Card Drought Ends Auspicious Tournament Start

Normally, I wouldn't even blog about a tournament cash so minor, but looking at my records, I just realized that this was the first online tournament cash I've had in 2008. Granted, I haven't been playing much online this year, but that's still pretty sad. Ok, time to celebrate my little victory:

$10+1 No-Limit Hold 'em tourney on PokerStars
Unlimited rebuys, 1 add-on
$80,000 guaranteed prize pool
2187 entrants

After a rough start that had me rebuying a few times, I manage to pull into the chip lead in my table. Then I started to slowly build up my stack. I am trying to do moves like this more often.

Level V (75/150) - 2008/09/02 22:46:37 ET
Seat 1: The Bronc (16825 in chips)
Seat 2: docloosley (3925 in chips)
Seat 3: Dany1984 (6905 in chips)
Seat 4: gillete (5625 in chips)
Seat 5: Nanguillo (1550 in chips)
Seat 6: i k!ll D0nks (8845 in chips)
Seat 7: JezusKrist (3650 in chips)
Seat 8: 27011988 (9125 in chips)
Seat 9: konspirator (9550 in chips)
Nanguillo: posts small blind 75
i k!ll D0nks: posts big blind 150

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to konspirator [Ts Ah]
27011988: calls 150
konspirator: calls 150
gillete: calls 150
Nanguillo: calls 75
i k!ll D0nks: checks

*** FLOP *** [Js 2h 7c]
Nanguillo: checks
i k!ll D0nks: checks
27011988: checks
konspirator: checks
gillete: checks

*** TURN *** [Js 2h 7c] [3c]
Nanguillo: checks
i k!ll D0nks: checks
27011988: checks
konspirator: checks
gillete: bets 300
Nanguillo: folds
i k!ll D0nks: folds
27011988: folds
konspirator: raises 600 to 900
gillete: folds
konspirator collected 1350 from pot
konspirator: doesn't show hand



About an orbit or two later, it's time for a "get out with that weak shit" play:

Level VII (125/250) - 2008/09/02 23:07:33 ET
Seat 1: The Bronc (14925 in chips)
Seat 2: Hmelmahay (6220 in chips)
Seat 3: Dany1984 (10355 in chips)
Seat 4: gillete (6080 in chips)
Seat 5: Nanguillo (4400 in chips)
Seat 6: i k!ll D0nks (20340 in chips)
Seat 7: JezusKrist (7450 in chips)
Seat 8: 27011988 (21150 in chips)
Seat 9: konspirator (11500 in chips)
All players: post the ante 25
27011988: posts small blind 125
konspirator: posts big blind 250

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to konspirator [8s 2c]
The Bronc: raises 250 to 500
i k!ll D0nks: calls 500
konspirator: calls 250

*** FLOP *** [Qs 6h 8h]
konspirator: checks
The Bronc: checks
i k!ll D0nks: bets 500
konspirator: calls 500
The Bronc: calls 500

*** TURN *** [Qs 6h 8h] [Tc]
konspirator: checks
The Bronc: checks
i k!ll D0nks: bets 500
konspirator: raises 1500 to 2000
The Bronc: folds
i k!ll D0nks: calls 1500

*** RIVER *** [Qs 6h 8h Tc] [9c]
konspirator: bets 2500
i k!ll D0nks: folds
Uncalled bet (2500) returned to konspirator
konspirator collected 7350 from pot
konspirator: doesn't show hand



Then I get moved to another table. About 10 hands in, I make a nice call.

