Borgata

I apologize for the lack of updates...

On Monday I made the trip out to the Borgata in Atlantic City for the last two of the preliminary events as well as the $10,000 WPT event that starts on Friday.

Tuesday was the $2500NL and I drew a starting table that included Scott Fischman. I had a tough hand early when I got a free look in the big blind with A3o and the flop came A43. I bet out into the field of preflop limpers, the UTG player called and then the SB basically min raised me. I was really stuck in a weird spot here, because generally I think three betting the flop will only get rid of hands I crush, but I think folding is a bit weak. Anyway, when I just called and the 4 came off on the turn it made my decision easier.

I had about 8500 (we started with 10k) when my final hand came up. At the 50-100 level, two players limped to me and i limped behind with 8h9h, there was another limper and then the button made a somewhat strange raise to only 400 - everyone called. There was no 2000 in the pot and the flop came down K94 two hearts and it was checked to the preflop raiser on the button. He bet 1600, the under the gun limper called, and I decided that even if the under the gun player had bigger hearts I thought this was a good spot to semi-bluff all in. I really put the button on AK or AA and I thought they would both fold and I would pick up a nice pot. The button ended up calling with a set of 9's and the under the gun player indeed fold a bigger heart draw and I missed my flush draw and that was it.

Note : Congrats to Joey Brooks (JOEYTHEB online) for winning the $2500nl and besting a very tough field.

On Wednesday I played the $5,000 buy-in. At my table were familiar faces JohnnyBax, Gavin Smith and Nick Schulman. I finally got to witness Gavin's game from the first level of a tournament and let me tell you its impressive. He accumulated a huge stack in the first four levels and really only got his money in bad once when he outdrew and busted Nick. Meanwhile, I took a lot of flops and never really got anywhere. I lost a small pot to Bax with KT vs AT on a T9223 board - at the first break I think I had $13k (we started with $15k) and when I got back things didn't get any better. In the third and fourth levels I played (and lost) 3 key hands. In a limped pot, I flop bottom two pair with 56 on a 567 board, I bet the pot and get one caller. The turn is a 7 and he leads into me and I fold. I flop a flush with 7s6s on a Ts9s2s board, I bet into a huge field and get one caller who is loose/bad. The turn is the Tc and I bet again and he calls. The river is the As and I check and he jams for my last 7500, I eventually fold. A fairly tight player opens for 450, I make it 1300 with QQ, leaving myself 3500 or so, he calls fairly quickly preflop and when the flop comes AT8 he bets into me and I fold. I hate giving up so easily here but I really have no chips to blow him off the best hand, calling him down will cost me my whole stack, and I really thought this guy would simply bet out with the ace.

Finally I doubled up when I pushed overtop of a bunch of limpers with AJs and got called by KJ. Then in the fifth level (200/400/50) I received no hands and blinded off from 6000 to 4700 when I again pushed over a bunch of limpers with ATs and got looked up by Gavin's KQ- the board came KJxxK and IGHN. (Can't I ever win a meaningful 60/40 vs Gavin? Oh wait...)

As much as I'm looking forward to the $10k buy in on Friday - I sure hope I play better and run better. It seems that I haven't even had a chance in these first two tourneys, I've been below starting chips almost immediately.

I did have an amazing day online after busting from the $2500NL, winning about $15,000 in the 10/20nl game. I gave a little of that back last night but still, its been a winning month overall which feels good.