Weekend Update for 4/28/07 - 4/29/07

BLEH - I think that can best describe my overall view of my weekend results. So here is goes........

Friday didn't play online because it was my stepdaughter's B-Day party. My lovely wife went all out for this shindig because 12 is the new 13. (huh WTF, just like 40 is the new 30, 50 is new 40, what is next?) But I did manage some live play after I left the hotel (the girls were having a sleep over at a hotel) I played 1/2 for about 3 hours and ended up about 3/4 buyin and most of that came in two hands against the same mark. Hand number #1 (the mark 1st hand) I look down at AQ on the button and limp after 2 limpers. I know this is not a good long run strategy but in this game it was, I want to keep the pot small preflop because these donkeys would call with anything so raising wouldn't thin field and I felt like I could outplay these donks with my position after the flop. Well the mark all of sudden pops it to $15 in BB, 2 original limpers fold I call. Flop comes Qxx rainbow and the mark fires $25 into the pot leaving himself $60 behind (short bought for$100) and I push hoping that he has 9s, 10s AJ and wont be able to let go and boom goes the dynamite he insta calls and flips up his JJ proudly and 30 seconds later is short buying again. Hand number #2, the mark is once again UTG or BB and makes a $15 raise and I wake up with QQ and push it to $60 preflop after an additional caller, the mark calls off his his last $60 and the additional caller folds, Mark flips up 99 proudly and is hitting the door 30 seconds later bemoaning his bad luck.

Saturday nothing exciting except one hand in a Fulltilt (Bonus Code OSU) 1/2 NL 6 hand max, where I won 1.75 buyins in the one hand. Cant really remember the whole story but I had Q10 suitued in diamonds and the button. Pot was raised by a short stacked and call by a LAGGY player and I called to see the flop. I flop comes down AQx with with 2 diamonds giving me 2nd pair and 2nd nut flush draw. So with about $20in the pot shorty checks and Mr. LAGGY fires aout a pot sized bet so I am going to semi bluff not really minding if I get called. So I fire $60 fully expected shorty to fold since he only has about $75 total and Mr. LAGGY has about $170, to my surprise short comes over the top all in and Mr. LAGGY smooth calls. Now there is about $300 in the pot and I have about $100 left as does Mr. LAGGY. My reads are Mr. LAGGY big ace and shorty who knows, but it doesn't matter because I am not folding this pot. Turn is a blank and I am going to continue to represent my big hand (in hindsight I should have checked big donkey move by me) and I push my last $100 and Mr. LAGGY calls instantly with AJ off. River is a beautiful diamond. (yes smokee I know I am one lucky mofo) I scoop a $500 pot after mr shorty turned up a K10. I know I played the turn bad but is there any other areas where I messed it up? Comments please.

Sunday -- Big Bleh. Had fun in the blogger bracelet race and never really could get anything going. I managed to survive to the final 2 tables and then got caught running a big bluff and bounced out in 14th. (Note to self, hard to bluff someone off turned trips).

I satellited into the $400K. At the end of the first hour I was in the lower 10% of the field, I absolutely did not connect with one flop (although when you only play 3 hands your odds can't be that good anyways) Hour 2 I got on a mini heater and got myself back to average. Hour 3 caught some cards and hit some flops and made a push to put myself in the top 75, when this hand comes up. Not sure but think we are maybe 250/500 I have about 15k and I have AQ on the button and it is folded to me. I make it 1500 to go and the BB calls. Flop is Qxx, BB checks and I put out around $2200 and MR BB goes all in for $6000, I instantly think set but am pot committed for the additional $3000 with almost $15K out there. What could he have ....................... hmmmmmmmmm .. oh the Q10, woot I have him dominated, until he rivered a 10. This just sucked the life out me, I am now sitting about, 7K and just don't have any fight left. I go a couple orbits without playing any pots, wake up AJ sooted in the cutoff and push a folded pot into AA in the BB, no suckout for me and out around 450th.

I also satellited into the Sunday WSOP ME 2 seat gtd. There were about 140 runners, 7 paid top 2 got the seats. I played really well despite my disappointing finish the 30-50 range cant remember. Got bounced by a complete tard who had double me up earlier when my AK sucked out on his 56 off after he called a big re-raise from me. But this tard caught two pair on a flop and crippled me, I cant believe this tard has won a seat, his only win ever. Oh well.

.

All in all I just played so so. I got myself in position to make some big runs but just didn't complete anything, or more specifically just didn't bounce back off the matt when the donkeys punched me. I know this is something I have to work on, I need to keep fighting even when you only have the chip and the chair

Well I will be playing in the MATH tonight and hopefully can add some points inch up on the BBT Leaderboard.

Sharkscope (LOL)

Now I am not saying nothing bad about any site that claims to help you "test the waters first" but what good is information if it bogus? I pulled this chart 5 minutes ago and just chuckled to myself. I just love when people say because of your sharkscope I now see why you called my AA (min raise) with 98s and then check call a 6s7hJd pot sized bet and then proceed to check raise them when the turn completes you straight and they call all in. I just love it the accuracy lets see, hmm I won 2.5k in Dec in MTT, and won 1K WSOP ME qualifier, and HMM lets what else Have I won HMM.........................................................................................................


Oh Yea Vegas Baby!!

Month to Date SNG ROI

Here a few Random snapshots of my ROI spreadsheet. The 1st and 2nd place finishes are skewed on the on the charts since I play alot of HU Token Matches I may change this to a ninth place finish to more accurately measure the finish. However the money and ROI numbers are correct/

Here is the individual snapshot for just the Turbo $22 SNG since this is what I play the most of.

Ever See a One Armed Trapper?

The answer to the question is no. Why you ask? Because trappers need both arms to spring their traps. Trappers realize that their business is simple. They set a trap and are happy with whatever they catch. When a trapper tries to deviate from the simple trap that is when they get in trouble. A trapper can be maimed or killed and that is the end of their career. What a simple parable that completely describes the MATH last night.

The first hour was horrendous. No cards and a very aggressive table. I played only play one pot of any significance. I was in the BB (30/60) with a powerful 74s, scots_chris had be splashing around in several pots and made a min raises to 120, I call and we see a flop of 2sJh7c, not a horrendous flop for my hand so I check and scots_chris farts at the pot with 60 chip bet and I call planning on taking this on the turn. (I made my first mistake here by not pouncing on it with a big pop) The turn is Qs giving me 4 to the flush and I spring to life (remember this is the first pot I had played past the flop) by putting out a pot sized bet of 390 which he almost insta calls, damn that didn't work. River is a 6c missing my flush but I am going to take another stab, so I fire a 1/2 pot (I think is my 2nd mistake, I wanted this to look a value bet but I also wanted it to be intimidated to call) and he thinks and thinks and here is the result

Called down by the mighty J8 and so I finish hour one in the lower 10% of the field. This should have been a sign that scots_chris was going to be a thorn in my arse, but no I would not heed this prophecy.

In hour 2 my patience was rewarded with some decent cards and I start to make my move and finish up hour two in the top 10. One hand in particular that I now regret telling scots_chris what I had. I also played this hand fast but I was going to make him pay for a flush draw. He though long and hard about this call and claims he had a Kc10h.

Now I am not sure if the points bubble busted that hour but I can tell you who went down right after the bubble broke. You see during one of the tourneys last week waffles placed a bounty on my head, so I extended the same offer. Yep pay back is biatch waffles as I got to send Otis $5 for sending you to the rail in 27th.

Hour 3 was my demise and this is were my tourney nemesis got me. I am SB (250/500 75) with AsJs and scots_chris makes a smallish raise to 1200 I elect to smooth call hoping to catch the ace on the flop and spring my trap (see opening paragraph above, also note to self be careful what you wish for) flop comes a 7d5hAc now I am just loving my hand and I check here hoping to induce a bluff from scots_chris and he obliges with a very small 1100 chip bet and I call. Now here is where I make a mistake, I dont try to put him on hand with this bet. What kind of hand could bet this other than a post oak bluff? Turn is the 8s and he now springs to life with a pot sized bet that is more than 1/2 his stack and I insta push. This last mistake and most costly, WTF could he be pushing with now? His bet screams strength especially when you combine it with the flop bet, I never even considered his holding all I was looking at was my TPGK.

