Bloggerment + $55 Turbo Sng

Thanks to all 28 players who showed up to play in Sunday nights Bloggerment tourney.My good mate Al Eleven took it down and won a $5 last longer bet from me after hitting so many flops and rivers that even God now talks about running in "Al Mode".( at least he probably will in his next chat with Mr Cloud!)

I scraped a 7th place finish after shoving K9 from the button into Mr Cloud's AJ and failing to hit.I did get some luck earlier in the game when my QK beat Benwahballs2's 88 all in preflop, but was card dead for most of the tourney.It was good to see some new players like Ben,L4Y SP and Evanzio at my table as well as most of the usual suspects.If any of the new players ( or anyone in general) has a blog and wants linked up just give me a shout.

After the Bloggerment I played a little cash game poker ( three tabling $50 nl full ring) for a change and left with a bit of profit.

On the health front the pain is easing a bit down my right hand side, although for some reason I woke yesterday with a bloodshot right eye and that doesn't seem to have gone away.I did finally get the insurance cheque at last.

Surfing around today online I found a Q+A session with Patrick Antonious and loved this one in particular:

Question from Flo420: is marijuana a bad drug?
Answer from Patrik Antonius: no its a leaf lol


I didn't play any poker at all until late last night when I decided that as I was up a few hundred up for the month, I'd grow a pair and have take a wee shot at a $55 turbo sng and play a $33 at the same time.I've only played a few $55's and have taken one down before.The $33's I've played far more often.Playing only two tables gave me time to Sharkscope the $55 and any fears I had of being way out of my depth were eased.One decent regular and 8 players who have lost about $23k between them!



There were some major donk like moves going on but perhaps $55 donks are still better than $22/$33 donks as there were still seven players left as we hit the high blinds.I'd had a 1310 stack after paying the big blind at 300/600 when the decent reg player shoved his big stack when folded to him in the cut-off and a fishy player on the button called for his last 1060 chips.I reckoned I was ahead of the cut off's range with my A7 and although I hated calling an all-in due to the button also being in the pot,I felt he would be calling with a very wide range in this spot.I also felt I had to take the chance to chip up or be left with less than 2 big blinds and no fold equity v the fish with 6000 chips in my bb next if I passed and paid the small blind in the next hand.( and that's assuming it folded to me)

The button had KJ,the small blind QJ sooted and the King on the flop sent me to the rail.



I'm still not 100% sure calling here was correct( all comments welcome) and perhaps I would have been better shoving the A4 I folded from UTG+2 when the table was still full and the blinds were at 200/400 in order to try and accumulate some chips.I had been tight but with so many fish and being only UTG+ 2 it felt like an easy fold at the time.

Of course no player wants to be shoving A4 or even calling with A7, but these are turbo's and when you're card dead it's still vital to avoid being blinded out.


Ahh well I hope whoever won cashed out and rubbed it on their titties...( I know it's been around a while but it's such a fine song and vid!)

Swindle? It's a Swindle...

I began last nights poker fest with S-man and Miami Mark by coming 2nd in two $6 turbo sng's.I made the 2nd table of the $2 Sunday Million qualifier at 'Stars and then donked out which was daft because I'd played good poker to win the first one after being reduced to 300 chips when I ran 99 into a slow played KK.

Cranked up a 'Stars 18 player $15 turbo and promptly ran my flopped set of fours into a set of sixes to go out first.Whilst on the bubble of the next one I began another, however I made the stupid mistake of playing the new game as if I was on the bubble too and was soon in trouble with 66 on a 5 4 4 flop.I was so busy on the real bubble ,that I thought I was only up against one player with my 66, and he appeared to make a weak postflop bet I reckoned could mean he'd missed with AK/AQ etc.I reraised and watched in horror as the invisible ( can happen after a few herbals!) 3rd player in the hand reraised again.

I blasted out of that one a short time later but managed to come back from being 5th with 700 chips to winning in the other one.After a careless play at a cash table which cost me nearly a buy-in ( still at 'Stars) I let Miami Mark persuade me to play a $55+$5 ,18 player turbo.Afterall my 'Stars roll is for taking a shot and as my balance was over $400 I decided to give it try.I made the final table before a disappointing end.

I had about $2k in chips at that Final table with the blinds at around 100-200 ( with antes) when a solid winning player raised to $800 from UTG.( 1st to act).I had AQ which is a hand I don't like calling raises with.In fact I don't like calling raises at anytime in a turbo sng as I much prefer to be the one doing the betting.Anyway I was close to folding until I thought it through and reckoned that my tight play, the fact that making a raise from UTG looks very strong and also that he'd raised to 800 and not gone all in, meant that he was trying to use these factors to represent a much stronger hand than he actually had.Maybe I overthought it and he just thought "I have QK,let's steal",who knows.

I raised him all in ,he called and although the A J 8 flop and ragged turn looked good and I began eyeing the $4k in chips which was about to come my way,the river did deliver ( is that why they call it Riverstars?!) and the 10 fell to give him the straight and IRFTS ( I rammed fist through screen).That's poker and in the cold light of day today I can say that at least my read seemed right and my money went in as ( big) favourite.Also, it was only one sng but I didn't see much in terms of the play at $55 level to worry me much.

Poker tonight and then the Gers game tomorrow are my plans for the rest of the weekend.Back with a stats post tomorrow...