Turning Stone

Well the trip to turning stone is over and although I had a great time it really sucked as far as tournies went. I played in 2 $300 tourney's and a $500 tourney and didn't place in any of them. I didn't really run that badly, just things didn't go my way. I think I played a couple of hands badly that I could of avoided losing chips, but other then that I just think nothing really happened for me. I didn't have AA KK QQ JJ or 1010 once in any of the tournies, and had AK twice losing both times. I was planning on playing in the 1k tournament as well as trying to sat. into the 5k, but I wasn't up to playing in the 1k, and never got around to playing the sats.

I can't really remember a lot of interesting hands from the tourney's just a few. In the first $300 tourney we got there an hour late, so I was down to 2400 from my original 3k. I quickly got it back when I limped under the gun with KQc for 100. The guy under the gun plus 1 min raises "by accident" and I call. Flop comes 2c5cJc. Nice flop for the first hand I play. We both check. I bet 200 on the turn, he makes it 850, I shove he calls with JJ. Blank on the river. This would be the only big hand I won in all 3 tournaments. Other then that it was stealing, or laying down big hands. About 5 hands later someone raised my bb from the cut off to 300, like he did the last rotation. I looked down at A2 and made it 900 to go. He called and the flop came K 10 3 rainbow. I bet out 1300 and after thinking for a while he folded. I showed the 2 and he basically started to cry. He was offering me $5 to know my other card. I never really made a hand after that, and slowly blinded away. When I would raise on a steal, someone would re-raise. Eventually I shoved under the gun with 66 for 3k with the blinds at 15-300 with a 50 ante? I think this was a mistake, but it is borderline. The guy right next to me insta called with 1010 and I was out. In the next tourney I never had a hand. The best hand I had the entire tourney was AK and I had to lay it down pree flop. Eventually I was really short stacked with the blinds at 100-200 and I shoved when folded to me on the puck with 22 for 1800 and the small blind called with 77 and I was out.

The last tourney I played I was still drunk for the night before and I didn't even sleep. I had a red bull though and I felt ready to go. I think I played my best in this tourney and just got unlucky. My goal was either to get a lot of chips of get out of the tourney. I raised the first 6 hands and won all 6. Then people started to take stands and, I never really made a hand. Then this hand came up. With blinds at 50-100 a huge stack limped under the gun. In third position I made it 400 to go with AK. The small blinds called and so did the limper. The flop came KsQs2h. They both checked to me and I shoved for 1600 into the e1200 pot. I had been playing really aggressive and I figured I would get paid off by a weaker K or maybe a Q. To my surprise they both called. Turn was a blank and the river was a spade. The small blind called my 400 pree flop, and my over bet of the pot on the flop with 10s7s. Well played buddy. I would have been up to 6k at this point, and in good shape in a tourney for the first time all week. But I was out (early at least) and I was off to bed,,,,, or the cash games ;-).

Although I never placed in a single tourney I was still able to come out about even (poker wise), as I did well in the side games. A couple interesting hands:

Playing in the 5-5 500max game I have my original 500 in front of me. I make it 20 to go with 56 from late position. Our friend Steve "pooruser" makes it 60 to go from the small blind. Someone calls in between and so do I. Flop comes 379 rainbow. Steve bets out 120 and I call. Turn is a 3 and it goes check check. River is a 3 making the board 3 7 9 3 3. Steve thinks for a bit holds hit cards over the much and checks. I quickly bet 100 and he insta mucks. I show the 56 and he says "wow your a mini pooruser".

About an hour later I'm up to 800 not really ever making a hand. A tight player makes it 40 to go from late position and I call with 10dJd on the puck, along with 3 other players. Flop comes 10hJh10c. Checks to the original raiser who makes it 120, I snap call hoping to make it look like a draw. He says "flop a boat?", and I'm like fuck. Turn is a 3h. He checks, and I think about checking but something tells me to bet, I don't really no why, because it really makes no sense to bet here. But I put out $150 and he quickly goes all in. I quickly call and he says he has one out showing AhQh. Quite the set up. River is a blank, and I rake in the 1600. I played for another 2 hours and cashed out at about 1800.

Before I explain this hand let me say that every single time I have been to turning stone (about 6) I have gotten in some big argument with someone. It never fails that some cocky American who thinks he invented poker talks down to me, and I give it back to him. After the last tourney, Krissy, Poorsuer, and our other friend Corwin "mig.com", went to play in the 200max 1-2 just for fun to donk it up. There is a huge wait for the game but I sneak on to one of the tables. Just as I'm about to get my first hand they announce that they are opening a new table, so we will all be able to play. They deal me in anyway for this hand. After 4 people limp for 2. I look down at AA and shove all in for 200. Everyone folds and I show the AA. At this point I haven't slept in 2 days, and I'm pissed about busting from the tourney. I'm there to have fun, and that's it. Now some cocky little "pro" player says, way to get good value you fucking idiot. What do you know, another fight with a cocky american. We fought for 3 minutes and then I went to the new table.

This was a 1-2 200 max table that just opened and within 30 minutes had 3500 on the table. It played really crazy and I was running good, so it was a good table for me. One hand I have AcJc and I make it the standard 20 to go. 2 people call and pooruser pushes all in for 100 total I call and so does one other player "randallin". We agree to check it down. Flop comes A 2 10c turn Qc and I scream out Kc!!!! and bam there it is Kc. Finally my first royal flush. There aws a couple interesting hands in between but I don't feel like explaining them. Just one more hand: I make it 20 to go from middle position with QJ off. "billivey" calls in the small blind and were heads up to the flop. Flop comes AK2 rainbow. He bets out 30 and I call hoping to make a play later. Turn is an 8. He checks and I bet 50, he calls. River is a 9 he checks I bet 75 and he folds. I ended up cashing out for 800 from that game so another good day in the cash games.

So although I didn't do anything in the tournaments I did well in the cash games, and I had a great time with Kristen, and all the other kids we met. We hung out with a lot of good players including beckAA, billivey, pooruser, mig.com, stoweski, plattsburgh, and someone else to. Just talking about poker with them feels like it has improved my game. So although the trip wasn't a win, I am happy with it.

So for now I'm back to the online heads up, and mtt's. I had a horrible run at heads up where I lost around 13 of 14 $50's. I have made most of it back all ready though so it's ok. Mostly running bad, and not enough focus at times. Lately what I have been doing it playing a 4 player heads up match and at the same time playing a 1/2 cash game, just playing really solid. It has been working well so far.

http://www.liquidpoker.net/h/66026b - that was easy

So anyway I will be back in a bit with my plans on what I'm going to do with poker. I start school on Monday (blah), and I'm going to have to work poker around school, because I want to do well this year. I'll be back.......