1st MTT of the new year

I was hoping that the new year might break my miserable MTT run ever since I final tabled the Midnight Madness. Tonight I had my A game. I lasted 30 minutes and got to play 2 hands. A flopped set and a flopped 2 pair. Lost them both. Any sadistic people out there......

SB 2105
CO 3155
Me 1335
Blinds 20/40
OTB [7d]
CO open-raises to 140, I call, SB calls, BB folds
[7s][6s] Pot 460
SB checks, CO checks, I bet 320, both call.
1420
SB checks, CO bets 1040, I curse, take a long time and fold.


Me 720
MP1 815
Blinds 25/50
BB [2d]
MP1 limps, SB folds, I check
[2h][3c] Pot 125
I check, MP1 bets 125, I raise to 670 all-in, MP1 calls.
MP1 [8h] of course - I'm a 2-1 favorite
Pot 1465
3 more outs for MP1 - I'm a 3-1 favorite
Beautiful way to win it. The runner-runner wheel straight.

Wonderful tournament. Also played another 200 hands of 1/2 limit tonight. Dropped $11.75. One a positive note, I did do some research about the blog thing. Google Adsense says they don't allow any sites with gambling involved. So if I'm writing about poker sometimes does this mean I can't put Adsense on my site? Think I found a cheap hosting option. $7 per month and the first month is a free trial. Lot of neat features.

Whoop-dee-freakin-doo!
Finally had a positive NL$50 session. It started ugly, but I grinded out a win of about a stack over 202 hands. Biggest win = $13, biggest loss = $6. I said it was a grind, but fudge, I'll take $30 an hour.

Amazingly I got called preflop and flop w/ QQ and AA, but won both hands.

Here's the early hand that made me think it was gonna be another one of those sessions. Seems like everytime I have trips or 2 pair I lose a big one.....
6 handed:
UTG $58.05
ME $62.60
[Jc] CO
UTG limps, MP limps, I raise to $2, UTG calls, MP calls
[Jd][9d] Pot $6.75
Checked to me, I bet $4, UTG calls, MP folds
Pot $14.75
Now I have no outs. UTG bets $14 and I fold.

Then, same opponent....
SB $40.20
ME $58.80
[8s] UTG
I limp, folds around to SB who limps, BB checks
[9c][3s] Pot $1.50
Checked to me and I check because I don't want everyone to fold and there is only really a couple of cards I have to worry about.
Pot $1.50
And that was one of them. SB bets $1, BB folds, I call.
Pot $3.50
He checks, I bet $2, he calls and shows the straight [5h] and then I went on a short run where my hands either started holding up or I got every fold I wanted when bluffing or semi-bluffing.

Tonight's special hand:

Found the table idiot. I didn't even have enough room to write down all the mind boggling things this guy was doing. Got him to put his money in with 4 outs.

ME 3725
MP2 1500
Blinds 50/100
[Kd] BB
MP2 open-limps, folded to me, I raise to 400, MP2 calls.
[5c][4h] Pot 850
I bet 200, he pushes 1100 just like I knew he would. He shows [2d].
on the turn.

I shoulda just pushed pre-flop and tried to take his 100. I couldn't play that hand any better.

Never really recovered from that, but I fought my way into the money by trying to bully around some short stacks that were scared of bubbling. And then 2 hands after the bubble burst:

[Jc] MP2
Blinds 250/500 50 ante
UTG+1 raises to 1000 (3302 behind), I push 5330, BB calls (has us both covered), UTG+1 calls.
BB [Kc]
UTG+1 [Ad]

HAHAHALOLOLOLOL!

Some Funny Sh*t
Two seperate $50 NL sessions today. 316 hands +$23.45. First session was a grind on a tight table where I picked up a stack slowly. Second one was a bunch of LAGs, lot of big pots, I was up and down and lost $20.

I know I swore off long, time consuming posts, but some of the things that happened today were just too funny. Especially in the 1st session.

When Stupid People Try To Pay Attention And Fail
If you read this journal, you know how I bitch about players not paying attention to my 25 consecutive folds and then call my AI or big bet with AJo. Today I ran across somebody that was trying to pay attention, but had the wrong person and didn't even understand what he thought he read. So something I said, which was mis-interpreted cost another player his stack. This is how is started...

ME $68.50
MP1 $19.80
MP1 was 36/5/5 (that's WTSD not AF). He had been raising a lot and folding to resistance.
UTG+1 [3c]
UTG limps, I limp, MP1 raises to $1.50, MP2 calls $1.50, folded to me, I call.
[6c][3s] Pot $5.75
I check, MP1 bets $4 ($14.30 left), MP2 folds, I c/r him to $17.75, and he folds. Afterwards he starts complaining about everybody slowplaying so I start messing with him a little.

