11th in Riverchasers

Lately in the BBT, I have been going deep, but not deep enough... this is for the last 4 tournaments.

Last Monday's Riverchasers, I lasted almost 2 hours before I ran KK into AA just shy of the points and money.

Last Tuesday's Skillz (Razz), I lost a key all-in and got crippled, then KO'd on the points bubble.

Last Wednesday's Mookie, I was the first person ITP.

And one key trend was consistent throughout all 3 of those tournaments: super-tight play by me. Usually I get too aggro early on and that ends in my flame-outs. I did make one bad play in the Mookie on Wednesday (shoving A-hi on the river vs. a bet from a nit) but what's a tournament without a bad play by me?

That takes us to Riverchasers last night. I played the first four hands I was dealt, and bled a nice chunk of chips away early. Then I ran two pair into a rivered straight to bring me to 2000. I could've been KO'd on this hand, but my opponent folded... and yes, the Royal Mook scares all:

Full Tilt Poker Game #11908246631: PPI / Riverchasers Tournament (88441526), Table 5 - 25/50 - No Limit Hold'em - 22:22:48 ET - 2009/04/27
Seat 1: HighOnPoker (2,595)
Seat 2: TuscaloosaJohn (4,555)
Seat 3: Schaubs (3,505)
Seat 4: NYRambler (1,550)
Seat 5: jamyhawk (2,260)
Seat 7: tgrazz (4,100)
Seat 8: cmitch (2,620)
Seat 9: Troublecat (2,815)
tgrazz posts the small blind of 25
cmitch posts the big blind of 50
The button is in seat #5
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to NYRambler [Th 8h]
Troublecat folds
HighOnPoker folds
TuscaloosaJohn folds
Schaubs folds
NYRambler raises to 150
jamyhawk folds
tgrazz folds
cmitch calls 100
*** FLOP *** [9d 3s 5d]
cmitch checks
NYRambler bets 200
cmitch calls 200
*** TURN *** [9d 3s 5d] [6h]
cmitch bets 400
NYRambler calls 400
*** RIVER *** [9d 3s 5d 6h] [As]
cmitch checks
NYRambler bets 800, and is all in
cmitch folds
Uncalled bet of 800 returned to NYRambler
NYRambler mucks
NYRambler wins the pot (1,525)

I flopped bottom set vs. Jordan a little later, but he didn't call my turn shove... that brought me back to a starting stack.

Took two pots with JJ and a nice bruff with A9 sooted; that took me to this hand, which finally gave me something to work with:

Full Tilt Poker Game #11909265356: PPI / Riverchasers Tournament (88441526), Table 5 - 80/160 - No Limit Hold'em - 23:26:44 ET - 2009/04/27
Seat 1: HighOnPoker (6,335)
Seat 2: TuscaloosaJohn (5,825)
Seat 3: Schaubs (7,545)
Seat 4: NYRambler (2,995)
Seat 6: cracknKK (18,124)
Seat 7: tgrazz (4,355)
Seat 8: bayne_s (2,125)
Seat 9: Joanne1111 (5,910)
NYRambler posts the small blind of 80
cracknKK posts the big blind of 160
The button is in seat #3
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to NYRambler [9c 4c]
tgrazz calls 160
bayne_s folds
Joanne1111 folds
HighOnPoker folds
TuscaloosaJohn folds
Schaubs folds
NYRambler calls 80
cracknKK checks
*** FLOP *** [Ac Jc 2d]
NYRambler checks
cracknKK checks
tgrazz bets 160
NYRambler calls 160
cracknKK folds
*** TURN *** [Ac Jc 2d] [7c]
NYRambler checks
tgrazz bets 600
NYRambler raises to 1,680
tgrazz has 15 seconds left to act
tgrazz calls 1,080
*** RIVER *** [Ac Jc 2d 7c] [3h]
NYRambler bets 995, and is all in
tgrazz calls 995
*** SHOW DOWN ***
NYRambler shows [9c 4c] a flush, Ace high
tgrazz mucks (A-3)
NYRambler wins the pot (6,150) with a flush, Ace high

Never doubt the power of CRUBS!

Looking back, I never showed down another hand until my last hand of the tournament; talk about squeaky tight play. In the Money with 11 left, I had A2o in the BB. Tony Eusebio (a player so LAG he makes LJ seem Tight-Passive) raised from the button, which was common. I shoved with my A-2 since I was miles ahead of his range. He called me with A-5, so it was a likely chop...

Until both a 2 AND a 5 came down on the flop... ugh. No third deuce for me, and I'm out in 11th. Good to finally be back ITM in the BBT, and up to 22nd in the Overall Leaderboard. I'm looking to get those 25K FTP points for being in the Top 20. I can play a lot of 1800 FTP token satellites with those!

