Tournament #45

Really bad call by me early on has me down to just $930 barely 5 minutes into the tournament. I pick up A/8 and push all-in from early position and get one caller, who I have covered. He turns over J/9 and naturally pairs his 9 putting me down to $230. I soon pick up A/K and double up to $490. Laid a horrible beat on a guy, rivering a 10 to get two pair with Q/10 vs his Q/K, to double-up and I'm sitting on $1000. Blinds move up to $50/100 so I push all-in when I get A/Q. One caller, who turns over A/7. Flop comes Q/8/K and my queens hold up from there to put me over $1800. Very next hand, I pick up QQ and push all-in again. Same guy calls and turns over 66. My Qs hold up and I'm up to $3700, good for 5th out of 26. Not bad considering where I was just 10 minutes ago. ARGH. Just dropped $2000 chasing a flush with 2nd pair as well. Bad play, should have gotten out of the hand sooner. Down to $2200. Went all-in twice, once with A/K suited and once with A/9 and split both pots. First caller had A/K too, second guy had A/7 but the board paired and had 2 high kickers too. Dang. Sitting on $2700, 10th out of 16. Flopped a pair of aces with A/10 to win a decent pot, pushing me to $3500. Blinded down to $1800, I push all-in with A/9 but get no callers. Up to $2500, 10th out of 11. All-in from the BB with A/4. One caller, who turns over J/8. Flop comes Q/K/8 but turn is an ace to give me a pair and double me up! Up to $5100 and immediately blinded to $4700. Picked up A/9 and decided to push all-in for $4660. Got a caller...and he turned over AA. I turned a 9 for a pair but river was nothing so I'm busted in 10th. Dang. Strongly considered folding but blinds were already $300/600 with a $50 ante so I was under 8 BBs. Felt I had no choice and just ran into a buzzsaw. Played well in this one after that horrible misstep early on.

FINISH: 10th place
PAYOUT: $0.00
PROFIT: -$0.25
BANKROLL: $58.39

Tournament #44

Took some grief at work for not updating in a couple days so decided to get back on the horse and play tonight. Typical setup, 45 players. Way too aggressive early on, overbetting, playing like a wild man and I was down to $900 before I knew it. Doubled up with QQ though and that put me to $1800. A couple more double ups and before I know it, I'm at the final table with about $4400, good for 7th out of 9. We lose a guy and the short stack is suddenly in the BB. He rivers a pair with 7/5 against 8/3 to double up and soon enough I'm in the BB with $2400 total left. Blinds at $300/600 and I pick up QQ. Have no choice but to go all-in and I get one caller, who turns over A/7 of diamonds. Naturally, the flop has two diamonds. He then turns an ace and rivers a 7 for 2-pair, busting me in 8th place. Frustrating to once again be on the wrong end of a bad beat elimination, QQ being a nearly 70% favorite pre-flop. And to be bubble boy, no less. Argh. Still, a much better tournament for me. I just somehow have to figure out a way to get more chips before the final table so I don't get blinded off. 8th place.

FINISH: 8th place
PAYOUT: $0.00
PROFIT: -$0.25
BANKROLL: $58.64

One month in...

So we're a month into this experiment, 43 tournaments played so far. While I am still ahead $8.89, I am down over a dollar compared to my 2-week status. I have cashed just twice - both times in 6th place - over my last 14 tournaments. I've taken so many ridiculous bad beats over the last run of tournaments that I've begun to expect to get knocked out and that's bad. I've been busted four times in the last 20 tournaments while holding AA - by 10/10, 4/5, 2/3, and Q/6. I've dropped to cashing only 28% of the time and now have an average finish of just worse than 16th place. Not at all what I want or was expecting. Still, I'm ahead $8.89 and that's a good thing - that's an 83% profit on every single tournament I've played (43 tourneys, $8.89 profit = 20.67 cents per tournament. 25-cent buy-in each time = 83% profit per tournament). So the overall totals are fine but, man, the recent results are very depressing. I continually get punished for making the correct play and that's tough to take. All I can do is keep slogging away knowing that the correct play will eventually get rewarded.

