Weekend Recap + 1

Pictures from MATH might make their way up later in the day. But there's nothing spectacular.

Went to Casino Rama on Saturday with a couple buddies. I generally hit casinos for craps and slots, although I was hoping to maybe get in on some 2-5 limit if I had a chance. Headed out after 4, got in a bit after 6, and hit the craps table around 6:30. Nearly 3 hours later, had some dinner, down $160 on the $5 table (teaching someone how to play, and he lacks the bankroll to play higher... heck, I lack the will to have the bankroll to play much higher :) ). $20 buffet... not bad. Back to the floor, where I quickly went down $85 on slots (I play the $1 machines, or the occasional $0.25 if it looks fun). The slots don't usually abandon me so badly, but it wasn't to be that night. The $5 table was packed, so we turned around and played the $10 for our last available hour before our get-out-of-dodge time. We left as planned, and I'd managed to win back everything I'd lost that night + dinner. Always nice to pay for your trip :).

So I got home around 1:30am. What did I decide to do? Why, there's a $300+20 WSOP satellite on Stars at 2am! Here's my 1:58am internal dialogue (or maybe it was external... it was late)

"This is probably your last chance at the WSOP this year. You have a home game tomorrow afternoon, and at this time of night you won't be up in time to hit any super-satellites."

"But, it's $320! I've never put in more than $50 or so, and that was in a re-buy event."

"But look how small the field is with 2 min to go! It's less than 100 people. You outlasted over 7,000 a week ago. Plus you're on a roll... the Hoy, 3rd at the WWdN... sure you went out 18th in the Mookie, but that's still pretty good! You're up $190 this week!"

"Three... hundred...twenty... dollars."

"You were willing to lose $300 at Rama tonight, and you didn't! Therefore you have $300 to lose! And if you lose, just win it back tomorrow!"

"Hmm... I'm intrigued by your ideas and would like to subscribe to your newsletter."

"C'mon!"

"How can I argue with that? OKAY!"

So I bought-in. I wasn't THAT tired, and if I ended up pulling down a seat, then it was all worth it. Final tally was 110 people, 2 seats, 1 repay of the buy-in. I made the first break in good shape. Was above average, had been playing aggressively, and was feeling good. My table was stable, the players were decent, but not intimidating, and I was sitting 2nd or 3rd in chips at my table. I lasted another 40 min... and went out 47th. Not a terrible showing, but hardly worth the time and money. I'm still torn on how I went out. I should never have been IN the hand, and that poor decision made the rest of them. Be prepared for the worst hand description ever (it was 3:45am)

T8h, mid-late position (I don't remember exactly)... M = 5ish I think. One limper before me. I raise 3x BB, and the BB calls, limper folds. Flop comes 2 hearts, and a runner-runner straight flush draw (yah, I know...). My M was now in the 1ish department, as the blinds were going up in a couple minutes. I can't remember if I raised, or checked into his raise... but I ended up all-in. BB flips of KJh, and I get that sinking feeling. Out I go. The moral of this story? Don't play when you're having a hard time staying concious... your decisions will be terrible.

In the same tournament though... well, that'll be my next post, when I post the actual hand. But it was a doozy. Easily the strangest, and most unlikely turnout I've ever seen.

On Sunday I had a home game with a group of players I've only recently started playing with. Friend-of-a-friend stuff, although I'd met most of them before the poker started, so it's not like I'm a complete outsider. Decent players. It'd been a couple months since I've played live, so it was a welcome change. I played my usual game, and in the first game I ended up with enough of a chip lead to scare some of 'em. 2nd wasn't too far behind me though (oddly enough, a friend I brought in who plays pretty loose-aggressive). I ended up going out well before the money after a couple stupid decisions, tough beats, and a bad call. But I was having fun, so I figured things like playing the Doyle Brunson would be interesting... I wisely left post-flop.

2nd game I did worse. But this was mostly due to the guy on my right getting fed stacks from a couple others. He had a huge early lead and used it well. Ah well.

3rd game, one less player, and I came out swinging again. Things stayed even across the table for a while, and then I started knocking people out. I knuckled down and got a read on my opponents. I made two great calls against all-in bets, and I even got to play the hammer, although not to completion. My piece de resistance though was playing a hand blind. I raised, he re-raised all-in... and I said "should I look at my cards? Seriously... I don't know what they are." and called. I flipped over K2d. King hit the board, I won, he was out. Had a battle heads-up, even with my chip lead. I was pushing with decent hands, and getting beaten by better ones. I found myself facing the chip leader after a couple hands she deliberated hard on (and got advice from the guy I knocked out blind). Again, buckled down, and chipped up... and finally won. All-in-all, I ended up 2 buy-ins on the day.

Then last night, MATH. Only 19 players, probably due to Hoyazo being away. Finished 5th after a big comeback earlier. 5th ain't bad, even if it doesn't pay... but I should have been in longer. My brain decided to take a vacation for 4 hands, and that killed me. 4 hands in a row I had Kx-suited. I raised the first one, got re-raised by an all-in bet, and folded. I SHOULD have stayed down, I was 2nd in chips, by a good margin, and I kept betting when I got a Kx-suited again. My brain went with the "it's a sign! play it!" mentality. Especially when there were two hearts on the flop. Called another all-in. 2 more hands with Kx-suited after that, one I won the blinds, the other I called an all-in. All of a sudden, I was 5th of 6. Hee + Haw = Astin. QED.

So.. in the last week. $11x3 + $22 for blogger buy-ins, about $60 in for blogger cash games, $320 for WSOP satellite, $32 in other WSOP qualifier satellites, $395 for the casino, and $60 in for the home game = $922 spent.

~$210 in blogger tourney wins, $15 or thereabouts in cash game wins, $435 at the casino, $100 at the home game = $750 in wins = $162 in losses. Bleh. Mind you, take out the ill-advised $300+20 tournament, and I'm +$158 for the week... yay! So I'm glad the WSOP qualifying is done with, so I can stop sending money down that particular tube.