Runner-Runner-Rebuy

Yes, I was schooled by Veneno in our heads up battle. Please click through the above banner to visit her blog. I also owe her an ode, and will post it soonish. (Maybe tonight).

Ahhhh, finally a day off. I've been working so much for the past few months on a big Air Force project (12 hour days) that all my normal stuff to get done during the week has piled up until the weekend, leaving me no time for much of anything else and posting to this blog has dropped way down on my priority list. But today is a day off with nothing to do, so here I am.

I ran really well this week, taking down Miami Don's Blogger Big Game on Sunday for a cool $1337 and a seat in the Blogger Tourney of Champions Aussie Millions Giveaway.

Early in the Big Game, I built up about a T7000 stack. Hit a major stumbling block when this hand occurred.

Full Tilt Poker Game #4222731770: Blogger Big Game (31592875), Table 6 - 40/80 - No Limit Hold'em - 22:18:05 ET - 2007/11/18
Seat 1: TFG (4,750)
Seat 2: VinNay (6,970)
Seat 3: TheCloserX5 (7,735)
Seat 4: riggstad (5,461)
Seat 5: chitwood (9,475)
Seat 6: columbo (5,940)
Seat 7: XxMagiciaNxX (10,609)
TFG posts the small blind of 40
VinNay posts the big blind of 80
The button is in seat #8
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to VinNay [As Qh] In the BB I get a pretty nice hand.
TheCloserX5 folds
riggstad has 15 seconds left to act
riggstad folds
chitwood folds
columbo raises to 240 Possible position raise
XxMagiciaNxX folds
TFG folds
VinNay calls 160 Maybe should have re-raised here, but I'm hoping to trap a weaker ace
*** FLOP *** [Ac 2d 3h] Great flop, lets let him continuation bet
VinNay checks
columbo bets 400 Perfect
VinNay raises to 1,500 Ok, a weak ace might have hit 2pair, lets lay him about 2:1, if he comes way over the top, I can get out. If he missed or has another weak ace, he will fold. If he's a donkey and drawing to 2 pair or a gut shot, he will call.
columbo calls 1,100 Either Donkey or monster
*** TURN *** [Ac 2d 3h] [4h] Fuck, Donkey drew out or monster already had me beat
VinNay bets 5,230, and is all in I can be a donkey too, and make a bet only a winner can call
columbo calls 4,200, and is all in Yep, I'm an idiot
VinNay shows [As Qh]
columbo shows [Ad 5h]
Uncalled bet of 1,030 returned to VinNay
*** RIVER *** [Ac 2d 3h 4h] [3s]
VinNay shows two pair, Aces and Threes
columbo shows a straight, Five high
columbo wins the pot (11,920) with a straight, Five high
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 11,920 | Rake 0
Board: [Ac 2d 3h 4h 3s]
Seat 1: TFG (small blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 2: VinNay (big blind) showed [As Qh] and lost with two pair, Aces and Threes
Seat 3: TheCloserX5 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 4: riggstad didn't bet (folded)
Seat 5: chitwood didn't bet (folded)
Seat 6: columbo showed [Ad 5h] and won (11,920) with a straight, Five high
Seat 7: XxMagiciaNxX didn't bet (folded)

Well, as you can see, I think we both played that hand pretty poorly. Unfortunately,I was crippled. A dozen hands later, I double up with a flopped set of nines. And another set doubles me up again two orbits later holding presto. Again, the next orbit, Kings full of aces doubles me though again.

The previous week, I kept getting sat with XxMagicianxX at my table. He is a VERY aggressive and from what I can tell, a very good player. He would come in for REALLY well timed raises or re-raises on me, and anytime I knew I had him beat I just couldn't figure out a way to get all the chips in. So, I thought ahead when XxMagicianxX was seated at my Big Game table. After a few re-raises from him, I blasted him in the chat trying to make him think I was tilting, and hoped an opportunity would present itself. I bit later, it did. In a hand I sensed some weakness from Mag, I pushed all in on the river after a check-check flop (where I hit middle pair Jacks), and a small check-call from me on the turn. He thought about it for a while and must have put me on a tilt steal and called down with pocket 8's on a board with a J and a Q. He doubled my up, and got me back in contention.

I wasn't very active during the second hour, but got more aggressive in the 3rd hour and some good flops helped me build up a pretty nice stack. A set of Jacks get me up to 50k, and from there, I was relentless and used my stack to bully and bust many players. A suckout with AQ vs Emptyman's AK gave me a 213K to 40K lead going into heads up. A few hands later mt 10-Js beat jeciimd's AQ for the win.

I arrived late for the MATH after going to see the Shaolin Warriors perform at Univ. of Buffalo. Busted after just a few hands. Similarly, arrived late to Mookie after going to see the Sabres crush the Ottawa Senators, and busted after 2 hands.

Made it to riverchasers on time, and was determined to play well and go for a shot at winning player of the week. I doubled up early and never looked back. I played really solidly most of the night, was patient when I needed to be, and stole when I could. It was a very tough final table, and when down to 4 players, we all have about the same stacks. Aggression got me up to over 100K vs 50K stacks but was squandered once, built back up, and squandered again. Congrats to ricky424 for the win.

I did manage to win player of the week for my 2 high finishes, and will do my best on Sunday in my Player of the Week freeroll into the $750,000 guarantee on FullTilt. Guarantee, now thats a strange word. Is it french?

Just want to give major thanks and shout outs to all the hosts of these blogger games - Hoy, Miami Don, Mookie, and especially to Al for setting up this great series of events and Fulltilt Poker for kicking the great prizes.

No time for spell checking/editing, going to a friends for our yearly tradition of "Second Thanksgiving." GL at the tables all, and would love some railbirds for the Sunday Guarantee.