Him: everyone sloplay here ?
Me: just that one
Me: everytime I bet into the raiser they fold today
Him: so u didnt have a hand?
Him: please keep doing it
Me: No, I wanted the call
Me: thought you had one
iHim: i just had 2 overs
Him: what u have set?
Me: I had 2 overs beat

Went on a little while longer, and I ended up with him thinking I either had 2 pair or a set. So there is a guy sitting to the direct left of me with the same avatar as me and about 5 hands later, this happens.......

UTG+1 (same avatar as me) raises to $1.75 ($53.80 behind), CO calls $1.75 ($42.30 behind)
[2c][Jh] Pot $4.25
UTG bets $4, CO calls
Pot $12.25
UTG checks, CO bets $12.25, UTG pushes $49.80 total, CO calls.
UTG shows [Td] for a flopped set
CO shows [Qc] for a bunch of outs, but he couldn't really have counted much more than 8 of them there.
Anyway, CO hits his straight with on the river, makes a snotty remark for no reason and then gets trashed by the rest of the table.

So finally he says...
"i thought he was t guy who said he was bettinin to raisers......but it was t other rock (ME).....i thought he was bluffin"

First of all, I never said I was bluffing, I said I WANTED THE CALL all along.
Second of all, YOUR AN IDIOT! You don't even know who's push you were calling.

So something I said, inadvertantly caused another player to get sucked out on and stacked. Beautiful when it doesn't happen to me!

Insane Moment From Late Session
This is early on, my 1st orbit so I had to fold this.....
2 limpers, I raise [Jh] (edit) to $2.50, Button (big stack with $121) calls, SB pushes for $18.70 total. Everyone folds to me. I reluctantly fold, Button calls.
Button shows [4s]
SB shows [Kc]
SB holds up, but still has some words for the nut who just called him with A4s.

SB: ??
SB: whatcha think i had, A2??
Button: had nutz
Button: gamble
Button: Thought you had 66.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHLOLOLOLOLOL - You thought he had 66 so you called the AI thinking you were a 3-1 dog???? Incredible logic.

Right after that, I went on a rollercoaster, most of these hands against the same 2 LAG's on different tables. First one was 43/12/46 and had no trouble getting it all-in at anytime. Other one would bet or c/r pot on bluffs or with nuts so it was equally tough. I felt like a poor man's Xaston after this was all over. This all took place in a matter of about 3 orbits

1 - vs 43/12/46 - I'm always running into LAG monsters
http://www.pokerhand.org/?712573

2 - vs same player, getting half of it back, and now you see why I didn't really respect him
http://www.pokerhand.org/?712580

3 - vs 36/16/27 AF of like 6 just bet, bet, bet - boat over boated - Ouch! Couldn't catch one of the two Kings left, had to catch the case 10.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?712589

4 - back to the 1st guy again. I thought he might have AT after the turn and it was my turn to re-suck.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?712592

5 - now that I was just about even with him again, I figured why not take just a little more for good measure
http://www.pokerhand.org/?712594

(I'm not normally into c/r'ing. Rather lead out, but everytime I did today, the raiser folded)

6 - vs a different player. Great thinking, now I see why you're a short stack. Glad it wasn't a big stack and I didn't have to think about folding. Also, this is why I sometimes take overpairs too far.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?712596

7 - 2nd guy got me again. Don't think any river bet would have gotten a fold. Wish he had bet the turn that time so I could have folded.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?712600

Late Edit:
The Joke Known as the FT Midnight Madness Marches On

Lasted 42 minutes (41 hands). Here are the last 11 hands I was dealt.

[Jd] in SB - Blinds 30/60 - 1245 left
CO had been asking about good poker books the past few minutes. I thought he was full of it, but after seeing how strangely he played some hands, I believed he was serious.
MP2 limps, CO pushes 1322. From beginners this looks like a HUGE hand. I figured the only possible hand I had beaten badly was TT. QQ/KK/AA-AK more likely from a beginner so I folded.

1 fold

[Kd] CO - same blinds - 1245 left
UTG limps, UTG+2 limps, MP2 pushes 2685. With no read on him and a much bigger stack, this looks like JJ or TT and there was no way I was folding both hands so I called. He had [Js]
K on the flop, K on the river and MP2 tells everyone that he never wins an )(E$UI@#R race.

