Thursday, November 16, 2006

Leveling off

The past few days have been kinda rough. I've been just a little above break even this week, and Tuesday (the 14th) I dropped 4 buy ins on the day. I did come and get 2 back the next day though. But thats how things are goin. KK has lost the last 3 times ive had it. and AA has gone down 3 of the last 4 times ive had it (Including a preflop all in against AJo tonight.) Despite the trouble with big pairs I am still coming out ahead for the most part and haven't had any REAL big bumps in the road.

Today i played the $8 + .80 $1500 guarantee on Doyles Room. I started off real hot winning a nice pot in the first hand i played with a set of deuces and then busting out 2 people in one hand a short time later with AA. At the start of the 2nd level i was sitting with 10k in chips (from the 2000 starting stack). I did lose one big hand where I limped in to the pot with A8 of diamonds after a limper before me. The flop comes A6T with 2 diamonds, he checks to me, i bet the pot of 200. He calls and we see the turn....an offsuit 8. He checks, i bet about 600 and he goes all in for about another 1200. I obviously call, expecting to be miles ahead but he turns over 79of diamonds and im drawing to an A, 8 or one of 7 remaining diamonds. The river is obviously is a blank and im knocked back down to about 8800 in chips. From there on I didnt get much by the way of cards...I maintained my stack by stealing some blinds and around bubble time I had an M of 6.8. I fought my way into the money by pushing all in stealing blinds when I could (had the agressive chip leader on my right which hurt badly.) When finally, i caught a hand.

I caught QQ on the button and pushed all in for about 8k chips...the short stack in the SB called me with J9s and I won the hand, along with his 1500 or so chips.
The very next hand, i wake up with KK! YES!! I'm getting hot at exactly the right time! UTG limps, the chip leader puts in a raise to about 4k. I push all in for my approx 10k chips and get called by both UTG and the chip leader. KK holds and im up to 18k in chips. Now im in a spot where I can play some poker and head into the final table strong!
Except, the very next hand I pick up AKs. Chip leader raises again to 6k....i push for my 18k...and get called by the SB (who i have barely covered) who woke up with KK. I dont improve and now im super short stacked with 5500 in chips. I pick up the blinds with one push and the next time i push (LP with K9s) i get called by ATo and I'm gone. 37th place out of 367 players and i take home a whopping $13 and change.

I thought I played well in this tournament but I really have to find a way to "play more poker" in these things instead of relying on catching good hands. I feel lost in the middle stages of a tournament where I have a moderate stack. Its in these spots that i really dont know how to play against a raise. I have too few chips to be calling and seeing flops, but re-raising/pushing with hands like KQ or AJ just feels dumb. And folding these hands really feels weak. Any ideas??? Maybe i'll go back and re-read the 2nd volume of Harrington on Hold'em to see if I can pick anything up.

Well, for now, the BR is holding right around $1100. To stay on pace for $3000 by years end I should be at $1300 by the end of today (Nov. 16). I'm close, but need to step it up. Hopefully the rest of my sessions later today go well. Till then...

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