Sunday, April 18, 2010

The Invitational

The BBT5 kicks off tonight with the Invitational. I humbled to be allowed to play in the tourney along with the 78 other runners. To an extent, it looks like one big reunion of poker bloggers of BBT and other blogger events past. All we are missing is the alcohol and the Geisha bar.

We are seated and the fun will soon commence. I have Maudie to my right, NumbBono two to my left with cracknaces next to him. The only other name I recognize is pvanharibo. My intent with the deep stack is to play on the loose side early and see some flops.

I get the chance when I call some raises with 8 9s, A Q, and 10 10. I win only with the 89s when I hit the flop with all kinds of outs and raise their bet. Otherwise I can't get anywhere with the other two. Six minutes in and my chip stack should be sponsored by Duncan.

Early bluff doesn't work and I am below 2k. Maudie is beating my up. This is where I switch gears for awhile and figure out if this is gonna work out for me tonight. That and I hope I can trap someone with the attempted bluff later.

I drop some more when I call with K Js. Flop is all undercards. I regret calling a 2/3 pot bet. Turn gives me a flush draw but if I call another 2/3 pot bet I am putting in half of my stack. I meekly fold.

Crap cards are coming my way. Strangely, this seems like a good thing. I can't get myself into trouble this way. Well, I can but I am not that stupid to try to play 73o, 10 2o, or 93 to this table. I even fold 88 to a raise and reraise. I wince when I see an 8 on the flop.

The Hiltons are kind to me! I re-raise with them and get one caller. Flop gives me a set but I can't make it look like a feeble continuation bet. I am back over 2k. But now I am thinking about my laundry. I need to run downstairs to get clothes out of the dryer. I also need to put away clothes so I have a basket to carry the clean clothes up. Yeah, that has nothing to do with poker but I figured I would make this post look longer.

Just when I learn who Cookie_Plays is I get my first table change. I am at a table with Change100, Jordan, Otis, DrChako, and Julius Goat. Lucky for me the deck hits me hard. Unlucky for me the table is really tight. No one wants to see a flop. So I am beginning to raise more with small pairs.

We get to the first break and I am not in terrible shape. I am back over 2400. There are 67 left so I am still below average but not on life support. At least I am ahead of people who couldn't make it.

I then have a "smart guy" moment. I realize I don't have to wait for a break to take care of laundry. I have a fricken' laptop so I can just pick it up and carry it with me. This leads me to believe I have no chance to win this tournament. If I can't pick up a laptop and walk around how am I going to win a poker tournament?

Game gets going again and Waffles soon joins the table. I take a small pot off of him when he raises from the SB and I call with A 7s. Flop is good 7 3 3. I just call his flop bet before pushing to his check on the turn. Just below the Mendosa line now.

So it is back to the folding method I am good at. Cards have gone to the wayside and the table is getting looser.

This folding thing pays off. I just call from the button with J 10. Flop comes J 10 10. Wow. It checks around. Thankfully I get a bet from pvanharibo on the turn. I smooth call hoping for a bet on the river. I get it and push. Bad break for her as she hit her straight. I am up over 5k now.

But its back to folding. Steal some blinds here and there but nothing much is happening. So much that the new Taco Bell commercial about some tortada or whatever the fuck they call it is pissing me off. Like some guy walking down the street sees the tootada and demands you give him your sandwich. Bullshit I say!

We hit the second break and I am at 5200. I only played one hand in the second period. So exciting this game of hold 'em is sometimes. Meanwhile, Doc Chako has gone from 700 to over 11k. He wasn't even playing for the first hour and a half and now has double my stack. I suck at this game.

And then it is over 88

No comments: