Nothing Changes

I am going to stay with this tournament on a weekly basis to see if I can get myself to the winners circle.  This is the only tournament I am playing right now.  The tournament is on Friday and has 20 minute rounds with 10,000 chips to start and is $40 for the buy in.  The tournament has about 30 players that turn out for the game. 

 

This week I ended up in 17th place and I was proud of being able to stay in the tournament that long.  We were in the 25/50 blinds and I was in the BB with K8.  The players just called the big blind and I checked the option.  This hand is not what I would usually look for but they gave me a free flop.  The flop comes 8x8.  I looked at that and figured great I can go ahead and bet this flop and try to take down the pot.  I got one caller.  The turn did not help me and I figured I was still good with the trips.  I bet and was called by one person.  I figured he might have the other 8 and would bet and he called.  The river was a 9 and I checked to the other person to see what he would do.  He bet and I called and he turned over 99 for the full house and my trips were no good.  What a river card.  I ended up losing almost half my stack with that and now I am going to have to play defensive.

 

It seems that the players in this tournament like to see the river for the showdown with very little.  It opens up losing on the river and I seen that a number of times during this tournament.  People not having anything but big cards and staying in to catch something on the river.  I ended up throwing my JJ's away this week when someone bet big on an over card on the flop.  With that one I bet 4 to 5x pre-flop and still get callers. I guess I should be thankful they call because the percentages are with me in the long run.  Doesn't help me now but someday it will pay off.

 

I managed to stay at 5,000 chips throughout the tournament and never was able to get the stack to go higher than that.  I got through the 25/50, 50/100, 100/200, 200,400 and was taken out in the 300/600 round.  My all in was with AJ and the BB showed QQ and that was it for me when an A did not come on the board.  Overall I was pretty pleased and will wait till next week to try again.

 

Have a fun day.....

 



Friday the 13th Poker Tournament

I decided to play on Friday the 13th.  The tournament was at Jokers Casino and the buy in was $40 with the 10,000 chips and 20 minute rounds.  This tournament is another one of the good ones to play here in town.  At this time I have decided to stick with tournaments and just enjoy the time playing and see if I can win one of these bigger ones.

 

Instead of writing down every hand that I played I decided to write down the end of the round totals of where I was at.  This would tell me if I was growing the chips and where it was happening.  The total amount of BB's would change with each one so it is important to find out where I need to play more to get the chips in my stack. 

 

The start of the tournament I was at 10,000 chips and at the end of the first round I had 10,150.  I felt I was playing well and at this level of 25/50 and I felt fine with where I was at.  When the 50/100 level was done my chip count was at 11,300.  This was even better and I was playing some good cards and staying away from anything that would make me make a hard decision for my chips.  One of the hands played was KK's, where the flop came xAx.  The other player bet on this flop and I went ahead and folded my K's face up.  I found out later he could of had QQ's and wanted to try and protect them.  My thinking now is that maybe he had the Q's and if he actually had the A then he would have checked to me to let me put more money in the pot?  Maybe he felt I wouldn't represent the Ace.  A couple of hands later I got QQ's and when the flop came xKx, I went ahead and bet and the other player folded. 

 

At the end of 100/200 I had 10,500 in chips and was not going anywhere.  The cards I was getting were poor and it was hard to do anything.  I figured I was still above starting stack and at some point the cards will shift.

 

I was able to maintain my chip stack and at the end of 200/400 I had 10,500 in chips.  I was able to stay above the starting amount but now the BB's are going to deplete my stack and I need to find some way of increasing my stack.

 

The end of 300/600 I was at 8,700 in chips and now find myself in trouble.  I need to find some cards and real soon.  The end of 400/800 I was at 6,000 in chips and was looking for something that I could go all in with.  It was now 500/1000 and I went all in with the QJ and lost 5,500 in chips.  Since all I had was a 500 chip I was all in and I actually won and was up to 1,500.  The very next hand I came up with QJ again and went all in.  I got a straight by the river but was beat by a flush.  I would have been up to 6,000 in chips if that would have come through.

 

Overall not a bad tournament and I can learn something from this.  I almost made the final table.  I am watching the WSOP and I think it helps me to see position play and bet sizing.  I will incorporate more of that on next tournament.

