What's better then beating 4000 people in an online tournament?
Doing it when there's actually a prize for it! I installed Pokerstars to get familiar with the interface for the Blogger Invitational on SUN. After having just done that, I found a freeroll in limit hold'em. I suck at limit, but said what the fuck.
Started around 11pm CST. I don't remember the exact sequence, but I'm chip-leader before too long. Typically a jinx for me. I told everyone at the table, I wanted to be near the top, but not THE top. In limit, building up a big stack & blinds so low means there never was a threat to take my entire stack. Top 27 places get an entry into another tournament. I went into the final table about 2nd in chips. Before too long, I was flushing it away & by time it was 4 handed, I had 300k vs 125k for short stack & sitting out vs the 2 chip leaders who had 2.7m & 2.5m! Just when I was about to piss it all away, there was a break.
After that break, I got some of the luckiest cards. I managed to take most of the 2nd place chips & before long I was chip leader again. Short stack was finally blinded off, leaving 3 way with 1 short stack & 2 almost even stacks. Short stack was out & heads up took about 30 or so hands. I had him down to 150k & he'd fight back & even making it back up to within 750k of my stack. Then I'd wittle him down again & then finally ending it . . . on what, I couldn't remember after spending 6hrs in this monster grind.
The free entry was already won with being in the top 27. I just kept plugging away.
That free entry was into a limit 7 card stud. WTF? I don't think anyone realized that. Even though I've only played stud a few times, I think I placed in top 100 with about 800-900 entrants.
* * *
That finished just about 35mins before the blogger invitational. When all was said and done, I finished 110th out of nearly 1500 people! People that write about poker, some for a living. Many more that make their living playing poker online.
I had a guy try & drop the hammer on me, but I couldn't fold my QT on a Q high board. I just kept calling his bets.
I made one poor call early on that turned into a good call on the river. I had a guy at my table that was uber-agressive & wasn't making it to showdown a lot. I had AhQh & raised preflop. He called out of the BB. Flop was 8high & he bet, I raised, he raised all-in. I thought for a moment & called. He had K8s for top pair, no draws. I rivered an A & crippled him.
I believe my luck turned around a couple of hours later when we temporarily lost power & was out of the game for almost 10mins. I missed one set of blinds, but lost touch with the game.
What also amazes me is that I could've tightened up some & placed much higher! I had a decent amount of chips (top 30) of the 150 or so left when I made my mistake(s). I was rarely making it to showdown & when I did, it was pretty good. I had a 75-80% win at showdown. So, lots of people were making folds & I think they just couldn't take it anymore. So, when I had QcTc on a flop with 2 clubs, 7 high, I bet about 70% of the stack of my opponent. He pushed after a moment & showed 33. It won.
I couldn't hope for a better situation though with 15 outs.
Then a few hands later I pushed with QJo when I had about 3x-4x BB. Hoping for folds, but got called by 77. It won even after I made a draw to broadway. 110th place, but I'm happy with most of my play.
I hope they do another Blogger Ivitiational.
* * *
Continuing with my online play, I was playing in the $100 freeroll on CDPoker. I had some cards, doubled up & then called an all-in that was 80% of my stack when I figured him for the 5 for the wheel on a flop of A-3-4, turn 2. I had ATs. I then played in survival mode for awhile & with blinds @ 100-200, in the BB leaving me 370, I folded to a raise. Good karma ensued. In the SB, I get Q9s. Another raise in front of me & I go all-in. I flop a 9 to an aggressive 89o raise (?!) headsup. I couldn't believe it.
I proceeded to take my small stack & built it up. I made to the final 2 tables & busted out after getting my stack dwindled when I raised 3x BB with QTo. J8s/AKo calls. Flop is A-Q-x, 2 spades. J8s checks his 4 to the flush, AKo raises most of J8s stack for all-in. J8 calls. Turn is a Q & I'm in the lead!! River is a damning spade & J8 makes his flush. Who cold calls w/J8s??!? ARGH.