Level IX (200/400) - 2008/09/02 23:27:53 ET
Seat 1: 1CDN_Hustler (20480 in chips)
Seat 2: jrwhitetiger (13650 in chips)
Seat 3: Bumpers251 (13700 in chips)
Seat 4: ECR714 (9250 in chips)
Seat 5: THE BORT (26260 in chips)
Seat 6: Kpenga (10975 in chips)
Seat 7: konspirator (17725 in chips)
Seat 8: 0TT0MaTic (10145 in chips) is sitting out
Seat 9: chipmaker9 (5505 in chips)
All players: post the ante 50
jrwhitetiger: posts small blind 200
Bumpers251: posts big blind 400

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to konspirator [Jd Ah]
konspirator: raises 800 to 1200
1CDN_Hustler: calls 1200

*** FLOP *** [Js Qd 8h]
konspirator: checks
1CDN_Hustler: checks

*** TURN *** [Js Qd 8h] [8s]
konspirator: bets 2000
1CDN_Hustler: raises 3200 to 5200
konspirator: calls 3200

*** RIVER *** [Js Qd 8h 8s] [Qh]
konspirator: checks
1CDN_Hustler: bets 4800
konspirator: calls 4800

*** SHOW DOWN ***
1CDN_Hustler: shows [4d Ad] (two pair, Queens and Eights)
konspirator: shows [Jd Ah] (two pair, Queens and Jacks)
konspirator collected 23450 from pot



It never feels like discipline is rewarded in poker. Fortunately, there was no action, saving my desk from some serious headbanging.

Level X (300/600) - 2008/09/02 23:42:05 ET
Table '105241989 21' 9-max Seat #2 is the button
Seat 1: sergiomotta (31140 in chips)
Seat 2: jrwhitetiger (29230 in chips)
Seat 3: Bumpers251 (3760 in chips)
Seat 4: ECR714 (10550 in chips)
Seat 5: THE BORT (29910 in chips)
Seat 6: Kpenga (8375 in chips)
Seat 7: konspirator (42060 in chips)
Seat 8: 0TT0MaTic (6545 in chips)
Seat 9: DcRoCk6 (7925 in chips)
All players: post the ante 50
Bumpers251: posts small blind 300
ECR714: posts big blind 600

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to konspirator [5d 6d]

konspirator: folds
Bumpers251: calls 300
ECR714: checks

*** FLOP *** [3d Kh 4d]
Bumpers251: checks
ECR714: checks

*** TURN *** [3d Kh 4d] [8d]
Bumpers251: checks
ECR714: checks

*** RIVER *** [3d Kh 4d 8d] [7d]
Bumpers251: checks
ECR714: checks

*** SHOW DOWN ***
Bumpers251: shows [2c Qs] (high card King)
ECR714: shows [6s Qc] (high card King - Queen+Eight+Seven+Six kicker)
ECR714 collected 1650 from pot



I have had sessions where every time I fold a questionable hand, I seemingly hit the flop hard. Another example of me tightening up just because it's a tournament:

Level XV (1000/2000) - 2008/09/03 0:42:05 ET
Seat 1: konspirator (102726 in chips)
Seat 2: KenaiBear (11445 in chips)
Seat 3: janetintexas (41554 in chips)
Seat 4: IONA06 (28009 in chips)
Seat 5: peeks33 (81011 in chips)
Seat 6: luisfran (48343 in chips)
Seat 7: Hallowed6882 (22840 in chips)
Seat 8: jamesy (38464 in chips)
Seat 9: DaddyBrooks (40218 in chips)
All players: post the ante 200
jamesy: posts small blind 1000
DaddyBrooks: posts big blind 2000

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to konspirator [8s As]
konspirator: folds
jamesy: calls 1000
DaddyBrooks: checks

*** FLOP *** [8c 3s Js]
jamesy: bets 2000
DaddyBrooks: folds
Uncalled bet (2000) returned to jamesy
jamesy collected 5800 from pot


Near the bubble, I lose a race against a short-stacked player, which marked the beginning of my chip stack's decline. Moved to another table, I had to wait over 20 hands before I picked up something I felt comfortable going all-in with. They were pocket nines, and even that couldn't hold up to another short stack's 2-9s when the flop showed a pair of deuces. Meanwhile, a player with 15000 chips goes on an insane rush to shoot up to nearly 200,000 and third in chips overall. Another player at this new table is overplaying mid-tier hands and is getting massively paid by sucking out.

Finally with blinds 3000/6000 and a 600 ante, I push my 54,000 chip stack in preflop with 67 suited, while in middle position. These situations never have a happy ending for me. It's my first time making a move like that and of course pocket kings calls me. I finish in 237th place.