led for 320, just under 1/2 pot and I called. Turn is the A of spade and villaing bets roughly 1200 and I call with about the same behind. Turn's a blank and he shoves I call and he tables A5 two pair and I cripple him. Pity I didn't have him covered because that would have been a bounty.

I typically ignore the bounties because I've always found that they make me do some really retarded things in attempts to isolate the short stack shovers. But in this case the short stack was in late position directly to my right and everyone folded before him. So I picked up 88 and reraised and everyone else folded. SS had A6o and I held for $4. Small consolation for not cashing.

The one hand I have to say I was proud of wasn't particularly outstanding but I just thought it showed good discipline. It was late in the game close to the money. I'm short stacked with just under 10bbs and I'm in the big blind. The guy on my right had just won the last pot. Everyone folds to him and he limps in the small blind, I have 82o and briefly consider shoving. For some odd reason I have a feeling he's trapping here with a good hand. I have no reason for it but that was my gut reaction so I check. Flop is A 9 x I hit nothing. We both check. Turn is a blank, check around again. Then the 8 hits the river and he min bets 600. I have like 5200 so even though it's a minimum bet it's over 10% of my stack and I could very easily have the worst hand. I mean he could have a 9 or a better 8. So I typed "damn river" and laid the hand down. I don't know what the guy had but he claimed a nine.

Man it sucked getting close to the final table like that but I wasn't upset at all when I busted. I can feel a bankroll boost coming soon, just have to stay positive and manage that money well again. I'm disappointed that the 2nd place $3.30 MTT money is pretty much gone at this point, but I have no one to blame but myself. Honestly I don't think $100 makes much difference at this point. Variance is too much of a bitch. I'm hoping all this SNG play will help alleviate it and keep me even until the big score. I feel like I'm playing these well and am cashing a decent amount. Just doesn't seem hard or intimidating knowing 33% of the field gets paid.

Friday 2nd, Sunday Tilt/Small redemption

Friday night Craig hosted a deep stacked $20 with one $10 addon. We had 12 players including a lot of his family members like his brother dad and stepmom. His dad ended up winning and I got 2nd. I played well on the bubble when it came time to start shoving it in, winning a lot of blinds. And the times I did get looked up I ran well. The most interesting hand I played was one early.

It was after we had been playing for about 45 minutes and we were still on two 6 handed tables. I had been playing ridiculously tight for starting with over 200bbs. I get AK in the small blind after 2 people limp for 200. I raise it up to 1,000. Wayne's to my left in the bb and is thinking about it and while he is I say something to the effect of "everyone always calls my raises despite me folding for an hour so just go ahead and call it". So he calls, Jesenia does, and then Rob instashoves for about 5K more. Rob is very loose and often does some completely bizarre nonsensical plays, which actually is even more confusing because he tutors college math students. So I figure my AK to be well ahead of most of his range and I reship it and isolate for my whole stack and he turns over J5s. Ironically he flops a straight draw and two spades and I somehow miraculously manage to dodge all the outs on both remaining streets to win a decent pot.

Now on to Sunday. Went down south to the in laws and my wife gave me the OK to play. So I wanted to try and get into the 750K, which I already know is my weakness. I get the satellite bug and I will blow through $ trying to get in. And that's basically what happened. I played 2 3.30 double shootouts and failed. Then I played a 6max double shootout for $7 and got heads up in the first round and lost. All of these were turbos so by the time I got heads up the stacks would be even around 10bbs a piece.

So I'm on tilt after this. I know I should get up. But then I search my friends names and see Travis in a $26 turbo single table satellite thats' winner take all. So I say fuck it and get in one myself, despite it being way over my bankroll limits even if I hadn't been losing the last 2 hours.

Well I made it heads up and lost again! Pretty much same situation, no chips and I didn't lucky enough. Seriously titled the hell out of me.

Got home and stayed up late. Took 2nd (another fucking 2nd!) in a regular $5.50 and made 8 bucks there. Then took the 8 profit and played a 2 table turbo token sng which I haven't played in a long time and got it. And now I'm just sitting on that for a bit. I may try to get another one soon but I just didn't want to blow that right away. I still haven't decided what I'll use it for though. The last one I had I played a DS Knockout that has big money at the top if you can get there. I may go that direction again but I've been playing a lot of SNGs lately so I may just try to work up the tier system again. That was how I got my first roll boost last year before finishing out great. Who knows maybe it'll work again?

All I know is I'm really sick of short stacking cash games.

I've lost my flame

for analyzation. Maybe it's the vacation and being out of sorts, but I've completely stopped looking back at hand histories. I really need to start up again.

Results have been mixed as of late. Saturday it seemed I was running insanely well. I had two cash sessions where I sat with $5 and tripled it in less than an hour. Also that afternoon I went to Merkaba's in the hopes of getting heads up for a guaranteed $50 with an $100 for first place. I did make the final table but I got knocked out in 7th place unfortunately.

