Bodonkey Victory # 4

Yo ho - tonight was a good night as I notched Bodonkey victory # 4 Tuesday evening. However, the most unbelievable player in this tournament was pokerpeaker, who was down to only 65 chips late in the tourmnament, took the lead, and gave me one heck of a battle at heads up.

The good cards came and went throughout the tournament, and several times I thought long and hard about making some calls that I eventually folded. I don't know if I made the correct call every time, but I think I knew when I was beat or if the risk was too big relative to my chip stack and place in the tournament.

The one chance I did take (and would take again in a second) late in the tournament was when we were down to three players (myself, pokerpeaker, and ScottMc), and ScottMc went all in with, I believe, TPGK. I had an open-ended straight draw and the nut flush draw, so I rested my fate in the hands of the poker gods. They delivered a Club on the river, and I knocked out ScottMc and went to heads up with peaker. We went back and forth for a bit, but I had a good feeling about an hour before that I was going to take down the tourney. The final hand: I had either top or second pair with a King-high flush draw and had peaker covered. We were both all in. Thank goodness the flush didn't hit, as peaker had the nut flush draw! My pair held, and it was over.

I don't know if it is Bodog, or perhaps the number of bloggers who participate in the Bodonkey, but I have had much more success at the Bodonkey than I have had at the Mookie, MATH, or Riverchasers. I seem to play better here, and the number of suckouts seems to pale in comparison to the old reliable Full Tilt suckouts on the turn and river. In reality, I think the play is much tighter and, might I actually say, better than at the other blogger tournaments. People usually don't push with crap like they seem to at the Full Tilt games, yielding fewer gawd-awful suckouts. It is not unusual to find all or most people still in the tournament at the first break.

The T109 that was added for the first five finishers will cover my buy-ins for the upcoming Bodog Poker Blogger Tournament Series that will begin next Tuesday. I am looking forward to some really tough competition on a site where I seem to do well.

And as always, a big thanks to smokkee, who set up these Bodonkey tournaments, and will have a major announcement regarding the upcoming series and the prize(s) we will be attempting to win.

What Have I Been Doing Lately?

I've been spending more and more times at the cash games lately and have been working hard to build up my bankrolls. I had a big comeback at Bodog, then went back down some. That is the story of my life at Bodog.

I've been playing a little smarter at Full Tilt and have actually been coming out ahead most sessions. A little more smart playing and I might cash out a little from both places to augment my bankroll for my next trip to Las Vegas.

Freerolls, Low Buy Ins, and Blogger Tournaments

Even though they have been part of my poker diet since I began online poker, I think that I am, for the most part, through with freerolls/low buy in tournaments sponsored by my poker groups. They just get too frustrating when some dildos play the worst poker and seem to catch lucky cards. For example, someone has K-K and the flop brings an Ace. I go all in (geez - could I have an ace?) and get called by a guy who can't let go of his cowboys even though he knows he is beat ... until a King comes on the river, of course.

I think that the blogger tournaments are getting old also. Granted, I haven't always done a good job of reading my tables since some are tight and some are outrageously loose. I just haven't had fun playing them lately, except for the Bodonkey tournaments on Tuesday nights. I can't wait to find out what special deals smokkee is about to reveal. The Bodonkey tournaments seem to me to be the most skilled of the blogger tournaments. Maybe it is just a matter of not playing at Full Tilt and seeing the constant set up hands and river miracles.

Viva Las Vegas

With the worst part of the year at work now over, I will take a little break and go to ... Las Vegas! My brother, the King of Komps, scored us a freebie room at Wynn and a low-cost room at Paris. We will be going February 10-13. I plan to play a little $1/3 NL at Wynn, then head over to my favorite poker room, Ballys.

Just Another Freaking Tournament Trainwreck

Why am I even wasting my time playing in some of these tournaments? A typical example was last night's Mookie. We were still in the first hour, but a few draws didn't pan out and I was down to 1,660 chips. I limped in if I had a small pocket pair, but otherwise I folded, so it's not like I was bluffing to get chips. I picked up J-J in the small blind. Loretta8 was on the button. He had been either raising on the button to take down unraised pots, or sometimes folding.

