As some of you know, I am playing in a 200 dollar buyin with the max of 200 people playing. Top 10% payout and the winner has a choice of 5,000 visa card or a WSOP seat. I am very much looking forward to it, wish me luck just hoping not to be unlucky as in my last post. Just to play the way I know how to, and make my moves late is the plan. Send me some love I am about to leave to play in it. The tournament starts at 4pm and I am going to see my grandparents before they live in Hood River where the tournament is being held. Stay tuned on how I do and my response on the pocket Jacks post make sure you read it the more comments the better.

Cash Game

Hey everyone this weekend was filled with quite a bit of play. Friday I learned about a charity Oregon Crusaders tournament. At the cash game I told Kalib if he wants to go and he accepted. Didn't do well in the cash game just got card dead and it didn't work out to well with a loss of 40.

Oregon Crusaders Tournament

Going into the tournament, I just wanted a good showing and most important get off to a good start. Most likely playing with calling stations and don't know what I know at later stages of tournaments. With the blinds starting out at 25/50 and increase every 20 minutes, I knew I couldn't afford to go card dead in the beginning and that is what exactly happened. I increased my starting amount of 5,000 about 550 when I was in the big blind at the 100/200 level. I look down at the button raises the minimum which is weak in my book, I re raise and made it 1,400 to go he quick called, The flop came out which I thought was enough to win a nice pot that was critical to me at this stage. I moved all in immediately for around 3,500 he quick calls and shows and I didn't catch up. I f ing couldn't believe it!! he just couldn't lay it down!! I told Kalib earlier that day if you don't get unlucky then you can have a good showing. I just so happened to get unlucky, and was knocked out 3rd to last when I am better than at least 75% of the field very frustrating to say the least.

3rd Tournament of the VPT

Fresh off of watching the very dramatic final table with Kalib winning. I found my way to our league tourny in the beginning I picked up and re raised Jonas on his raise he said "I am best here" but he didn't call which disappointed me. I picked up smaller pots in the early stages, then started playing loose by raising with catching a 9 on the flop then lead out on the flop and took it down. I noticed that Addison was feeling like shit, and really just wanted to leave I called his raise out of the BB with and flopped an Ace. I then called his all in and took it down which gave me the chip lead. Soon after Matt was knocked out in 4th and I knocked Kalib out with cause it was not much more to me and my Q high held up lol.

Heads Up

It came down to Jonas and I heads up. It was a good match and I was running late to a party and wanted to get this over with fast. I ended up getting out flopped with Jonas hitting with beating my I received 2nd for the 2nd week in a row. I made little profit but most important is the points that I received.

Recap

I am upset about the big tournament and getting card dead in the cash game. but that is how the game goes. I will be back for more. Again congratulations to Kalib for winning the 1,000 dollar 1st place prize well deserved. I am playing in a tournament tonight so wish me luck.

Intro

Here we are another post of the league after the 1st two tournaments a little bit disappointed about the turnouts so far. I figured with the new rule changes, we would get better turnouts granted there are 10 more to go but still, a little surprised. Thank you to Justin for hosting on Saturday nice table and a nice place to play in. The early going was dull I was just watching Addison taking down pots with mainly inferior hands.

Mini Rush

After being card dead I hit a set with and checked the flop and turn and managed to get a call on my bet on the river which was my purpose on the hand. The next hand I pick up I flopped top pair and a flush draw and checked intending to check raise. I turned the flush which was pretty much unbeatable, at this point so there is no harm in checking to give a free card. There is pretty much next to nothing that hurts you. It ended up working I managed to get a 400-chip call on the river.

Stretch Run

I was getting card dead and just sitting back and watching Addison eliminate the table. Until, him and I was playing heads up. I was about a 5-1 chip disadvantage and getting frustrated. Whatever move I tried to make it just backfired, I stole only two pots and when I would raise pre flop and bet on the flop. I would get re raised all in, I felt handcuffed finally I called his all in with half of what I started with going into the heads up match. With he had Ace high and took it down.

Food for Thought

I was glad to get 2nd place made a small profit only because there was 6 players. I did well in the cash game and the bankroll is just under 1,200. Now I am just waiting for that time to get my poker fix in at the casino. I am just so tired of the same thing at La Center but to lazy to drive about 2 hours to Spirit Mountain. I am kinda stuck, I don"t like the online scene so I really am just kinda waiting on how I want to increase the roll faster. Please give feedback play well and may all your pots be monster.

Hey everyone, sorry I haven't posted anything in a few weeks. Now with the league back up I will be back posting at least once a week. Here we are back to the season that started on Saturday night, I am sporting my champion shirt. With the new rule changes in place it will be fixin for a great season.

