WSOP 2010

Wow! It has been almost 2 years to the day since I last updated this blog. I have not been playing much poker due to work scheduling and mandantory overtime, but at last I will be able to play in the WSOP!!! I will be playing in Event #49 which is a $1500 buy in No Limit Hold'em tourney with no add ons or rebuys. I am also going to play Event #51 which is a $1000 buy in No Limit Hold'em tourney. My goal is to at least cash in one or both of those events and if I win enough money, then I will enter the main event. I have wanted to do this for several years, but could not get the time and/or the money together to do this. I am going to start playing more live poker in the months leading up to the WSOP so I can be ready for it.

Lodge Results from 03/09/08

Finally got a work schedule where I could return to The Lodge to play some poker and after all this time, it now sucks. I walk in expecting to see the 70-80 people playing like in the glory days of Dan, but instead see three tables totalling about 26 people. I see a some old faces and a few new ones. Structure is the same, but the prizes have changed, only $100 gift certificate for 1st going down to $20 for 5th. Two big changes that will prevent me from returning anytime soon are there is no quarterly or even yearly tourney for a buyin to the WSOP. Spoke to the guy running it and he said "there may be one, but not really sure". Second, the TABC decided to show up the night before and inform management of The Lodge that gift certificates can no longer be used for alcoholic beverages anymore so now the certificate will only get you food and softdrinks, plus no more free lap dance coupons either.

The players themselves were not bad and I made it about halfway through the tourney before I busted out. Only won two hands the whole evening, both of them full houses. One memorable hand was shortly after the break I had KQo and a guy raised to 60 when BB was 20. Two callers other than I and the flop comes Q83 of hearts and the raiser goes all in, other players fold and I call figuring he had a heart draw. He had the K of hearts and got his flush on the river which left me with about 90 in chips. Went all in twice with Ax and was not called, finally after a couple rounds, got JTo and went all in, two callers and A high won the pot and I was out.

As far as Vegas was concerned, I played in a $100 tourney at The Horseshoe that had about 35 players, got knocked out in 15th with AQ vs. AK. Next day played at The Rio which was also $100 buyin and had 50 players. Finished 4th (in the money for $389) when my QQ did not hold against AK with the A on the river. Looking forward to 2009 when I will have enough saved to play in a couple $1500 events at the WSOP.

No Lodge Results 10/23/07

I know, been a long time since I have posted anything on here, but I was bored at work and decided to update anyone who cares. I am still working at the same place that took me from The Lodge on Sundays, but the sacrifice of Sunday poker has been worth it in the money I have gained. Since I know work in the evenings, my poker play has been greatly reduced to once or twice a week at a bar. I do not even play online anymore since our wonderful Federal government banned money transfers to gambling websites. I played at Bodog for a month afterward and won $450 in a 550 person online tourney $10 buyin. Finished 5th. After that, I decided to withdraw the money and wait until maybe a new administration in 2009 will reverse the wrong direction wew have gone with poker. Also, I never was able to play in the True Texas Hold'em event due to pressure by Nazi like DA's, so that $250 buy in was lost. I don't blame Dan or The Lodge for it, more government bs.
However, on a positive note, I will be going to Las Vegas in December and will play some 1/2 and 2/5 no limit while I am there, may even play a low buyin tourney at one of the casinos. Also will definately go to the Horseshoe so I can see the wall of fame. Next post will be after I return.

Lodge Results for Sunday 12/02/06

First time I have been able to play at the Lodge for over a month. I recently changed jobs and now will be working on Sundays, made the change for money and job security. Now eventually I will be able to have money to play cash again. As far as the Lodge is concerned, nothing steller happened, I finished in 8th place which was my best finish in months there. I did make it that far by deciding to gamble and call an all in for T225 which was the amount I had with K9s and caught my K taking down A9o. Guy was pissed, but I told him it has happened time and time again.

I also have been playing poker at Clicks for many months now, they have games every night of the week except Friday and Sunday. It is a league and if you get 1 win and play at least 20 games in a 4 month season, you get invited to the final and winner gets trip for 2 to Vegas. Plus if you win on Saturdays you get $35 bar tab. First season I only had 1 win in 60 games so I decided to change up this season. I decided to loosen up a bit and get more aggresive as well as chase a bit more. It seems to have worked because in 17 games I have 3 wins, 7 times heads up and 14 final tables. Now the final table percentage is not normal because we play shootout style where top 2 or 3 from each table of 7-9 go to the final. However my percentage of final tables since last season has increased significantly also my points per game have gone from 7.1 to 14.2 but I will wait on that because my cards have not been steller, but they have not been horrid either. When my cards go completely dead will determine if this change in style is working for the best.

