League Champion!

As some of you know, I play in several leagues throughout Richmond. I have recently “converted” to a new favorite – Virginia Freeroll Poker (www.vafreerollpoker.com) The structure of our league is pretty good – all games are free, we play 3-4 games per night (time/space permitting.) As soon as enough players are out to open up a table, the next game begins. All games are for points, which are weighted based on how you place in the game. Players can also earn points by buying food/drink from the host of the game – various local restaurants. The season is 16 weeks, and I’ve been playing for about six weeks. In those six weeks, I accumulated enough points to be 19th in points. The top ninety compete each season for a large prize, and chip stacks at the final are determined by your points standings. I started with 4,000 chips. When I started at my table, I had the biggest stack on the table. I was surpassed the first hand by a player who started with 2500 earning nearly 1800 when he flopped quads to a boat.

Ok – I’m going to admit right now that I was a little bit cocky coming into this tournament. I had already picked out those whom I considered to be my “competition” – about 10 really good players, and was very pleased to see that only half of them made it to the final day of play (it was a two day tournament.) Unfortunately all five of them made it to the final table with me, but I was lucky that several people went out of the final table in the first twenty minutes or so of final table action. I started the final table as the chip leader, by a nose, but lost that lead immediately as my first hand (AK) ran into QQ which held up. A short stack had doubled through me, so I was still second in chips at this point.

The whole tournament, I was only all-in at risk twice. The first time was a flop of 6-6-8 in which I was short stacked and holding K8. Heads up, it's checked to me. I go all-in to an insta-call. He turns over A-6. I caught an 8 on the river. As promised, Chris, here's the shout out from my blog!

Play at the final table was pretty strong except for one hand which I will outlay. Four players in the hand, one player all in, one player with only 800 chips remaining, the big stack and me (the second stack). The pot is 24,000. Flop comes 7-7-4. Big stack reaches for chips but does not bet. Checked around. Turn is a six (flop is rainbow.) Big stack leads out for 20,000 bet. I tell him “I hope you have the all-ins beat.” And fold my Q-J. Short stack calls for his remaining 800. Chip leader turns over 5-5, short stack turns over 10-10 and all-in turns over J-10. River – A JACK! Had that guy not bet a WEAK hand into two all-ins, we would have lost two players. Instead, they took their shares of the pot and they were still in. I’ll say it once, as I have a thousand times – Don’t bet an empty side pot unless you know your hand is strong enough to beat the all-ins! This holds especially true AT THE FINAL TABLE.

But I digress. Play progressed pretty quickly and by break, we were down to six players (this tournament paid to the top six.) At break, I had about 43000 in chips, the chip leader was 97,000 and the next closest to me was in the 30s, and three players with less than 15,000. Got dealt some *great* hands after the break and took down the blinds and some limps to boost my stack to 60k before we lost the sixth player, taken out by the chip leader. By the time we were down to three players, I had taken over the chip lead. Chip lead shifted to the player I eventually went heads up against, who was your typical “TAG” player. I was able to check raise him a couple of times to pad my stack so that he no longer had me tripled, and had me covered by about 35,000 in chips. Turning point came on this hand. I was on the big blind and had K-3 off suit. Min-raise from the button and I call. Flop comes K-9-6 with two clubs on board. I bet out 7,000. He announces a raise and puts out 18,000 in chips, followed by my 7,000. I say “That’s a string raise.” Dealer agrees and the raise is 11,000 to me. I call. Turn is a deuce of hearts. I say “Check to the raiser” He bets 25,000. At this point, I’m pretty confident that he’s betting either the nine or the club draw, so I call. River is a King of diamonds. I check – he goes all in. I call (all-in, at risk) and his whole body slumps down as I turn over my king. At this point, I have him crushed, maybe 6-1 chip lead. A couple hands pass and I raise with K-J off suit. He re-raises all in for maybe 20,000 which I of course call. He had A-10 suited. Flop is 8-8-K turn Q, river K for a full house. Good game, Darrell!

I just won a $1500 sponsorship into my selection of tournaments. I have chosen the $1080 WSOP Circuit Event 8 at Harrah’s Atlantic City. Wish me luck!!!

WPT Ladies Event

I knew it was serendipity when I saw the number of entrants – 269. Why? The Ladies’ WSOP tournament that I entered in March had the exact same number of entrants! After 11 grueling hours of play, I was finally in the money. At this point, the average chip count was around 110k and I was sitting on 160k. A small raise comes from my right and I call with KQ of hearts. Flop comes Q-Q-2. Same bet from my right and I just call. 9 on turn. Double that bet from right and I push all in to an insta-call. She flips over 9-9. Wish I’d just pushed on the flop because I would have taken down a 100k pot instead of *losing* 120k. I then doubled up my short stack a couple of times and managed to hang on to final table. Went out 9th when my pocket fours ran into pocket Kings. I’ll take it :)

http://borgatapoker.blogspot.com/2009/09/saturday-recap-event-7-winners.html

The Streak Continues

I decided to try out a non-Bounty tournament at my "Honey hole Money hole" - Harrah's. Saturday's $80 8:15 tournament seemed a good bet.

