Runner-Runner-Rebuy

I know there are some people out there that talk a lot about finally getting their first Mookie win. Well, until last night, I've never even cashed in the thing. I've won the MATH a few times, won the Big Game, won the Bodonkey, won the Riverchasers, cashed in the Skill game I think....but never in the Mookie. Never even close to a cash in the Mookie for that matter. After 2 years.

So, one of my goals or 2008, was not to win the Mookie, but just to friggin cash in it. 3rd place last night accomplished the goal. I guess now I have to win the damn thing.

My game has been turning around the past few weeks and I think I am getting out of the slump I was in. I've buckled down a bit and re-focused. I think the slump would have been shorter if I stuck to my game instead of trying to adjust it to deal with the variance I was seeing. I'm still down a ton in online play so far for 2008, but my live game play has been moderately successful so I'm only down a few K overall and feel like I have turned a corner.

I went into the Mookie last night thinking the only way to win it was to play fast and loose and get lucky. That seems to be the way people win it. But when I sat down, I just couldn't do it. I have been working on playing tighter and using position better and I just couldn't bring myself to playing crazy.

A great thing I have done in the past a few times, and have done about 4 times in the past week is to play a tourney blind. Cover your cards with a piece of paper on the screen and only look at them if you are put into a position to call off all your chips. It does wonders for your game, reminds you of the importance of image, and really makes you pay attention to what the rest of the table is doing. Most importantly, it truly demonstrates how vital positional play is. Until I did this the first time about 2 years ago, I don't think I truly understood that. And in fact, I need to play a game blind from time to time to remind me. Playing these blind tourney's last week has gotten me back on track I hope. By the way, I won the Big Game last fall playing blind.

Back to the Mookie- I couldn't bring myself to play really loose-aggro, so I didn't. I played a very tight, pretty aggressive game, and finally cashed. I was under T1000 by the first break, and barley over T1000 at the second break. I was definitely getting worried. But a few mini-rushes kept me alive, mixed in with an occasional well times steal. I went from T1500 to T11000 in 3 or 4 hands with AA, AK, AA, and 99. And rolled into the final table.

When it was down to 11 players I noticed that all the remaining players were known players, and damn good ones. I made a regrettable comment in the chat -
"Wow, besides Waffles, the last 11 players are a really tough field." My regret has nothing to do with the current "chat controversy" going on, because it was not meant as ill will towards Waffles, just a funny barb because he has had a history of blowing it at the final table. Also, I know he can take a joke, just as I have taken it it from him in the past and see it as nothing more than camaraderie. My regret was because as soon as I typed it, I was terrified that I had just reverse coolered him.

In any case, I think my tight image really worked for me, and I made some steals and re-steals when I needed to at the final table and generally got respect from the other players. I only saw 8% of the flops, won about 70% of flops seen, and took down another 8% pre-flop. The combination of tight positional play and, lets be honest, getting some good cards at the right time, saw me through to the final 3 players. Down to LJ, Waffles, and myself, with LJ about a 2:1 stack over Waffles and I. I got into a bad spot with K10. I raise, Waffles re-raises, and in a serious lapse of judgment, I push my stack into his KK.

I have to give Waffles a ton of credit for his performance. My connection might have been timing out, but it looked like he actually considered folding the KK. He called of course, and won, but the fact hat he considered what to do is a testament to how well he played last night. The heads up battle between him and LJ when on for a while before Waffles was victorious. LJ is just someone I can't figure out. Most of the time I think LJ is a terrible poker player, but considering the cashes she has made recently and that fact that I can never put her on a hand makes me think she is actually really, really good.

All in all, it was a fun night, I hope I'm back on track, and congrats to both Waffles and LJ for a great HU battle. GL to Waffles in the TOC.