Monday, June 19, 2006

World Blogger Championship and Satellite update

I played in the freeroll on Poker Stars yesterday. I still can't believe there were over 2,200 players signed up. They must not all be poker blogs, but who cares, it's still free.

I was not having any luck at all and mostly folding my way through the first few levels. Here is the final hand.

I have 2085 in chips which is not much more than the 2000 I started with. I am dealt As Kd in late position. The blinds are 50-100. It's folded to me and I raise to 300. Born2DogBaby (2190 in chips)on my left calls and everyone else folds.

750 in the pot to the flop of 4c Qc 4s. I bet 350 in a continuation bet figuring the board should look scary and it's paired so I doubt he called my raise with a 4. I only have to sweat AQ or KQ or maybe QJ. Or if he has the Ace of clubs he may call. Born2DogBaby then raises me all in for 1890.

So it's 1435 to call into a 4320 pot. Almost 3 to 1. This raise seems like he doesn't want a call. For some reason I put him on a flush draw. I figure I am ahead of his draw and if he has a Queen, I still have 6 outs. He turns over Td Jh for an outright bluff. So I am a 3-1 favorite. The jack hits the turn and I am out.

Looking back on it now, this was a stupid call on my part. If Born2DogBaby has a Queen, I am a 3-1 dog. If it's Ace-Queen I am almost an 8-1 dog. A decent player that raises all in on a flush draw, usually has the nut flush draw, so one of my Aces would be dead.

So even though I was ahead in the hand, from a theoretical standpoint it was a horrible move.

I was playing in the $27 rebuy tournament at the same time as the Blogger tournament on Poker Stars and not having any luck there either. Everyone was gambling it up in the first few levels trying to double and triple up. I was more than willing to spend a few rebuys but I never had any decent cards to play. When I finally did get a decent hand in the rebuy period and moved all in, everyone folded because I was the only one on the table that had not played a hand in 2 levels.

Finally I got impatient after the break and with 10 BB left and A7 offsuit in early position, I raised all in. I was called by AQ and it was over after blowing a stupid $52 on a tournament I was not really paying attention to.

Overall in my quest for World Series of Poker glory I am still up $905 after 18 tournaments. My one near miss has paid for a lot of entries. Plus my success rate in the $55 sats on Party Poker has made things relatively cheap. Only 40 days left.

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