5 folds

[Qh] BB - same blinds - 2640 left
UTG limps, UTG+2 who was telling everyone how tired he was min-raises to 120, MP2 calls, I call, UTG calls. I have ALL covered.
[2d][Kh] Pot 510
2 checks, UTG+2 pushes 1455, MP2 calls 820, I have to call, UTG folds.
UTG+2 has [8d]
MP2 has [Ts]
Pot 4240 There goes most of the pot.

Very next hand, [Ks] SB - blinds 40/80 - 2355 left
MP1 limps, MP2 calls, CO (beginner) min-raises to 160, Button (can't win a race) pushes 1440, I push 2395 total and get it heads up.
He has [Jh] and wins a race.

Very next hand [Qs] - Button - 955 left
UTG raises to 280, MP2 calls 280, I push 955, UTG calls, MP2 folds
Pot 2310
UTG shows [Qh] hits A on flop.

Last 3 hands I put it in as 75%, 43%, and 69% in 3 consecutive hands and lose all 3. Can someone give me the odds there? Somewhere around 10% chances of that happening sound right?

Ass whipping today at 1/2 limit.
386 hands -$53 -6.87 bb/100 (I am now +$5 after 12K+ hands of 1/2 limit). Lost on all 4 tables I played on today.

Big Pairs (Only real win was running KK vs QQ)
AA - ZERO x (No AA in 967 hands this year so far)
KK - 2x (1-1)
1 - vs QQ, won decent pot
2 - vs AA, lost big pot
QQ - 3x (1-2)
1 - Won the blinds
2 - Flopped a set vs BB. He hung around to catch runner-runner flush.
3 - PFR in CO, I 3-bet Button, SB calls 2 and catches A on flop. A9 vs A7 battle it out.
JJ - 1 x (0-1)
1 - I 3-bet vs PFR and CC. QxA flop. A6o (cold-caller) bets into me.
PS - I jokingly asked ED if I actually exist yesterday. After a day of Axo betting into my PFR's on the Fp, I really need to question my existance.
TT - 1x (0-1)
1 - 4 way flop with an Ace on it. First caller bets, 3 calls so I fold. Of course one of the 2 remaining Tens pops up on the Turn. We have A4 vs A5 vs A3. Wonderful how that case Ace popped up on the flop.

2 sets in 23 pocket pairs, but I did lose a big pot with one of them.

1 straight

1 flush - on a paired board, but the idiot who flopped trips slowplalyed it so I hit for free

I've already started lagging on some of my NY's resolutions. I would like to chalk it up to not feeling well (still feelling kinda crappy today), but hope I can back into rythym by the weekend. The 2 things I'm having the most trouble with are:
1 - motivating myself and actually finding time and feeling physically good enough to work out.
2 - starting the blog I spoke of. I have a ton of ideas. I have it set up in my mind, but starting something is always the hardest thing for me to do. I think I'm going to just look at a bunch of blogs today and search for their 1st posts and see how they set it up and started off.

Planning on playing the $25K Guarranteed tonight at FT, but not the Midnight Madness. I'll edit this post to update if anything interesting happens.

LATE EDIT: $25K Guarranteed
Finished 139th out of 1824

Big hands -
1 - On the Bubble
Blinds 250/500 50 ante
ME 9120 after posting
Button 7360
[Kc] SB
Folded to Button who limps, I raise to 2000, BB folds, Button pushes for 7410 total. I grit my teeth and call.
Him - [8h]
Board [2s][7d][6d][Ah] - I would have eeked into the money even if I lost, but that was big hand.

2 - Little later
Blinds 400/800 100 ante
UTG pushes 3746 total, I push 11870 total from MP1, all else fold.
Him [5c]
Me [Th]
Flop [As][5h] OUCH!

3 - After I got a few chips back
Blinds 500/1000 125 ante
Me 14816 after posting
UTG 39975
[9h] SB
UTG, MP2, Button limp. I limp, BB checks.
[9s][Tc] Pot 6000
I bet 2000, UTG raises to 6000, I call
Pot 18000
Check, check
Pot 18000
I push, UTG insta-calls. UTG has [Jc] DOUBLE MUTHA-EFFIN OUCH!



So far for the year:
$50NL - 5 hours +$87.55 (2 tabling)
1/2 Lim - 3h 56m -$28.75 (3 tabling)
MTT's - 4 played +$4.35
Bonus Cleared $40
Total +$103.05
Goal: $250 weekly/$1K monthly
Status: Behind pace

$25K Guarranteed - TRIPLE MUTHA-EFFIN OUCH!!!
Here's is today's entire journal entry:
http://www.pokerhand.org/?717877

No that was not a repeat from yesterday. Same tournament 2 nights in a row I get crushed by rivering a boat. I thought last night's J9s hand was painful, this one was 10x worse. I was counting my chips when the 1st guy called.