P.S. Lost $200 at Winstar on Wednesday... 1st $100 was lost when my A high flush was beat by a straight flush. 2nd $100 vanished when KQs called my UTG preflop raise of $15 in a 1-2 game with AA and chased to the RIVER where he caught his straight. Oh well, so much for donkey free poker...

Lodge Results for Sunday 10/29/06 - Week 12

Had a better day this week, nothing stellar, but was actually winning more than one or two pots as I have in the past few weeks. I made a loose call fairly early with JTo and two donkeys in the hand. One had gone all in for 45 chips and I was called by another loose caller. Flop has a J and I bet 25 and he raises to 70 which I call. Turn we both check and on the river he bets 50 and I call, he had AA. Got my money back about 20 minutes later when I had AKo and he called my all in with J6o and his J on the river made my flush. I took a beating for half my stack when the blinds were 10-20 and I had about 320 in chips. I had AQs in the small blind and raised to 60, got two callers including the short stack to my left. Flop is nothing and I bet 100, short stack calls and raises his remaining 25 and I call, he has AK and I don't improve. First good hand he had that night. Was able to get most of that money back from him a few hands later when I had KJo and the flop was 2 diamonds with a K. Checks around, the next card is a J and I bet and he calls. River is another diamond and I check to him, he makes a 1/5 the pot bet and I call, he does not have the diamond and my 2 pair win. Eventually the blinds are up to 25-50 and I am down to 165 in chips. I wake up to AT and am in the big blind. There are two callers and a player raises all in for less than I have and I go all in because he bluffs often. I get one caller and he turns over KTo and the original all in has pocket 4's. Flop comes KK4 and the turn is a 4 giving him a full house and the A on the river takes me out in 21st place.

Next week is the quarterly tournament for $1500 in cash to 1st place. There will be 50 people in it.

Results for Sunday 10/22/06

Did not play at The Lodge this Sunday, I decided to try a $100 buy in home tourney hosted by a friend of mine. Four weeks ago when he announced it, he was saying there were going to be 50 players and first place will get about $2300, then the night before he said that there will be about 30 players, but first prize was still good at $1400. So I arrive and now there are only 16 players, top 4 spots pay and first only pays $750. I decide to give it a shot anyway. We start out with 40,000 in chips and the blinds are at 100-200 doubling every 15 minutes. First 8 hands I have pocket pairs 5 times, but each time two over cards come on the flop and I have to fold. Each time someone hit a higher pair. Eventually I start getting crap cards and by the first break I am down to 20,000. First hand after the break, the blinds are 800-1600 and I get A2s UTG and decide to call. Get three other limpers and the flop is A85 of which two are my suit. It is checked around and the turn is a blank and someone fires out 1600 and I call along with another player. River is a 2 and same person bets 1600 again and I raise to 4800 and he calls with AT and I am back to even. Made a mistake later when I had AT and an A hit the flop but so did a 4 and my opponent had A4. I decided to call her all in and that knocked me down to about 10K in chips. Two hands later I get pocket 4's UTG and go all in, big blind calls me with A6 and wouldn't you know, he hit his 6 on the river and I am out.
Two things I found wrong with that tourney... one was not enough players and the other is too many chips to start with. That encourages donkey plays because calling a 200 blind or 600 raise is nothing when you start with 40,000 in chips.

Lodge Results for Sunday 10/15/06 - Week 10

Stupid is all I can say about my play today. Short day at The Lodge this Sunday, didn't make it past 2-4 blinds. Folded every hand until I had A5o in the BB. Flop comes A75 rainbow and I bet 25 since there were 6 other people in the pot. Get a caller and then an opponent raises to 100!! I think maybe he has AK and I decide to call and the other caller folds. Before the turn card is exposed he goes all in out of turn. I then realize he has a set and call anyway like a fool. Of course he turns up pocket 7's and I don't catch any of my 6 outs and I am out. The quarterly tournament starts in less than a month and the top 50 in points play, I am currently 33 so I am pretty much guaranteed to be in.