So we get it all in and I am only 17.5% to win and I am crippled and left saying WTF...... Out 3 hands later in I think 14th.

Hopefully i can learn from this, because I shouldn't have gone broke with this hand. If anyone has any ideas or comments about how to keep from becoming tunnel visioned with a hand like this I would greatly appreciate it.

Anyways I would like to send a congrats to scots_chris for winning his first foray into the MATH stop by his blog and wish him well.

Weekend Update / "Fonkey" Award

I managed to grind out a small profit this weekend but was just disappointed with my play overall. Especially since I lost another Heads Up Token Match on FullTilt (Bonus Code OSU, Sorry Iggy) to Hoy . Oh the humanity oh the agony. This match was a grueling 20 plus minutes mostly because we were to busy chatting, (guess he got the Ned Beatty treatment in the 400K when his AA got cracked to a one outter KK) long story short Hoy flopped a boat, Turn gave me top and bottom pair and this just took all the fight out of me and I toked him up a couple hands later.

I am a Dum Azz "Fonkey" I would have been better off to out right buy my way into the FullTilt 400K because I think I spent $250 trying to satellite in to this $200 tourney. For this dum azz move I give myself the first ever "Fonkey Award"



I would like to make the "Fonkey" an ongoing award, nominations can be either yourself or someone you play with on the felt and then at the end of the year we give the Golden Fonkey out to the most worthy recipient. I will also take any ideas about generating more rules and guidelines to the "Fonkey". Maybe we want to make this a blogger only award and give it out at WPBT gathering. Comments?



I will be playing in the MATH tonight
trying to inch up into the #1 spot on the BBT LeaderBoard so I will see you there. And if you still havent earned you token look me up and I will be happy to donate. My stats for the month of April in the HU Token are 51% in 67 total matches, for a grand profit of -$0.63 per match. If I keep this up I my be cinch for next weeks "Fonkey"

Vegas Baby!!!!!!!

I am heading to the Main Event!!!! First things first I want to thank all you that railed me, I don't want to mention names because I will probably leave someone out. But thank you, thank you!

Now here are few key hands of my Fonkey Poker in this here Main Event Qualifier.

My first table had some playas at it. A quick search of thepokerdb (stats from Jan 1, 2006 thru today) has this to say about my table.

• Bonaparte - First thing you notice about him is the dam Gold Football Player Avatar that has aFTOPS #1, and $93,429 in winnings

• Pechorin - $56,146 in winnings

• BadBoyKilla - $27,038 in winnings

• MindFreak001 - $7,140 in winnings

• Scalpelpls - $1174 in winnings

• Sapster - $66,796 in winnings

• Horryclutch - $66,461 in winnings

• Jokenfold - $2110 in winnings

Not your run of the mill donkeys. I started to hear in my head if you can't spot the sucker you are the sucker. So I decide I would play tight until I get a feel for the table. Yea right!! Four hands into the tourney in LP I look down and find the powerful of A10 off. So I make it 60 to go, SB just calls, BB folds. Flop comes down 9510 rainbow, and SB fires 1/2 pot bet. Now my reads are this guy is firing with Air or Has a big Ace or over pair, so I decide I need to know where I am at and raise it $200, SB calls. Now I feel that this guy has a big A or on a straight draw, Turn is a 5 and Pairs the board. Now I still like my hand, reasoning is Pocket 5s 9s or 10s with an aggressive player is going to re raise either on the flop to protect against the flop. Now there is $540 in the pot he check calls my bet of $320 (I just don't put him on monster but I am watching with one eye open) . Pot is now $1180 and the river is another 9 (oh chit!) now he could have boated with any 9 or any 5 all are definite possibilities and he insta fires $800. Now I let the timer run all the way down to the last tick, in fact I had the mouse on the fold button the whole time but something didn't seem right, just smelled fishy and I think it was the way and the amount he bet. The insta bet was like he typed the amount in before the river card was even dealt and the amount left him enough that all he need to was double back up to be in the hunt (also the case for me if I call and loose). I reluctantly call and was spot on with my read.

Booyah I am feeling pretty good about myself and have increased my stack by 50% and leading the tourney. In fact I lead this tourney 5 different times at various stages.

