3 Up & 3 Down

I've done a poor job keeping up with this blog after each tournament! 

I've played in 3 tournaments since my last entry.

Made it to the Final Table on the 1st. Finished in 7th. Played very conservative. No rebuys. Made it to the break with $10K in chips and pretty much stayed there. There were 25 players.

Made it to the break in the 2nd Tournament. 30 players. I didn't have to rebuy and played very conservative again. Knocked out in 24th place.

Today I changed up my style to try and be very aggressive. Playing A's with mid kickers and trying to get involved in more hands before the break. I wanted to build up a nice size chip stack to take with me to the later levels. Early on I called an All-In with AK. I was up against 7's and won. I won a few pots here an there. Then raised to All-In with A6. I was called by A4. A4 was on the board and I lost. Had to rebuy for $20. Just a little while later I went All in pre-flop with A4 and was up against 77's again. I lost this time and did not rebuy.

I suppose If I win either one of those hands I'm sitting pretty. But I didn't so I'm sitting here blogging. 

I think I'll go back to my conservative grind it out approach. After all, I did make it to a final table playing that way. One 4 spots from being in the money. 

Earnings: $0

Investment: $235

+/- = ($235)

No "One Time" Today

Played in the Poker Shootout in Roland, OK Yesterday.

$30 Buy-In w/ unlimited re-buys until the 1st break. Looked to be about 45 players today.

Overall I was happy with my play. 

The first good hand I got was pocket deuces. I limped in and got trip on the flop. I bet the turn and got 2 callers. There were no flush or straight possibilities and I really wanted to maximize my earning on this hand as I felt confident I had the best hand. I was first to act and I checked. I was really hoping one of them would bet trying to take the pot. Then I would re raise. Unfortunately,  they both checked and I only won a decent size pot instead of the monster I was hoping for.

At one point I found myself all In with A10s vs K2 preflop. I was lucky and caught an Ace on the river to stay in the tournament. I went with no intention of rebuying today. I had no extra money in my wallet!

I made it to the break in pretty good shape with a middle of the road chip stack. The first hand after the break I get KQs. I'm first to act so I call the $600 blind. There are 1 other caller and the BB goes all in. He has me covered but with the 7th best starting hand it's to tempting for me not to call and so I do.

It's my KQs vs his A4. He hits and Ace on the flop and I blank on everything else and my day is over. 

I suppose I could have laid down my KQs but I feel like I made the right play and I'm not disappointed with the call. In the case he got lucky and I didn't.

Unlike weeks past I didn't see any glaring mistakes in my play this week.

Earnings: $0

Investment: $145

+/- = ($145)

See ya next week! Hopefully with better results!

 

Getting in with the best hand

Getting into a pot with the best hand is not necessarily a guarantee that you are going to win the hand. But like my dad told me today if you keep playing those high quality hands the percentages will be in your favor. 

Today I played in the Poker Shootout in Roland, OK. The buy in was $30 with unlimited rebuys until the 1st break. 

The entire day I got nothing but lousy cards. I was playing very conservative and didn't end up playing in many hands.

The first hand I played I had KQ Hearts. The flop came with 2 low hearts and a 9 of spades. The player next to me went all in and I called. He had a QJ off. I had the best hand going to the turn then a not heart Jack hit. I blanked on the river and had to rebuy for $20. 

The next hand I played I was short stacked and went all in for $2,700 with AK diamond preflop. I got two callers. KQ off and pocket 4's. I ended up losing to the pockets 4's as the cards on the board did me no good! Once again I got in with the best hand and once again I got beat! I had to rebuy for another $20.

After paying $5 for an additional $1K in chips at the break I was at $5500 in chips at the break.

The first good hand I got to play after the break was pocket 9's. I went all in for $4300 and got two callers. It ended up being a little bit more than a double up.

I limped into a few hands with AJ, A4 but folded after the flops as I hit nothing. 