First buzzed journal post in a while. Myself and another Cowboy fan went out to watch the game. How disgusted was I? Well, the image of Tony Romo going down at the 2 yard line has replaced the image of the KK hand I'm about to post in my head.

342 hands of $50 NL today in 2.5 hours.

1 set, lost to GSSD.

155 hands in, I pick up my 1st big pair (QQ). 1 caller and I picked it up on the flop.

225 hands in, I pick up my 2nd big pair (QQ again). I PFR to $2 and an otherwise dead table wakes up and I get 2 callers behind me and the Button raises to $4. Ace on the flop and one of the callers behind me pushes for $33.

264 hands in, I pick up my first KK.
I have a full stack, opponent has $28.80 after posting SB.
I limp [Kh] UTG. Button limps, SB raises to $2.50, BB folds, I re-raise to $10.50, Button folds, SB puts in more than 1/3 of his stack to play.
[4s][7d] Pot $22
SB bets $5, I put him all-in for $13.55 more and he calls and shows me the set of Queens. I can't tell you how many times I've run KK into a set of Queens when I've already put enough in preflop to make QQ make a mistake. Maybe the only solution is to push the damn Kings preflop.

The best part, is that afterward the SB says that if that Q didn't hit the flop he was folding because he knew he was beat.

3 hands later, before I even have a chance to stop throwing things and reload....
UTG+2 (18/10) PFR to $2, guy who cracked my KK called, I push $17 OTB w/ [Kc]. UTG+2 calls with [Kh]. on the river and he starts cursing.

If I had actually reloaded, I would have lost this hand because I either would have been re-raised out preflop if I 3-bet or I wouldn't have stuck around to the river.

A little later I ended up hitting my 1st flush of the session. The board paired on the turn, but since I got to see the river for free, I had to call his pot sized River bet thinking I was going to see AJ for a boat on an AJxJx board, but he only had AK. I flopped another flush a little later that helped me cut deficit for the day to $29.80. Considering the run of shit cards I had on the day, I guess that's not too bad.

Here's a last wierd thing I saw today. After 52 hands there was a player who was playing 24/2. I remember noticing his numbers because all of a sudden for no particular reason, to no particular person he types "I'm gonna kill you".

WTF???

The very next hand he open-raises all-in preflop for like $40. Then he procedes to PFR almost every other hand until after 94 hands he's at 40/16. Did he have another personality that took over?

Here's the kicker. A few hands after my KK hand and then my AK hand where the table is already in an uproar, this guy gets it all in on an Ax8 flop. He has A8. Opponent called with AQ. He had $80+ to start, opponent had $40+ so it was a pretty wierd hand to go that nuts on the flop. Turn is, of course, a Q. This guy just flipped out so at that point almost half the table was cursing at someone else at the table.

End of drunken post. No playing tomorrow. Going to a house party with a bunch of Jets and Giants fanatics. Should be fun. May be home game after the football.

So far for the year:
$50NL - 7h 5m +$58.15 (2 tabling)
1/2 Lim - 5h 8m -$13 (3 tabling)
MTT's - 7 played -$13.25
Mixed - 1h 23m +$23.80 (.50/1 HORSE)
Bonus Cleared $40
Total 23h 11m +$95.60
Goal: $250 weekly/$1K monthly
Status: Finished week 1 well behind pace.

Upset because I didn't reach my goal, but happy to start off with a profitable week. I really didn't get in the 30+ hours I wanted and took a lot of ugly beats, mostly in tournaments, but some in cash games. I'm not considering the week a failure, but I'm not calling it a success either.

Messed up hand of the day. Just posted this one in the limit section. Opponent was 43/3/36 and had no concept of position. Not the first time I've run into problems vs this hand this week.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?722645

Only played about an hour today. Was out watching football most the day. Managed to finish slightly ahead despite the hand I posted. My big winner of the day was when I called a raise in the BB w/ [Qc]. Flopped the nuts, got to cap the turn, bet the river and the other guy folded when he said he meant to call with 2 pair. Missed 1 BB.

Very happy with today. 493 hands of 1/2 limit +$54 +5.48 bb/100. Also cleared $20 more of the bonus. That's a $74 profit on the day.

