Hey, let's try a multi again

After having pissed away a SnG, I noticed that a 5 dollar multi was about to start. I figured I could kill some time and just by playing somewhat conservative, have a good chance to hit not only money, but to hit the final table. Considering how a good number of people play online, that is always feasible, save the bad beat.

So I join in. 273 players are in trying to get over $440 for first place. Seeing how I just mentioned the play of most people online, let me paint the picture for you. After just 12 minutes, 41 people are gone. My table is a good example of it. A couple of very aggressive players jacking the 20 big blind up to 200 with any two face cards. Then pushing all in when they hit any part of the flop. Top pair, bottom pair, draw. Any part! I take note and will try to play accordingly.

That is if I get to play. First hour, there is not much to play. I do get 7 7 to become a full house by the turn and score big. This pumped me up to just under 3000. But I bleed chips away like a hemophiliac. This is bad. I try to make some things happen by play some suited connectors and faces but I can't hit a flop to save my life. I try to steal but the guy two spots to my left goes all in every time I do. That SOB is beginning to piss me off. At least someone is calling him so he has somewhat legitimate pushes (A Q mostly). It hurts because I drop at least 1000 trying to steal and I really can't afford that.

I am not in good shape at the hour break. 110 people are left after an hour, I am 92. I have 780 left. Now I need to be aggressive. I have no choice. I need to get cards and quick. When I do I have to push and hope to maximize my hands. And I try. First hand back, I get A J suited and push and double up to around 1600.

The blinds ratchet me down a bit. I am able to limp in with 4 4 in the cutoff. 5 people pay 150 to see the flop of J 8 4. I push all in and they fold. I wonder if that was the best move. I think it is with bottom set. I could try to trap and get more out of it, but I also could let someone else hit a higher set. Maybe if there were fewer players, the move would be to check.

A couple of hands later I go all in with 10 10 but get no callers. Two hands later I push again with J J when 3 players try to limp ahead of me. Only one player calls with 9 9 and I more than double up.

In the first 20 minutes of the second hour, I have done ok. I am sitting at 7004. Now I can steal some blinds and do. A 2, raise it up. Though I am sitting at 23, I feel good. K J clubs in small blind folds around. I raise it up on the big blind who has only 1360 left. He pushes with 7 6 off and gets no help.

I try to see some card with a limp of J 10 off from the button. 4 people see the flop of Q 3 3, two diamonds. It is checked to me so I bet 700. One caller. Turn is an A. He checks. I smell a trap. River is a 10 of diamonds. I must be behind now. He goes all in. I have laydown. I am down to 4400. That killed my momentum. Now I am beginning to get myself in trouble again.

It also doesn't help that it is a tough table. Four players are over 10k with one over 31k. Smartly enough, the big stacks are using their chips. I envy them. But things can change quickly. A small stacks pushes his last 3100 in and more than triples up with his A A. that would be nice to have. Funny how the next hand he must be in heaven when he gets A K and calls a small stacks push of about 2400. The other guy has 4 4 but flops a set. The poker gods giveth and taketh away. But the guy with the 4s pushes next hand with A Q and it stands. He went from being out to over 10k.

Blinds kill me and I am down to 3244. I get nothing to play during the next orbit and the blinds are back. I post the big blind of 800 and see A 10. It folds to the button (no small blind this hand) and he calls. I push and he folds. In the small blind I get K J. One raise on the button and I fold. Something doesn't feel right. Though the board shows a full house, sixes over threes, one guy is holding 8 8 and gets a big payoff from a big stack.

Next hand I get 9 9 and plan to push, but someone in early position pushes. Can't be good. Two others call. The original pusher had A 7 off and won with two pair- 7s and 6s. My nines would have been the best hand. Damn!!!

This sucks as there are 31 people left. I am sitting at 26 and it would appear I am just trying to hit the money at 20. Not the case. I want to double up and get to the final table. But apparently, I am not being aggressive enough (not playing the 9s) and waiting too much to see a good starting hand.

So what do I do? Under the gun push with A 8 hearts. Done at 30. I am very disappointed I didn't go with the nines. Not as much because it would have won, but when you wait for a hand to play and then fold it, it can kill your game. I needed to recall the crap people will play online for the next time.