Friday, August 15, 2008

Ha!

Now I have blogged more this week than my wife has.

I win! I win!

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Couple More



Pictures

Since not everyone is constantly jazzed about satellite live blogging, let's go to baby pictures (or is it toddler pictures now?)











Also, I guest blogged (lol at me guest blogging when I barely me blog) over at one of my wife's places today. Yee haw.

Saturday, August 09, 2008

"Live Blogging" a Satellite

I played in a satellite last night for a big two-day tournament in West Virginia (well, my last two-day tournament only lasted one day, but we hope to do better this time).

The satellite paid 1 in 10, 33 people entered. 3 seats, 4th gets 1/5 of a buyin. Notes were taken on my Palm Centro -- I also have a little voice recorder but I left it in the car.



12k in chips after the optional $5 dealer buy. People just don't tip here, so dealer buys have become the norm. Supposed to start at 7, did not get rolling until 7:20 or so.


7:30 -- Got lucky 5-10 hands in (blinds 25/50, but this pot got bigger than I would have liked) -- controlled the betting with trips sure I had the best hand three ways and got it all in versus an underboat. I caught a better boat on the river. I put myself in a bit of a rough spot, but when the turn was a blank I thought I was good and the pot was too big to check fold, so I pushed. Yay river 7 outer.

Incidentally, my push on the turn was called not just by an underboat, but also by an old guy who actually said 'caught me bluffing' after calling. Whu?

Suddenly, I'm at 37 k in the second level (100k or so is enough to coast to a seat).

Nothing happened in the second or third levels.

Time for a brief note -- probably because it's live, probably because it's West Virginia, no one has any clue how to play a satellite. You've got tons of bluffing into side pots, tons of very frantic activity early (yes I recognize the humor of that statement given my first pot blogged) -- basically no patience or cognizance of basic satellite strategy.

I start to get a good read for my table, which is good because I stuck with them for about 3.5 hours. The funniest dude is Camo Guy, so named because he has a camouflaged hat. Also because he was as a calling station disguised as a table captain.

One rule became crucial throughout the night --

NEVER BLUFF CAMO GUY


8:30 I jump to 50k by calling a camo guy bluff in level 4 -- turns out he's a bluffing calling station, as his line made no sense unless he was betting his draw. He missed the draw on the river and my overpair to the board (nines) were good.

9:00 I blinded down to about 44k at the round 5 break. No one respected a raise at this table, which made stealing more precarious since the flop bet would inevitably be the right amount for a short stack to push over with any piece. Despite the fact that I had not played all that many hands (I was getting napkins after my early triple up), the table decided to call every raise so steals were hard.

Corn dogs are delicious.

9:20 -- Busted a shortie first hand back with tens -- back up to 49k.

9:40 -- up to 54k after hitting 2 pair with pair and OESD (86o in the big blind with a board of X6758-- was minraised on turn and beat the worst limped MP Kings ever. Check check on the river, guess I should have made a thin value bet.

The same guy who's Kings I busted showed his true colors -- the master of the hero call. Older gent with a straw hat and white beard. Nice guy, aggressive player, but would also get tricky in way the wrong spots (see above).

However, he is also my personal hero. We consolidated to two tables, and a guy who was sure he was the new sheriff shows up at the table. Before I can remind him that I have all the chips, he gets involved with bearded guy on a raggy flop. He pushes and gets snap called all in (more than pot-sized) with Ace high no draw -- which had his Jack 10 dominated.

9:50 Down to 45k after folding OESD getting 3-1 because I couldn't see the push as a bluff. He had 4 high and was bluffing with said 4 high into a dry sidepot. I either need to fold to the initial raise or call the flop push. Oh well, that pot would have ;let me coast, perhaps being on my toes is better.

10:00 -- up to 61k after same dry sidepot guy bluffs blind v blind into my trips (J9 on a 9 4 9 board, two spades). His Ace high (A5 with the Ace of spades) was not in good shape.

10:15 -- 56k halfway through level 8.

10:30 -- up to 63k with some steals (actually starting to work a bit as people are seeing me show down some big hands), 30BB at blinds of 1k/2k, 10 left 3 pay (4th gets a pittance).

Final tables are delicious.

10:35 -- Down to 20k with Aces, which of course are no good by the turn (he snap called my push on flop with KQ on a Q 7 2 board, and caught trips. Yes, it was Camo Guy, how did you guess?

10:40 -- Up to 49k after a double the next hand with Queens and taking the blinds the hands after that with AKS. Minirush, yay!

10:50 -- turned a boat with pocket nines after raising preflop with them and hitting a set on the flop -- got 2 streets of value out of them (old guy with hat called flop and turn bets) -- up to 80k.

Then another rush began. AK beats QJ, Kings in a blind versus blind, tens versus A10 -- knocked three short stacks out myself, and hit four handed with 40 percent of the chips, around 120-140k.

11:30 -- Stole/value bet some to stay at around 120-140K, then shortstack pushed A10 into QJ and 2 jacks on the flop, BOOM. Thanks Camo Guy for knocking out the last player, and for winning a seat. Hope you're at my table.

Thought about sticking around for cash, but there were no seats at my usual stake and I just got a little bored. Packed up for the 'Burgh at around 12:00.