I have to say, there were better players at this tournament than others. I went over an *hour* having played only one hand. I made some of the sickest lay downs imaginable. I can honestly say that my good *folds* are what won me the tournament.

At the final table - everyone voted on a 7-way split of the prize money so that everyone would take home third place money ($500.) I didn't really want to, but I went with the majority. All in all - a good showing.

That makes my current final table stats 16 out of 17 tournaments played in AC/LV.

Another weekend in AC

Well, this time I went to AC for a much needed "girl's weekend." No monetary goals in mind, other than using my winnings to have a little fun. I played again in the midnight bounty tournament at Harrah's. Made the final table, but ended up going out ninth.
Of course, no money for this, although I *did* get $30 of my $70 entry back in bounties. Then, I went to the $1/$2 no-limit table and managed to win a couple hundred. Sounds good, but I promptly wasted it all on my weekend! My winnings paid for Friday & Saturday night in a 1 1/2* hotel, 1 $40 buffet at Harrah's, 1 knock off coach wallet, 1 bottle of perfume, 2 bottles of wine, a $30 dinner at a gluten-free Italian place, various McDonald's/Wendy's trips, 4 new shirts from Lane Bryant & Ashley Stewart, a tank of gas and a partridge in a pear tree :P My only expenses were a one hour massage and some tolls for the weekend, so basically mission accomplished. I felt relaxed and refreshed when I got back!

Another day, another bounty

Decided to go up to Atlantic City this weekend on a lark. Again, I decided to try my way with $55 gambling money. Again, I was able to pad my bankroll up to about $120 and then buy into the $70 bounty tournament. This was a daytime tourney, so much fewer players. There were only 28. Ended up winning the tournament - cashing for $689 and taking down $20 in bounties (which I tipped the dealers with.) Spent a little on a room and lost $120 at Tropicana. (Why I go there I have no idea - please remind me never to do that again!) Still a good return on my $55. Who's with me next weekend? ;)

Harrah's Midnight Bounty Tournament

I decide at this point to sink our winnings into the midnight tournament at Harrah's (just under our rooms.) It was a $70 buy-in with $10 bounty per knock out (meaning you get $10 for every person you put out of the tournament.) Worst luck ever, when we signed up, they assigned Davy & I to the *same table*. We did our best to avoid each other, but that rarely works out.

Within the first hour, Davy managed to snag one $10 bounty and I got two. Davy made several small mistakes with failing to raise properly and they really really cost him as his better hand was sucked out on. After that, he was on the critical list and was quickly out. I picked up 2 more bounties over time and continually had just over the "average" chip stack - never really getting low stacked or big stacked. Before you knew it, they announced the final table.

The only girl at the final table, I looked around at the chip stacks. The "big stack" had about 200k, with blinds at 5k and 10k. The low stack had about 35k. My stack was 75k and that put me at about 6th out of the 10. Sometimes when you're playing - you just know you've got it. I was dealt a couple of great hands that let me steal some blinds and squeeze up to 90k. Then I just sat back and watched them annihilate each other. When we were 1 away from the money, I ended up all-in for my tournament life with 9-9. Guy across lets me know that he *folded* 9-9 and the caller called me with Q-J off suite. Luckily, the nines held up and I doubled up through what was a very big stack. With the blinds up to 15k & 30k, this was significant. We made some jokes about splitting the pool, but no one was game. We took up a collection for the "bubble" to get his buy in back and the very next hand the bubble was burst. Fifth place went out shortly thereafter and we were down to four. At this point, I had raised a couple of hands preflop with no callers and my stack was close to 200k - 3rd biggest stack. The smallest stack then crippled the 2nd biggest stack, who soon thereafter went out to me and I was the 2nd biggest stack.

The small stack tried to convince the big stack to do a split and then play for "the change" - or about $200 for the winner on top of the split. He refused, and in two hands I trapped him and he was out. Guess he should have taken the deal :P

At this point, I had about double the other player's stack. $1212 for first and $698 for second - he offered a split. Looking at my stack, I refused. I then played and won the next five hands in a row and it was all over. Final hand he had J-2 and pushed all in. I called with Q-J and a Q fell on the flop to seal his fate. I cashed out with $1212 + $40 in bounties, which I gave to the dealer pool for the tip.

Since some of my winnings were still back at the room, we were up overall about $1300 for the weekend at this point. I quickly rushed to the cash counting Bank of America ATM and deposited $1100 before I spent it.

Drunken Poker

I had to take over 30 minutes in the room drinking coffee to sober up enough to play poker. I was still not tip top, but I was ordering fake red bulls (stupid casinos give me "Zoom") left and right. My streak continued and by the time we got back to bed, we were up $200.

Headed to the Emeril cooking demonstration. For some reason, I thought we'd get some *food* for this $75 ticket but that was incorrect. You just got to smell the food. ARGH! Ended up using some of dad's food comps to gorge on the buffet directly after. I personally tried to ensure the extinction of all crab again, and I think my effort was valiant.