Tonight is Skillz: Stud Hi-Lo. This was the skillz game back when the BBT started as well, and I was in the points in that tournament, let's hope for something better tonight.

And congrats to Tony Eusebio for winning the Riverchasers last night, not making a deal HU vs a TOC seat winner (lucko) and winning it the right way.

-Kenny

Challenges to my Title - Part 1

A New Segment from The Biggest Donkey in the Universe: Challenges to my Title.

Here is Part 1.

Atlantic City Trip Report

Saturday Day: 2/4 Limit @ Showboat, +$60
Saturday Night: 1/2 No Limit @ Showboat, +$75
Sunday Afternoon: $40+$10 Turbo Donkament @ Bally's, -$50
Sunday Afternoon: 4/8 Limit Mini-Blinds* @ Harrah's, +$90

*Before I elaborate, the 4/8 Limit Mini-Blinds is just like a 4/8 game, except that the blinds are $1/$2... the Pre-flop raises are still $4 each... so a raise is to $6, a 3-bet to $10, etc. This was my favorite game I've ever played live.

The 2/4 limit game was your usual donk-fest... There was a long wait list for 1/2 NL. So I sat down with a rack of White Chips and donked it up in 2/4. I left with a Stack and a half of Red and a few whites, so I estimated $60 profit. I don't really remember the hands exactly, but TP was usually good.

After dinner I went back and played some 1/2 NL, and bought in for $200. I lost a big pot early on when I ran top pair into 2 pair, but took a lot of pots without a showdown, including one gutsy semi-bluff with just a diamond draw. I only made 3 donk plays the entire trip at the tables, and two were at this table.

I raised to $7 from MP with Q-T of crubs and got called by the Button and the Blinds. Flop is K-9-2 rainbow. Checks to me, I bet $11, and get called by just the button. Turn is a 10. I check and the button bets $25, leaving her with $6 behind. I thought about it for a few seconds, then said 'I'll raise the rest of your chips'. She called...

Turn: J

I say 'sorry' and flip up my Q-T, she sighs, shows A-A (nice pre-flop raise... oh wait) and leaves. This pot took me to about $450. Only one other guy covered, and he tightened up when he saw my willingness to gamble.

That guy and his $550 stack left an hour later, when I had about $600 in front of me. During this time, another lady bought in for $300 and was playing VERY aggressively. She built up to about $400 in 20 minutes with lots of aggressive plays, never showing a hand down.

Donk Play #2 was the costliest play I've ever made. I raised to $7 from EP with A-T. LP, Villain in SB called and BB called.

Flop: T-8-7 rainbow.

Checks to me and I bet $20. Villain raises to $65. Folds to me... and I didn't really think about it, I just thought she was putting me on air... I immediately said All-In and she pushed her chips (about $320 more) in like Chris Ferguson would... I knew I was destroyed.

Turn: J
River: 2

She turns over 8-8 and takes down a pot worth close to $800.

From there I was back to even for the session... but I won a pretty decent pot with K-3 sooted (top pair delivers), got my stack to $275, then called it a night.

Sunday

My dad called while I was playing table games... which from now on will probably just stick to Pai Gow and Blackjack after I got owned at all Let It Ride and Craps games... and only had 1 good hand in Three Card Poker (3 8s for $360).

I registered, then I looked down and noticed it was a Speed Tournament... LOL This sounds fun. 12-minute levels, 10K Starting Chips and 25/50 levels, so I was thinking it shouldn't be too bad.

I played very tight early on, played only 3 hands the first hour:

Hand 1: Get T-T, raise 3x, flop an overpair, C-Bet and Take it Down.

Hand 2: Immediately after Hand 1, get KQo in MP, Limp Along with 3 EP limpers, 7 handed to the flop of A-8-2. Hand Over.

Hand 3: With about 9500 in chips, get JJ in MP. UTG (Yamaka-Jew who bluffed twice, including one sick hammer throw) raises 3.5x. I smooth-call (which I always do with mid-pairs in this spot), and BB calls too. 3 handed to the flop.

Flop: K-J-T Rainbow.

BB checks and UTG snap-shoves for 10K. I make a small mistake and Snap-Call. Snap was the small mistake, because BB took forever then folded KQo face up! UTG showed 9-9. Faded the 3 outer and doubled up to a shade over 20K. Took that to break.

Hour 2: Mistake #3. The blinds are now huge. I think 400/800, and I have a 20K stack. UTG shoves for 6K. LP calls for less. I have A-3 of hearts in the BB. I decide I need to gamboool to get some chips, and I called. EP: 5-5. LP: K-T.