Full Tilt Poker Game #4887774860: The Mookie (35911944), Table 7 - 50/100 - No Limit Hold'em - 22:54:17 ET - 2008/01/16
Seat 1: DubsPoke (2,895)
Seat 2: hoyazo (4,070)
Seat 3: Joshuacarlsen (2,628)
Seat 4: ck31 (5,275)
Seat 5: columbo (2,370)
Seat 6: Loretta8 (2,850)
Seat 7: lightning36 (1,660)
Seat 8: TheCloserX5 (8,140)
Seat 9: Bone_Daddy84 (4,683)
lightning36 posts the small blind of 50
TheCloserX5 posts the big blind of 100
The button is in seat #6
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to lightning36 [Jd Js] I finally get a hand
Bone_Daddy84 folds
DubsPoke folds
hoyazo folds
Joshuacarlsen folds
ck31 folds
columbo folds
Loretta8 raises to 300 Stealing blinds again, I gather
lightning36 raises to 1,660, and is all in Chew on that!
TheCloserX5 folds
Loretta8 calls 1,360 Really???
lightning36 shows [Jd Js]
Loretta8 shows [As 9s] He called with A-9 sooted??? I am a 68% favorite
Bone_Daddy84 is feeling confused
*** FLOP *** [Tc Qh Qc] So far ...
*** TURN *** [Tc Qh Qc] [3d] So good ...
*** RIVER *** [Tc Qh Qc 3d] [Ah] Fawking Full Tilt
lightning36 shows two pair, Queens and Jacks
Loretta8 shows two pair, Aces and Queens
Loretta8 wins the pot (3,420) with two pair, Aces and Queens
lightning36 stands up
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 3,420
Rake 0
Board: [Tc Qh Qc 3d Ah]
Seat 1: DubsPoke didn't bet (folded)
Seat 2: hoyazo didn't bet (folded)
Seat 3: Joshuacarlsen didn't bet (folded)
Seat 4: ck31 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 5: columbo didn't bet (folded)
Seat 6: Loretta8 (button) showed [As 9s] and won (3,420) with two pair, Aces and Queens
Seat 7: lightning36 (small blind) showed [Jd Js] and lost with two pair, Queens and Jacks
Seat 8: TheCloserX5 (big blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 9: Bone_Daddy84 didn't bet (folded)

So let's see ... I was waiting for my chance and went all in. Loretta8 started with 2850 and had committed 300. He then calls off an additional 1,360 (48%) of his chips with a crap hand like A-9sooted -- which is only destroyed by, let's see ... A-A, K-K, Q-Q, J-J, 10-10, 9-9, A-K, A-Q, A-J, A-10 ... only to hit a three-outer on the river.

Just as I was ready to leave, I saw Mr. Poker Blogger Analyst himself say, "nh." Really? I mean ... really???

So ... these last two nights I lose to guys who shove with K-10os and A-9sooted. They didn't have their backs against the wall - they just did it. What a freakin' horror show.

All Vegas Poker Tournament @ Full Tilt

Things were going slowly until I hit this absolute monster hand. Luv dem quads.

Then this hand took away a lot of those chips I won with my quads. Yeah - let's go all in pre-flop with K-10 os ..

Lost some coin flips ... some nights things just don't go your way ...

How's This for a Nasty Full Tilt Omaha Beat?

I have been trying to improve my Omaha Hi skills recently and entered into a cheap ($5) tourney at Full Tilt. I had made it into the final 30 and was looking for my chance to hit a big hand. I hit it -- but it smacked me right back!

Full Tilt Poker Game #4853447502: Double Stack $5 + $0.50 (36737388), Table 1 - 300/600 - Pot Limit Omaha Hi - 1:15:15 ET - 2008/01/14
Seat 1: lightning36 (8,382)
Seat 2: AnnieWillWin (10,892)
Seat 3: carbidexxx (11,811)
Seat 4: tanker1919 (9,096)
Seat 6: metalvolta (7,038)
Seat 8: grove0051 (38,302)
Seat 9: gopherpa (33,560)
gopherpa posts the small blind of 300
lightning36 posts the big blind of 600
The button is in seat #8
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to lightning36 [Ks 2c 7d 7c] Lucky 7's?
AnnieWillWin folds
carbidexxx folds
tanker1919 folds
metalvolta calls 600
grove0051 calls 600
gopherpa raises to 1,200
lightning36 calls 600 Of course
metalvolta calls 600
grove0051 calls 600
*** FLOP *** [3c Tc 7s] This is it -- for better or worse
gopherpa bets 1,800
lightning36 raises to 7,182, and is all in Time to pray to the poker gods
metalvolta folds
grove0051 raises to 28,146 Set Of Kings? Open-ended straight and/or flush possibilities???
gopherpa has 15 seconds left to act
gopherpa folds
grove0051 shows [Ts Js 8d 7h]
lightning36 shows [Ks 2c 7d 7c] Gotcha - set vs two pair
Uncalled bet of 20,964 returned to grove0051
*** TURN *** [3c Tc 7s] [Th] Unbelievable
*** RIVER *** [3c Tc 7s Th] [4d]
grove0051 shows a full house, Tens full of Sevens
lightning36 shows a full house, Sevens full of Tens
grove0051 wins the pot (20,964) with a full house, Tens full of Sevens
TheB70 (Observer): yuck FAWK is more like it
lightning36 stands up
AnnieWillWin stands up
carbidexxx stands up
tanker1919 stands up
metalvolta stands up
grove0051 stands up
gopherpa stands up
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 20,964 Rake 0Board: [3c Tc 7s Th 4d]
Seat 1: lightning36 (big blind) showed [Ks 2c 7d 7c] and lost with a full house, Sevens full of Tens
Seat 2: AnnieWillWin didn't bet (folded)
Seat 3: carbidexxx didn't bet (folded)
Seat 4: tanker1919 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 6: metalvolta folded on the Flop
Seat 8: grove0051 (button) showed [Ts Js 8d 7h] and won (20,964) with a full house, Tens full of Sevens
Seat 9: gopherpa (small blind) folded on the Flop