Second key hand was hand #152 and I woke up with AA in the BB, folded to SB who calls. The SB was the chipleader and very very aggressive, so I play them strong and raise the 3 x to $840 and he calls. Flop comes 823 rainbow and he checks, and I fire out a pot sized bet of 1800 hoping he thinks it is a CB. Right on cue he re-raises me all in and I insta call he turns over this mighty hand and types I guess I miss judge your hand. He-Haw

Now this happened with about 40-50 left and I am cloud nine and thinking I got this in the bag, no way I am not making the final table. Now there is a fine line between confidence and cockiness, I experienced the later just a mere 25 hands latter.

I am in the steal seat sitting about 3 rd in chips with 15K and I find 77 and make a 3x raise, the BB re-raises leaving 1/2 half his stack (which I interpreted as re-steal) so I donked an allin bet only thinking that he was re-stealing. BIG BIG Mistake, and one I chastised myself for along time. He has AK and as you can see



dumb dumb play, one that could have and almost did cost the whole tourney.

This left me below average with about 27 to go and blinds climbing. I go card dead for several orbits. I don't think I played a hand for what seemed like an eternity. So with a M of less than 10 I am now starting to feel the pressure and think I am going to blow it again. I know I have to at least stay ahead or even with the blinds so it is push and pray time (close your eyes but listen and hope that you hear silence for 16 seconds).

The next few orbits I push hands like AQ, AJ, 88 all from mid to late position and slowly chip up to an avg stack size. By doing this it allowed me start putting Fonkey Pressure on other players. I made them make decisions that would cost them their stacks (or a large portion of it) if they played a pot with me. Now I will push the edges with AK, AQ, QQ, JJ, 910 but I also push my monsters as well (see above) and putting pressure on people is a delicate science and sooner or later someone is going to either play back at you or try to beat you at your on game. I also know that in order to win one of these tournies you are going to have to win a race or two. So far I was 0 for 1 in the races. And I got myself into the key hand of the tourney on hand #226. We are down to the final 12 I wake with AQ and my old nemesis Mr. AK open raised UTG 3x for 1800. Now 6 handed I put his range on anything from AK to 22 but I don't put him on AA or KK (just my thought process) . Now MR AK has me out chipped by only 3.5K, and If I re-raise I am going to be pot committed to an allin so I decide to make him wake up with a big hand if he is going to play and besides I am happy this dead money in the pot. I come over the top and he thinks for a little while and calls with 1010 (not something I am calling almost all my stack with but that is just me) and flop is a beautiful 97Q rainbow and the turn brings a 6 (why does the turn always give your opponents more out) for gut draw for and the river is the beautiful unnecessary Ad



This hand propelled into the final table in about the 4th chip spot. Now with 72 runners that left 7 people to get paid, but only 6 got the seat and 7th gets a mere 2K which is only double the entry but still nothing to sneer at. So naturally I tighten up just a bit and start to feel the effects of the blinds. I slipped to about 6 position and was determined to not let things get away. It was shortly after that this one hand in particular came up. The hand that had everyone talking was my dramatic EP raise and smooth call of BB re-raise. The came J87 rainbow and I push all in after BB checks. He thinks for every and claims he laid down KK, I say bullchit to that, After that move people stayed out of my way.

It takes about 30 hands to bust the money bubble and now I am at least guaranteed a payday, but I want that seat dammit. We played an hour 7 handed and I was to tight. It took a comment from Waffles (he said his grandma could knock this table off a hand) to finally wake me and make me realize that I still wasn't guaranteed a seat and there was still a lot of poker to be played. So play I did I raise and re raised 8 of the next 20 pots to become the chipleader for the 4th time in the tourney. By playing my game it allowed me to accumulate the chips necessary to eventual make the call of the bubble boy without risking more than 1/3 of my stack. And yes I made my one and only suckout in dramatic fashion. My 1010 vs the bubble boys AA, (oh did I mention the 2nd biggest stack also called he only had QQ) a beautiful 10 on the flop sealed it and I am going to Sin City.

Once again thanks for all the support and kind words of congratulations. I really appreciated it.

