So far in 2014 my longest streak without a tournament cash has been five events, or rather it had been until I failed to cash in 11 straight events these last 2 months.
Looking at my sparse notes, it's clear that I played OK and ran fairly terrible; never a good combination.
Hollywood Park has recently changed the buy-in and format for their afternoon tournaments. They are now at 7pm instead of 530, and the buy in shifted from a 50/30 to a 60/60 (meaning initial buy-in and one time only rebuy/add-on).
I have partaken in this event 6 times since the change - it makes it a lot easier for me to get there on the weekend, as I can spend all day with my kid and wife and they're tuckered out by then (or the kid has plans like a sleepover). I also like that the buy in is a bit higher, the prize pool is up just a few ticks and it's so much better to scoop up $300 or more for a min-cash than merely $100 or so.
So anyways, I didn't cash and I didn't cash and then finally, Saturday night - I cashed! I finished 6th of 60 runners for $400, a $280 profit after being in for $120. Very happy to book a win and I have to say I was very happy with my play and my demeanor.
I've really ramped up my energy lately at the table and my willingness to engage in small talk and silly things. No doubt many, perhaps most, really hate it; but I'm never overbearing or presumptive. I just like being social and besides making it more fun I think it really has an added benefit; when I'm engaging (and I'm never sarcastic or disparaging) I exude quite a bit of confidence at the table. I'm very cautious about not crossing the line to cocky. When I simply concentrate on having fun and make sure not to step on any toes - and I've found that the very good poker player comes out in me more often than not.
My exuberance says "There's nowhere else I'd rather be right now." And it also says "I've been playing this game for a long time, but I still love it and absolutely no one here is anywhere near intimidating to me." I think for me, this outward enjoyment and confidence is absolutely key to my no limit hold-em tournament game plan. It is a friendly way of telling myself and alerting the table that, yes, I'm damn good and I know it and let's have fun.
I did have more than a few "Neo sees the Matrix" moments Saturday night, I can barely remember any difficult decisions or missteps. I was fairly card dead throughout the tournament but still managed to accumulate. About 3 1/2 hours in I had found myself with a biggish stack because I had 3 bet shoved my 25 big stack with JJ and gotten called by A10 and 42. Yes, 42. It was an interesting fellow who for some reason called every bet I ever made in the tournament, until I busted him. So there I was for another hour or so with a nice big stack until I stumbled on this hand...
9 handed, about 40 bigs, avg stack a bit below that. With A7os in the cutoff I raised 5x after the passive rock on my right had limped for the umpteenth time. The SB who was the chip leader (and had me well covered) defended and it folded back around, we went heads up to the rainbow flop - KQ7. He checked and I stupidly checked behind. A blank rolled off and he checked again; I fired a smallish c-bet a bit less than half the pot, he called. The river was meaningless and he cut out a 2/3 pot sized bet and slid it in.
Sigh. Tough decision that I made far too quickly. He was a good player, I knew this. He had defended his blinds a lot, but he hadn't been wielding his stack as much as I expected so far... All signs that I should let this hand go. Alas, I called and he had slow played top pair good kicker. He gave me a pretty good price to call with my minimal show down value, but I really should find a fold there.
I'm not crazy about my delayed c-bet in this instance; they don't work nearly well enough or often enough against experienced players. I should have been a man and c-bet the flop and then check folded the turn and river unless I improved. Bah. This hand brought me down from one of the bigger stacks to a shortish stack, 20 or so bigs.
The good news was, I was nowhere near crippled - and there were plenty of soft targets for me to still pillage.
Just remembered another good one with the same fellow; this one happened after I had stumbled and crawled back a bit, up to 25 bigs or so. I raised from the high jack with a middling ace of hearts - and yes, he defended his big blind. The flop was a dream, a gut shot broadway that was all hearts. Any heart or any 10 would give me juevos rancheros. He checked, this time I c-bet the flop and he called. A gorgeous black 10 rolled off on the turn. He lead out! I was free rolling to the nuts, and I had seen him semi-bluff before, so I just called. The river was low blank. He again bet about half the pot. I pondered if I had enough behind to raise sensibly, for value or to get him to call; it seemed like I was a little short for that, so I stuck it in.
He was getting about 3 to 1, and he tanked, and he... folded. Suck.
Still a nice pot; but my head spun a bit, wondering what the eff he was firing with and what he wouldn't call with when he had called light several times before against other players. He must have had a draw that missed, maybe 2 pair - but if he had that I think he would've called. He actually said during his tank mumbling "You hit your gutshot?" Yeah dude, but I reeeally wish a heart had spiked the river - then all your chippies haz belong to me.
Anyways, as the tournament wore on, he revealed himself to not be as good as I had first deduced. He made an absolutely HORRIFIC call against an other big stack with one card to come, he was drawing dead to 11 outs which of course hit. He would later unnecessarily piss his chips away at the final table.
So with my thoughtful jamming, and a bit of luck I found myself short stacked at the aforementioned final table. Thankfully, some other players had a plane to catch and proceeded to get their chips in light over and over again, including my buddy, he of the "looks good but isn't that good" gang that I have tangled with over the years.
Before I new it, it was 6 handed and there was one overwhelming chip-leader. He took a pretty good hit a few hands in, and though he was still the chip leader afterwards he suggested a chip chop which the rest of us happily agreed to. 6th place paid $230, but thanks to the ICM calculator I took home $400. Sweet!
I'm posting this now, because it feels good to book a win and write about it - but I also have poker on my mind as another Vegas bender is imminent. This time it's labor day weekend - wife and kid have another Girl Scout event on Saturday - and I'm very excited to be playing in what looks to be an outstanding poker series for the fun-seeking but passionate recreational tournament player that I am.
Bally's in Vegas is hosting this, a super low buy in six tournament 3 day series which includes a 20K guarantee main event. No doubt it will have an overlay (there room isn't big enough I don't think to make the guarantee unless every table is full and I have my doubts) as well as an abundance of recreational players who love tournaments. I know it won't be as soft as the usual lower buy in Vegas tournaments, but it will still be easier to beat than the average tournament in So. Cal.
For the first time in a long time I am driving in - and I also somehow scored a very good room rate at the hotel itself. Get up, roll out of bed, walk down to the poker room! Of course if somehow I find myself at 11pm with no poker chips in front of me I may just have to accidentally stroll on over to the Monte Carlo. (Maniacal laugh). I am as pumped up as I've ever been for a Vegas bender, and I know that it will be a blast.
Before this happens, I have a Saturday monthly tournament in my garage - I'm really going to focus and try to go deep as the last two PSP tourneys have been a bit of an indifferent "meh" on my end. I know I'll play good, just have to hope I run good as well.