I'll tell you it was a fun run though. After the break I was in shove/fold mode and it was working for me this time. I shoved 3 times and took the blinds and/or limps. Once with Q8, K9 and AQd. Then the big hand for me was picking up AK in the bb against two limpers, one lady who was getting visibly frustrated with my previous shoves. So I shoved again and both of them called me, lady had JTc and the other AQc. Flops all blanks, she turns the T, and I river the A for a roughly 90K pot.

My plateau point was around 150K and I just could never get past that it seemed. After moving tables I got slick again and iso shoved a lady who also had slick and we chopped.

I did make a really weird play at this table when blinds were 10/20K. Brad shoves from LP for 10K and he has a lot of blues (worth 50 bonus points each). It folds to me in the small blind and I have Q4o. I check out the bb's stack and we have roughly the same amount of 120-150K. I reraise to 80K and he reluctantly folds after some thought, and really regrets it when he sees my hand. Brad on the other hand shows KK and takes it down, but I break even on the play by collecting the bb's 10K extra.

Shoved twice at the final table. Once with A5d and was called by bb who absolutely had to call with 84o based on the math and where the blinds were at. He flopped the 4 and I rivered the 5 to stay alive. Final hand I shove Q9o utg for 140K with blinds about to go up to 30/60K and sb calls me with AK. Flop is K J x. Turn is an A. River blank and I'm out. :/

Better luck next time. These tournaments can be fun when you run well but that's essentially what you have to do. Blinds are just so high and fast in the end there's nothing you can do except sit back and watch how bad other people play. So many people limp/fold with 10bb or less it's so sad.

Trip report

The weekend trip was fun and I really enjoyed spending more time with my family than I usually get to enjoy. My 4 year old nephew especially. He was very entertaining throughout the entire weeked. He's very argumentative and loves the "opposite day" stuff. So throughout the entire weekend we tried to tell him I was his mother's brother and he would just NOT have it. Yet he would still refer to me as uncle Dustin. :) Too cute.

First night in the cabin we didn't play much cards because it got late. My mom, brother and I played a little play chip 3 handed cash game on the bedroom floor. I took the time to try and explain a few topics to them and analyzed a few hands after they were over. My mom took away something from my discussion on image and aggression. I more or less explained that I was dumb for trying to bluff my brother all the time because he hardly ever folds a hand and that I'd be better off bluffing Mom because she played tigther. And likewise I explained I would give Mom more credit for a hand when she bets than Hunter because of his image.

So that set up for the actual tournament we played the next night with three of us and two other older relatives (grandma's cousin and her husband I believe). Mom really tried to be more aggressive than she was the night before based on what I had said about her. And me trying to bluff my brother all night before enabled me to get a lot of value from him when I was hitting the deck. Long story short me and mom ended up heads up and it only lasted one hand. I raised 2.5x the blind from the button with A4o and she called with J6o. Flop came A K Q. She checked and I put her all in and she didn't spike a ten. So I made 30 bucks on that game and she broke even. Overall it wasn't nearly as nerveracking as I thought it could have been and I'm glad to have won it.

Then Kristina and I stopped by the Isle of Capri in Lake Charles on our way back Monday. My plan was to put $100 down on the bonus holdem table game and double it quickly, then take the $200 to the 2/4 no limit table and see what I could do there. Despite the fact there was only me and one other guy at the bonus table (your odds are better if there are more players) I managed to make about $120. Started out by flopping trips, and the biggest pot I won was when I caught the AA and got paid $150 on my bonus bet. Then on top of that I made a full house so the dealer matched all of my other bets on the table. I felt bad for the other guy because the dealer was handing him some pretty brutal beats and he ended up busting.

So I took my profit and went to the poker room but had to wait on a no limit seat so I sat down at limit and lost $30 of my $100 buyin there. There was a very loose aggressive talkative Indian gentlemen to my left who was very fun to sit next to just for entertainment value. We ended up starting a new table for 2/4 no limit and to make a long story short I made about another $100 there.

I really only played two significant pots, with the biggest being AK from the small blind. I raised to $30 after a few people had limped. And older gentlemen who was the first limper called and so did the Indian. Flop came A 7 9 and led for $50 and was called by the older man. Turn is a K and I shove my remaining $96 in the pot. While he's thinking about it I offer to show him a card and turn over the K. Immediately the Indian guy says Ace King for sure! The older guy was pretty sure his hand was no good and folded AQ face up.

I'm really not sure what I was thinking when I did this. It's not something I normally do even in my home games. I guess I just wanted him to call me since he obviously had a piece to think about. But based on my tight image my range was so tight after rasing preflop, betting the flop and shoving the turn that it really wasn't a good idea at all. Oh well at least I got called preflop and on the flop to not make it a complete waste.

