Thursday, 2/28/08

Hi all, I made it!!!  What a struggle it was too sometimes….lol

I went into this tournament with the mind set that I was going to play aggressively and combine my cash game strategy to this tournament.  I did do that at some level, but not in the beginning.

My first table had two hyper aggressive players, one which was on my left, a very bad place for him to be.  He played nearly every hand and played them like PP Aces.  You could never put him on a hand.  Time and time again I watched him but bad beats on PP k’s and PP a’s like nobody’s business.  I finally pushed him out of a hand and got heads up with a player in seat #1.  He was an older player and chased many flushes and st8ts.  I flopped a full boat with PP 9’s on a flop of 393.  There were 2 hearts on the board, so I prayed he was chasing.  He bet 500 on the flop and I called.  The turn was a King/d…he bet 1500, I called.  The river was 10/h…the flush made, he bet 1500 again and I pushed all in with my boat and he called with his King hi flush and  I doubled up!

They busted my table right after that and I gotta tell you, this one was a little worse than the last.  I moved with 7000 in chips and went down to 3000 after 2 hands where my PP 10’s ran into PP Q’s and my AKsuited didnt hit.  Then this hand comes up.  I’m in the BB.  Folds around to mid position, this guy has pushed in a couple of times with a low stack of 1950, the next just calls then folds to SB and he calls.  I have 10/J suited in spades.  Blinds are 200-400, I’m getting priced in with 3 in the pot, but it will take a gamble with half my remaining stack to play, but I decide it’s time.  The flop comes down K95 with 2 spades.  I check, both players check.  Turn is J.  I check, both check.  River is another J.  I push in, the ALL-IN (sighs) but the next guy calls and so does the last player!  I turn over my runner/runner set and one player turns over K/10…(DUH) and the other turns over J8…(what?)….so I go up again to about 10,000.

Now, at this table there was an anoying player to my right that talked non-stop!  I had my IPod on and resisted talking to him at all.  But his constant banter to all the table was almost unbearable.  My table was busted once again, the next table was a short one, I didnt play one hand and it was busted too.  My fourth and final table of the day, I was there for 5 hours, but so was the loud mouth.  This time he was across from me.  

This table was very soft, min raises and few calls.  My first playable hand was behind the button with no limpers or raisers.  I have AJsuited so I pop it 3 times the BB.  The button actually asks me “why so high?”…what?…3 times BB isnt too high?…duh!…they all fold.  I continue my aggressive play and it seems to work.  I show down several good hands and I eventually get a solid rep going on the table.  I make my chips on a couple of big hands with two guys who are new to the table.  I’m sitting on about 13,000 when this hand comes up.  I’m in the cutoff with PP Kings…again…and the SB is a new guy.  I raised all in just trying to get the blinds at 600/1200 ante 100 (i think) this guy is thinking hard…he says, I’m going to call, and I hope you were on a steal…I say, NOPE..and turn over my PP k’s and he turns over AQos.  No Ace comes, thank god and I double to 26,000.  I didnt get a hand for a while and the blinds were getting bigger.  800/1600 200antes.   My stack is about 22,000.  UTG raises to 6000…fold, to me, I’m looking to see how much he has behind, about another 25,000.  I’m thinking he must have 9’s/10’s or even Jacks, I have….you guessed it!…PP Kings again!…I want to see all five cards, and keep out any Aces so I push in my 20+ to get headsup.  Everyone folds and he goes into the tank, while I sit in my waiting position.  Someone is talking about the clock when he counts out another 17,000 or so, and pushes it in…he turns over PP 10’s and I flop over my kings….another double up.  I have about 45,000 or so but the rounds are now costing me 4400.  One orbit and nothing, then everyone folds to the blinds, me and Harry.  I catch 2 pair and he turns a wheel and lets me know by re-raising to 12,000 and I fold.  They bust my table, we need 3 more to go out for the night.  I didnt play a hand at the next table and ended the night just short of 40,000.

We play again Friday at 4pm.  The second flight is today and they will play down to 10% of their field too.

Friday will be interesting, I will have to get to know my table quickly and be careful of how I spend my chips.  Final table here I come!!

Wednesday, 2/27/08

No poker for the last few days since we got back from our over night trip to LA.

BUT!…I did play a satellite yesterday at the Wynn for a seat in today first event.  And I won!

So today at noon I begin my quest for a final table at the Wynn Classic…..

Thursday, 2/21

My trip to the Venetian last night turned out to be a great 4 hour session.  That’s right only 4 hours!  I generally play for 6-10 hours when I go out, but I didnt get out until mid afternoon and I had promised my hubby to be back home to share dinner with him.  I’m trying to make him priority over poker as he reminds me of it often…lol

I sat down immediately, there was no waiting at any tables last night.  The deep stack tourney was going on and they had a record number playing again.  As those players busted they mostly were sitting on the cash tables.  My first table was horrible.  Right away I could see to youngsters at the the far end with tons of chips in front of them.  They had been successfully bullying the table and continually felting the weaker players.  Not for me!  I had to wait tho for about 30 minutes for another open seat to move too.  I managed to rake a few small pots, but calling and folding cost me $125 on that sh*tty table.  Someone should have clued those two knuckle heads into enlightenment, chasing away the fish doesnt keep money in your pocket, and keeping huge mountains of red $5 chips in front of your sends a huge message to more seasoned players….this is my table, stay out of my pots.  I’m NOT donating to these idiots, so I got off the table.

