Last Sunday at the Moose, I was making a terrific comeback from being all-in very early on because I lost too many chips with Ace-King (twice) and pocket nines. Anyway, I was back up to about 6,000 after the first break, which isn't too bad. My first hand after the break was pocket tens. I raised and was called by two players. The flop was A-Q-3 rainbow and when another player bet out, I just folded without even thinking about it. I was down to about 5,000 again.
The very next hand I had pocket tens again. Crazy. Two people limped in and "old" Joe on my immediate right raised to 1,500. The blinds were only 100-200 so this was just an insane raise. In hindsight (isn't it wonderful) I should have just pushed all-in and MAYBE he would have folded his stupid hand, but who knows. I decided to simply call and see the flop.
The flop was 9-9-3 rainbow. This flop did not scare me. Joe went insane again and bet 4,000 into this flop. Why did he do that? Do get me to fold my hand, of course because he only had about 1,500 left after that. I did not put Joe on A-9 or pocket 3s and I really didn't put him on pocket nines. Why would he bet so much with pocket nines (or pocket threes)? I decided to go all-in and I was right to do so. I like Joe but he is a complete and total idiot for calling my all-in, even if he only had 1,500 left. He had absolutely NOTHING except two over-cards. He had made the big raise and the stupid huge bet with Q-J diamonds. Insanity.
Naturally, he caught a jack on the RIVER and knocked me out of the tournament. I was simply furious. I said nothing and was very polite and left and then screamed in my car after I turned the radio up really loud. I just do not understand some people.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
Pendleton Limit Tournament
I swear that l will soon be known as the "bubble" girl or the "almost bubble" girl. This limit tournament was held on Friday, July 17 at the summer poker round-up at Wildhorse Casino in Pendleton. There were 192 entries. They paid the final two tables - 18 places. Yours truly went out in 20th. Ouch!
However, there were many positives about this trip and finishing two out of the money is the only negative I can think of. Postives are: (1) I beat 90% of the field; (2) it was only my 2nd limit tournament ever and I made a great effort (and a great comeback after about 6 hours of play when severely short stacked); (3) I beat "triple gutter" - ha! (although he made a good showing himself, going out about 45th I think; (4) I had "Oklahoma Johnny Hale" as a table mate for most of the tournament and he was great fun to play with; (5) I enjoyed a very good Mexican dinner for free; and (6) I made a PROFIT of $250 on the slot machines playing only $20 to begin with so my entire trip netted me about $65 after tournament entry and gasoline. Not too bad. I had a great time and I'm looking forward to November!
However, there were many positives about this trip and finishing two out of the money is the only negative I can think of. Postives are: (1) I beat 90% of the field; (2) it was only my 2nd limit tournament ever and I made a great effort (and a great comeback after about 6 hours of play when severely short stacked); (3) I beat "triple gutter" - ha! (although he made a good showing himself, going out about 45th I think; (4) I had "Oklahoma Johnny Hale" as a table mate for most of the tournament and he was great fun to play with; (5) I enjoyed a very good Mexican dinner for free; and (6) I made a PROFIT of $250 on the slot machines playing only $20 to begin with so my entire trip netted me about $65 after tournament entry and gasoline. Not too bad. I had a great time and I'm looking forward to November!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Fifteen Tournaments in 13 Days
OK, I'm officially insane as you can tell by the title of this post. Yes, it is absolutely true. Some of those 13 days had two or three tournaments. The good part is that I have cashed in about 40% of them, which is what allows me to keep playing so darned many of the stupid things.
I have finally decided that I am my own worst enemy . . . it took me a while to figure that out didn't it? Anyway, I am going to try really hard not to blame anyone but myself for not cashing in a tournament from now on. I did take second place at the Moose on Sunday and played head's up with Frank (no longer "Woodstock") for about 20-30 minutes. That was fun. I will be playing in the 15th tournament tonight. I might play the deep stack tomorrow at The Island. Then there is the $30 with $500 added tournament on Thursday. I'm off to Pendleton for the limit tournament on Friday and MAYBE another no-limit tourney on Saturday. We will see how Friday goes.
I am bound and determined to make a final table in Pendleton . . . wish me lots of luck!!