Tournament #43

Aggression pays off early in this one as I raise to $100 from the BB with J/J. I get 4 callers (?!!?). Flop comes A/9/8 with 2 spades and I bet $160. One caller. Turns is a blank. Another $160 from me, another call. River is another 9, a third spade. I bet another $160 and the other guy raises all-in, with me barely covering. I give it some thought and call. He's got Q/8. WTF. Called $100 pre-flop with Q/8 and then called all the way to the river with third pair and a flush draw on the board AND an ace on the board. Terrible play. I'm up to $2400 now though. Continuing to hang around as I watch idiots around me go all-in with garbage and get rewarded for it. One guy called 2 - big - all-ins with Q/J suited. And promptly flopped a flush to bust the other two. Awesome. I'll take my $2400 for 11th out of 24, thank you very much. Same dude just called another big all-in with J/9 and hit another flush. WTF. In small blind, I raise to $200 (2xBB) with A/6. Crazy man in BB re-raises all-in. I know he's making a play, so I call. My read is right - he turns over 8/3. He promptly pairs his 3 on the flop, turns a set, and rivers a full house. And just that fast, I've taken the bad beat from hell - AGAIN - and I'm busted in 21st place. Once again, I don't know what I'm supposed to take away from this. I mean, seriously, 8/3. So f'ing frustrating.

FINISH: 21st Place
PAYOUT: $0.00
PROFIT: -$0.25
BANKROLL: $58.89

Tournament #42

Not ready to quit playing tonight, I'm back onto Pokerstars for another 45-player tourney. I'm determined to be more aggressive - reduce my limping, raise more often. Pick up a nice hand early on when my AA turns into a full house when the flop comes A/K/K. Unfortunately, I can't get anybody to bet and end up only winning a $300 pot. That promptly gets given back when my flush and open-end straight draws go nowhere on the next hand. Oh well. Sitting on $1370, still very early. Kinda hung around but blinds grew to $75/150 while I had just $1000 left. Folded J/6 in the face of an all-in raise. Without that raise, I maybe would have pushed myself. That would have been a full house - J/6 on the flop, 6 on the turn. Alas, twas not to be. Next hand, I get A/10 suited so push all-in. One caller - and he's got AA. J/K on the flop but no draws hit so I'm out in 17th place. No problem with this tournament, feel better about being more aggressive but someday I gotta start picking up some cards, right?!

FINISH: 17th Place
PAYOUT: $0.00
PROFIT: -$0.25
BANKROLL: $59.14

Save John Knighten Tournament

This one was a special deal, not part of the $50 into $100K goal. John Knighten is a firefighter, a friend of ours, in desperate need of a pair of bone marrow transplants. Transplants for which he doesn't have all the necessary money. His family has undertaken a number of efforts to raise money for those procedures. One of them, a fundraiser poker tournament at Hooters, was held today. $100 buy-in with 32 players.

Tournament structure was excellent, exactly how I like it, with slow-increasing blinds and plenty of chips in plenty. Unfortunately, a perfect structure doesn't help if you run card-dead and that's exactly what happened to me today. I figure I probably played 70 hands today, maybe more. In that time, I got exactly one pocket pair - 4s. On the other hand, I got 7/3 - literally - like six times. No joke, I got a 3 in my hole cards probably 40-50% of the time. Unbelievably bad run of cards. End came when I misplayed Q/7 as follows:

Blinds at $500/1000, me with $7000 total in the big blind. I limped in, BB checked. Flop comes 4/5/6, we both check. Turn is a 7. Figuring top pair and an open-end straight draw is good, I push all-in for my list $6000, big blind insta-calls and turns over 9/3 for a made straight. River was a blank and I busted out in 16th place. So, what should I have done differently? Should have either pushed all-in pre-flop - big blind surely would have folded his 9/3 there - or folded. Instead, I go broke playing a marginal hand, misreading possible hands for my opponent. Bad play. Played as well as could be expected the rest of the tourney given the cards I had to work with though. 16th place.

The good news? My friend - and former physical therapist - Darren took 3rd. He freerolled into the tournament when my brother-in-law ended up not being able to play, giving him a seat in return for half the prize money. He played well, had a couple keep double ups and then watched the big stacks annihilate each other in front of him. 3rd place was good enough for him to get a nice payday and my brother-in-law to get his entry fee back. Well done, Darren!

Tournament #41

Wide awake and raring for another crack at the tables tonight, so going for a third tourney. Much better start to this one, doubling up early on and picking up some cards. Won a couple big pots with a set of 7s and a set of 5s. Won a $3000 pot when my AA held up against another player's 10/10 with straight draw. Sitting at $6000, 3rd out of 28. Cards have dried up a bit so I'm down to $4500, good for 5th out of 12. Still, very solid position with blinds at $75/150. Couple nice hands - including J/J twice - and I'm up to $5700, 6th out of 10. I blink and two more players are gone and I'm at the final table, 4th place out of 8. Another guy gone and we're into the money! Take down a big pot when I'm in the big blind with 8/4 and the flop comes 8/4/7. Two other guys along for the ride with me, both missing their straight draws. I'm up to $8500, 4th out of 7. Heard my sprinkler system running for some reason, so sat out a hand or two while I took care of that. Come back to find 3 9s on the board and people betting at the pot. Guess who had the 4th 9? Yeah, yours truly. ARGH! Well, that ended in a hurry. Blew $2500 on a pot where my pair of 9s got beaten by a set. Then limped into a pot with 8/8 and called an addition $488. Flop was 7/3/9. Bet $400, got raised to $888 and then called an all-in. Other guy turned over 7/3. Are you kidding me? That's so how my luck has gone recently. Guess I should have raised all-in pre-flop or something. I dunno. 6th place.

FINISH: 19th Place
PAYOUT: $0.67
PROFIT: $0.42
BANKROLL: $59.39

Tournament #40

Made final table in this one, but was down to next to nothing. I had a guy to my left for a loooong time that raised on just about every hand. Naturally, I picked that time to go completely card dead - 6/3, 9/4, 8/2, over and over and over and over. In the big blind at the final table, I'm in with K/3. Flop is K/10/2 with 2 clubs. I push all-in and get called. Guy turns over 2 clubs and naturally turns his flush. Busted in 9th place.

FINISH: 19th Place
PAYOUT: $0.00
PROFIT: -$0.25
BANKROLL: $58.97

Tournament #39

Fast start for me in this one. I won a small pot on the first hand, better pot on the second. With $1700, I raised to $120 (4xBB) in early position with AA. Two callers. Flop came 6/7/8 with 2 clubs. I bet $300, one guy raised all-in. I had him covered and called. He turned over 8/6. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? 8/6?!?!? Turn was a 4. Flop was a 7!!!! Giving me better 2 pairs. JUSTICE, BABY. Doubled me up, basically, to $3200. Kinda hanging around now, winning pots here and there, down to $2700, 7th out of 20. Raised to $300 with A/7 in early position, one caller. Flop comes A/7/6. I bet $600, get called. Turn is a 3. I push all-in and get called. Other guy turns over 6/6 :( Miracle flop for him, that's for sure. River is a blank and I'm busted in 19th place.

FINISH: 19th Place
PAYOUT: $0.00
PROFIT: -$0.25
BANKROLL: $59.22

Tournament #38

Another slow start to this one had me down to $1300. Called a re-raise to $270 with my A/Q. Flop was Q/x/x 3 spades. I pushed all-in, got called. Guy turned over K/K. Turn was an A as was the river, giving me a full house. Felt bad I put a really bad beat on the guy but it was nice to turn the tables for once. Just doubled up with KK. Pushed all-in pre-flop over the top of a guy and got called. By 6/4! Flop came 8/9/10 and I'd have bet my life that a 7 would drop. None did, though, and I'm up to $3500, 8th out of 21. A couple missteps, including chasing a flush while holding 2nd pair, has me down to $1800 with blinds at $100/200, 13th out of 16. Healthy in a hurry when myself and another player both river a gut shot straight draw. Only mine is ace-high and his king-high. $4200, 8th out of 15. A couple nice pots and I'm up to $5900, 5th out of 12. And on to the final table, me with $5470. 2 more guys gone and we're into the $$$. Finally, been awhile since I've been here! Out in 6th place after getting blinded down to $2200. In the BB with A/4, called an all-in. That guy had 10/10 and I busted out. I'll take it anyway.

FINISH: 6th Place
PAYOUT: $0.67
PROFIT: $0.42
BANKROLL: $59.47

Tournament #37

New day, same result. Picking up nothing early on and get blinded down to about $1800, something like that. Short stack to my left pushes all in for $1000 or so and I call with QQ. He turns over 10/10. Naturally, the flop comes 7/10/3 and I'm fairly crippled. Blinded down to $640, I push all-in with J/J. 3 callers. Flop is x/K/x with 2 hearts. One guy bets and the other two fold. He turns over A/x of hearts for a flush draw and nothing else. Naturally the turn is a heart and I'm busted in 18th place. The only good news is that I managed to win a hand with AA for once.

FINISH: 18th Place
PAYOUT: $0.00
PROFIT: -$0.25
BANKROLL: $59.05

Tournament #36

Folded my A/K to an all-in early on - guy turned over K/9 to someone else and a K hit on the flop. I had both players dominated and would have tripled up. Grrr. Mr. All-in is going all-in on every hand and was nice enough to double me up when I had J/J vs his A/5. Sitting on $2600, 3rd out of 41. Have got to get deeper into this tourney somehow. Well, that didn't happen. Same guy continued to push all-in all over the place. I picked up AA in the cutoff and immediately raised all-in. I get two callers. Short stack turns over Q/6. Wild man turns over Q/10. Flop comes 10/J/3. Turn is a K. And I'm sitting there thinking "another ace will hit, that's my luck tonight". Sure enough, another ace. Runner-runner straight off a ridiculous call. And I'm busted in 29th place. Once again, another hand played perfectly, once again another early exit. I'd like to say I learned something from this run of tournaments tonight but I didn't. What's to learn from having your aces cracked by ridiculous plays? NOTHING.

FINISH: 29th Place
PAYOUT: $0.00
PROFIT: -$0.25
BANKROLL: $59.30

Tournament #35

Decent enough start to this one before working my way down to $1000. Pick up J/J and push all-in pre-flop (blinds $25/50). Guy calls me and turns over 7/7. Flop comes 5/6/8 of diamonds, giving him straight and flush draws, though my flush draw was better. Can you see where this is going? He turns a 9 for the straight and I'm busted in 26th place. I can't believe how frustrating this night has been.

FINISH: 26th Place
PAYOUT: $0.00
PROFIT: -$0.25
BANKROLL: $59.55

Tournament #34

Flopped a set on hand #1 and won a nice pot to jump to $2300 right away. Nice start. I then picked up 4/4 with THREE people all-in in front of me, so I quickly tossed them. Flop? 2/4/2. NICE. Would have busted all three of them. The very next hand? I get 4/4 again and fold again. Flop? J/3/4, two clubs. Turn is another club. River? 3. Guy who took the pot had an ace-high flush. Think I could have taken a big pile off him with me having a full house to his ace-high flush? I think so. AAAAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHH. Just went broke to the most ridiculous of plays. I had AA with a raise to $120 (4x BB) in front of me, so re-raised to $210. 2 callers. Flop is 6/9/4 rainbow. I bet $480, one caller. Turn is a 5. Push all-in, get called. Guy turns over 2/3. WTF. Quite possibly the most ridiculous play I've ever seen on Pokerstars. And that encompasses a LOT of ground. Nothing I can do about that stuff - I played that hand perfectly and got beat by a jackass. 31st place.

FINISH: 31st Place
PAYOUT: $0.00
PROFIT: -$0.25
BANKROLL: $59.80

Tournament #33

Dumb play in this one. Re-raised all-in with 2nd pair to push a guy off of his flush draw. Only he didn't have a flush draw, he had KKs. Busted me in 41st. That was stupid on my part. Really bad play.

FINISH: 41st Place
PAYOUT: $0.00
PROFIT: -$0.25
BANKROLL: $60.05

Tournament #32

Tonight, I appear to be cursed. I pick up AA in the cutoff and raise to 5x BB and get two callers. Flop comes 2/8/7 with two clubs. I bet $480 into a pot of $300 and get one caller. Turn is another 7 and I push all-in and get called. Dude turns over Q/10 of clubs for a flush draw. Naturally, he rivers the flush and I'm down to $270. So, how to play that differently? Push all-in pre-flop? I did that in the first tourney tonight and got THREE callers. Push all-in on a relatively harmless flop? Did that last tourney, got called, and the guy went runner-runner on me. Console myself with the notion that I've made the right play each time for the situation and got sucked out on? Yep, that's the answer. Played it right and got beat. Sometimes that happens. Well, I can stop griping now. After sucking out when all-in to river a straight when I was way-behind, I went all-in again for $285 with K/J suited. Two callers - one with 6/6, the other with A/A. Flop was 5/7/9. Turn? J. River? K. I more than triple up to $1000. All-in for $800 with A/K in the big blind, other guy with A/10. Neither of us hits anything, I double up to $1700. First real bad play, me not pushing all-in with 10/10 pre-flop, instead folding because about 5 guys had limped in ahead of me. Guy to my left went all-in and got one caller. Naturally a 10 came on the flop - I'd have tripled up to over $5000. Nice misplay, Tabe. All-in for $1200 with A/K. Get called by a guy with $2000 and he turns over K/Q. Flop comes A/K/J to give me top pair. Naturally, because that's how my night has gone, he hits his gutshot straight and I'm done. 19th place. What a horrible night this has been.

FINISH: 19th Place
PAYOUT: $0.00
PROFIT: -$0.25
BANKROLL: $60.30

Tournament #31

Another pretty short one. Lost about half my stack when I couldn't push a guy off his flush draw and he rivered a 5th heart. Awesome. With blinds at $25/50, I pushed all-in with J/J and got one caller for my last $675. He turned over A/Q. Flop had a J to give me a set. He then hit runner-runner to finish a straight and bust me in 25th place. This has not been a good night. At least that wasn't a bad play unlike Mr. 5/4 in the last tourney.

FINISH: 25th Place
PAYOUT: $0.00
PROFIT: -$0.25
BANKROLL: $60.55

Tournament #30

Short-lived tournament, this one. Second hand in, I pick up AA in the BB. Big raise in front of me - $420 - so I push all-in. I get THREE callers. They turn over 10/10, 4/4, and 5/4. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Naturally, the douchebag with the 4/5, who doubled up on the first hand with A/Q picks up a straight draw on the flop - 8/6/x. Turn is a 7 and I'm busted. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Asshole poker rewarded, that's what that is. 44th place.

FINISH: 44th Place
PAYOUT: $0.00
PROFIT: -$0.25
BANKROLL: $60.80

Tournament #29

Another 45-player tourney. Lots of donkeys and bingo poker guys in this one early on. Before I know, we're down under 20 players. I continued to just hang around, always in the $1800 - $2000 range, never getting above $2600, never getting below $1000. Made the final table, blinked, and 2 guys were gone on the first hand, so I was into the money. Got blinded off from there before pushing all-in for my final $1145 with A/K off. Got called by one guy. He turned over 6/6. Flop was Q/J/9 but the straight draw didn't hit, and didn't pair anything either, so I went out in 7th.

FINISH: 7th Place
PAYOUT: $0.39
PROFIT: $0.14
BANKROLL: $61.05

Tournament #28

Not a whole heckuva to tell about this one. Card dead from the jump until I double-up to get to about $2400. The cards stop there and I eventually find myself dead last with 15 guys to go. Pick up A/3 suited with $1200. I limp, get raised all-in and another guy calls too. I call. They turn over K/Q and J/8. K on the flop and turn and I'm done. 15th place.

FINISH: 15th Place
PAYOUT: $0.00
PROFIT: -$0.25
BANKROLL: $60.91

Tournament #27

Slow start had me down to $1000 by the time the blinds were at $50/100. Picked up Q/J of clubs and limped in with 2 other guys. Flopped a flush and waited for action. One bettor and a raise so I pushed all-in. Got called by a guy with A/K with the A of clubs. No more clubs the rest of the way, though, so my flush was good. More than doubled to $2500, good for 10th of 23. May have misplayed 10/10. Raised to 2x BB knowing a short stack may push all-in. 2 callers in-between and then he did, indeed, raise all-in. Thought about it a long time and folded, expecting one of the two others to call since they each had 5-6x the amount needed to call. But neither one did, allowing the guy to basically double up. Should I have called? I dunno. Tough with 2 more guys behind me yet to act. That's why I hate middle pairs! I'm hanging around still, sitting on $3500, good for 9th out of 13. Picked up A/K of clubs in the BB. Guy to my left raises to $1200 (3x BB) and push all-in. He calls and turns over A/Q off. Flop is 7/10/10. Blanks on turn and river and I've doubled up to $7000, 3rd out of 13! Call an all-in while in the BB for another $1000 when I've got A/K. Other guy turns over J/2, then promptly flops a 2 and turns a J. LOL. Made it all back on the next hand by pushing someone out when I had a flush draw and top pair. $6100, 5th out of 10. Another guy gone and we're at the final table, me with $5275 and the 3 shortest stacks to my immediate left. Blinds are already $300/600 so even I'm not sitting pretty at just 8-1/2 blinds. 2 more guys busted and we're into the $$$. I'm sitting on $4000, good for 5th. Busted in 7th when my A/7 of diamonds turned into a flush draw only :( Oh well, nice to cash 2 straight tournaments. Tough way to make a 14-cent profit though!

FINISH: 7th Place
PAYOUT: $0.39
PROFIT: $0.14
BANKROLL: $61.16

Tournament #26

Well, finally a fast start. First hand, I pick up 10/10 and win a $700 pot to go up to $2000. 2 hands later, I've got A/K suited and flop a pair of aces. I'm betting and getting a caller and eventually cripple the other guy with my top pair, top kicker combo. Next hand, I pick up 9/9 in the pocket and the guy I crippled goes all-in for $220 more after I raised to $60. We get one other called. Flop comes 9/x/x/ with 2 clubs. I bet all-in and get called. Caller has A/2 of clubs so has a club flush draw. Turn is a club. The NINE of clubs giving me unbeatable quads. I bust 2 guys and move up to $5200, good for 1st out of 37. Down to $4600 after picking up J/J. Flop comes 5/5/6 with 2 diamonds. One guy bets, one fold, and I raise the guy all-in for his last $615. He calls and turns over Q/9 of diamonds for a flush draw. Turn is a blank and then he rivers a Q :( Dang, that would've been nice. Still in 2nd place though. Down to $3100 after missing on some flops but pick up A/7. I raise to $400 (blinds $100/$200) and player to my left raises all-in for $1300 total. I call and he turns over 4/4. Flop comes A/2/5 to give me a pair. The aces hold up and I'm back to $4800, 5th out of 17. Sitting on $3600, I pick up A/K in the small blind. I raise to $500 ($100/$200) and BB raises to $800. I go all-in over the top and he calls. He turns over A/J. I flop a pair of aces and they hold up to put him at $175 and me at $7100, 5th out of 12. 2 more guys gone and we're down to 10, me still in 5th. Made final table with $5100, still in 5th. Only one real short stack left. One more guy gone, super short stack still in. 2 guys gone on the same hand, we're down to 6 and into the money! I'm in last with $4800. Big stack gone and we're down to 5, me still in last. Took a chance and bluffed with an all-in after the turn with a diamond draw. Got no takers and moved up to $5100. Another guy gone, we're down to 4 and I've got $4000 in the small blind. I raise all-in and get called by the BB. I've got Q/J, him A/8. Nothing hits for me and I'm done in 4th. I'll take it, back on the $$$ track and push my bankroll up to a new high of +$11.02.

FINISH: 4th Place
PAYOUT: $1.40
PROFIT: $1.15
BANKROLL: $61.02

Tournament #25

Decent enough start to this one. Up to $1800 with about 30 players left. Pick up A/9 and raise to $150 (blinds $25/50). Re-raised to $250 and I call. Flop comes 7/8/10. I check and other guy checks too. Turn is a 6, giving me the nut straight. I bet and am called. River comes 9, killing my straight. I bet, get raised and call. Sure enough, other guy has Q/J for a higher straight and I'm down to $285. Guy re-raised my early position raise with Q/J. And gets rewarded. WTF. Just doubled up when my pair of queens held up against an open-end straight draw. $645, good for 22nd out of 22. ARGH. Folded 7/7 in the face of a big raise - would have had to re-raise all-in. Naturally the flop was 7/J/4 - and neither guy hit even a pair on the whole hand. Could've tripled up. But how do you call a big raise with 7/7? Grrr. Picked up 10/10 and raised all-in for $645. 2 callers. Flop comes 4/A/5. Turn is a 6. One guy bets, other folds. Guy turns over 2/3 off for a straight. Who the hell calls an all-in with 2/3 off? That's terrible. Really pissed at the moment. 18th place, out of the cash, AGAIN.

FINISH: 18th Place
PAYOUT: $0.00
PROFIT: -$0.25
BANKROLL: $59.87

Tournament #24

Sometimes you do things correctly and just catch a bad break. That's the story here. Cruising along, 15 players gone, and I'm sitting at about $1500. I've got A/A and raise to 4x BB. I get 2 callers. Flop comes 6/10/6. I bet $300 (10x BB) and get one caller. Turn is nothing and I push all-in. Other guy takes forever to turn over and he's got....10/10. A full house. River is a 6, giving me a full house too - but not good enough. And I'm busted, this time in 30th place. Played the hand perfectly, guy just happened to hit a miracle flop. That's poker!

FINISH: 30th Place
PAYOUT: $0.00
PROFIT: -$0.25
BANKROLL: $60.12

Tournament #23

Another card-dead tourney, literally picked up not a single hand worthy of anything. Got busted when I was down to $1000 (blinds at $50/100) and flopped a pair of 9s with Q/9. Went all-in and other guy had A/K to pair the ace in the flop. Busted in 19th place again.

FINISH: 19th Place
PAYOUT: $0.00
PROFIT: -$0.25
BANKROLL: $60.37

Tournament #22

Slow start and lack of cards had me down to just $700 with about 29 players left but a pair of double ups, including an awesome river suckout to hit a higher 2-pair, has me back to healthy with $3350. That's good for 8th place out of 24. Now down to $1500 after losing half my stack to a guy rivering a gut shot straight draw. He called three big bets with 10/6 and it finally paid off. Good grief. Card dead after that, go all-in with 10/10 for $1500 and get called by K/Q. Guy turns a K and I'm done. 19th place.