Hand of the day.....
UTG+2 raises, MP2 calls, since there is at least 1 call in front of me and a good chance that the BB will call too, I call w/ [7c], Button calls, BB calls.
[5c][8s] Pot 10.5 SB
BB checks, UTG+2 checks, MP2 checks, I bet, Button calls, BB calls, UTG+2 calls, MP2 folds
Pot 7.25 BB
BB checks, UTG+2 bets, I raise, Button folds, BB 3-bets (Ain't it great when someone 3-bets when you have the nuts?), UTG+2 calls, I cap, BB calls
Pot 16.25 BB
BB checks, I bet, BB calls
BB shows [5h] for 2 pair
+11.25 bb

AC trip planned for Wed night. Free room at the Taj. Should be fun.

209 hands of $50NL this afternoon. I have another night session planned. I only lost $4.10 but I thought I did much worse. I was down a stack much of the way.

Pain In The Ass Hand Of The Month
QQ. I can't win with it. I can't beat them with Kings. I hate the bitches. Dealt them twice today OOP and was called down and then faced a pot sized river bet each time.
1 - [Qs] UTG+2
I open raise to $2 and get called by the Button. I've played vs Button before. He's TAG (20/7/13) and I'd seen him bet a set into the PFRer before.
[7h][5d] Pot $4.75
I bet $3 and he calls
Pot $11.75
I bet $8.50 and he calls
Pot $28.75
I check and he pushes $14.05. I'm getting 3-1 here, but fold. If he had the nut flush draw he got there with the Ace on the Turn. I beat 2 big hearts and that's about it, right? Anyone call here thinking they are good at least 1 out of 4x?

2 - [Qc] UTG
This time I limp, looking to go for the re-raise. I don't normally do this with QQ, but there were so many players behind me that were calling raises that I didn't want to play this hand again OOP like the last one.
UTG+1 limps, MP2 limps, SB calls, BB checks. Not what I wanted.
[Jd][8s] Pot $2.50
SB checks, BB bets $2.50 (he had been pretty aggressive trying to pick up limped pots on the flop), I called. UTG+1 called, MP2 folds, SB folds
Pot $10
BB checks, I bet $6, UTG+1 calls
Pot $22
I check, UTG+1 bets $18, I fold. I can't see myself beating anything

FVCK Up Of the Day
My worst move of the day was calling this river.
I open raise $2 OTB w/ [2d]. I have a full stack. BB calls with $19 behind.
[As][Qd] Pot $4.25
BB checks, I check because I'm only going to make a worse hand fold now.
Pot $4.25
BB bets $3. I call. Now maybe I got him to bluff with a worse hand.
Pot $10.25
BB bets $9. I call. I should have folded there knowing that he probably wasn't going to bet the river again unless he had at least an Ace. He had [Jc]

SICK SICK SICK HAND OF THE DAY
MP1 [3d]
UTG raises to $2, I call (He has $29.80 left and I cover)
[Ad][4h] Pot $4.75
UTG bets $2. I have 3 outs to the nut straight + a BDFD. I'm actually counting 4 outs on my straight as I don't think he has the FD.
I would have folded if he had bet pot because he didn't have a big enough stack for me to call, but this is a very weak bet. I'm thinking JJ or QQ and perhaps I can even take it away from him if I miss the turn.
I call the $2 and look to see what he does on the Turn.
Pot $8.75
He bets $8. WHOA!!! Maybe I had been wrong about him not having much, but I just hit gold. What's even better than stealing the pot when he doesn't have much? How bout hitting a well hitten out to for the nuts and getting paid off.
I push for $37.80 and he calls his last $19.80. He had [Ac] and the river was a blank. Just wish he had more than $30 to start.

I did the same thing again a little later with [4c], hitting a gutshot on the Turn. This time the original raiser didn't have much and I only made an extra $5 and an $8 profit overall.

The only other interesting hand, I posted in the NL section. I flopped the nuts with [Jd] in the BB on a 6 way limped flop with [3d][Td]. I led out for $1.50 (1/2 pot) and got called in 2 places. Turn was . I bet out $3 again into $7.50 pot and both players called. River paired the board. I checked and the last caller bet $5 (bout 1/3 pot).

Have I Mentioned That I HATE QQ Yet Today?
Played 1/2 limit in the night session. Very first hand in the BB I get [Qs]
UTG raises, MP2 3-bets, I cap, both call.
[5c][Jc] Pot 12.5 SB
I bet, UTG folds, MP2 raises, I call
Pot $16.50
I check, fold. Looks weak right? MP2 showed [Ad]

About 3 orbits later at another table....[Qd] in CO
I open-raise, SB 3-bets, BB calls, I cap, both call
[Ts][2h] Pot 12 SB
Checked to me, I bet, SB raises, BB folds, I 3-bet, SB calls
Pot 9 BB
SB check-raises again. I call him down and he shows AK.