I have finally decided that I am my own worst enemy . . . it took me a while to figure that out didn't it? Anyway, I am going to try really hard not to blame anyone but myself for not cashing in a tournament from now on. I did take second place at the Moose on Sunday and played head's up with Frank (no longer "Woodstock") for about 20-30 minutes. That was fun. I will be playing in the 15th tournament tonight. I might play the deep stack tomorrow at The Island. Then there is the $30 with $500 added tournament on Thursday. I'm off to Pendleton for the limit tournament on Friday and MAYBE another no-limit tourney on Saturday. We will see how Friday goes.
I am bound and determined to make a final table in Pendleton . . . wish me lots of luck!!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
The Good: Mostly, I am playing well and doing OK. I took 2nd place at the free ladies-only tournament at The Island last Thursday; 4th place at the 10:00 a.m. Crazy Moose tournment last Saturday; went out on the bubble (bummer) at Jokers on the same day; took 3rd place at the Cable Bridge on Sunday; and 2nd place (als0 at the Cable) on Monday.
The Bad #1: The Tournament of Champions (Cable Bridge) sucked. I got no traction and only outlasted 2 tables. I must have seen J-2 offsuit thirteen times in the first hour. GAK!!
The Ugly: My reading ability seems to have suddenly gone south and I made a TERRIBLE call during the Tuesday night deep stack tournament at the Island. There were about 4 limpers, so I raised to $250 in the small blind with A-K of spades. Blinds were 50-100. Everyone called, which didn't really surprise me because it was early. The flop was A-3-3 with 2 hearts. Everyone check to me and I bet $800 with top pair top kicker. Two folds - two calls.
The turn brought a 10 of diamonds. The two remaining guys checked to me again. I bet $3,000. One guy folded after a long thought process and the other guy called after another long thought process. (I found out later it was an Oscar-worthy performance.) The river brought the queen of diamonds and my remaining opponent IMMEDIATELY went all-in.
This stopped me dead in my tracks with shock and surprise. It was my turn for the long thought process. My first instinct told me that he was bluffing because he had moved all-in so fast. My next thought was that he had been on the nut heart draw with the king-jack of hearts and the queen of diamonds had given him a straight, but then I thought, "Would he really call $3,000 on this draw?" He might. Never once did I put him on a three. Even though I had won a few earlier pots and I would not go broke, I was only into this pot a little over $4,000 and I should NEVER have called under any circumstances unless I had the nuts. NEVER. I did call and he had quad threes. OUCH!!!!! I only had about $2,200 left after that fiasco.
I made a terrific comeback and lasted well over another hour after the dinner break, but eventually got knocked out by the same guy. This time he limped with pocket aces for God's sake. I had A-K with the ace of clubs. The flop was K-J-3 and I pushed all-in after it was checked to me. Pocket aces actually thought for a little while because he kept talking about how he thought I had K-J and had flopped 2 pair, but it was only $5,300 more to him and he had a monster chip stack and he called. I was amazed to see the rockets mainly because 99% of the time people do not limp with them. Anyway, I had hope with another club on the turn, but I got knocked out. It was a very disappointing performance on my part. At least I got the $65 dinner - :)
The Bad #1: The Tournament of Champions (Cable Bridge) sucked. I got no traction and only outlasted 2 tables. I must have seen J-2 offsuit thirteen times in the first hour. GAK!!
The Ugly: My reading ability seems to have suddenly gone south and I made a TERRIBLE call during the Tuesday night deep stack tournament at the Island. There were about 4 limpers, so I raised to $250 in the small blind with A-K of spades. Blinds were 50-100. Everyone called, which didn't really surprise me because it was early. The flop was A-3-3 with 2 hearts. Everyone check to me and I bet $800 with top pair top kicker. Two folds - two calls.
The turn brought a 10 of diamonds. The two remaining guys checked to me again. I bet $3,000. One guy folded after a long thought process and the other guy called after another long thought process. (I found out later it was an Oscar-worthy performance.) The river brought the queen of diamonds and my remaining opponent IMMEDIATELY went all-in.
This stopped me dead in my tracks with shock and surprise. It was my turn for the long thought process. My first instinct told me that he was bluffing because he had moved all-in so fast. My next thought was that he had been on the nut heart draw with the king-jack of hearts and the queen of diamonds had given him a straight, but then I thought, "Would he really call $3,000 on this draw?" He might. Never once did I put him on a three. Even though I had won a few earlier pots and I would not go broke, I was only into this pot a little over $4,000 and I should NEVER have called under any circumstances unless I had the nuts. NEVER. I did call and he had quad threes. OUCH!!!!! I only had about $2,200 left after that fiasco.
