PokerStars State Satellites

I am rather hooched by the time this thing starts at 12:30 am. Yep, you read that right. A freeroll that was schedule to start just past midnight. I figured that this might be my game considering the success I have had with drunken poker.

Only there was one problem I wasn't aware that this was a heads up tournament. Shit! There were 97 people registered. I was seated against someone from Madison. At first he didn't show. I just kept betting and taking down blinds. He came in at 5th hand. First thing I noticed is he was an extremely passive player. He slow played everything he could. I am used to playing rather aggressively so I had to change my game up a bit.

I lose a huge pot with J 10 when I flop the straight on the 8 9 Q flop. I check as does he. Turn is a J. Only one hand can beat me K 10. I bet and he calls. River is a rag. I bet and he raises I push and he calls. He has K 10. You are kidding me.

I am beginning to lose my buzz so I get another beer. I play aggressive when it feels right and slow play some bigger hands. I get my chips back when I slow play my flopped flush. I bet out when I have pretty much nothing. It took me about 24 minutes to take him out. I am past round 1.

I found it interesting that when the next round started, you kept the chips you had at the end of the round. So we started with 3000 instead of 1500. Didn't know that.

I am up aginst Middleton now. I lose a big pot when the guy kills me with AK vs my AJ. He is slow playing too so I take time to watch and shift gears up. I want him to think I am overly aggressive and it works well. It sets up the slow play.

I get lucky when I push with A 5 and catch the A on the river. I wasn't down a lot but wanted to push his buttons a bit when I was done about 1000. His slow play is killing me and I don't think he really wants to play anything but a quality hand. I am still trailing. I have to be more aggresive and start to raise more. I am tired but I fight my way back to even at the break. Yes, there is a break after one hour. WTF? I am tired, losing my buzz and getting a headache from the monitor.

After the break, I am able to take the lead when I limp in with Q 8. Flop give me an 8. Turn 8 makes my set. River Q makes it a full boat. Best yet, the flush possibility is out there. I take down a huge pot when his flush is no good.

I win it when he pushes all in when I raised with A J suited. He has K J off. No help either way and my A takes it down.

So tired. Need sleep. Thankfully the next one starts right away.

I am up against someone from Kenosha. I notice a tell on his right away. He always bets big pre flop on his monter hands. If you bet on him, he would fold if you bet out on the flop that he had raised.

With the way he was playing, my preflop raises became random. He was most likely to fold if I raised preflop so I mixed it up. Many a time I raised with the Hammer or 8 3.

I pushed him around pretty good. But I let him back into the game when I flopped the flush but tried to slow play it. It allowed him to draw out on me when his K of hearts was good.

I get him back down but I cannot close him out. He is below 1500 but anytime I go for the knockout he wins. 9 7 beat A 10. I can't hit my diamond flush. I finally knock him out with A 2 suited over his J J when I flop the A.

I have made it to round 4, the final round. If I win here, I go on to the next tourney. Next up is someone from Racine.

This was ugly. I sucked. I totally sucked. I lost a couple of big pot early by being out kicked. K 8 sees a flop of K K 3. We both check it until the river where I bet and get raised. I re-raise and lose to K 10. Ugh!

Basically nothing went my way. If I caught some good cards, they weren't as good as my opponent. That hurt but not as much as I was simply playing bad, and my opponent took full advantage of it.

So close, but so far.