It’s Easter morning.   With no children to hide eggs for I’m spending it here behind my computer with my nemisis.  The $24 FT deep stack tourney.  If you’ve been following my blogs you know that I’ve not faired too well in these.  I’ve cashed in a couple but not enough to do more than cover what I’ve lost in others.  Yesterday morning I found my self at a table with some really good players.  Last night I went out on a really bad beat.  In both tourneys I didn’t get any good raw material to play with.  My cards stayed in the nether regions of 82o and 103s.

I thought about it all night and decided to try it again.  This probably being my last chance for awhile.   I tend to not play deep stacks during the week because they take too long.  Then Gyla’s Mom is coming for her surgery and we don’t play a lot of poker when she’s here.  She thinks we are addicted.   LOL

So anyway.  My tourney starts this morning.  I have my coffee ready and I’m set to take em on.  I’ve decided to play super tight during the first hour.  The first hand comes.  I wisely fold an 8 6 from mid position.  The aggressors go at it building a pot to over 2000 chips with a scary board of  8 J Q K 6.     I’m regreting folding my 86 but know we have set against straight based on the betting.   When the cards flip up a K3 loses to a K5.  WTF?  My 86 would have been good.  Where are all these stellar poker players?

As I type this I just picked up a nice pot off a guy who called me down with bottom pair.  It just goes to show you never know in Poker.  

It’s scary though.  You just can’t read players like this.  I’m still going to play very tight.  Currently we are on hand 22.  I’ve got 3790 chips.  I plan to keep them today.  The guy in front of me is a raiser but I haven’t gotten a chance yet to see what he is raising at.

  We started with 434 players and we are down 100 players already.   I just had qq and had to lay it down losing a big chunk of chips.  Guy behind me either had KK or AA or went crazy with AK.    The flop was trash so you never know.   Back donw to 2600 chips.  I was just getting comfortable.   Darn.  I feel that tilt creeping in when you wonder if you’ve been out played.  hmmmm  I don’t have a clue.   Just flopped top pair with a fair kicker.  Guy behind me goes all in.  Had to fold.    Darn… He just did it again.  Once again I’m thinking like Phil Helmuth.  “What’s going on here?”   I don’t know what is worse …..playing with guys that are maniacs or those that overvalue their hands.  Both will drive you nuts.    I’m just going to lay low with my 2245 in chips and see what happens.  Man,  those QQ killed me.

Just picked up a hand with an AJ.  Up to 3650 chips.  It was scary when a guy called my  big post flop raise.  I put him all in on the turn and he folded.  This is a friggin’ minefield.

Lost a few to AJ in the blind.  Called because of pot odds and didn’t hit.  I just laid down 10’s on the button when the guy in front of me goes all in.  Uh uH I’m not getting sucked in this time.    He gets one caller.   The cards are flipped up.  55 vs 22 and the 5’s win.  I hate to repeat myself but WTF????????   I’m afraid to play anything here.  No telling what the guy had that put me all in when I had the QQ.  Well,  I don’t think he’s played a hand since so I guess he had the goods.   Actually he just lost a bunch calling someones all in with 10 10.   Oh well I’m letting it go.  We are almost through the first hour and I want to come back today.   LOL

Another all in.  This time 4’s agains 2’s.  I’m in the House of Horrors.

REprieve I guess.  They have moved me.  Let’s see what is going on on table 46.

Moved again before I could play a hand.  Good thing.  They were all in fools.  They just had a 3 way all in where the worst hand won (of course).  I’m now at table 39.  And we are on break.  Yeah.  I make it to break with 3195 chips.  That is great for me.  The last few I’ve gotten here with 1500…..or not at all since I went out on the last hand before the break yesterday.  I don’t even have to circle my chair 3 times today.        BRB

Hour 2 begins.   I’ve got 3195 in chips.  I’m 162 out of 212.  The average stack is 6141.  The chip leader has 20,000 chips so need more than 2 double ups to catch the leader.  I’m far behind where I like to be.  I just got AQ sooooted UTG. 

I raised but got no callers.  More All iner’s here.  Again worst hand wins.   This is getting old.  If poker were always like this I’d never play.   I just folded A6 on the button because there are too many limpers.   Augh……Flop A6J rainbow.  My bio rhythm must be at an all time bottom.  Maybe not.  The turn came a Jack.  They folded.  I’ll never know but I someone had the Jack.   A6 again.   fold.  The guy in front of me raised and he likes to go all in.  Flop came all clubs.  I was right this time.

I’m monster hunting now.  I’m not donking off my chips.  I want big hands.   These guys aren’t small ballers.  Just folded J2 and flop comes 226.  How sad for me. 

I was just going to call in the sb with 69 but the guy in front of me goes all in.  He has a8 and is called by KQ.   He gets beat when a K hits.  He’s a goner.  As they say…..”All in works every time but the last.”

 Another hand another all in.  AJ against QQ.  The QQ goes down.  Once again the worst hand wins.  Why go all in and give someone 5 chances to hit thier hand?  