Shawn

I have a one in twelve shot now!!!!!!

I will be playing tonight in the WSOP ME 1K with a guaranteed 5 seats. This was the 4th time I tried to satellite into one of these, with the other 3 times with me busting early due to some horrendous suckouts. Speaking of horrendous suckouts, JAX laid one on me in the mookie last night. My AK vs his AQh. I raised he re-raised and I came over the top all in. Needless to say he caught 4 to a flush on the flop, turned the Q and rivered the heart for the salt in the wound flush. Oh well out in 14th. At least he didn't totally waste my chips as he finished ITM, good job TripJax.

By the time I busted in the mookie I was already down to two tables on the 1K. There wasn't any real big twists or turns just basically played ABC poker. When we got to the final table I was basically tied for the chip lead


Still just ABC poker until we hit the money bubble hand. I was comfortably in 2nd chips with a little over 10K, chipleader has a little over 16K. With blinds at 150/300 and 25 ante I am in the BB and dealt AJh, UTG open raises all in for almost 3K. Now this guy hadn't been getting wild, no monkey push, in fact I just didnt know what to put him on. My ranges were anything from pocket pair to AK, but mostly I put him was 10 10 or JJ. So I though long and hard, I almost folded and in fact I am not for sure why I called but I did and was pleasantly surprised when he flipped over these.

Now I was chastised for slow rolling, but how many of you would insta call in this position? Payouts 1st - the Ticket to 1 K, 2nd $298, 3rd $178 and 4th $119. I just don't know what I was hoping he had. In hind sight I think it was a bad call. Comments please.

Played about 15 to 20 hands 3 way, mostly raise and fold but no real big pots then i was dealt Hoy's hand in the SB and decided it was to push what I thought was steal from the button. DOH! He flips

NI HAND Sir nothing like getting 1/2 you stack committed when your a 3 to 1 dog. But there is always the chance to suckout, runner runner flush baby. GG and sorry.

Heads with about 17K to 15K and then boom goes the Internet. OH CHIT!

I run to the backup computer which is hooked directly into the Cable modem, WTF new download (I haven't played on this computer in a few weeks) and 3 minutes later I am finally back in the game minus about 6K of my chips . Now in the past I would have probably freaked and tilted, but not tonight I am winning this one.

So I remained calm played my game. And about 6 hands later this hand came up which is what ultimately turned the tide and set me on the way to slamming this one in the bank. I am in the BB and dealt 7d8s and I had taken a few pots from him to get within 3 or 4K. He made a smallish raise of 1250 (Blinds are 250/500) that just screamed steal attempt. So I called and the board comes K410 all diamonds, I check and he checks behind, the turn is Qd and I am flushed with my 7, so I check. Now I just feel that I am good. Up to that point he had been playing everything straight forward and I just felt like if he had a diamond he would have fired on the flop, but since he checked I felt he was afraid of the re-raise so I know that I am probably going to see this hand all the way to the end no matter how big he fires. He bet 1.5K into 2.5K pot which screams value bet, but I still stay with my read and call. The river is a 7h and I check again and this time he fires 3.5 K into 5.6K and again I call and Boyah I am golden and now 2:1 chip leader

I finished him off about 6 hands later when he pushed his KQ off into my A5 and boom goes the dynamite I am looking at 1 in 12 shot at the ME.

I want to thank Schaub for railing me and look forward to seeing you tonight at Al riverchasers, even though I may be pre-occupied with the 1 K ME.

Sometimes the BULLS win

Sorry for the lack of post this last week, but I have been traveling for work and I just haven't had any spectacular poker wins to write about. I hit a major skid on some my recent SNG success but that was to be expected. Didn't think I could realistically keep up the 70% ITM on the $22 Turbos, I have since dropped down to around 50% for the month.