Other than that and getting a pair of Aces cracked by a BB set, this session went incredibly well. 222 hands +$43.50. I hit 2 flushed in big pots and flopped quad 9's in a HUGE pot.

Sore Loser and Hand of the Night #1:
[6d] in BB.
UTG+2 limps, MP1 lmips, SB folds, I check
[Kc][4d] Pot 3.5 SB
I bet, UTG+2 calls, MP1 folds
Pot 2.75 BB
I bet, UTG+2 raises, I 3-bet, UTG+2 calls
Pot 8.75 BB
I bet, UTG+2 calls
UTG+2 shows [7s] and then Mr 35/11/50 types "Nice catch. Unbelievable!"

Unbelievable.............that I hit one of my 17 river outs?
Unbelievable.............that I was ahead on the flop and he hit a 5 outter to go ahead?
Or Unbelievable.........that he was playing 87o from EP in the 1st damn place????

There Is a Poker God and Hand of the Night #2
Thank God for players like UTG+2 who will put in a bunch of bets drawing deader than dead.
1/2 Limit at Full Tilt
[9c] in MP2
UTG+2 limps, MP1 limps, I limp, CO limps, SB raises, BB calls, UTG+2 calls, MP1 calls, I call, CO calls
[6c][9s] Pot 12 SB
SB bets, BB calls, UTG+2 calls, MP1 folds, I pick myself up off the floor and call, CO folds
Who cares what the turn is, but just to illustrate the UTG+2 point....
Pot 8 BB
SB bets, BB folds, UTG+2 calls, I raise, SB 3-bets, UTG+2 calls 2 BB, I cap, SB calls his last $1 and is all-in, UTG+2 calls,
Pot 19.5 BB
UTG+2 checks, I bet, UTG+2 calls.

SB had [Ac]
UTG+2 had [6h]???????

+14.5 BB after rake.

AC tomorrow so I don't see myself getting in any online hands until Friday. I'm hoping to get in some playing while down there, but I'm not going to have enough cash on me to really play many games confidentally. This is more of a trip that we're taking because one of my friends just broke up with some chick and a couple of people took Thursday off. Should at least be fun if nothing else.

Got home last night from a 2 day AC trip and I've been moving furniture around all day today so I'm pretty exhausted. There really wasn't much poker during the trip. Only 1 MTT at Showboat last night. I feel like I've been playing my best tournament poker currently, but the results have basically sucked over the last month. This includes online as well as the live one in AC yesterday. I also played in the Midnight Madness last night when I got home. No matter what I do, I just can't seem to make it very far into these events lately. Anyway, here's an MTT summary from last the MM Tue night just to illustrate that I really am making good decisions and then a summary from the live MTT at Showboat last night. More of a trip report may be coming up later, non-poker stuff, if anyone cares......

Tue Midnight Madness
I've been playing almost rocklike lately because it seems like the players are getting crazier and crazier every night. I've also been paying close attention to the other players and had a decent idea on just about everyone at the table after about a 1/2 hour. On one particular hand, a player that had been playing a lot of hands limped in from UTG+2. It was foded around to me in the SB w/ [Js] and I completed. BB, a new player at the table, checked.
I had 1390 left, the blinds were 40/80 and both had me covered.
Flop came [7s][Jd] Pot 240
I bet 160, BB called, UTG+2 min-raised to 320.
At this point, I don't remember exactly why, but I had a pretty good feeling UTG+2 had JT. I figured he would have raised AJ. KJ was also a possibility, but he had been min-PFRing a lot and probably would have done so with KJ. Maybe not though. Anyway, the way it turned out, I called, BB called. Turn was a blank and UTG+2 bet 320 again into a now 1200 pot. I decided just to call instead of push, but BB called too.
Pot 2160
If he had the one hand I thought he had, then I just got screwed. I checked, BB pushed, UTG+2 called instantly and I folded. BB had [4c]. UTG+2 had [Tc]. Perfect read, bad result.
With blinds 50/100 I found myself with 55 OTB after 3 limps. I only had 1320 now, but I decided to limp too. SB completed, but BB with 1580 took a long time and pushed. Everyone folded to me. Getting almost 2-1 for my money, almost positive that he was making a move with 2 overs, I called. I was right about the coinflip as he had A9o, but the flop was TAK. Again, right decision, wrong result.

Showboat MTT Report
I have no idea why I decided to play in the Showboat event rather than the Taj. It was probably a factor of price (I didn't have much cash on me and SB was $35 cheaper) and the fact that Taj was remodeling the poker room and the constant drilling was irritating. There were also some other Taj problems on this trip which will probably be in my next post. Anyway, onto the tournament.

