Tao of Poker Birthday Celebration

I got a quick taste of what the blogger games were about early on in the Tao of Poker 5th Birthday tournament. Got a table with Byron and GCox. The chatter started quickly ranging from cards to baseball and beyond. Not quite sure who the other were. I figured they were readers that looked for a cheap payday. So 519 sit down to take a cheap shot at the Borgata Open.

My strategy- if I truly had one- was to take it easy for the first hour. Find some cards and play them hard. Don't worry about going for chips early. Thus I folded quite bit early.

First decent hand I saw was a pair of 6s. Saw a flop on a 3xs raise and missed the flop. Next time I would raise UTG with KQs. Sure I said I was going to play it tight but I do like that KQs. Flop came J high so I decided the continuation bet was the best move and bet 190 into the 245 pot. It was good and I was basically back to even.


After that I am moved to a new table. I don't recognize any of the names. Furthermore no one seems to be sociable as my HOWDY to the table goes unnoticed. Screw em! I fold a couple of hands as I wonder why someone has a picture of asparagus as their icon. Upon further inspection I realize it is not asparagus but actually says Phish in long green letters. I decide to still think of it as asparagus.


I spend the next 15 minutes looking for music on the web as my cards have looked pretty bad. I then get in a bad spot. It folds to the button. He min raises to 100. I have J J in the small blind. I make it 300. BB folds and the button calls. Flop is 9 high with two hearts. I bet 2/3 of the pot. He calls. Turn is an A. I hate that card. I check but decide to call the small bet of 200. River is a rag. I check again and he bets 300. Pot is 2400. I feel I have to call because of pot odds and hope he had a mid pair and was trying to bluff. I make the crying call to see his AQs of hearts. Ugh!

I am basically hosed with the short stack now. With KQo I push and get called by KQo? Ok! I then call the raise with 8 8 in the BB. 4 people are in the pot. If I am lucky I get back in the game. I am not as I am up against K K and 9 Ts??? Out in 329. At least I had fun.