Big Game

It was going to be tough playing the Big Game. The Sopranos were on and battling for my limited attention span. It didn't help to start at this table:
Julius Goat
Pauly
bayne
Dionsysus
Hoy
Iggy
Big Pirate

Just lovely. 49 started and I get a table with the top 2 from the leaderboard. I have tourney player Hoy and the never sleeping Pauly as well. I think was really ticked me off was each of these people have a game I respect. No soft players here. Except for me. Hopefully I could get through the first hour. With the Sopranos and then Entourage, it wasn't going to be easy. I had every intention to play really tight.

Got aces early but got nothing but the blinds. I was UTG and was tempted to limp, but decided it was too early for that. About the only other hand I played was with Iggy where I flopped a set of deuces. He didn't bite on the re-raise but it was a nice little pot.

I was happy to make it through the Sopranos with no damage. Especially after Tony busted up the guy's jaw. Brutal!

As Entourage began, I thought of loosening up but once the bikinis were on with Drama at a pool, I knew I shouldn't. It felt like the table was busy feeling each other out for the first 30 minutes. Only one big action hand had occurred and I didn't want to do something stupid to cause the second. It was like a boxing match and I was willing to spar along for the next 30 minutes.

Had one interesting hand come up. There was a limper from mid position. With A Ko, I raised it pot from the cutoff. The button and blinds folded. But then the limper re-raised. WTF? I thought it out a bit and folded. I wish I had more time (and had the TV off) to figure out what was happening. I kind of regret the fold. I don't think they were really that strong after I thinking about it.

Once Entourage was over, I realized now I had no excuses. Time to buckle down and plays some poker. At the end of the first session, I was down a bit to 2565. I had my work cut out for me.

I didn't play many hands. Cards were on the cool side. The only pot I took down was from the BB and I got lucky on the river. But I had plenty of time. No need to do something stupid just because I was bored. Besides, the table hadn't changed much. Still not many confrontations going on.

I avoided one myself. I tried to steal Pauly's blind and he pushed back. Following through with J 10 wasn't right so I had to fold. Next hand I come right back with A Qs. Being a stubborn person, I pushed when Bayne practically forced me all in. My thought was he was pushing back just like Pauly did and had A rag. I got lucky when I hit my flush on the turn. Should have known bayne-a solid player- for a better hand than A rag.

I then began the processs of folding for an hour. I don't think I raised the entire second session. The table had changed a bit. We had smaller stacks that weren't afraid to shove. Any stupid play would be painful. And I was determined not to make one of them.

Soon, I was right back to the starting stack. I wasn't getting much traction at all. Jumped up to 4500 but that was about it. The cards weren't getting any better andif I did see a flop from the blinds, it completely missed. I was fighting hard not to go crazy with steals because I sure didn't have any hands that would likely stand up.

I was in bad shape at the second break. On life support. My cards were beyond dead. I was praying for any ace to push with and couldn't even get that. Now I had little choice but to make a move with any two cards. I wouldn't have to worry about the blinds for a couple of hands but the antes were going to kill me.

I went out with a wimper at 19. Iggy's pocket deuces held up to my A 4s. It was the best hand I had seen in an hour. I wasn't surprised it didn't hit. Maybe I will do better next time.