Monday, February 27, 2006

Never give up

In tournament play especially, in Sit'n'Gos and multitable tournaments, all you need is a chip and a chair. Never give up, you can make it. Some stories of my recent tournament experiences:

In a SnG, in the second deal, I get KAo, raise and get one caller. I hit an Ace on the flop and go all in although there are two Diamonds there. He calls! Oopsie, he has AT Diamonds and he hits the fifth diamond. But! He had called (blinds 15/30) in the first deal and I hadn't, so I have 30 T$ left. When I at last play them (with K9), I succeed and afterwards my stack goes to 60, 200, 270, 700, over 1000. I make it all the way to fourth place and could've maybe made it to the money if someone had made a mistake. But not bad, from 30 left to fourth place.

But sometimes you get impatient. Was in a tournament with only eight participants and three places paid. We were in the money after an hour. After yet another half hour I lost patience and went all in with a flopped pair of nines. Couldn't be bothered to fight for a few dollars. Third place.

And now a big payoff: Was in a $50 tournament with 43 participants, $3000 Guaranteed. 43*50=2150 so there was overvalue. I did well in the beginning but went down to 465 in chips (starting with 1500) with a flush against a weird full house. The flop was K99 with two Clubs and I get my Ace-high flush on the turn. From the opponent's betting, I get the feeling that he doesn't have a King or KK. Maybe he got trip nines and is happy? The river was a five. He had 55 and got a backwards full house. I fight my way back up to 900 with KA diamonds that hit an ace on... the river. It really does flow both ways! Around the second hourly break I'm at eleventh place of eleven, having had my JJ all in busted by A5 that hit two pair.

Final table! But only five places paid. Some more drop off and stackwize I'm at fifth of seven. Two others are also relatively short, I'm hoping that some of those screw up, or that two big stacks start butting heads.

Oh dear, oh dear, I only have 575 left. The blinds are 300/600 now. Six players left, five paid.

Then it happens. The poker gods smile upon me. The Big Blind comes to me and I'm all in from that. I have Q8o. Crap crappity crap.

I hit a Queen-high straight.

On the river.

And the one raiser-caller had AA.

I survive. Win an all in later with AA against AT. Have Q3 in an unraised Big Blind and flop two pair, I win that all in. Up to around 5000, getting back in the game seriously. AJo, all in. The board comes 49382 and will I get this from Ace high? (the cards aren't shown until the river at all ins here). Nope, he had pocket fours and I'm out at fourth place. $360 to me!

So never give up, you can make it even if it looks troublesome. Have confidence and don't throw the chips away.

I've made the Vegas hotel reservations. This week I'll have to take care of the flight too and then I'm set, just wait a few more months... Still watching prices and sites to make a call on the best deal, I want it as cheap as possible. The very cheapest one has a bad return leg though, I'd then leave Monday night, have to wait twelve hours or more in Atlanta and land in Copenhagen Wednesday. Now that's jet lag. I live in Sweden and Copenhagen is the nearest airport with flights over the Atlantic.

This because I don't want to have to stay for the full two weeks if I don't make it in the tournament (WSOP Main Event). It ain't free to stay in Vegas. If I make it to the money I can afford another flight home. But, anyway, I want to have the arrangements finished this week. Then all that's left to do is the packing and starting stashing away cash. I want to have a HUGE gangster roll for tipping and table games. I've already got a money clip with a large $ symbol on it, very low-key bling-bling.

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