While checking out some posts on Hoy's blog he posted a link to a previous blog he had posted. Sounds vaguely familiar....
http://hammerplayer.blogspot.com/2007/01/pokerstars-rant.html
Im not good at html so I apologize if its not blue for you. Copy and paste lazy bitches!
So anyway, I wrote a blog entry half way about my success on Friday but then I canned it because I thought it sounded dumb, dont know why I should care nobody checks my blog out anyway. I should change the title to: crappiest blogger alive.
Anywho on Friday me and Joe C "Unimpressed" went to play at an Ante Up home game. Different type of game as it was 30k starting stack but slow blinds. The original concept would have kept us there until 7:30am the next day, buit thankfully they re-arranged it so the structure was quicker.
Not really too much to talk about, I was down about 10k when I made a donkalicious call with A-10 on a 9 high flop. Guy pushed all in with an OESD and neither of us improved so I knocked him out.
Next hand of note was when I had K-9 and I pushed hard when 9 high was on the flop. The one better in the pot with me was a maniac who could have realistically had anything. After some serious betting and re-raising I got him to fold after he asked if I had a set. In folding, he accidentally turned up a Q and was insuating he had Q-Q (which I highly doubt, more likely K-Q or A-Q) so I dutifully showed him my k-9 which he commented about "wow just a pair of 9s."
After a while 3 people were finally knocked out and we combined into one table. At this time I wasnt the low stack but it was pretty obvious i was in some trouble.
Other than a hand where I had A-Q. A high flop with 3 clubs. Blazman made a 5k bet into the pot and on a whim I pushed all-in, he folded.
Next hand of note was when it was down to 4 players, in the SB i got K-J. I raised about half my stack. BB goes into the tank hard, but finally calls. J on the flop. I push. BB thinks about it some more (he liked to take his time with decisions, so much Jason asked Joe if he wanted to call time on him) he finally called and turned over A-10. Board didnt improve for either one of us and I knocked him out in 4th.
A few rounds later its Jasom (host) in 1st, Joe in 2nd and me in 3rd. Im BB with K-8o. Joe raises it up for the 3rd or 4th time from the SB and I decide to take a stand.
Flop hits with a K and not much more. Joe bets a large amount. At this point I have to either fold or push, no middle ground. So doing the opposite of what I think he wants I push. He calls rather quickly and turns over A-A. Of course. 3rd place here I come...until the river puts a big fat beautiful 8 out there. YESH! I shout and pump the fist, which apparently upset everyone...but I digress. I know Joe isn't really angry at me for it, at the time im sure he was. In my defense I play emotionally charged especially towards the end, but I would never "showboat" i.e. do a dance, fall on the floor, taunt...pumping a fist and yelling "yes!" is probably the least amount of excitement you can do without being over the top. Guess you can debate Joba Chamberlin's fist pump with the same premise....
Soon after, Jason knocked Joe out and it was heads up. He had more chips, but I kept the pressure on him by raising a bunch. We finally got to a point where I raised with Ac-5c and he popped back all-in. I stared long and hard at the A-5 thinking this could be a stand against me since he hadnt be all that aggressive since we got head's up. I called thinking I was good here.
See thats the problem with my philosphy, I'm still playing poker based on gut instinct versus actual thought process, this is what makes me an average to poor player. Not saying gut play hasnt made me a few bucks, because it has, but I know if im ever to take it to the next level I gotta use the noggin.
So I call and he says "good call" he turns over 3-4o. Its a raise until the turn where he hits a 4, then the miracle of all miracles happens and a 3rd club falls on the river for my flush. Both of us didnt notice it until Eric piped up. After stack counting I had more chips and take down the $300 first place prize.
We played NLHE and then PLO and I ended up $80 from that too to bring my total winnings to $330 for the night. Not bad.
Flash-Forward to last night. Monday is the Hoy which I have being playing every week for awhile, but then I noticed FT was running a $26 HORSE tourney. As I have said before HORSE is something I have gotten into frequently and I was psyched to play in a big tourney. I won a $26 chip and bought into the HOY then bought into the 4k HORSE tourney. I almost backed out of the Hoy because I figured I couldnt stand the thought of another horrible suckout.
First Suckout of the night was As-Qs vs Ah-6h. A on the flop, 6 on the river. Ended up all-in against the same guy, a few hands later With A-Qo and caught a Q to bust him.
I soon became the chip leader after fortunate events went my way. And I maintained a good position for the rest of the night. No real dumb plays on my part but I did get A-A cracked on the way to the final table.
Finally it got down to 6 and I was right in the middle of the pack. Caught a break when a good all-in call with A-K vs dwal's A-Q turn into the chip lead for me, and then it happened
Dwal who was getting beaten like a red headed step child left and right by bad beats etc etc, pushed all-in. Folds to me. I have A-A. Uh can you say TOC seat here I come?
Obvious call. He turns over J-J. Flop accordingly deals Jc-xc-xc. I have Ac. Good I have outs. 5x and 9x dash those hopes. Trampled but not out. I go on.
At this point I have about 25k and still not in last. Few hands later I get J-J and put out a pot size bet. Cmitch calls. Flop is a bunch of low rags. Perfect flop for me. I put 9k into a something like 18kish pot. cmitch raises. Im thinking hes trying to steal this pot as I can't see him calling with anything less than say a pp of 9s, 10s, or good a strong A-x. Even if he thinks I missed the flop with say an A-K or A-Q, Im probably very good here. So I push... the words you always dread to hear right before a "bad beat" story begins.
Well I was wrong, he hit a mid set of 6's. And I walked right into another suckout, one that I could have folded with 15kish in chips and still played on.
Game over, 6th place finish, and $75 into my account. I was stunned. From 1st to 1st out in the matter of 5 hands. Both with dominating hands pre-flop on to be out-flopped by a set...
Maybe one day the poker gawds will smile on me once more so I can get me a piece of the WSOP prize... what a vacation that would be...
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