Good for 15th place & top 10 pay.
Started around 11pm CST. I don't remember the exact sequence, but I'm chip-leader before too long. Typically a jinx for me. I told everyone at the table, I wanted to be near the top, but not THE top. In limit, building up a big stack & blinds so low means there never was a threat to take my entire stack. Top 27 places get an entry into another tournament. I went into the final table about 2nd in chips. Before too long, I was flushing it away & by time it was 4 handed, I had 300k vs 125k for short stack & sitting out vs the 2 chip leaders who had 2.7m & 2.5m! Just when I was about to piss it all away, there was a break.
After that break, I got some of the luckiest cards. I managed to take most of the 2nd place chips & before long I was chip leader again. Short stack was finally blinded off, leaving 3 way with 1 short stack & 2 almost even stacks. Short stack was out & heads up took about 30 or so hands. I had him down to 150k & he'd fight back & even making it back up to within 750k of my stack. Then I'd wittle him down again & then finally ending it . . . on what, I couldn't remember after spending 6hrs in this monster grind.
The free entry was already won with being in the top 27. I just kept plugging away.
That free entry was into a limit 7 card stud. WTF? I don't think anyone realized that. Even though I've only played stud a few times, I think I placed in top 100 with about 800-900 entrants.
* * *
That finished just about 35mins before the blogger invitational. When all was said and done, I finished 110th out of nearly 1500 people! People that write about poker, some for a living. Many more that make their living playing poker online.
I had a guy try & drop the hammer on me, but I couldn't fold my QT on a Q high board. I just kept calling his bets.
I made one poor call early on that turned into a good call on the river. I had a guy at my table that was uber-agressive & wasn't making it to showdown a lot. I had AhQh & raised preflop. He called out of the BB. Flop was 8high & he bet, I raised, he raised all-in. I thought for a moment & called. He had K8s for top pair, no draws. I rivered an A & crippled him.
I believe my luck turned around a couple of hours later when we temporarily lost power & was out of the game for almost 10mins. I missed one set of blinds, but lost touch with the game.
What also amazes me is that I could've tightened up some & placed much higher! I had a decent amount of chips (top 30) of the 150 or so left when I made my mistake(s). I was rarely making it to showdown & when I did, it was pretty good. I had a 75-80% win at showdown. So, lots of people were making folds & I think they just couldn't take it anymore. So, when I had QcTc on a flop with 2 clubs, 7 high, I bet about 70% of the stack of my opponent. He pushed after a moment & showed 33. It won.
I couldn't hope for a better situation though with 15 outs.
Then a few hands later I pushed with QJo when I had about 3x-4x BB. Hoping for folds, but got called by 77. It won even after I made a draw to broadway. 110th place, but I'm happy with most of my play.
I hope they do another Blogger Ivitiational.
* * *
Continuing with my online play, I was playing in the $100 freeroll on CDPoker. I had some cards, doubled up & then called an all-in that was 80% of my stack when I figured him for the 5 for the wheel on a flop of A-3-4, turn 2. I had ATs. I then played in survival mode for awhile & with blinds @ 100-200, in the BB leaving me 370, I folded to a raise. Good karma ensued. In the SB, I get Q9s. Another raise in front of me & I go all-in. I flop a 9 to an aggressive 89o raise (?!) headsup. I couldn't believe it.
I proceeded to take my small stack & built it up. I made to the final 2 tables & busted out after getting my stack dwindled when I raised 3x BB with QTo. J8s/AKo calls. Flop is A-Q-x, 2 spades. J8s checks his 4 to the flush, AKo raises most of J8s stack for all-in. J8 calls. Turn is a Q & I'm in the lead!! River is a damning spade & J8 makes his flush. Who cold calls w/J8s??!? ARGH.
Good for 15th place & top 10 pay.
posted by LAYGO at 11:30 AM
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