The Quest for WSOP glory continues

I had my first experience trying to qualify with Poker Stars over the weekend. I entered the $27 rebuy satellite into the $650 qualifier on Sunday night.

I had a mad rush of cards early, including flopping the mortal nuts twice. Somehow I still managed to use two additional buy ins and then the add on for a total investment of $102 by the first break. The good news was that I was in the top 10.

I eventually made it to the final table and at bubble time, I had a medium stack. I did not feel I could fold into the win, but I didn't want to take a lot of chances either. The problem was, no one was playing sherriff and trying to pick off the short stacks as they kept stealing blinds to stay alive. There were 4 spots into the next tournament and cash for 5th place. With the blinds at 1000-2000 and 100 ante there were 7 players left. I had 37,789 in chips and in second place.

I was dealt QJo in the small blind when Wulffman with 28,880 in chips raised to 6000 from the button. It looked like a steal and he had been rather active building up from a very short stack at the final table. I decided to call and see if I flopped something.

Flop was Td 5c Jh. I led out for 10,000 assuming he would fold. Wulffman raised me all in for an additional 12,780. I really expected my hand to be good so I called. Wulffman turned over AJ to have me dominated.

So now I am under 10,000 and I am one of the short stacks. I steal a couple of times to maintain my stack. We lose one player along the way, so now we are truly on the bubble with 6 players left. I am dealt KK under the gun. I could just limp and see if can get more action, however I had been raising all in the other times and I didn't want to raise any suspicion. Sure enough, the player on my left calls and Wulffman calls from the big blind.

The flop is 7c 3c 6c and I have the King of clubs. Wulfmman checks in the BB and lowroad bets 10,757 and is all in. Wulfmann folds.

Ok push the pot to me. Wait a second.....lowroad has pocket Aces. Oh my fucking god! I type in "come on club" into the chat and the river is a beautiful 2 of clubs and I win the pot.

Lowroad does get a break when a medium stack decides to take his flush up against Wulffman's nut flush and busts out. So at least he won some money to take the sting out of getting his Aces cracked.

So I qualified for the big Sunday $650 tournament.

While I was playing the Poker Stars Rebuy, I was also playing a $75 satellite into the 100 seat guarantee in July on Full Tilt. I made the final table of that one and I was pretty sure I would get my seat. Somehow I donked myself down to 2,870 in chips at the 200-400 blind level with 6 players left. I was dealt A2s on the button. It was folded to me and I pushed in. Unfortunately the chip leader with 17,535 in chips woke up with a hand in the big blind. He called with AQ and I busted out.

I really should not have taken the chance there. I needed to steal against the stacks at 7000 to 4000 level who are not taking any chances. Hell they may not even call with that AQ in that spot. The chip leader could obviously take the chance to bust someone.

So Sunday I spent all day psyching myself up for the big Poker Stars tournament. I really felt like this would be the one and I couldn't wait to tell all my friends how I didn't need their backing and I how I will win money in the main event all by myself.

I was happy to see that when everyone was finally registered that there were 24 seats up for grabs. Almost 3 tables! The blind levels were 30 minutes and we started with 2500 chips so we had a lot of play.

I did not have any luck at all. My best hand the whole time was one pair. I was dealt pocket pairs at least a dozen times and never flopped a set. I dropped down to about 1700, when I made a check raise bluff all in with A8 offsuit. I had flopped the Ace, but I was not crazy about my kicker. A third spade hit the turn and I check raised all in. My opponent finally folded after thinking about it for a minute. He asked how big my kicker was and I lied and told him I had the flush.

That was the only time I seized an opportunity and won a decent sized pot. It was really weird because it seemed like everyone at my table was a good player. Even after identifying who was playing weak tight, someone else would jump in and steal the blinds before I got the chance. There were a couple of times where I was ready to resteal and again someone jumped in front of me.

I hope the rest of my big tournaments don't have that many good players. Since I had to rely on good cards that were not coming, I really did not have much of a chance. I finally went broke with top pair, 2nd nut kicker when a tricky player limped with AA preflop.

I am still rearing to try again and I think I will even enter a live satellite in Las Vegas when I am there for the Blogger gathering as well as hanging out with the Yuma crew at the Hard Rock. I still have 3 weeks.