Steam Train from the Start

With the blinds starting at 25/50 I was running hot. I called a minimum raise with and ended up flopping top 2 pair. After a bet on the flop I raised an extra 2,000 in the process, Chris moved all in and I beat his . Soon after I turned trips with I also flopped a set of 8's and did a Hollywood job to win a nice pot of Kalib. With those wins I was commanding chip leader after just the first 18 minutes.

Pocket Aces

Soon after the blinds were raised to 50/100 I pick up . I just min raised it to see what happens and I get re min raised so I pushed back with a 600 raise on top and she called. The flop brought out I bet out 700 about a 1/3 of the pot she called. The turn was a which put out a potential straight and flush draws on board. She checks I was thinking if I bet and get check raised I can't call an all in. Most of the time when women play they are tight and solid. I am thinking I could be up against a set or maybe even an 8 so I checked to save some money. The river brought out a which I thought was a meaning less card. But, I really don't have an idea what she has after she checked I thought about either a big bet or a value bet. I only bet a 1,000 to get a feel on where she is at and she pushes all in for 5,800 more. If I called and lost I would been left with just under 2,000 after she pushed I was pretty much convinced that I was for sure beat by a set. I ended up folding in disappointment I have no idea why I didn't take the lead on either the turn or pre flop. That should be a lesson learned to not screw around and trying to get the most chips out of her at the end. I should of just got what I could out of the hand.

Bad Luck

After that disaster I pushed all in on a couple of hands with no callers I was close to the chip lead. I picked up and made it 1,000 to go with the blinds at 200/400 Kalib out of the big blind calls the flop brought out I bet out 700 Kalib thinks about it for a moment and re raises all in about 4,000 more I called pretty quickly. He shows catches the giving him the lead with 2 pair but it gave me straight flush draws then missed on the river. Soon after I was knocked out in 4th place.

Food for Thought

Looking back on the night I felt like I made a good lay down with Aces. But, I shouldn't of put myself in that situation to begin with. I should of taken control of the hand on the flop but you live and learn best to give it a try next week and see what happens. Until next time play well and may your pots be monster.

• Date: March 20th
• Location: La Center, WA
• Game: 4-40 spread limit

As some of you know I didn't end up going to Vegas. Much to my disappointment to say the least, I went to La Center on Thursday night for some 4-40 action. I ended up being at a new table with some familiar faces sitting with me. I ended up winning the very 1st pot that is delt with. After flopping an Ace I was up a quick 60 bucks, then the house of pain came my way.

Jack Nine

After seeing bad cards for quite a bit. I pick up my favorite hand on the button and just limp in, 3 way action to the flop. Flop came not a particularly good flop so it was checked around. The turn brought what ultimately was the worst card for me to see, the giving me trips with a fair kicker. The big blind bets out 12 I just call to set him up to the river. This would of worked out very well especially if he has a queen. The river brings out a meaningless he bet's out 25 I am thinking how much can I raise for him to call after deliberation I put out 30 on top to make it 55 to go. After deliberation he calls and shows . Much to my shock and dismay of giving up quite a bit of money on the hand. I looked at the hand as I played it very well actually, he wasn't going anywhere once that 2nd Jack hit the turn. It was good on my part to just call in that spot and not to lose anymore money on the turn. He just hit his lucky 3 outer and there was nothing I can do. That raise would of been perfect if it was any other card besides the 2,4 or a Q and my session would of steered in the right direction.

Food for Thought

After losing another 40 bucks on flopping trip aces with and my foe had AQ. Soon after I got up after looking at bad cards for awhile and was frustrated on how I just can't get it together at La Center. For some reason I can only win like 1 ok sized pot, then proceed to not hit a draw to save my life and never set with my pocket pairs. With this 185 dollar set back, I am almost back to where I was after Palm Springs. With just over 1,100 and most likely not hitting La Center up anytime soon with league starting 2 weeks from tonight. Wish me luck I have been on the decline lately. With my big end of season win just 3 weeks ago that money I won is already gone how disappointing stay tuned for my next post and may all your pots be monster.

Summary of the last Month

Well here I am 1 week before I step into the jungle that is Vegas. With my B day coming up on Saturday I think I am going to shut it down before I go on the trip. With positive results in the last month I can't complain on where I wanted my bankroll to be at. I was going into my Palm Springs trip just wanting to win a little and have about a grand, to bring for the trip the next month. With my Poker Pro experience ( In a previous post) and how positive that was it felt like a shot in the arm. Then with the freeroll tournament upon which I thought I played very well to win that hard tournament I am very happy with what I will have together. Even with a small set back on Tuesday, nothing can take away of my swing upwards before my big trip.