My second table was easy to read. Seat #1 was a tight player but couldnt lay down a big hand even when he suspected he was beat.  #2 was a young player just learning and making huge mistakes, costing him around $1000 by the time he left.  #3 was a seasoned player.  #4 was a fairly tight player who talked alot.  #5 was me for the time being until I could move.  #6 was passive player who didnt have much money in front of him, a couple hundred which quickly went down to $80, then he only had one move, all-in.  #7 didnt stay at the table long, he was quiet but shared the fact with the whole table that he wasnt happy there wasnt enough action at the table.  #8 was also complaining about the lack of action on this table, so I helped them out!…and sent them into the lions den at the first table I left…LMAO…they did go there, but got felted, both of them.  Eventually the one came back to my table and wouldnt talk at all anymore….LMAO…#9 was a real dummy, he knew it, but was trying really hard to be a solid hard azz….so there was my table!!  Some lasted, some left, we got a few new ones but the hand that stands out that I made $640 on is this one….

In early position I get PP Jacks.  This was about the third time I had them, and I usually got at least 2 callers with any pre-flop raise I made.  This time everyone folded around to the blinds and a new player in #9 called my $25.  The flop came down 2/10/5 with two spades.  #9 checked and I bet out $75, clearly an overbet, I didnt like the spades and I hadnt seen this player play any hands yet since he was new.  He stalled so long, I couldnt tell if he wanted to call, fold or raise…lol.  He was so indecisive.  After a long moll, he raised another $100.  Hardly a raise at all, I immediately called.  I wasnt sure what he was thinking I had, he looked very disappointed that I had called.  I couldnt decide what he had!  The mixed signals were so confusing, I decided to just play my hand on the turn.  The turn was a Jack.  #9 checked, I bet $175, if he called he would only have about $200 behind and I was good at this point with my set to call an all-in.  He thought for a long time again, not really knowing what he should do, then…ALL-IN…I called, and he immediately said, do you have a set of Jacks?…I didnt say anything, I let the river drop a rag card and turned over my set.  He turned over a set of 5’s…he had flopped a set!  He asked me what did you think I had?  I replied, I didnt have a clue!  You were all over the map with how to play your hand!  He agreed he played it too soft and left the table.

I continued to get great pots and cashed $1600 for the short night.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

I know I havent been on my blog for a couple of days, so I decided to post with not much news. 

I’ve played a SST here and there, and I’m proud to say my bankroll is just over $400.  I will try to play another this morning.

I am heading to Venetian poker room today, not to play the tournament but to hit the 5/10 NL game!  I heard from a friend last night this game is super soft with the big numbers they are pulling in for the deep stack tournaments.

So I’m off!!….I’ll report tomorrow what happens…

Sunday 2/17/08

Well, here’s my report on round 2 of the Headsup tournament on PS.

I started out well, picking up chips and was at 3200 in about 20 minutes.  Then….card dead.  The table was playing loose and players were dropping out and new ones coming in that took time to see their betting patterns.

I fell down to 1800 and looked down at PP Jacks.  Pre-flop I raised to 600/blinds were 100/200.  Got 2 callers.  Flop comes J28.  I check my set, player 2 checks and player 3 pushes and puts me all in.  I call and player 2 folds.  I show trip Jacks and player 3 shows PP Q’s.  Turn is a rag, and of course the river brings a Q for set over set, and I’m out.

Tough break on a tourney that I spent hours trying to make to the final qualifier.  Such is online poker…..

Friday 2/15/08

I only had time to play one SST on PS yesterday.  It was a struggle but I won an additional $22.50.  If I remember correctly my calculations put my daily win at $28 a day in order to make $10,000 by the end of the year.  That means I really need to play 3 SST’s a day and cash in all three or at least win 1st and 2nd in 2 per day.  Tall order as time goes, but I’m going to committ to it.

Wish me luck, here I go…………………………………..

Thursday, 2/14/08

Hi Gang, sorry I’ve been missing in action here on my blog.  I’ve been consumed with house guests, the Montel Williams event and the ceremony of the Womens Poker Hall of Fame.  How can I squeeze any poker in at all?

Well, I did a couple of days and did very well.  The problem is, it was so long ago I dont remember many hands at all.

My bankroll at PokerStars is growing finally.  I’ve started playing SST’s and am doing well.  I’m over the $300 mark, but I dont remember the actual number.  I will play today, and post tomorrow.

Thanks to all my LadySharks for staying with me on my blog!!