An Unconscionably Belated Update

Apologies for waiting a week to update the blog, particularly since I left it at a cliffhanger. Suffice to say you would have heard from me by now if anything spectacular had happened. I ended up finishing 17th out of 731 entrants, good for $7483. What fun to play $2500-$5000 limit hold'em and 800-1600 no limit hold'em with $200 antes! Once again, though, I ran short on luck just out of the real money. I'm feeling "always the bridesmaid, never the bride."

Still, in all 10 tournaments I've played in, I've outlasted 75% of the field in 7 of them, come within one hand of the money in 2 and outlasted 98% of the field in another 2 of them. And there's still one tournament left that can make all the difference in the world--the Main Event starts Thursday. They are anticipating so many entrants they've scheduled 4 first days; mine is Sunday, July 6th.

For two full days after I arrived home I felt more exhilirated than exhausted, and couldn't get more than 4-5 hours of sleep; the poker flu proved short-lived and was gone in two days. Finally, I've calmed down and am able to rest a little.

A few key hands from the tournament:

Best bluff ever: Playing $2500-$5000 limit hold'em, the cutoff raises. Although he is tight, I am short-stacked in the big blind so I don't put him on a big hand. I call with K 8 offsuit, intending to make a play for the pot. The flop is 10 7 5 with two spades, I check-raise him and lead the turn when the Jack of Spades hits. The river is a Queen, and with $21,250 in the pot I have only $3800 left. I have only King high, but I make the bet "with conviction" and he folds, getting 6+:1 to call. Of course I can't resist showing him. The next hands he tilting raises with K 9 offsuit, and I bust him with my Q Q. All of my chips would have been in his stack if he called my river bluff; now just one hand later all of his are mine.

A good bluff fails: at a different table, we are again playing limit and I am in the big blind. The small blind raises and I call with K 5. The flop is Q 2 2. He bets, and I "float" a call. The turn is a 3, and when he bets I bluff raise. Unfortunately, he has Q 10 and makes the call; most of the time with my tight reputation and the smooth call on the flop I will lose him here. (This costs 1/3 of my stack; I am momentarily annoyed before my analysis validates the play.)

Dangerous value bet: with 99 in the small blind, I re-reaise a late position opener. I lead at a 7 6 4 flop, continue at the 2 turn, and make a thin value bet (and get called) when the river 5 makes the board a very dangerous 7 6 5 4 2.

Forcing the big laydown: playing no limit, a solid late position raiser makes a hefty raise to 8000. I move all in out of the big blind with Ks Qs. He thinks for five minutes, stares me down, and finally says he is making a huge laydown. Whatever he had beat me; I am thinking either A Q or 10 10.

The end: Running low in limit hold'em, I make the initial raise in late middle position with Ac 9c. The big blind re-raises. The flop is a most agreeable Ad 7c 3c. He leads and I "Hollywood hesitate" for a few minutes before calling. The turn is another Ace and we get the last 2 1/2 big bets in. Unfortunately he has A Q. Still, I can hit a 7 or a 3 for a tie, and a 9 or a club for a win. Unfortunately, the river is a blank and, just like that, my run is over.