I made a terrific comeback and lasted well over another hour after the dinner break, but eventually got knocked out by the same guy. This time he limped with pocket aces for God's sake. I had A-K with the ace of clubs. The flop was K-J-3 and I pushed all-in after it was checked to me. Pocket aces actually thought for a little while because he kept talking about how he thought I had K-J and had flopped 2 pair, but it was only $5,300 more to him and he had a monster chip stack and he called. I was amazed to see the rockets mainly because 99% of the time people do not limp with them. Anyway, I had hope with another club on the turn, but I got knocked out. It was a very disappointing performance on my part. At least I got the $65 dinner - :)
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Being Unlucky is NOT Fun!
I had my great roll, so I suppose I'm due for a few crappy beats, but I still do not like it one little bit.
Sunday night I had about 3200 chips with the blinds at 100-200 and the break coming up in about 5 minutes. The blinds would then be 200-400, so I would only have about 8 times the big blind. I had taken a few smaller pots and had been playing well and folding a lot. I was on the button when I saw the pocket kings - one heart and one diamond. Yippee! There was already $1100 in the pot (300 blinds and 4 limpers @ 200 each). I did not want any of them who might have an ace to call me so I made a raise to 1000, which was almost one-third of my chips.
The small blind (and massive chip leader) did the scary double-raise thing, making it 2000 to go. Everyone folded back to me. I simply went all-in. It was the right move. My woman's intuition told me I had the best hand and I was right. He groaned quite loudly when he saw my kings and he turned over pocket queens - one spade and one club. However, his tune changed when he hit running spades and knocked me out with a flush on the river. Ouch! He said, "I was hoping you had A-K". I quite honestly told him that I would never put my tournament on the line with that piece of limburger. He was appropriately chastised. :) Anyway . . . so it goes.
Last night I was absolutely card dead for one entire hour and had only entered 2 pots, once with K-J and once with K-10, which were the best cards I had seen. I had to eject both hands immediately after crummy flops. I finally had my chance when there were again 4 or 5 limpers and I looked down to see A-8 in the small blind. I had only 1200 left and it went in the middle. Everyone folded except A-5 suited in hearts and, yes, you guessed it - running hearts and I was flushed again. Good grief.
My only consolation is that I was patient and played well and went all-in with the best hand both times. There's not much else I can do except get lucky "one time"!!
Sunday night I had about 3200 chips with the blinds at 100-200 and the break coming up in about 5 minutes. The blinds would then be 200-400, so I would only have about 8 times the big blind. I had taken a few smaller pots and had been playing well and folding a lot. I was on the button when I saw the pocket kings - one heart and one diamond. Yippee! There was already $1100 in the pot (300 blinds and 4 limpers @ 200 each). I did not want any of them who might have an ace to call me so I made a raise to 1000, which was almost one-third of my chips.
The small blind (and massive chip leader) did the scary double-raise thing, making it 2000 to go. Everyone folded back to me. I simply went all-in. It was the right move. My woman's intuition told me I had the best hand and I was right. He groaned quite loudly when he saw my kings and he turned over pocket queens - one spade and one club. However, his tune changed when he hit running spades and knocked me out with a flush on the river. Ouch! He said, "I was hoping you had A-K". I quite honestly told him that I would never put my tournament on the line with that piece of limburger. He was appropriately chastised. :) Anyway . . . so it goes.
Last night I was absolutely card dead for one entire hour and had only entered 2 pots, once with K-J and once with K-10, which were the best cards I had seen. I had to eject both hands immediately after crummy flops. I finally had my chance when there were again 4 or 5 limpers and I looked down to see A-8 in the small blind. I had only 1200 left and it went in the middle. Everyone folded except A-5 suited in hearts and, yes, you guessed it - running hearts and I was flushed again. Good grief.
My only consolation is that I was patient and played well and went all-in with the best hand both times. There's not much else I can do except get lucky "one time"!!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
I Must Be Doing Something Right
I took 2nd last night at the Cable Bridge, which was good for $200 (only a $15 tournament, so not a bad profit). I only had $2700 coming back from the first break with blinds of 200-400. I got up to over 12,000 very quickly. I even knocked out 2 players while holding 2-2. Good grief. Then I made a bonehead move when I check-raised a guy with a paired board and I was holding the nut flush. He had a full house. OUCH!