If I won this hand I'd have been sitting at over 20,000 and in good position to cash and make a run at the final table. Sheesh.

A Little Short at the Bodonkey

Nice effort, but just one short of the money at the weekly Bodonkey. However, that sweet overlay got me T$109, which will almost cover my next ten Bodonkeys. How can you beat that?

Work, Getting Older, the Sucky Housing Market, and Nocturnal Ramblings

The busiest time of the year for me at work (Nov 1 - Jan 15) is almost through. In my younger days, I used to revel in those difficult times, enjoying the challenge. Now, I find myself worn out and barely crawling to the finish line. However, I have some projects lined up that will keep me busy this spring so I won't become a total lazy ass.

I have a milestone birthday coming in a week and a half, and frankly, I don't know how I will react. I spoke with my oldest daughter today and told her about a David Bowie concert I had tickets to, but eventually ended up not going. Shit -- the concert took place over 15 years before she was born!

I was talking with a guy about the Rose Bowl, lamenting the poor showing of Illinois. I was recalling how the last Rose Bowl that Illinois played in sucked, and then asked, "I bet you weren't even born when the Illini played UCLA in the Rose Bowl." Ding!

The downturn in the housing market came at a bad time. I still have a house on the market, and am waiting for the nice spring weather to get here so I can finally sell it. In the meantime, I was thinking about all the people in the world and local community who are struggling financially, yet I have this nice empty house just sitting there. Somehow it just doesn't seem right.

I guess that in looking back, I really have very little to complain about regarding my life. I have largely done what I wanted, and most things seemed to have worked out for me. Give me some chocolate, Chinese food, affection from my wife, and a few trips to Las Vegas each year, and I am pretty satisfied. When asked what I wanted this past Christmas (knowing money would be a little tight due to the house on the market), I said "nothing." It was true. My son, however, had a multi-page list with probably 100 items. My daughters were no slouches either, having a well-defined list of designer items or toys. Well ... maybe after the house sells, I'll get that laptop I want, the new big screen HD television, the return trip to Maui, ...

A Freeroll Donk at Heart?

Good Mookie Effort Goes Down the Shitter

Without getting into hand histories, I defer the description of my story of Wednesday night's Mookie to the succinctly described version posted by Mookie himself in his live blogging:

10:12 … I (Mookie) got called by lightning36 who also held AK…of diamonds. Club on the flop, turn and river and I double up in a very ghey way.

10:14 … Big hand at my table, wwonka69 raises, bayne re-raises and lightning jams. wwonka calls as does bayne. KK for both wwonka and lightning while bayne has ATo. Ten on the flop (the turn actually) and naturally an Ace falls on the river…bayne triples up.

So ... I am cruzin in the Mookie because somehow Full Tilt had me mixed up with the blogger cardrack and I got ridiculously good cards and flops. But, in the span of two minutes, I get A-K suited and lose to Mookie's A-K suited on a runner runner flush, then get K-K and shove against wwonka69 and Bayne ... and lose to Bayne's A-10os when he hits runner runner. At least wwonka69 lost this hand, too.

Although down to just over 1,000, I again get some cards and suddenly vault into final table range.

Then ... my final hand ...

11:46 … lightning36 is all in and gets called by Mattazuma and riggstad. lightning 88, Mattazuma KK, riggstad AQs. Ace on the flop wins it for riggstad. lightning is out and we’re left with just a dozen.

Now ... no one had been getting big raises called for a few orbits, so I thought that I would jam with 8-8. Sigh ...