My Play

Now, when I will be playing 1/2 NL and will be looking to pick for my spots. Just be patient I don't think I need to be in a hurry even If I win a little at a time that is still a victory. The goal is not to leave the trip with my bankroll on life support. I would rather see a gradual increase rather than up's and downs. But you can't control that to a certain point. Sometimes you know it is right to be in a big pot with and even if you lose. You have to be walking away thinking "that I played the hand right" instead of "Why did I call that all in bet pre flop with . Regardless of what happens, I have played enough late night sessions to think clearly at 2am. I have been in the situations where I can make good judgments based on my information on the hand being played. I will just have the cards do the talking and see what happens stay tuned for my post when I comeback on the 24th play well and may all your pots be monster.

VPT Season 2

The start of season 2 for the VPT is coming up in a few weeks if you have not logged on to the site. Check your junk or inbox for your login and password also send me or tell me your email address so you can login. The rules of our league is posted now so if you are a 1st time user and you have discussed even briefly with me about the league (Complete strangers not welcome) contact me as the league adminstrator.

• Date: January 10th
• Location: La Center, WA
• Game: 4-40 spread limit

After a month and a half break, I found myself playing at La Center once again. After a new table was created, within the 1st fifteen hands I pick up . Everybody folds to me in the small blind and I make it 12 dollars to go. The big blind calls the flop came out . I bet 12, guy calls, the turn comes out a - that is a terrible card. I bet anyway, just to see if that helped him. He raised and I folded. He showed me - just as I figured, Aces get cracked by T7. Within 10 hands later I pick up , make it 12 to go preflop, and get one caller. The flop is with no flush draws. That gives me the absolute nuts, I check the flop. The turn is a , guy checks, and I bet 20 (about half the pot) and he folds. So I am just thinking "man, what bad luck". Soon after I pick up again under the gun, make it 17 to go, and NOBODY CALLED! Damn this game sometimes! Once again I pick up , make it 15 to go, and got two callers. The flop came out . I bet out 12 to test the waters I get raised to 24, after deciding for a bit I make it 64 to go, and he called. So now I think that my hand is not that great but let's see what the turn comes out. The turn is a , he checks, I bet 40 and he folds. I was puzzled on what he had. So after all of that I pretty much broke even on having AA and KK twice in an hours' time. At the end of the posting I will tell you about me folding to a all in and go in depth on why I dropped it pre flop.

Queen Ten Of Diamonds

Soon after that AQ decision, I get on the button, just coming off the hand before with when I turned an open ended straight and a flush draw and didn't hit either. I limp into a 6 way pot the flop comes out two diamonds. All I am thinking is what a monster flop, damn. Someone bets 10 and there was 2 callers including me. The turn gives me the nuts with an of spades - the best card in the deck. Everyone checks to me, I bet 15 into like a 70 pot, I did that because I wanted to see the river and really make my move then. I got 1 caller - just what I wanted the river came out an - a very good card. He bets 25 out there, I took my time and deciding how much I wanted to raise and how much my opponent will call. I decided a 30 dollar raise is a good number he calls and shows two pair Aces and eights. I was very glad to win that pot - a very good confidence builder.

Ace Ten

After losing some small pots calling small raises preflop and not hitting anything and long string of bad cards (of about an hour) I pick up in middle position, I decided this would be a hand to break out of my shell and raise. I make it 15 to go, the button calls (a player which I bluffed really bad earlier). The flop comes out , I am thinking jackpot! I am destroying AK or AQ and if he just calls on the flop it is pretty easy to put him on a flush draw. He checks, I bet out 15 and he calls, so that is an indicator of a flush draw. A hits on the turn - to me a meaningless card. he checks again, I bet out 30 this time, and he calls again. The river comes out a 5 of hearts. That tells me that he missed his flush draw and I am still destroying AK AQ. He checks once again now I think he is just giving up on the hand. I bet the max 40, he raises 40, I sit back in my chair, just stunned by this turn of events. I couldn't fold - too much money in the pot to give the hand up, he could have three 7s, but that is the only realistic hand that could beat me of what I was thinking. I called cause I couldn't fold and he turns over WOW!!! He had a monster flop of his own with an open ended straight flush draw - that is huge - a ton of outs against me and my hand.

Analysis on why I dropped Ace Queen

Getting back to that hand. It was early in my session, I raised it to 15 dollars and had someone who re raised 40 and only had 11 on top of that. Now what I was looking at was: I am already down 50 bucks, do I really want to risk most of my stack on a coin flip? After consideration that is what I put him on. I decided that with my bankroll I really couldn't afford to put most of my buy in at risk on a coin flip. Now, If I had a big bankroll, then you would just play the odds and it is an easier call. But you have to look at it in the perspective of how big your bankroll is, because that should dictate how your really able to play big pots.

Come back next week and read about my journey into bankroll supremacy someday. The roll is at 700 on the decline so I will have to regroup. Play well and may all your pots be monster.