Turning Stone is over for me, and not a moment too soon
by nath on 08/20/07
I got annhilated the last few days in tournaments, and had a hideous cash session on Saturday night which all combined left me overall loser for the trip and blew up a lot of the work I had done rebuilding my online bankroll. I still have plenty enough that I don't have to drop down, but it was very discouraging. Since my goal for the upcoming future is to settle down for a few months and play online, living off what I've already taken offline while I grind out hands and move up through the ranks, "building an online bankroll" is a major part in me making money and getting good enough to move up to the games I want to play and want to be rolled for.
The live tournaments were a major disappointment. Here are two bustout hands that best sum it up:
$300 6-max tournament. Blinds 150/300/50. I start this hand somewhere around 13k. I open 33 UTG to 925; aggressive kid to my left calls and the BB calls as well. Flop is a beautiful AK3 with two clubs and a spade. Action time! I bet 1600, the kid folds, and the BB asks me how much I have left. It's about 10-11k more, so he throws out 6000. I move in after a couple of seconds and he calls and tables AQ. Turn K, river K. And that's it.
$1000 penultimate event. Still in the first level, 5k starting stacks. Two limpers at 25/50; I limp the CO with 43cc. Al Krux limps the button (he is not relevant to this hand, except to say that it was, in fact, Al Krux); blinds complete and check. Flop comes down Ac Ax 5c. SB leads 200, all fold to me, and I call because I think my implied odds are pretty big here. Turn is gin-- red 2. He checks, I bet 425, he makes it 1500, and I shove because he's going to put it in with any ace. He makes an exasperated sound, then says, "fine, I call"-- and tables A2, with the 2c.
After all this I decided to skip the 5k main event. I was tired of shelling out money to run bad.
While all this was going on, the FTOPS took place, and I played as many events as I could-- and cashed in zero. Another major series of events, another complete brick. I've been doubting this tournament thing lately. Meanwhile, I got to watch lots of people I know make significant scores both live and online, and I'm happy for them, but man, it's frustrating.
Next up: I might be indisposed for a few days while I move around and get settled. Once I do, though, I"ve got a series of strategy posts I've been working on, which I hope will be enlightening with regards to strategic approaches and decisions in tournaments (and the reasoning behind them) that I feel is often overlooked.
Comments
EdmondDantes says
Tournament wins are like women. You chase them and they ignore you. You ignore them, and they end up in your lap. I see a big one coming. You just need to look the other way for a bit...08/20/07
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