One final note before I get back to work here. I've been wanting to hook up my laptop to my flatscreen HDTV to multitable with. I tested it out the other night after buying a wireless keyboard and mouse and alas, I was disappointed. The poker program comes out pretty blurry so it's hard to see people's names and the dollar amounts people have and what they're betting etc. So I'm going to return the keyboard and mouse today on my way home. I just know if I kept them I still probably wouldn't use them that much.

Ooohhhh and one more final final note. The Dark Knight midnight IMAX screening is tonight! W00t! I'm going to lose my fucking mind counting down the hours tonight. :)

Off this weekend

I'm heading out of town this afternoon to go camping with my family in Louisiana. It's the big family reunion. My mom wants me to bring my chipset so we can play some. I'm kind of dreading it because I'm afraid of all the ridiculousness that will ensue. Especially with my 15 year old brother playing. :)

I can't decide if we should just play, if I should try and explain a few things before hand of what. I'm even thinking about trying to play limit to keep it simple. Hmm we'll see.

My dad's side of the family is in town this week and I spent the last couple of days hanging with them. Apparently my 13 year old brother is playing play money on Full Tilt now and recruiting one of my younger cousins into it too. That would be hilarious to see.

I hope the cabin has internet so I can get online but I doubt it. So I may be feening all weekend. :)

Double stacked is where it's at!

Great news and results to report from over the weekend! Saturday night while I was at the station I took 2nd out of 295 in a doublestacked 6 max MTT. I actually had to stay an hour and half after my shift to finish up the tournament. Why didn't I win? Well, heads up was three hands with me winning the first two. The final big hand I raised T3c and hit top pair T on the flop. Villain check/called the flop and checked the turn, I shoved and he tanked. He called with A3s with a flush draw, straight draw and the over card and hit his straight to take it down. Only one card away!!! Arg!!!

Oh well the difference was 80 bucks and while that would be very helpful to me, I turned $3.30 into roughly $137. Now the roll's up to 250 and I can sit with the max at .5/.10 cash now. I probably won't though until I can get up to 300.

I'm still sticking with full ring cash games. I won another $2 sng Saturday morning. Saturday night I mainly played tournaments and cash games, straying from my strategy (you know me).

Played live cash game with the guys yesterday and made $15, almost a buy in. The river saved me from getting my aces cracked. I raise 70 cents and of course everyone calls me because that's how our game is. Flop is 4 5 6 and I bet $3, Eric raises me to $7 and I call. The turn is a 2 and I shove and he calls and I suckout the 3 for a split pot. :) Whew!

I'll be out of town over the weekend and I hope to get some good table time at Isle of Capri on my way back from Louisiana. I think I'm just going to go the bonus holdem table with $100 and try and make some quick $ and then go play cash for a little bit. I probably won't have all that much time unless Kristina gets into some kind of game there which I doubt will happen.

And now for something completely different!

This post will have nothing to do with poker. I wanted to post clips of my favorite show on TV: So You Think You Can Dance. This show is 10 times better than Dancing with the Stars because all the dancers are young and know what they're doing. They're forced to dance styles that aren't their own and the choreographers they use are by and large fantastic. My top 3 couples are Katee and Joshua who have killed every routine they've been given so far, Mark and Chelsea who have great chemistry, and Kherington and Twitch who are just full of personality. Here's some of my favorite routines from last night's episode:

Katee and Joshua - Contemporary



Gev and Courtney - Hip Hop



Jessica and Will - Lyrical Jazz



Kherington and Twitch - Contemporary



Mark and Chelsea - Foxtrot

Reflecting on June

I played for about an hour last night, just cash game and a couple of $2 SNGs. I did well in the cash game, but didn't cash in either SNG. One of them I played bad early and the other I played well but kept getting outdrawn.

I did run good in the cash game, including a nice runner runner pot with Tens against AQ. The short stacked villain limp/called my raise and then check raised my cbet on the Q high flop with only one over to my pair. I was committed, called and hit two runners for a straight. I'd say that makes up for my boat cooler the other day.

I finished my spreadsheet for June and looked over some of the stats. My win rate in turbo heads up sngs was around 60% which is close to normal and respectable. I was a small winner in 6 max ring games, but not much. The last full ring cash games I've been playing I won a really decent amount so I'm really going to start playing those more. I'm sure the tournaments are my fucking big losses for the month. Not including the $50 that I deposited with the intention of pissing away I lost 20 bucks overall.

I've lost my analytical spark this week and I need to get it back. It seems like my latest threads on 2+2 have died a quick death too. I've just been really obsessive as of late. It's a strain on my relationship and I need to stop. Maybe this full ring cash + $2 SNG strategy will help. Other thing I need to work on badly is keeping better notes as I play, especially on player stats/image, etc.

Grats to Scotty Nguyen and JC Tran for their new bracelets. Well deserved.