Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest. So I decided not to enter any live poker tournaments today. (At least not so far!)
I got up early to do battle in the DD blackjack pit. Yesterday had been a real struggle – I lost small, six times out of seven tables. Whereas the prior night, after fuming over my pulled muscle and untimely poker tournament exit, I had won significantly in four of six sessions.
Overall, my BJ play has been profitable this trip, though the winning session percentage has been very low, at around 55%.
I have not been able to catch a rhythm.
This morning was particularly annoying as this Asian kid beside me was winning money at a clip of $300 per hand or more, while my spot treaded water. And he was asking me for advice on many of his hands.
Most of my time has been organizing my notes from the week’s adventures and playing online poker tournaments concurrently. Sunday is usually a big day for online events at all the major poker sites. My site of favor is FTP – known as Full Tilt Poker.
I love the word “ tilt”
It is so apropos for what I see at the card tables almost every day.
I have suffered ‘bad beats’ in every online tournament I have played in so far today, so I am bit bummed out.
The one that mattered most to me had 118 entrants, with the top 15 winning entries into today’s $1 million guarantee – which starts in a few minutes, and presently has an enrolled field of close to 1,900 players.
The entry fee is a healthy $535 – which, to this point in time, is more than I have ever spent on an online poker tournament entry.
I was nursing my chips, being patient, as we got down to only 17 players – just about ‘on the bubble.’
If I had owned a huge stack, I would simply have folded all hands until I won my entry – taking no risks. But I was always hovering between 12th and 16th, so I could not sit quietly.
I picked up the two red Aces on the dealer’s button. The big stack was in the small blind. He should be folding his way to the end.
I opened with a three bet (3 times the BB) and he decided to shove me all in. Of course, I called.
He turned over the Ace of spades and the King of hearts.
The flop was the 1098 all of hearts. Good – if the winning hand is a flush, it’ll be mine.
The turn was the King of Spades, giving him a pair of kings to go up against my Aces. But the river was a damned king of clubs, and that was NOT amusing.
I mean come on !
“Runner runner” kings to beat me, and to ensure I do NOT play in the million dollar guarantee which is starting right now.
Anyway, as consolation, I won a smaller tournament which qualified me into the FTOPS main event which began at 5 pm. Just under 16,000 players are in this thing, with a prize pool of $799,000.
And concurrent with that, I am playing in a $15,000 tournament. around 2,300entrants, and 250 remaining as I write. I am presently in 89th place.
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Well we are down to 170 players in the smaller event, and I am now sitting 34th.
I am already in the prize money - the question is how long can I hang in there
Sometimes this game sickens. I just had AQ offsuit, and opened in late position for $1,000 with the blinds at 150/300.
The small stack in the small blind raise/called me holding K7 suited in hearts. The board contained a seven on the flop and for good measure another 7 on the river and I lost about 30% of my stack
Woo woo.Now I am in 15th place. Back to back hands.
First one my jacks held up against a smaller stack's A10.
Very next hand I had 77 and the villain had AQ. (note when they have AQ they are villains; when I have AQ I am the good guy)
After the flop of Q63 he shoved and I incorrectly read he had missed the flop and I called.
But a 7 showed up on the turn and a queen for him on the river, but my full house of 7's full of queens beat his three queens
Lost 20% of my stack just now. Raised to $2,000 in first position with AKo and smaller stack called in SB. SB = $300. BB = $600.
Flop was J93 with two hearts and he shoved and I folded.
Next, I had KQ of spades in position and lost another 25% when a weak Ace paired on the board. We're going down the leaderboard.
Sitting 44th of 61 remaining. Short stacked though.
Could not post for a while. Things were moving too quickly.
I was just eliminated in 21st place. $123 credited to the account for all that excitement ! Plus $3 for every person I eliminated – not sure how many of those – maybe 8 to 10.
Fifth was $1,179 and first was $4,945, and everything in between. Still 17th from 2,200 or so entrants tells me I am still on the right track.
As far as the FTOPS main event is concerned, the good news is that nearly 7,000 players have been eliminated so far. But there are still 9,000 of us left !!
In the mini FTOPS main event, there have now been 10,400 players eliminated, and 5,500 remaining. I am still there, with an average stack size.
After four hours of play, 12,500 players have been busted, but we STILL have 3,500 left - which is the size of entry of a fairly large tournament.
So it is hard to feel vested in this thing yet. My stack has never even been average, always below, and my cards have been poor. But I'm still here.
Same time as my event is running, the million dollar guarantee (actually it's 1.165 million dollars today) is running, having begun at 6 pm; mine started at 5 pm.
Their starting field was "only" 2331 players, which is still fewer than we have in our field right now after 4.5 hours of play.
Did I mention am card dead?
13,000 players now busted, 2900 remaining.
Cash prizes for the top 1,890 finishers.
OK I am done for the day. I just got eliminated when my pocket nines ended up all in against AK and he ended up with a straight when the board came J9K Q 10
Pretty sick huh? I raised pre flop and he called with AK. After the amazing flop, I shoved all in, hoping for a double up and a chance to go deep.
Holding top pair (kings) the villain called, and he was way behind.
Only another king or the actual Q10could save him.
This is why many of my poker playing friends scorn tournaments -the randomness of the luck factor can wipe out several hours of good play.
I don't feel so bad (a) I am getting used to opponents sucking out on me and (b) I have been multi tasking the whole time - so it was not a waste.
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