Finally finished in the Money!!

[Tralfaz]

Hey all:

Well I finally finished in the money in a multi-table tourney. Last night I played a $50+5 NL tourney on PS. It started with 268 players and I finished in 22 place. I had about TC 9,000 and was the second shortest stack left. Well here comes AQ offsuit and I'm in late position. "This is my chance" I say to myself. ( Its easy to talk to yourself like an idiot when there is no one around, you know?).

Anyway, the blinds are 1000/2000 and this guy raises to 4k UTG. Normally, I might fold the AQ in this circumstance but an explanation is in order. This guy had about 35k and had been raising it up every hand. Two hands before he had raised it up 2k and another player went all in over the top for about 8k. He called it with 78 offsuit. (Of course the other guy had AK suited and lost it to a pair of 7's).

So, I really didn't give him credit for any kind of hand. Well Mr. Tough Guy (Me, of course) goes over the top all-in. He calls with... AA, Goldurnit! (I seem to run into AA at the most inopportune times - Although I guess there is rarely a good time to run into AA )

Well, the flop came Q 10 7 rainbow. I'm thinking "Hey this is PS, the next two cards will be JK right?" No such luck, the river and turn were rags. So, I was busted in 22nd place. I did finish in the money ($100.10). It was nice to finally make it that far in a large multi-table, but from a financial point of view it was a bit dissapointing. I have finished 1st and 2nd in $50 one table sit and Gos's many times and earned far more $$ for a lot less work. Ah well

Don't they say that failure only breeds success???? (If they don't screw 'em!) I will try try again!! Just thought I'd let ya know how I did. Constructive (or not so constructive) criticisms welcome.

Tralfaz

[Tralfaz]

Oh Geez, I'm an idiot!

I forgot to mention the coolest thing. During the tourney, I was seated next to none other than Chris Moneymaker!!!! (I know it was really him because he is affiliated with PS - so they make him use his real name and picture for the sake of fairness) He was short stacked when he got to my table. I (being the tough guy, remember) said to him immediately "don't worry Chris I'll try to take it easy on ya!" He actually responded by laughing and saying thanks. we had a small conversation during the next several minutes and I must say he is a real gentleman. He responds to all the railbirds that come into the room and kiss his butt. What a nice guy. Most importantly, he was to my left so I had an actual chance to bully him. I had JQ suited, and decided to raise it up to see what he would do. He (along with everyone else) folded. HOW COOL, I made a WSOP champion fold!!! (I guess you could say that I shook that Moneymaker!!!)

Anyway, playing with Moneymaker was actually more of a thrill than finishing in the $$. I called a buddy of mine and made him log on so he could witness it because I knew none of my friends would believe me!!

What a cool night! - I LOVE poker!!!!!

Tralfaz

[ballbp]

I don't have any constructive ctriticism but I just wanted to say good job. I've been keeping up with your posts on how close you've been and no matter how much you won you still made it to the money. Now it's all downhill from here.(yeah right) That's pretty damn cool getting to play with Moneymaker too. I liked the part about getting him to fold. Keep it up and don't forget to post your finishes. Maybe we'll see you in Aruba next time. Later

[HalfSugar]

Nice 1 Tralfaz :D

Do u ever get to play in brick and mortar games or is it just online?

[Tralfaz]

Hey:

I have played in 2 live tourneys. Both were $100 NL with between 20-25 people. In one I finished 3rd and the other I think 10th. These were games set up by a friend of mine. I am still looking forward to playing in a large live tourney.

Maybe I'll get to Vegas this year (or the WPT - lol)

Tralfaz

[Dave B]

I played a NL $20 buying on partypoker on Friday w/ 1200 other players. 1st hand K10 suited, 3 hearts come on the flop-I have a K high flush. I play safe until the river-no other hearts. So I have the best hand unless someone is holding A + another heart. I go all in and one other calls. I now have over $3000TC after starting w/ $1000.

I play quite for awhile, after an hour w/ 2500TC I call the BB w/ A 10. Flop comes A 10 10 w/ only 2 other players in. I am afraid to chance someone off so I check to the river. Rags on the turn and river and lucky for me, the guy to my right bets $1000 to try and steal the pot. I go all in over the top and he calls w/ his $1800. The 3rd player folds. I now have over 5000 w/ only 375 players left.

30 minutes later, I made a bad play. KJ, suited, I raise to try and steal pot. 2 players call. J 2 3 on the flop, I bet 500 and am raised 1000. I go all in and loose to QQ. Risked WAY too much on an average hand. Oh well.

[Tralfaz]

It still sounds like you played an awesome Tourney up to that point Dave! In Tourneys all it takes is one mistake. . .

I did something similar yesterday. I was playing in the PS weekly $200 NL Tourney. (Won my buy-in in a multi-table $25 satellite) It started with around 650 people (starting TC 2500) I was playing very tight and had one nice hand. Had KQ suited, the blinds were $50/$100 and I called in middle postion. Small blind folded and the big blind raise $100. I called figured him for AK or AQ flop came KQ7 rainbow. I didn't want to go crazy so I bet $400 - he called. Turn was a rag. I bet another $400 - he called. The river was a 10. I was slightly concerned because if he was playing AJ I was screwed. What the heck, I bet another $400. He raised it to $800 immediately. Now I had a decision to make. I was either going to call (too committed to pot at that point to lay it down) or I was going to go over the top on him. I thought he was probably on AQ and thought he was slow playing me because I didn't think he would raise it up preflop with AJ from the big blind. But, I didn't really know the guy so I decided to be safe and just call. He had AQ as I suspected and I was now doing quite well.

Of course, having around 4100 TC I got a little cocky (one good hand and all the sudden I'm Phil Hellmuth ) I was in the small blind when I got 10 10. Well, I thought to myself " I'm gonna raise it up big". When suddenly a guy in middle position with about 1900 TC goes all-in. At that stage of the tourney I should have just mucked the tens and not risked a substantial portion of my stack preflop. But what I actually thought to myself was. "Hmmm, he prob has AK, maybe worse, and is making a move on me. I'm gonna take this guy out". IDIOT!!!!!

I was right he had AJ. NOW my pair was a slight statistical favorite right!! Of course, a J hit on the turn and suddenly I was short stacked and had doubled him up. I was knocked out several rounds later when I moved all-in out of desperation and the other guy hit a set.

Ah well, I learned a valuable lesson. Don't risk your stack in the early stages of a tourney on a crapshoot, and more importantly DON"T GET ARROGANT.

I am really starting to realize how much winning depends upon not allowing your emotions to affect your play - particularly in Tourneys.

Tralfaz
Note to self: You are NOT Phil Hellmuth

[Poker_Vendetta]

Well, I suppose you say what I was writing during your tournament, hopefully it did not bother you. I thought you did well considering your position. You WERE pretty patient and tight, but you could still fire up some pots as well. Your JJ didn't hold up against the A-10 but that's poker right? It WAS unlikely he was coming in with anything lower than 10 10 though, so you had to be expecting a situation like that. But like I said I thought you played great and I really enjoyed watching for a little bit. I am sure you will win a couple more tournaments of the course of time. Good luck!

[Tralfaz]

Hey Vendetta:

You were no bother at all, stop by anytime when I am playing. As to my JJ being cracked, I was not too suprised. I had not seen any cards and needed to make a move. The problem is that on PS many people will call any size bet (or bet big) holding any ace. So JJ is a very dangerous hand to go big with. I took my chances and got beat, Ah well - thats poker.

Talk to ya later

Tralfaz