Happier Days

I didn't last long in the short-handed event. The blinds were only 20 minutes long and we started with 2500 chips so there wasn't much play. My first table was filled with donkeys but it broke early. I got rivered on a pot right away which brought my chip count down to 1500. Then I was moved to a table full of solid players, the first time I experienced tough opponents in any of the tournaments thus far, and I couldn't get anything going. When the blinds reached 100-200 I found KQ and raised. I was called by the big blind and the flop came J104. He checked I pushed he called with QJ and I bricked out.

After the tournament Trav and I got some dinner and he went over the book 'The Wealthy Barber' which I hear is a pretty good book. I have some experience and background in finance so we talked a little about that and a little about everything else. After dinner we hit the tables.

When I first sat down my table was ok at best but I hit a couple of really nice hands and was up over 9k in two hours, which included two sizeable pots with top set - I like the no-brainers they're fun. For the next four hours after that I couldn't get anything going including a couple big pairs gone bad. The table became tough, one of the toughest I had seen to date, and many players were 10k plus deep so I decided to call it a night up 7k. My highlighted hands were as follows:

Hand #1:

Tight solid player UTG raised to $80 (he won one of the earlier events this year) and I called with 1010, big blind called as well. Flop came down 1086 two hearts. Blind checked, preflop raiser checked I bet $160. Big blind called and preflop raiser reraised to $800. I immediately put him on 8s or 6s as I think he would lead out on a flush draw or overpair and I don't think 97 was in his range of early position raises. I hollywooded and decided to push there instead of getting cute and losing action to a heart, 9, or 7 on the turn. He was $2500 deep and I stacked him as he tabled 88. Nice to be on the good side of a cooler.

Hand #2:

UTG fish raises to $80 and I have 1010 again and call. Late position aggressive fish repops to $280 we both call. Flop is 1097 rainbow and we both check to the preflop aggressor. He fires out an overbet of $700 (which I think was with air as he did the same overbet on a J98 board with AK previously). The original raiser check raises to $2000 all-in. I decide to smooth call hoping the aggressor had an overpair, but after the action he quickly folded. Turn was 2 river 3, I showed my 1010 and my opponent mucked, not sure what he had but who cares.

Hand #3:

Same preflop aggressor as last hand calls my raise of $80 and we're heads up. I have AJ off and the flop is AQ10 two hearts. I decide to check for pot control and to allow the goon to pick up the bet, potentially with nothing. He fires out $150 and I call. Turn is an offsuit 8. I check he bets $250 I hesitate and call (my hesitation was for dramatic purposes obviously as I'm not going to fold). The river brings an offsuit 5 and I decide to check again. This time he fires out for $700. I rather quickly call as I think he is bluffing because if he had a really strong hand he would have bet harder on the turn givin the draw heavy board. The second I call he riffles his cards into the muck in disguist. Against unintelligent goons I do prefer to check call alot with vulnerable hands to induce bluffs. Except against a flush draw or touch gutter I either have the best or the worst, and that is unlikely to change through to the river, so I think there is good value in playing the hand this way against certain players. Also, I had noticed that he would generally pick up the bet if someone checked so I think I maximized in this situation.

Hand #4:

My last hand of the night I found KK. Someone straddles to $40 someone called so I made it $240. Both blinds call and the initial caller folded. The flop came down QQ9 two diamonds. The small blind led out for $500 and I felt he had a 9 or a pocket pair. I was pretty sure it was a probing bet as I don't think he was crafty enough to lead out with trips. Unfortunately, the big blind smooth called the bet. He was a very good player that usually plays the 20-40 and higher. He was about 20k deep and was playing tight solid. I felt he proabably had the Q and so I let go of my KK. On the turn an offsuit 7. The small blind checked and he bet $1000, small blind deliberated and called. The river was an offsuit 3 and the small blind checked. He barrelled again this time for $1800. The small blind thought for a couple minutes and called. The solid player mucked and the small blind showed JJ. This hand is interesting on several levels. First, if I wasn't on the way out I may have called the $500 to see what happened on the turn and likely I would have frozen the big blind from running a bluff fearing I'm smooth calling with a Q. Second, his table image was tight and he had not shown down any bluffs. He was likely on a flush draw and I think against any good player he would have taken the pot down on the turn or at least the river as his play clearly reaks of a Q. Unfortunately for him he was up against a meatball who doesn't think it through and gets married to his pair. Of course the meatball quickly states that he read him for a flush draw...lol...more like I'm a calling station and I am making a crying call that you are running a bluff.

Going to take the day off from live poker because they have the $500 buy-in HORSE tournmanent on Full Tilt as part of their FTOPS series. I love HORSE so I gotta play. If I get knocked out early I will venture downstairs to play. As for the weekend, I'm going to play cash games Friday and Saturday as the weekend action is simply too good to refuse. On Sunday I'll likely play the $335 nl Holdem event as cheap weekend buyins usually equate to a smorgisborg of donks.

Tough day for Trav as he lost about 9k, I know that feeling. He was at my table for a short while and couldn't really get anything going. I'm sure he'll make it back this weekend.

Other than that I talked to Todd and I think he'll make it out mid next week as it seems his dog is going to make it. Can't wait till he gets down here so Trav, him, and I can go play Peable Beach (I need a week to mend my sprained wrist anyway. And if by some chance I don't kick their asses at least I have a fallback excuse).

On a final note, I have been conversing with Kathy via email and she is having a blast in Europe and will be there for another few days.

Hope to have a good weekend and will update as frequently as possible...

Cheers,