Just hit a set but it’s all diamonds.  What do I have?    22   lol  Someone bet and I reraised to the pot.  Got a caller.  Turn comes.  He checks.  I check.  River…….   QUADS.   DOUBLE UP!!!!!    He had the nut flush.

Next hand 88.  Hit a set on the turn.  I bet it and no callers.  Nice pot.  I’m up to 7,190.  Oh yeah baby.  I got my Monster. 

I’m up to 75 out of 175.  A little less than average chip stack.  Chip leader has 31,000 chips.  2 double ups would take me to 2nd place.  Right where I like to be.   No matter how this turns out if I hit this point in this position I feel good about my play ( and the quads I hit along the way).

Ever since the quads my cards have gone south.  That’s okay.  I like easy folds.

UTG I get 55.  I raise hoping they will fold as usually happens.  I get 2 callers.  Flop comes with 2 10’s.  Everyone checks.  On the turn we are 2 suited.  There is a bet and I’m outta there.  TJ once said if there is a 1o on the board that can beat you someone has one in their hand.    I have found that to be great advice.  I’ve seen it time after time.

Who hoo.  I just hit the bottem end of a straight with the k high flush draw.  On the turn the guy who lost to me with the quads tried to raise me out of the pot.  I didn’t back out.  I went all in.  He took a long time but he folded.  I’m glad this wasn’t live.    I am very proud of myself to go for it.   I’m up to 10,000 chips.   I’m sure that guy is after my azz.  I’ve taken a lot of his chips.

Now I have some chips I pretty much stick to postion.  I did let a pot slide by a few minutes ago  that I would have won.  I relaxed for a second.    Blinds just took me below 10,000 chips.  Time to stop basking in my glory and start playing again. 

I’m 54 out of  142.   I just had an A3 and it was folded to me.  I started to raise buy my Nemisis was in the BB and I figured I wasn’t strong enough to take him on.  I folded.  It was folded to him and he got the blinds.  That’s okay.  I just had the idea if I raised he’d go all in. 

Ante’s have started.  This is when the tourney really starts.  

My nemisis just busted out.  His AQ hit a queen on the flop but some one else hit a set of 6’s.  Boy  I’ll bet that guy really feels beat up.  I can feel for him.  I’ve been there……a lot lately.

I’m going into the blinds again and no hand to play.  I’m patient though and a lot of people start getting edgy when the antes start.  They play less than stellar hands and I can pick up chips.

Oh Oh 77 in BB.   Could be a cooler. Folded to button.  he calls.  sb folds.  I raise to 1200.  He folds.  Whew.  That was nice.  I’ll take that with 77’s.

On the button with A3s.  someone raises and it’s called twice.  I’m folding.  I know the pot odds are there but I hate going in with Ace bad kicker.  The only think I could bet with are spades.   Good thing.  flop 10 q q.   2 ended up all in.  AQ vs Q9.  Guess who wins.  Q9 hits the boat.

I’m 53 of 128.   That’s what I like about online.  You always know where you are. 

Back to the blinds.   Looking for a monster.  here.  I love to double in the blinds.  OOps moved out of the blinds.  OH YEAH baby.  At first glance it’s a better table.  Smaller stacks.   Coming into the bubble that is verrry good.  Looks like I’m 3rd biggest at the table. 

10 10 in 2nd seat.  I raised 4 times the bb.  Now that antes have started I’m putting a little more power in my raises.  Folded to me.  That’s fine with me.  It’s a free trip around the table.

Folded  to me in the BB Pick up the blinds and antes with j2o  Oh yeah…..I LOVE POKER. 

BB q3o   floped q high  bet 1200  get a caller.  hmmm bet another 2000 with 3 diamonds on the board.   He goes all in.  Damn took a big hit with that one.   Guy behind me goes all in.   I think he hit the flush.  I had the q of diamonds but I couldn’t make that call.   Picked up the blinds and antes on the next hand and am down to 7000 chips.  That’s okay.   I’m hanging.  I’m 76 of 106.

I pick up the blinds and antes in the bb.   Get 22 in the sb but fold to an all in.  Aj against AJ and my 22 would have won.    Darn. 

Break again.  I think I gotta circle my chair this time.  BRB 

Well I did it.  Actually there isn’t room here to walk around it so I just stood still and spun it around.  Gyla said that doesn’t count and made me pull it out to the center of the floor so I could walk around it.  I did and she said ”What are you doing that for anyway?”  And I listened to her when she said it doesn’t count.  Doesn’t she know anything.

Well break is over.  I’m 75 out of 100.   I’m watching my fold equity now.  I have 7500 in chips.  I’m less than 10 m’s.  Will be going all in on air soon.     I sure wish I’d called with those 2’s.    My 4 6 off would have picked up the last pot with 2 all in.  Who knew?

a9s in the bb.   All in baby.  Get the antes and the blinds.  88 in sb.   all in against ak.  he hits both ace and king on the flop.   I’m out.  93rd.    I’m sick.  I hate poker.  Actually I did what I had to do.  I played well.  I’m okay with it.

Better luck next time.