I Got Skillz

Well, except when I throw them out the window.

12th of 76 in the Skill Game last night. Good for 54 points or something. Also good for fishcake points as I believe I outlasted the rest of that field. Only a 4 point improvement there though.

I played a fairly decent game with two bad decisions that I can think of. I started out fairly loose-weak and paid the price (okay, maybe 3 bad decisions). But from a short stack as low as 500 chips early on, I climbed back to as high as 4th at one point. I made the calls and bets on strong hands and draws that I needed to and they either held up or caught, which let me build up to a decent stack that I could wield, as is my wont.

I made some tough folds throughout and was patient. Then there was the first bad call.

I was on the button, with Lucko in the BB with a huge stack. I find AJo and it's unopened, so I raise it to 3x the BB. Lucko re-raises. I put him on a resteal and push it. He thinks briefly and calls with AKo. Damn. I suckout with a J on the turn.

I hovered around this level for a bit, folding away chips and stealing them back. Then I made mistake #2. I find TT in the BB. Blinds are 500/1000, and I have around 14k. Blinders raises from the button, but not too large. I repop for around 6k and Blinders thinks before putting me all-in for a bit less than 9k more. He has me well covered.

Now I know Blinders isn't one to REsteal (but will steal), but he's also a player I can give credit for going deeper than level 1 thinking. I have TT, 6-handed in the BB, and when I've been in a hand lately, I've been aggressive. The button raises, and I re-raise. It can look very much like either I've put the button on a steal and I'm defending, or I have a strong ace or pocket pair. I figure Blinders has put me on a defending move, but since it's Blinders I know he isn't full of shit here. Since I figure he figures I'm defending, I widen his range to a strong ace (AKs, AKo, AQs, MAYBE AQo), or a decent pocket pair (88-AA). MAYBE a suited connector, but that's highly unlikely. Plus, if I fold, my M is around 5 with 12 left, and I'll be near the bottom (10th or 11th). But if I win, I'm in the top 5 with a healthy stack. I figure I'm likely racing and call for the rest of my stack.

Blinders flips over KK and I'm toast. No 2-outer for me and I'm gone. Only one KO on the night too.

As expected otherwise, people had no clue when the game switched to Omaha. UTG limps, no pot control, pot-betting draw-heavy flops with AA unimproved, calling off stacks with low flush draws, etc.. Wow. Of course, when I went out, the chipleaders were te ones playing that way, so what do I know?

Mookie tonight! Doublestack KNOCKOUT! I feel like kicking some serious ass in this baby.