FINISH: 19th Place
PAYOUT: $0.00
PROFIT: -$0.25
BANKROLL: $60.62

Tournament #21

Well, this tournament has started better. First hand, I pick up AA and go all-in and get a caller with JJ. Bust him and double up. Two hands later, I pick up KK and get another guy going all-in on me. Call him, he's got A/Q. Nothing comes and out he goes. Up to $4300 early on. Very nice change from last tourney. We're already down to 22 players so this is a huge improvement over the last four. I've still got $4000 chips, too! Just cracked someone's AA by hitting a gutshot straight draw. Am now up to $6400, 3rd place out of 19. Down to 11 players and I've just hit $2400 with top pair while another guy chased a flush draw. Sitting on $8300, 4th out of 11. Pair of kings and I'm up over $10,000. Now I've got KK with another guy all-in and a 3rd player in. Flop is 10/8/10 with 2 hearts. I bet $1800, other guy pushes all-in for $7000. I call and he turns over 9/9. Running 8s mean my Ks are good and he's outta here! I'm up to $18,000, chip leader as we go to the final table. Cruising along in the $19-$20K range, two more players gone, so we're into the money. Ahhh...that's refreshing. Pocket 10s hold up against a huge all-in raise by another guy and I'm up to $35500 with 4 players left. Another player gone and I'm at $24K with 3 players left. A couple bad hands and I'm at $13,000. And now down to $10,000 after blinds. Gonna have to make a move soon. And we're heads up with me trailing $56K - $10K. Get a K on first hand, push all-in. Called by Q/J. Guy flops a set and I'm done. 2nd place. Nice turnaround after 4 straight 30-somethings.

FINISH: 2nd Place
PAYOUT: $2.41
PROFIT: $2.16
BANKROLL: $60.87

Tournament #20

Four straight really horrible finishes after this one. Getting to be very frustrating never catching ANYTHING. I never once got above $1500 in chips and got busted when my A/10 was beaten by A/Q. Awesome.


FINISH: 33rd Place
PAYOUT: $0.00
PROFIT: -$0.25
BANKROLL: $58.71

Tournament #19

Third time's the charm, right? Not so much. Pick up KK, guy to my left raises to 4x BB, gets two callers. I go in over the top all-in, guy to my left calls. Turns over A/3. He flops a 3 and I find myself thinking "he's going to hit his set". Sure enough, turn is another 3 and I'm done. 33rd place. Poker is a skill game but bad luck is still bad luck.

FINISH: 33rd Place
PAYOUT: $0.00
PROFIT: -$0.25
BANKROLL: $58.96

Tournament #18

Another fast one, catching no cards. Busted in 34th place when I flop a pair of aces, get raised and re-raise all-in. Other guy turns over a set of 4s. Awesome.

FINISH: 34th Place
PAYOUT: $0.00
PROFIT: -$0.25
BANKROLL: $59.21

Tournament #17

Another 45-player tourney, again not much to say. Can't catch anything and get pushed off of the few decent starters I get when other guys bet huge. Take a big hit when my two pair gets beaten by another guy rivering a straight. Couple hands later, I'm short stacked and flop two pair and go all-in. I get called - by a guy who had flopped a straight. Turn and river are blanks and I'm busted in 31st, my worst result yet. Oh well, try again with another...

FINISH: 31st Place
PAYOUT: $0.00
PROFIT: -$0.25
BANKROLL: $59.46

Tournament #16

Another 45-player tourney. Not much to say about this one other than I simply didn't catch any cards. Q/4, K/3, 9/3, not much you can do with that. Ended up busting out in 16th place when my K/K were cracked by A/K. Guy flopped a pair of aces and then turned a flush. Bummer.

FINISH: 16th Place
PAYOUT: $0.00
PROFIT: -$0.25
BANKROLL: $59.71

Where I stand after 2 weeks...

So, I've been playing for 2 weeks now - how am I doing? I'm ahead $9.96 which isn't much - except that I've risked $3.75 to get that $9.96. That's a profit margin of 266% which I am VERY pleased with. I've got 10 final tables in 15 tourneys, including my last 5. I've cashed 6 times and finished 8th (one spot out of the money) four times. I've got two tournament wins, including one from a huge deficit. So all of that is very encouraging.

So, what do I need to work on?