After that fiasco I tightened up considerably and was almost out until I picked up the rockets in the big blind. I said, "Oh, darn" and called two all-ins and my hand held up - yeah!! I could have split with the eventual winner and picked up an extra $50, but I really like head's up practice and that's just the way it goes. As usual, I went in with the best hand (A-10 of spades) and got beat (8-7 offsuit). Oh well! :)
After that fiasco I tightened up considerably and was almost out until I picked up the rockets in the big blind. I said, "Oh, darn" and called two all-ins and my hand held up - yeah!! I could have split with the eventual winner and picked up an extra $50, but I really like head's up practice and that's just the way it goes. As usual, I went in with the best hand (A-10 of spades) and got beat (8-7 offsuit). Oh well! :)
Thursday, June 18, 2009
I Am Semi-Famous :)
I wrote an email to poker professional Susie Isaacs after reading her book "Queens Can Beat Kings". She actually wrote me back and now my email is on her blog. You should check it out. Her blog address is www.susieisaacs.blogspot.com. What a thrill! Right under it is a fun post she wrote about splitting prize money. Kids these days.
I was on such a roll, but I got sort of stupid on Tuesday. I decided to play one of those dumb free rolls they have at the Crazy Moose because you can qualify for a super satellite to play each and every tournament at the Fall Poker Roundup in Pendleton. Before the tournament, I did very well in the 3-6 game, earning $140 profit between 5:30 and 8:00. The tournament was the fiasco I thought it would be and I was out fairly early when my pocket 7s got beat by a set of 5s on the river. Ouch. None of this was too awful, but then instead of going home (as I knew I should have) I went over to the Cable Bridge to try the $2-$40 spread game for the first time at that establishment.
I played well but never really had a profit of more than $40 and I think I was a little under my initial $200 buy-in. I was just about ready to go home and decided to limp in with pocket twos. The flop was 9-3-2 with two hearts. Sweet. I was playing with Sam (young tattooed kid, very nice) and Frank (used to be "Woodstock" until the hair cut). I was first to act and I actually bet $7. Sam raised to $17. Frank re-raised to $37. Red flags should have gone up, but they didn't. I just knew I had the best hand. I put Sam on a flush draw and Frank on an over-pair. In hindsight this was wishful thinking on my part. All I did was call the re-raise.
The turn brought a blank. I checked. Sam checked. Frank bet $40. I raised to $80. Sam folded. Frank re-raised and by that time I only had $3 left and it all went in. He had a set of threes . . . cry . . . sob . . . moan . . . good-bye. I had fun though and I guess I really should have known he had a hand like this, but it surprises me that he was so aggressive with it after I re-raised him on the flop because I could easily have had a set of 9s. Oh, well. Better luck next time.
I was on such a roll, but I got sort of stupid on Tuesday. I decided to play one of those dumb free rolls they have at the Crazy Moose because you can qualify for a super satellite to play each and every tournament at the Fall Poker Roundup in Pendleton. Before the tournament, I did very well in the 3-6 game, earning $140 profit between 5:30 and 8:00. The tournament was the fiasco I thought it would be and I was out fairly early when my pocket 7s got beat by a set of 5s on the river. Ouch. None of this was too awful, but then instead of going home (as I knew I should have) I went over to the Cable Bridge to try the $2-$40 spread game for the first time at that establishment.
I played well but never really had a profit of more than $40 and I think I was a little under my initial $200 buy-in. I was just about ready to go home and decided to limp in with pocket twos. The flop was 9-3-2 with two hearts. Sweet. I was playing with Sam (young tattooed kid, very nice) and Frank (used to be "Woodstock" until the hair cut). I was first to act and I actually bet $7. Sam raised to $17. Frank re-raised to $37. Red flags should have gone up, but they didn't. I just knew I had the best hand. I put Sam on a flush draw and Frank on an over-pair. In hindsight this was wishful thinking on my part. All I did was call the re-raise.
The turn brought a blank. I checked. Sam checked. Frank bet $40. I raised to $80. Sam folded. Frank re-raised and by that time I only had $3 left and it all went in. He had a set of threes . . . cry . . . sob . . . moan . . . good-bye. I had fun though and I guess I really should have known he had a hand like this, but it surprises me that he was so aggressive with it after I re-raised him on the flop because I could easily have had a set of 9s. Oh, well. Better luck next time.
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