As for the MMTs, I played in the Blogger Big Game on Sunday and I am thoroughly disappointed with my 14th. I was the Big Stack when got down to 3 tables with about 30% more chips than 2nd place. Now granted I sucked out majorly to get that point on a few pots, AK vs AA all In preflop on to catch a K on the flop and K on the turn and Booya I am 20K with about 27 to go. I then proceeded to play big stack poker but with CAUTION. I would push when I could but back off to resistance, I only showed down KK and AA and each time the held up. Then this hand came up again on the Button

So I make 3x (I think the blinds were 300/600) to go and and get called by one the blinds which had about 10K at the start of the hand and MP limper. Flop comes xx9 two diamonds and the blind check and the MP makes a weak stab for about $1K and re-pop to about $3K more and the SB after much deliberation calls. I automatically put them on the flush draw. Turn is another 9 so I feel that I am ready to end right then and after the SB checks I put them all in and booya he insta calls with 89. Needless to say I frustrated beyond belief but I am still in a decent shape until I ran another over pair into a TPTK that runner runner a straight. NI HAND Sir and I out in 14th.

MATH last night was equally frustrating, were once again I was up near the chip lead (I think I had about 8K) when I pick AK sooted on the button. I make it 3x to and and get call by the SB and BB (or MP Limper). Flop come AJx 2 spades the SB checks, the BB makes a pot sized bet so I re raise all in (no spades) to chase out the flush draws and any Broadway draws. SB insta calls and I type in the chat "OH CHIT" because I only had the SB out chipped by 1K and the BB deliberates and folds. I instantly think AJ for two pair, but was shocked when he flips up J8 of spades for mid pair and 9 outs to the flush. Turn is a K giving me a meaningless 2 pair and the river is the crushing spade to complete his flush. Immediately after the BB types in the chat that he made a good laydown, which to me means that he folded a flush draw as well. So I am crippled and manage to double up and chip back up to about 3.5 K at the 1st break. The next hour brought zilch and at the start of 3rd hour I got caught picking on a equal size stack and had to fold to all in bet on my steal attempt. This left me with less than 2k with the points bubble approaching. Now I have never been one to try to fold my way into the money especially in MTTs, SNGs are different but MTTs I want chips and especially at bubble time. When I am short I will push hard with anything if I feel I can get chips. I dont mind bubbling, because I know the big prize is in the final 3. So when I saw a 55 in the BB with a UTG raise by a big stack my chips were going into the pot. NI HAND Sir as he insta calls with AA and I am out in 28th 3 from the points bubble. OH well, that is Poker!

By the way want to pimp the Blogger Bracelet Race.

I promise I will give a better recaps later this week. I will be playing in the Mookie and trying to qualify for the $1K Thursday WSOP ME at FullTilt (Bonus Code OSU) also will try to play in AL's River chasers.

2nd Math = 3 way chop!!!!

First of all I will apologize that this post is a little short and to the point. I am traveling this week on business in Nebraska and the Hotel Internet is not the best.

My second MATH I had a little better luck and played some of my best poker. In fact this weekend I had one my best weekends in a long time. I won an entry into the FullTilt Tuesday ME, won a couple of the Tier 3 $75 token cash SNGs for $310 a piece.

Now back to the MATH. All I can say is Don is machine. How in the hell am I every going to pass him on the BBT? I played some great poker this tourney, earned some pots, got people to commit when I knew I had them beat. Made some laydowns that I am still 2nd guessing and made one call against Gary for 3/4 of stack with AK soooted when he made a re-raise steal attempt with AQ. In the end it came down to CMitch, MiamiaDon, and myself. We were all tired and had played 255 hands. We agreed on equal chop of the money ($312 I think) and decided to settle the placement by random luck. All IN on the last hand and may the luckiest man win. Here is what the hands looked preflop with the odds. As you can see I had the worst going in, with CMithc having the best odds.

Here is the way the board looked as Don outflopped us and scooped the massive pot which ensure his 2nd win in the BBT sereies.






See you at the Mookie on Wednesday.

My 1st Mookie - Sooooooooooo Close !!!!!

Wow what can I say except wow! I had a great time and I'll take the 2nd place finish in the biggest Mookie Tourney date to the Back to Back champion, but I wanted to be inteveiwed Damnit! Oh well big Kudos to Don ,(cue the Waynes World Music) I am not worthy, I am not worthy.


First off I want tip the Cowboy Hat to Maudie . I had the pleasure to spend the whole tourney with her, from the 1st cards to her impressive 4th place finish. She played her A game was a force to be afraid of. You bloggers better be wary of the Okie Poker Players.