- not being too passive when short-stacked to try and grind out a cash
- need to learn how to better play middle pairs

A good first two weeks, I think!

Tournament #15

I hate guys that are all-in on the first hand of a tournament yet here I am, all-in on the first hand. I raise big pre-flop with K/K and get three callers. Flop is 9/10/x with 2 spades. I bet $260 and get two callers. Turn is a jack, now 3 spades on the board (I have a spade). I bet $240, one caller. River is an ace. I bet $260 and get raised all-in and call. Other guy turns over K/8 - no pair, no flush draw, just a busted straight draw. What a terrible play. I more than double up to $3400. Just lost over $1000 in a pot by clicking the wrong button. Meant to call with a pair of jacks and managed to click fold to a very small raise instead. Awesome. What a terrible mistake. Down to $1700 now. Down to about $1400 before doubling up with QQ. All-in pre-flop vs 10/10 and they hold up. Up to $2800 now. I'm back down to about $1200 and we've got 10 players left. All-in with JJ, get called by K/3. Double up to $2400. Gonna try and grind my way into 7th place. Shortest stack just got busted and I've made the final table - and I'm actually in 6th! Blinds at $200/400 and I'm in the small blind with just $1200 left. I pick up QQ so raise all-in, get 2 callers. Flop and turn are all lower than me so I'm feeling good - then a 4th diamond on the river. Both guys check it, however and neither has a diamond! I triple up to $3700, 6th out of 8 with 2 guys under $2000. Shortest stack just got busted and now we're in the money! Another guy gone so we're down to 6 players. I've got $1570 left with blinds at $300/600. Another guy busted when his A/8 is beaten by 8/6. I'm all in with A/7 and triple up when I river a set of 7s! 5 players left. Another short stack gone when her A/J is beaten by J/7. I'm all-in with A/7 vs K/J and the guy flops a straight. I turn 2 pair but a K on the river finishes my run at 4th place. Considering I never once got above $4000 this is a miracle outcome. Patience paid off big-time in this one.

FINISH: 4th Place
PAYOUT: $1.40
PROFIT: $1.15
BANKROLL: $59.96

Tournament #14

Slow start to tonight's tournament, lots of folding. I don't win a pot until my 19th hand and then it's for a measly $125 when I push all-in pre-flop with no callers. I get another decent hand a couple later when I again push all-in with no callers. Manage to hang around until there's 15 players left then catch Q/J in the big blind. Flop comes Q/7/2 with 2 diamonds and I push all in. I get one caller, a guy with an ace-high diamond flush draw. My pair of queens holds up and I've got $4700, good for 6th out of 14. Another double-up, through the exact same guy, chasing another flush. This time I've got a set of jacks and it holds to put me at $9000. Another nice pot and I'm up to $10600 for 2nd place. I can fold my way into cashing I think but need to not be too passive. Made the final table and we're down to 8 players. A couple big stacks tangled with one going broke in a bit of a surprise. Now we've got a big chip leader at $23,000 but we're into the money at 7 players! Blinded off down to $3600 with blinds at $300/600. All-in pre-flop with A/5 and it holds up for me to double-up to $7800. 6 guys left and I'm 3rd. Finally end up getting blinded off, busted in 5th when my A/J is beaten by 8/9. Pretty happy with the result overall with just a bit of frustration. The two lowest stacks when we got to 5th were all-in over and over and over and kept getting called by very poor hands so they kept doubling up. Or catching miracle suckouts. Tough to move up when your tablemates insist on giving money to the short-stacks. Still, nice to make some $$$ again.

FINISH: 5th Place
PAYOUT: $1.01
PROFIT: $0.76
BANKROLL: $58.81

Tournament #13

No poker last night, too tired and busy. 45-player tourney tonight. Not much to take away from this one except that patience doesn't always pay off. Lots of nonsense early on with 9 players gone after 1 or 2 hands. Thought I'd left behind that nonsense when I quit playing play money tourneys? Lots and lots and lots folding for me. Q/5, 8/3, 9/4, over and over and over and over. I ended up short-stacked and went all-in against a guy shorter stacked than me with QQ. He turned a set of jacks to beat me. Picked up QQ on the very next hand and they held this time to double up. Ended up making the final table by just hanging around. Flop a pair of jacks and push all-in for my last $3000. Get called by A/K with a heart draw. He rivers an ace and I'm busted in 9th. Frustrating.

FINISH: 9th Place
PAYOUT: $0.00
PROFIT: -$0.25
BANKROLL: $58.05