After qualifying through playing raked hands (> 50 is minimum, I played > 100) yesterday I was really looking forward to play in the event today (16 ET). So I fired up Titan and registered, just to find the thing cancelled when it was time to start. I really can’t say why it was cancelled yet as there were enough players around (> 300 with a 30 minimum) – I wrote a mail to support, maybe they can enlighten me…
Side note: I had such a lovely post written up just to see Firefox crash on me…note to self: save as draft next time…
Today was the Absolute Poker New Depositors Main Event for which I qualified earlier this week (see this post). The tournament started out on a bad note as I was seated at a rather dead table. So it was nearly impossible to get chips early on. It took the Absolute Poker system a while to kick in, but then all players not present were automatically busted (they were set to autofold prior to that). That left me at a table with 2 other active players and hence not a chance to get many chips either – this was kind of unfair as there was a good portion of small tables (2-3 ppl just like my table) and a good portion of full tables. It took the system another few minutes to finally balance the field again.
I found myself at a good table with really cool players. Three were especially nice and made the tournament fun to play in! Ashlips22, DrSkillz and JJSproull (aka the man that was immortal surviving short-stacked all-ins time and time again). We had a really nice and fun time and cheered each other on when it came to the bubble. Unfortunately I was short-stacked so I had to make a move sooner or later (with blinds hitting 500 and my chip count stuck at around 1400), I had two to three decent hands in a row (A-Q, J-J, Q-Q) and was able to get some blinds back, but it didn’t get me far…so I had to make a decision: go all-in with J-J or wait for a better hand (in the next 6-7 hands) – I went All-In, but was a little bit unlucky as my pocket Jacks were crushed by an A-5 when another A hit the flop…too bad…out in 91st place 🙁
Nontheless it was really fun to play this tournament as I got to know new players (as mentioned above) and had a really good time…at least they all finished in the money and it didn’t cost me a dime to play, so who am I to complain…I’m really looking forward to play with these guys again…
Stats:
Another day another 7 Stud H/L S&G over at Absolute Poker. Went out and could do no wrong in the beginning to take an early chip lead, bounce up and down (once even to under 1k in chips before reclaiming the chip lead with a nice full house) and saw players bust out left and right. Was in the money, watched the 2nd in chips bust out the 3rd in chips – went into heads up with 1:2 in chips…battle back and forth for a dozen hands, but couldn’t scoop…so out in 2nd place, nontheless satisfied: 3 tournaments played, 3 times in the money (3rd, 2nd, 2nd). Nice 🙂
Play two little S&Gs over at Absolute Poker and to my surprise there’s a quite nice 7 Stud H/L crowd in the low limits! I really enjoyed playing and took down 3rd and 2nd (of 7) in a row. Nice!
Stats:
Favourite hand of the night:
Quad-twos aka Double Ducks 😉
A real scoop hand as most cards showing where high cards 
Just won my seat for the sunday main event, nice, 3k up for grabs 🙂
(Click pic above for bigger screenshot)
Tried my luck in a little S&G with 8 other players…buy in at 0.50$…man do I like High Low! If your hand is good for either way you’ve got the chance for a real scoop (getting both the high and low pot), if you’ve got a big hand you’ve got the chance to get the high pot (and maybe even the low pot with A-x) and if you’ve got a low hand you’ve got the chance for the low and sometimes for the high too (wheel).
Held my own all night and was able to scoop some hands with nice high full houses (no low hand) and some wheels. Was the chip leader most of the way and was able to push some players around and even eliminate 3 players before the bubble! Nice…when it came to the bubble my mojo somehow took a break and I was down to short stack, but was able to bust out the fourth player of the night to bump me right up into the race and the money. Busted out another player to take a 2:1 chip lead (just over 10k to his just under 5k) and a secured second place. Played back and forth just to make some donkey calls and go down to 1:2 in chips…no way back as we split most of the following pots…then it was time for me to go…he busted my straight with a full house.
So, a second place in my first Omaha H/L tournament try, not bad…although I feel I should have won, but hey…I don’t complain…there’s always a next time 😉
Stats:
Back to almost even…nice 🙂
Another day, another 9 handed S&G for 0.50$…and once again I bust out in 4th place (top 3 in the money), but I’m getting ahead of myself.
I sit back and relax and watch people bust out right and left – in the mean time I don’t catch any real hands, at least some live cards, but I don’t catch anything and fold a lot. We’re down to four handed action and I catch a nice run of cards…or at least some playable cards and I move All-In with 9-9, donkey shows A-Jo, my pair holds up as the board is: K-5-4-3-3. Alrighty, double me up (2400 chips now). Next hand and I look down at Ah-Jh…All-In again…everybody folds, nice. Then on the next hand I’m on a diamond flush draw, I put my opponent on a straight draw (flop: 6-7-8 and he’s betting out)…so I call, turn is blank but I call his continuation bet…river hits and I’ve got my king high flush…he bets out…I wonder if he’s holding the Ace…hmm…what to do what to do…I call and sure enough the donkey is showing his diamond Ace…down to 1200 in chips. The very next hand brings another smile on my face…As-Qh…not bad…All-In please…one caller…who shows….A-Q…two hearts in the flop…maybe I’m getting lucky…turn is another heart…but no joy on the river and we split the pot. The very next, and sadly last, hand brings an even bigger smile to my face: Cowboys…All-In yet again one caller (sure enough the same donkey again)…he shows A-Q again…and sure enough the flop hits him…4-5-A…turn (10) and river (3) don’t help either side and I’m out in 4th place…argh!
After the quick exit in the little S&G I was browsing through the tournament listings and found a freeroll, which I entered. There were 1909 players in total and I managed to hold on for over 3 hours!
Unfortunately my K-J All-In bet (14k chips) was called down and crushed by A-A. So I went out in 33rd place. Not bad at all as it was a good experience to finally last really long in a tournament again, while playing some of my best poker (looking up (semi) bluffs, pushing ppl around, etc)! The only thing that didn’t rock is that, as it was a freeroll, only the first 18 places were payed (10$,8$,6$,4$,3$,3$,3$,2$,2$, 10-18: 1$)…nontheless I had a great time and was able to build up some confidence again. Poker world here I come, again 😉
Played a big freeroll today, not big in price money (top 27 would go on to a 1000$ tourney), but big in participating players: 5206 entered. I was able to stand my ground and even build up a huge stack (around 18k) putting me in the top 10…but then, after around 1.5h, I was my own self again…donkeying away my hard earned chips in less than 30 minutes…to bust out in 730th place. Gotta re-evaluate this thing…it’s not a good idea to bet into 4 hearts on the board and telling yourself “ah come on, he ain’t got the 5th heart”…
Played a little S&G in order to get a little more action…a cheap 1$ + 0.20, 45 players, top 7 pay. Played well and was constantly in the top 10 chip-wise, until my nemesis came to visit me again…I’m UTG and min-raise with my lovely hiltons (Q-Q), three callers, late position goes all-in, I put him on an Ace (and rightly so), took some time to think about the situation: either fold and stay in good shape (2520chips) or call with the possibility to double up or be crippled (120 chips remaining)…ponder ponder, call! He shows A-Js…and sure enough he doesn’t catch either A or J but three spades…6h-10s–3s-2c-7s…I’m crippled…look down at A-10o in the next hand and raise All-In, two callers…board is blank (highest card 8) and sure enough the two callers show A-8…split pot and cya…argh!!!
I think this is the fourth time that I busted out holding Q-Q…they’re just no good luck charm for me…note to self: lay down Q-Q when reraised All-In preflop in next MTT…