Now for my assement of the tourney and a few key hands: On hand number 89 the gods blessed with mighty hammer which I weilded for the blinds.

Luckily Maudie had access to the fulltilt Lipstick Camera and didnt want to tangle with the Hammer

The next key hand was number 168 and this help put in the Final Table. Iakaris raised to 1800 and I picked up Rockets and re-raised All In for 3400 and Lighting36 came along for his last 250. Iakaris made the crying call and the board blank now I am up to 7300 with 14 left

When I hit the final table I went stone cold dead and was pretty short stacked, I pushed the decent cards with position and was able to watch the others bust out around me. When we got down to 4, I pick up K7h on the button and called a standard raise from Maudie and saw my bingo flop

I check behind Maudie and saw the turn just praying she would fire a shot at the pot. Turn was 6 diamonds and my trap was sprung. GG Maudie.

It took 279 hands to get heads up, the last 40 hands I played Monkey Push Poker, because of my short stack and the blinds in relation to the M's. So when we get heads up I want to set the tone again that I am "not scared" of Don's big stack, so monkey push poker again. I actually that I had a really good hand, little did I know

That Don had a better hand. And to make things worse we both paired our kickers. Oh well I am pleased and take a look at who is numero two on th BBT Leaderboard.

Here are some random stats from my hands at the Mookie

PXF Hand History Analyzer

General Statistics: (through hand 280)
Total hands played: 280
Hands won: 54 (19%)
Hands won preflop: 34 (12%)
Hands won at flop: 9 (3%)
Hands won at turn: 3 (1%)
Hands won at river: 8 (3%)

Preflop Luck Statistics: (beta)
Premium Hands: 5 (1.8% exp: 3.3%)
Strong Hands: 15 (5.4% exp: 3.0%)
Moderate Hands: 31 (11.1% exp: 8.3%)
Borderline Hands: 12 (4.3% exp: 7.5%)
Garbage Hands: 217 (77.5% exp: 77.8%)
PUFF™: 52 (50 = average luck)

Preflop Statistics: (through hand 280)
Preflop total actions: 281
Preflop limps: 11 (4%)
Preflop Raises: 45 (16%)
Preflop Bets: 0 (0%)
Preflop Calls: 23 (8%)
Preflop Checks: 3 (1%)
Preflop Folds: 210 (75%)

Flop Statistics: (through hand 280)
Flop total actions: 29
Saw flop: 36 (13%)
Saw flop in SB: 13 (36%)
Saw flop in BB: 13 (36%)
Saw flop in other positions: 10 (28%)
Flop Raises: 4 (14%)
Flop Bets: 8 (28%)

Turn Statistics: (through hand 280)
Saw turn: 23 (8%)
Saw turn in SB: 10 (43%)
Saw turn in BB: 7 (30%)
Saw turn in other positions: 6 (26%)
Turn Raises: 1 (8%)
Turn Bets: 4 (31%)
Turn Calls: 1 (8%)

River Statistics: (through hand 280)
Saw river: 17 (6%)
Saw river in SB: 7 (41%)
Saw river in BB: 7 (41%)
Saw river in other positions: 3 (18%)
River Raises: 1 (25%)
River Bets: 0 (0%)
River Calls: 0 (0%)

MATH = Doh!!!!

I had good time at my 1st blogger tourney Hoy's MATH. It was fun, and I enjoyed meeting several bloggers that I read. As for my results, disappointing. I was blessed by the Poker Gods with the Hammer twice. Both times taking down the pot which i proudly showed for all to marvel at. As for my demise. I was folded to me in the SB and I made a raise with Q6 sootedddd Weak_Player re raised me and I felt is was warning shot. The Flop comes AQx and I didn't follow through with a pot sized bet, instead I check called and then check called because I just didn't think he had the Ace. Oh well NI Hand Sir.

Donkeys are Real! I saw them in a Casino this weekend!!!

