Batting .300 ....

After the short break from on-line NLHE poker, I re-dedicated myself to focus and play in a few more MTT's of the 90 player variety. My plan was simple, pick 10 games and play them out as best I could. I chose the $3.30 game for a few reasons. They fill up quickly so there's no waiting involved. There's slightly better play than you would expect at the low buy-in and, I know and have comments on dozens and dozens of players at this level. So off we go!

Game #1 - This was an interesting game. By interesting, I mean I had to look around to see if I recognized any of you out there! I swear I was in the middle of a poooshfest! Four players at my table all-in on the first hand. I get moved after we're broken down and there's three all-in on the second hand! This went on for three table changes and the first 7 - 10 minutes or so. I hadn't played a hand yet and there were 29 players out already. It soon settled down and actual poker broke out where there once was all hell breaking loose. I bubble-boy this game for a loss of -$2.30. (I took out two players for the $0.50 bounty)

Game #2 - Crap-tastically card dead run! I finish 15th. miraculously, as the one hand I did get to play by choice, saw my soooted 78 go on to win against the Acey-duecey of death. I post a loss of -$3.30.

Game #3 - I get a sick run of cards early on. (sweet justice from game #2 perhaps?) I build myself up to chip leader in a hurry and collect 5 bounties along the way. I get to be patient in the middle stretch and can hunt and peck the hands I think will be good for me. I make wise choices and manage to stay atop the leaderboard for quite some time. Another 2 bounties and this game just became, a freeroll for me. I lose my chip lead after doubling up two seperate short stacks, while ahead in both hands right to the river. Also, the second and third place stacks were involved in a monster hand. Second places Aces managed to hold on against Kings, and we have a new chip leader. I was not so fortunate, as my pocket rockets are decimated by a couple of Ladies and IGH in 8th. place for a profit of $10.25. (including the bounties)

Game #4 - I make a stoopid move at the wrong time and go home in 22 place and a loss of -$3.30.

Game #5 - I make a great move on someone elses stoopid move, but my set of Kings is obviously no match for a double-gutter draw. I bust out for my second bubble-boy finish of the day. I managed to collect four bounties for a loss of only -$1.30.

Game 6 - This was a game where I started to see quite a few of the players I'd mentioned I had some notes on. It ended up being nearly half the field to be exact. My confidence was pretty high going into this one. Also at my table for the majority of the game, a player named TheGoatLady. He/She had a very similar sense of humour to my own and was far chattier in a fun way, than most players are at this level. I had notes and confidence going for me, and I also had a new friend that made the game pretty fun to be part of. I ran over the field! Getting to heads up, I was amazed to see that my opponent and I had nearly identical chip stacks! We ended up with a classic finish, where we both caught hands at the exact same time. I flopped a set of 10's while my opponent was holding K-K. He felt compelled to call my all-in push because he had overs and of course the turn brought him the third King he so badly needed. I take second with 11 kills and a profit of $49.38.

Game #7 - TheGoatLady rails me all the way in the last game and asks if I'm in the next one yet. I jump right in. Somehow we do not get put at the same table again, despite all of my wishes to make it so! LOL! I get both my and his/her tables open and play and rail at the same time. This was a mistake! I play way too many hands early and end up hurting my stack pretty bad. I finally bust out in 26th. place with not a single kill. Down another -$3.30.

Break time ! There was a conversation about my SharkScope rating that had me laughing so hard in game #6, I thought I'd expand on it a little bit here as well. Yes I have a fishie jumping in a bowl. LOL !!!! But what my attacker fails to understand is, SharkScope is merely a means to tell the story of the end of a SnG performance run. It can not tell you the whole story which must include the luck factor and where you were in the hand, when you actually busted out. I'm a fishie because of the suckout factor. I've been getting it in good in 85% of the situations I've been knocked out in, over the last three weeks or so. I've managed to lose in about 85% of those situations, when either the turn or river card comes to kill my made hand. This is something I'm struggling to call a "leak" in my game for certain. But it something I'm trying to be much more aware of in the future.

Game #8 - Trying to play while eating a fantastic but very messy sandwich =
-$3.30.

Game #9 - I settled into sit and attack mode. I had many of the same players, or ones that were at least known to me in this event. I wait for premium hands and make a killing off of them. I keep myself up in the top ten chip stacks and managed to get to final table this time. I started final in third place and put pressure on the short'ish stacks when I had a hand. I got my first and only kills at final and ended up finishing in 5th. place. It was limped to my BB while I held 88 and I'd made my standard play all the way to the turn. The turn brought me my set with no real suspicious play by the two others in the hand, and no real threat appearing on the board. The river paired the 10 on the board and I now had a boat. I checked to a known aggressor and of course, he didn't dissapoint. I jammed and was insta-called by his pocket 10's. Well played! I was behind all the way! I take the $19.50 and look for my last game.

Game #10 - Was typical of the last three weeks! I lost a pot to a short stack when my flopped straight < flopped bottom set turned Quad's. I built my stack back up only to lose to another short stack when, pocket 10's flop a set < pocket Jack's river one too. I built it up once again with back-to-back "Astin's," only to have Ducks call me down with a board of 10-J-K-7 showing and three bets including a check-raised flop being made into them. My A-K for TPTK was no match for the duece on the river and I'm done in 10th. place again. The third bubble-boy finish for yours truly on the day. Two more knock-outs means,
-$2.30

So I bubbled at .300 and I cashed at .300 and don't know what to take away from it all right now? I mean yeah, I did show an overall profit of $50.13 and even making it to the bubble three additional times in these 90 player events, has to be seen as a positive right? But I did lose 70% of the time and that's not very good in my books. I'm sure I'm still a fishie over there on SharkScope with a batting average of only .300, but if I can maintain that average and continue to post profitable sessions in these things, hopefully they'll continue to keep me in clean water and throw the odd crumb my way once in a while!

On the other side of all things pokery, (the "real" side for me!) the STUD tables continue to pay off like nothing I could've ever imagined! I guess as long as they can keep that up for me, I'll continue to work on my NLHE game. Here's hoping that all of you my dear IIF's, have some players out there somewhere, that are just as willing to support your bad habits as well! Hell in NLHE...
it's probably yours truly!

;o) I guess I can only say, "Glub-Glub!"

My sincerest thanks for dropping by....