75 players, but Showboat had us 11 handed the entire way. When players were knocked out, they would just close a table and keep it 11-handed. I HATED this. I wanted to be aggressive and either go out early or win, but this is tough at an 11-handed table. Too many possibilities. I also found out pretty early that if someone limped in, they were calling a raise and they were calling a flop bet as well.

3 hands in, I pick up ATo OTB. Starting stacks are 10K and blinds 50/100. Player limped in from 2 off the Button and I raised to 400. Limper called and BB called . Flop came ATx. Checked to me, I bet 700. BB folded, but limper called. Pot is 2650.
Jack on the Turn and limper bets 1000 into me. Seemed wierd and I'm thinking KJ, but I gotta call getting 3650. Blank on the river and he bets 1000 again. I call again and he does have KJ. 1/3 of my stack chopped out just 3 hands in.

A few hands later I pick up AK. The player directly to my right opens for 300. I re-raise to 1000 and he calls. Flop is [Qc]x. He checks and I decide to check behind him. Partially to keep the pot small and partially to get some more money from him if he has something like AQ or a smaller PP. Turn is and I can't slowplay anymore. I bet 1000 again and he folded.

We're on the last hand of the 1st level (50/100) when I pick up [8c] in the SB. CO (guy with KJ before) opens for 300. Button calls, I call, BB calls. Flop is Queen high with 2 clubs. Pot is 1200.
I try to see if I can steal it with a 500 bet. BB folds, but CO raises to 1000, and Button folds. For a second I thought about pushing, but realized that he was giving me incredible drawing odds at 7.4 to 1. WOW! So I called. Turn was a blank. Pot is 4200.
CO bets 1000 again, Button folds and I call getting 5.2 to 1 odds.
I hit my flush on the river and bet out 2000. CO calls with [Qs] and I now have all the money I lost to him back and then some.

Blinds are now 100/200 and I'm 2 off the Button. 1 limper ahead of me and I limp with [3s]. Flop comes 976 and it gets checked around. Turn is an Ace. It's checked to me again and I bet 500. BB called, limper folded. BB, an older man, was one of the most solid players at the table. I had heard him talking to the girl next to him about a number of events he had played in and he sounded very knowledgable. When a 5 showed up on the river, I thought that he may be the only person that I could get to fold if I bet enough that it didn't look that I wanted him to fold, but more than he could call with a marginal hand. I bet 1000 and he took a long time and folded. Hence, my only bluff of the tournament.

I went card dead for a while where I only remember picking up the blinds with 88 once.

KEY HAND Fast foward and the blinds are 400/800. I have 11000 left after posting the BB. I have [Qc]
UTG+1 quicly pushes for 5800. He had been playing very tight and before I could even figure out what I wanted to do, just assuming it would fold around to me, UTG+2 quicly calls.
UTG+2 was a chatty young female. She played a decent amount of hands, but not a ton. She had gotten very lucky 2x vs AK (1x calling a raise with Q9 and flopping trip 9's and another pushing AQs vs a raise and hitting a flush). She has shown down Q9 a couple of times. Seemed to like that hand. Her quick call from early position though threw me off. Then she said something very strange.....
A couple of players were just shocked at how quickly she called and were laughing and had a few comments and she said "I really didn't want to call."
WTF??? Why would she say something like that with half the table left to act? Did it mean she had a monster?
It folded to SB who took a while to fold. Now it was my turn and I had a decision to make. The dealer though, seemed irritated and repeatedly said 5000 to call as if he was rushing me from the start. Eventually I decided that my best case scenario was one PP and a hand with an Ace in it which took away one of my outs. I was leaning towards calling at that point if I thought it was a race, but I felt that I couldn't call here so I folded.
UTG+1 showed A8o which was a bit of a shock as he was playing a tight game.
And then UTG+2 showed a hand that made me want to bash my head against a wall....KQo. They both missed and the A-hi stood up.

Soon after, the blinds were up at 600/1200. I still had 11000 left and raised to 5000 from MP with JJ. Guy to me left immediately pushed for 6700. I called and he had Aces. I ended up getting a much needed walk in the BB somehow with 63s. In MP again I pick up 88, but when UTG min-raises to 2400 I'm pretty sure I'm dead, but can't fold here. He had QQ.

I'm still banging my head over that AQ hand.

Eff QQ! FVCK Any Hand w/ a Queen! Screw the Bitches!!!