I decided to go to Newcastle Gaming on saturday to get away for a few hours. When I go to a B&M I ussualy go to Lucky Star or Newcastle since they are the closest in proximity to where I live. I arrived at the casino around 11:00 am and signed up for some $1/2 NL but I am about 3 on the list and it doesent look like they will be getting a new table going for awhile. So I go to over to the $1/2 HA (a round of NLH and Omaha Hi) to talk to a guy that plays in our Thursday Home game. He convinces me to buy in and play, so I do. Now Omaha is not my strong suit. I have played, understand the rules, but I am really weak with the strategy. I know it is a game of "Nuts" and I tried to play accordingly. However I made a crucial error misreading the board which cost me 2/3 of my stack and ended up re buying pretty quickly. The holdem pots were uneventful, but the Omaha pots were crazy big for this level. I lost several $200 - 300 pots when my nut straights with a re-draw to the nut flush or nut boat didn't connect, ect... But the biggie and killer was this key pot. I was in the small blind Ac3c5c6d it was limped by 5 people so I completed. The flop comes 2s4s5d, I flopped the current nuts and I fire a pot sized bet into to hopefully thin the field. Action goes fold, call, Pot ($20), raise ($50). WTF is going on here, so pot it again ($100) hoping to chase the draws out but I get a call and call. about $600 - 700 out there and I only have about $150 left. The turn is a blank, 9h I am all in and just praying that I survive but knowing I got my money in good. I get one call from a guy with a measly set of fives and of course the river pairs the 2 and I am left thinking about the $1000-$1200 could have been.

So I am tilted and stuck about $700, time to eat and probably go home. I go to the trusty truck and run down to Taco Mayo (mmmm burritos) after a Burrito Supreme I feel somewhat untilited. I go back to the casino determine to get my money back from the "Donks." I sign up for the HA game and also decide to sign up for the 1:00 $50 + 10 with $1000 added. The tourney starts before I could ever get back into the HA game which was probably best and I decide to just concentrate on making the final table.

First level clicks off I and get a few good hands and chip up to about 4k, started with 2.5k. After the break I get this hand which started me off to a good 2nd hour I get AhQh in the SB the and UTG makes $500 to go, (I believe the blinds were $50/100) and I call to see the flop. My read on this lady was this: overplayed big cards and small pairs and the wife of the donk who called me all the way to the river in Omaha with his set of fives. I was praying for a big flop because I was motivated to gobble up her stack (I had her covered but just barely) Flop is AKQ rainbow. Bingo! I check she throws out $1k and I call, turn is a blank, check she throws out $1K and I raise to 2.5K with about 1.5 still left (wanted to look like I could still fold if need, she pushes I insta call, KQ vs AQ thank you very much and I am up to over 10K at the second break.

During the 3rd hour I got lucky twice, AJ vs AQ runner runner straight and AQ vs AK, spiked a Q on the flop. I busted a big stack when I picked up "Rockets" on the Button and Re-raised a tight aggressive player's "Big Slick". Flop was K high, he checked I went allin with the overbet hoping that he indeed had slick and thank you very much I am Chip leader headed to the final table.

At the Final Table I went card dead, but since I had a massive stack I was able to wait, and wait is exactly what I did. We got down to 4 handed the stacks were all about the same. I offered to chop and that is what we did for $713 apiece.

So I ended down $37 for the day and was dam happy about it, considering the Donkey Pinata beat the cash out of me earlier.

Online at Full Tilt I had a decent weekend but nothing major. Satellited into the 400K but busted in the first hour to the eventual tourney winner when he slow played a monster and made me laydown TPTK on Ace hi flop. This crippled me and the same guy put me out of my misery when my A10 ran into his PP and thank you very much. Only other score I had was the T3 $75 token for cash that I won for a total investment of $13.75

I have started playing the $22 Turbos again and strangely enough I am seeing a better return. I am amazing 6 for 7 cashes and 3 wins, 2 nds and 3rd. I have been working on cooling my aggression to help me in the MTTs and went back to playing the $20 SNG to teach me patience but I am getting killed. In my last 15 I have only cashed 2 and both times 3rd. Now I cant remember all the details and will need to go through the hand histories but I know I have had my share of beats, but I still think I am trying to push to hard in these to in the mid levels and especially with the draws.

Tonight I will play in Hoy's MATH at (Full Tilt this week) for the start of the Battle of the Bloggers Tourney Series.