The blinds were $500/$1K and I was down to a little over 4 big blinds. I went all in with $4700 in chips with AJ off. I got called by KQ off and lost to a Q on the flop. I had the best hand preflop but wish I had waited to go all in AFTER the flop. With only $1500 in the pot it wasn't really worth risking all my chips when I could have seen a flop for $1,000. 

I got in with the best hand every time today and just got beat. Hopefully my pops is right and the percentages will come out in my favor long term!

41 entrants and I finished 20th.

Total earnings: $0

Total investment: $110

+/- = ($110)

I'll be playing again next Friday and hopefully reporting on how I won!

Starting my Poker Career

I've been playing poker for a while. But strictly as a recreational player. However, I've decided to become a professional poker player. What does that mean to me? It's means making it my job. My goal is to be come the best No-Limit Hold Em' Tournament player in the world! (To my wife: Don't worry dear I still have my other job so the bills get paid. Love you. ;) )

My first goal is to win $1,600 by Mid January to enter the Main Event WSOP circuit event in Durant Oklahoma. 

My second goal is to win $10K to enter the WSOP main event in Las Vegas!

The purpose of this blog is for you, my readers, to following along with me on the Journey. So here we go!

Today I entered the Poker Showdown at the Cherokee Casino in Roland, OK. The buy in was $30 and re-buys were allowed until the 1st break. Starting stack was 4K. You could also buy and additional 1K in chips for $5 at the break. Blinds go up every 15 minutes and there were 30 players today. 1st place was $950, 2nd $500 and $325 for third.

Here is my personal recap of the tournament:

I started out conservative only playing premium hands. I played very well in the first round and 2nd round. I had a slip up in the 2nd round that cost me $1200 in chips. The pot ended up being HUGE. Close to 20K. I folded A4s but I considered calling. It ended up being a great fold. I hit nothing on the flop, turn and river. Saved myself a lot of money.

At the break I was close to 7K in chips. By no means the chip leader but just above the chip average for the tournament. Coming back from the break I didn't see many cards I could play and folded a lot.

The 1st hand I got into was with pocket eights. I was in early position so raised 3 times the big blind. I got 1 caller. The flop was paint and a low card. No 8's. I checked. He bet 2K. I folded. Probably a good move. I'm pretty sure I was beat.

I won a few smalls hands by betting from early position with good cards. My chip stack stayed pretty even. I felt like I was playing well and the blinds were now $400-800, I had almost 9 big blinds and I got pocket 5's. 

I was in early position so I raised the BB 3x's to 2400. I was called by the chip leader in late position. Everyone else folded. The flop was a rainbow 9, J, 4. I lead out with a continuation bet of $2500. He called. He was pretty aggressive the entire time he was playing at the table so it should have got my attention that he was calling. The turn is a 7. I bet 4K. He raised all in. I only had $800 left at this point so I called for the rest of my chips. I have 55's and he's got K9 off. I was a little surprised he called with only a 9. He even thought he was beat before I showed. The river missed me and I'm out in 23rd place. 

I feel like I played the 55's right once I committed to play with them. But once I got home and did a little research I realized I never should have been in the hand to begin with. I should have folded and waited for a stronger hand. 86% of the time pockets fives end up with a negative outcome. Had I been betting against someone a little more conservative I would probably have won that hand. My biggest mistake, besides playing in the hand was not recognizing the type of player I was up against and it cost me all my chips!

After thinking about it for a while I decided I could have/should have:

1. Gone all in with the 55's and taken the blinds. I don't think I would have gotten any callers as opposed to my $2,400 bet which got called.

2. Folded pre-flop. (Most likely the best option)

3. Instead of leading out with a bet post flop, I could have just checked and waited to see what action he would take. If he bets I fold with only a pair of 5's. I might have been too aggressive trying to knock out an aggressive player.

What are your thoughts?

All in all I'm pretty happy with the way I played until I got those 5's. I really misplayed the hand and it cost me all my chips. Lesson learned today is once you start playing a hand you need to understand you could be putting all your chips at risk on this one hand. 

Career Earnings: $0

Career Investment: $35

+/- $-35

I'll be playing again next Friday and possibly Wednesday and will be blogging about my results!

Take care!

Paper