I wonder why I try to play any hand the right way sometimes. Why not just push every hand I think worth playing from the start. Stupid people......
Midnight Madness
347 left out of 1241
Blinds 100/200
[Qs] OTB (3020)
UTG+1 (2392) limps, I raise to 600 thinking that I can get away from it if he is limping in with a monster and pushes. BB (9750 after posting) calls, UTG+1 calls.
[Ah][Kd] Pot 1900
BB (9350) checks, UTG+1 (1792) checks, I bet 1600.
Only hands I'm worried about are A3 or 33 from BB. I'm pretty sure I have UTG+1 beat. I don't want to push. I want another Ace to call me and I want to give bad odds to a flush draw.
BB calls, UTG+1 folds
Pot 5100
BB checks, I push 820 and he calls.
BB [2c] Are you kidding me??? HOW DOES THIS MAKE SENSE??? I guess that's how you build up a big stack. Why do I waste my time thinking these things out?

Put in about an hour of 1/2 limit, but it was a blind stealing contest. The few times I did catch big hands I was cracked.
KK cracked by SB Ax in a battle of the blinds
AA cracked by T9o from UTG by the guy that just won't fold. He hit his 2 pair on the river.

Put in another hour and a half of NL50 and that was even better. I'm really considering folding Queens preflop from now on. Dealt QQ 1x. I have $59.60 and have the other 2 covered from the Button. Sounds like a good position to be in....
UTG+1 raise to $2, MP2 re-raises to $4. I call as does UTG+1
Flop [Tc][7s] Pot $12.75
UTG+1 checks, MP2 bets $7.50, and I call.
Pot $27.75
MP2 bets $18 and I have no read so I fold. I have no idea what to do with this hand or up against it.

AK can go to hell too!

I decide to limp UTG with the intention of possibly re-raising or calling depending on player. Most aggressive player at the table raises to $3 and has $22 left. I just call because I know he'll likely call a push. I feel like there is no reason to play a big pot yet.
Flop T6A Pot $6.75
He bets $5.50 and I c/r all-in for his last $16.60. Of course he has AK too, but his is even suited. At least I split the damn pot, but actually lost due to rake.

AK for the 2nd time. This time in position. An EP and MP limper and I raise to $2.50. EP calls.
[Jc][Qh] Pot $6.25. I have no clubs and I don't like this flop.
I bet $4 and get c/r to $10. EP is a conservative, but aggressive player. I call
Pot $26.25
EP bets $12.50 and I fold

AK for the 3rd time. This time suited in hearts. UTG+1. I limp again with the full intent of re-raising. I had played 45 hands at this table and hadn't had a hand to raise yet so I'm thinking a limp/rr might get some respect.
UTG+2 raises to $1.5, folded to me and I re-raise to $5.25, UTG+2 now min-re-raises me again. I said screw it and pushed. He immediately called and showed....
EFFIN and of course the bitches do me in again.

I may sound paranoid, but I know they're out to get me. Never trust women!

I set a tentative goal for $250 per week and I'm falling well short for the 2nd week in a row. It feels like I got clobbered this week, but I actually showed a small profit. I started off well, but have lost 4 playing days in a row.
WEEK 1 +$95.60 (23h 11m)
WEEK 2 +$61.05 (14h 53m)

I know I have still have a big MTT cash coming soon. I'm playing too well not to.

I've been saying that I have a big cash coming and I just got what I deserved. Used 2400 RP and played in a $100K satellite.

I played 2 hands.....Raised [Qd] UTG - 8 handed - a few hands in and was called by UTG+1. Flop QT6, bet, call. 6 - now 2 diamonds on the board, bet, call. River blank, check, bet, call and he has [Th].

Played like a rock until [Kc] with blinds 30/60. I have 575 left in the BB after posting. UTG+1 min-raises to 120. I push and he calls. [2c]. I'm dead. Obviously he flopped the set. So here are my exit hands in the last 5 MTT's I've played.

http://www.pokerhand.org/?742442 (82% favorite)

http://www.pokerhand.org/?742444 (81% when 2/3 of my stack goes in on the flop)

http://www.pokerhand.org/?742447 (Only 88% this time)

http://www.pokerhand.org/?742452 (I went 1-2 as a 2 to 1 favorite in the 3 previous hands vs a compulsive pusher - I was only 60% here so how could I win?)

http://www.pokerhand.org/?742458 (55% coin flip)

I gotta try to get it in with QJ against Kings or something.

I did finally win a hand with QQ today in a 50NL hand. It was limped and then raised from the Button. I re-raised 5x the steal attempt in the BB and thankfully it was folded.

Couldn't win much else. Only decent hand to speak of was a flopped 9 outter, turned 17 outter in a 3 way pot. Whiff...
http://www.pokerhand.org/?742464