Indiana

I played the $5,000 buy-in World Series Circuit Event yesterday in southern Indiana. In short, I was rarely over the starting $10k stack. I only played a few hands of note :

A tightish player opened for 175 at the 25/50 level and I defended my BB with J8o. The flop was QT9 two spades and I check raised his 400 continuation bet to 1100. He quickly called. The turn was a terrible J and it went check/check. The river was a small spade and I made a smallish bet and he folded. I really thought that if the turn blanks here I win a really big pot.

A while later, I have around 7200 chips - an early position player makes it 300 at the 50/100 level. I call with red fives and the button and blinds call. The flop is 863 two spades and its checked to me. With only one other person yet to act, and the preflop raiser showing weakness I decided to bet 1100. The button looked like he thought about raising but just called. I was pretty much done with the hand when the 2s came on the turn, but it went check/check. The river was another spade and I decided to bluff 1800 at the pot. I could easily have bet the flop with two big spades and checked the turn to slow play it - and I would bet about half pot if I wanted to get a call from a smaller flush on the river. My opponent thought for a bit and finally called with 54 with the 4 of spades. I was a little surprised he looked me up in this spot - in truth I wasn't sure if I had the 5s - it would have been funny if I bet with the 5s there and got called by a worse hand. I have slight regrets about betting this flop as I probably don't win the pot here often enough... but when you have 1500 in the pot and its checked to you its tough not to pull the trigger.

Now I was down to 4400 - I had 4475 at the beginning of the 100/200/25 level. It was really brutal after that, I folded every hand until I was down to 2450. Scott Fischman opened for 600 and I pushed in behind him with AKo. Finding AKo in that spot felt like the stone cold nuts and I was happy the pot was opened before me. But when Scott insta-calls and shows AA I'm sent to the rail. So frustrating to stay so patient, wait for a big hand, then get totally coolered anyway.

I'll be off to the Bellagio last next week or early the following week for some prelim events before the $25,000 buy in World Poker Tour Championship (that I'll be playing for the first time).