 

Have a fun day.....   

Deep Stack Tournament

I decided to play in the Deep Stack Tournament at Lucky Bridge Casino.  This is a $65 buy in with 20,000 in chips and 20 minute rounds.  This tournament has the ability to last until early morning.  It starts at 6PM. 

 

We had 53 people start the tournament.  I was in the seven seat and I got very unlucky by having a very good player to my left.  This person was eighth place in the Wildhorse Spring Main Event just a couple of months ago.  This was not going to be good for me.  I was going to have to play very tight and wait for the good hands to see how this would play out.  He proved me right as he was playing loose aggressive and was raising pots and people were giving him respect and laying down the hands.  I stayed away from this until I got a hand I could play.

 

My first hand that I played was JJ's.  I bet the hand and he called me.  The flop was xQx and I made a continuation bet and he called me again.  I figured he would have raised with a Q to get me off of the hand.  The Turn and the River were not higher than the Q so I was able to win the pot.  He stated he should have bet the Flop to represent the Q.  I still think I would have stayed in with him.  I couldn't just give up and let him have all hands plus this allowed him to see that I was playing only the good hands.

 

The next hand I played was 77's and I did not get a set on the Flop and someone bet so I let it go.  The next hand I played being in the blinds was a 56 and this was not a raised pot.  I saw the Flop 875.  The hand was checked around to allow me to see another card and the Turn was a 9.  There were two of us in the hand and I bet and was called.  The River was a 4 and we raised and bet again and I turned over my 56 and the other person turned over 46 and we chopped the pot.

 

At our first break I was at 24,725 in chips and felt good about what I was able to do.  I had now made it through the 150/300/25 blinds and moving into the next session.  The blinds were moving up so I had to be concerned a little about that.  We were at 200/400/50  Since I had not played a hand the chip stack was now below or right at 20,000 in chips. 

 

I was middle position and received AK and one player raised it to 1700 chips.  I re-raised to 3400 and he called.  The Flop came xK7.  Player bet and I raised All in and he called.  The cards were turned over and I had the one pair and he turned over 77's for a set.  I did not get any help and would have had to of had the AK come on the turn and river to just have a chance.  My night was over and I headed home. 

 

Thinking back on the experience I should have thought more about why he was betting and not so much that I caught a K on the flop.  My first thought was that he had a K as well and since I had the better kicker I could have been good.  Going all in was probably questionable as well and should have maybe played small and not lost so much.  He wasn't going anywhere and I should have gone the next level in thinking about what was he playing and what was I losing to. 

 

Isn't hindsight good.

 

Have a fun day.....

Tournament Time

Now I just need to figure out which tournament I want to play in.  I would like to play daily but that is unreasonable for two reasons.  Time and money are issues that I will need to deal with playing in tournaments.  Sometimes it takes more than two hours to finish and with me taking care of my Dad and other responsibilities it just won't happen.

 

I chose to sit down in a $30 buy in with 4,000 in chips to start.  We have 20 players for this one and I wanted to get this going right.  I am playing tight when I get JJ and in the previous hand the guy to my left played them strong and won the pot.  I decided I would 3x the pot and he called me.  The flop produced a Q and two cards lower than a J.  I decided to bet and he called.  Turn I bet he called.  River he bet I called to see him with the Q.  Half of my stack now gone.  Ok, I will get tight again and just grind this out. 

 

I get moved to a new table and I didn't last long with the blinds going up and everything I was looking at just wasn't going anywhere.  I go all in with A9 and was called with A10. 

 

Not sure which tournament I will play next week.  I want to play a deep stack type of tournament with longer rounds. The casino has a 10,000 chip tournament so may try to enter that one.

 

I have been watching the WSOP live stream and during this time of the year will watch a lot of them trying to learn from the announcers.  Of course, trying to transfer this knowledge to my play in the local casinos just doesn't work.  I went to the WSOP Academy back in 2010 and when I tried to do some of that stuff at the local casino it didn't work out.  It got frustrating and I just went back to playing and learning how the people play around here.  That is why I like going to Wildhorse Casino in Pendleton when they have the Poker Roundup.  Different type of play for sure.

 

Have a fun day.....