Flop: J-7-5. Oops. That left me with 15K.

Before I knew it, I had 13K, and it was 6.5 big blinds. I got moved to a new table and did a lot of folding. Finally, A guy who just lost an all-in shoved for 11K from UTG+1. I'm next to act and I look down at AQo. I called, everyone else folded. UTG+1 shows Q-6 of Diamonds. Hooooooooooooooold...

Flop: 9d-8x-5x... you know where this story's going...
Turn: 8d
River: 5d - houiahgoidhogiahbo

I had less than a big blind... Next hand was J-3 so i folded... UTG i had A-9o, so i threw my last 1600 in. A MP player shoves to isolate, and shows the JackAce. No 9 for me and I'm bounced.

4/8 Mini-Blind at Harrah's... this was fun and not as swongy as I thought. The play was MUCH better here than at 4/8, and the rake was the same. I played much tighter, but I made some funky plays here and there.

My favorite hand of the entire trip was this one. I'm on the button with 9-4 of crubs. 4 limpers, so I limp (<3 Button), blinds call. Flop is Jc-Js-6s. Folds to me, I bet to try to take the pot, just the BB calls...

Turn: 8c. He checks, I bet and he snap-calls. He either has a 6 or a spade draw...

River: Qc (obv: CRUBS ALWAYS GET THERE!)

BTW, this was the only flush i remember hitting all trip. He check-calls, I show him my flush and tell the table "The Key to Winning Poker is Simple: Run Good." He mucks his 6-3o.

I was swongy, and at one point was down a nice chunk, then I won a pot with a middle pair and said "Hm I wonder If i can get a rush going"...

Next Hand: T-T, flop an overpair, take it on the turn.
Next Hand: J-J, flop an overpair, get value all the way.

Yep, got a small rush. I wound up winning here too. I thouroughly enjoyed this game, and I played from 5pm until 11pm.

I think I'm ready for Vegas... Maybe we'll get that 5/10 AWESOME game going ;)

Played the Riverchasers last night, and ran into an old nemesis, Bessin. Bessin cost me a FT at HORSE during Skillz a few weeks ago with some weird (see: bad) play, but I got trapped good here: QQ EP, I raise, Bessin and Buddy call, flop is K-8-4, I bet, Bessin Calls, Buddy Folds. Turn: 10. I check, and Bessin insta-bets 500. I usually read this as bruff, so I shove, and Bessin snaps with A-K. Oops.

Tonight is HOSE in the Skillz Game, And I plan on bringing my D- game as usual.

My Nickname of 'Biggest Donkey in the Universe' is gonna catch on. Just Watch.

-BDitU

SHIP IT!!!!!!

Huge Win for me... considering I had only $1.04 in my Stars account... so decided to play in 3 45-man and 1 90-man Quarter SNGs... and LOOK! I took one down!

Stars Roll now an awesome $3.52.

Isn't this how BuddyDank got started on Full Tilt?

Atlantic City in about 40 hours. :)

-Kenny

Vegas Plans + Other Stuff

I have been planning a Vegas Trip ever since Nik Santi called me out in January to go out there. Well, I will be going out there in the middle of June during the WSOP. June 10th through the 14th (5 days, 4 nights). I might play the $1500 NL Event on the 11th (I am willing to sell pieces of myself, and I know at least one person has offered to buy some). I will be meeting up with my fellow OT Degens out there, and iaatg6926 is going out there with me... I know CK and cem are going to be out there as well...

So this is looking like an unofficial blogger gathering. So if you ever wanted to know a time to get to Vegas, well just start reading blogs; the plans are becoming more and more clear.

Congrats to Oaklandish for beating me heads up in the NYRPS TOC. I was too tired and shoved with a double gut shot and ran into Top Top.

I will be heading out to Atlantic City this weekend... hit me up if you plan on being there as well... Staying at Harrah's, will spend time at Showboat, Bally's and will probably be making my first trip to Borgata.

Skillz and Mookie tonight... I'm cutting down on my poker playing for now, sticking just to BBT events... Big things happening on my front IRL that has to do with my father in the coming month... but that's for another blogpost.

In Before tl;dr.

-Kenny

Change in the TOC - Dammit Full Tilt Update Your Private Tournaments!

Unfortunately for the TOC participants, I cannot make a Freeroll tournament where there are multiple token prizes...

So instead of a First and Second battle, it will be a Winner-Take-All TOC with the winner nailing down a $75 token.

The tournament is made. See everyone on Monday!

-NYRambler