A very short blog about last nights tournament. Limped in a few hands and missed and by the time we reached the second blind level (50/100) I was only left with 3375 out of the 5000 starting stack. I am in the small blind and I look down at QQ. UTG raises to 300, Pizza Dan calls as do I. I want to make money on the hand and I wanted to see the texture of the flop before I decided what I wanted to do. The UTG raiser was a new player and had only played one hand so far (KK). The flop came 369. I check with the intention of check raising and taking the hand down right there. UTG bets 1000, Pizza Dan calls and I push for my remaining 3075. UTG thinks for a minute and nearly folds, eventually he decides to call, my heart dropped because I knew Dan was on a flush draw and now he had odds to call. He calls too. Straight away on the turn the falls and UTG put Dan all in for his remaining 325. Sure enough Dan had KJ and I am drawing dead. I had the UTG raiser beat too, he had 10 10.

Arrived home today. All in all I really enjoyed Vegas, the sights, the sounds, the atmosphere. Way too many donkeys at this time of year though. You need to have luck on your side to advance in any tournament. People go crazy with WSOP fever and they play like maniacs to try and get chips to win seats for the main event in the sats. It hasn't put me off though. I will definitely go back next year to try again, but this time I will go for longer so I am not under any pressure to win a seat quickly.

Played another $500+$50 Super Sat at the Rio.

I was pretty card dead on the first table for about the first hour. My table broke and I was moved. I still had my original chip stack. First hand on the new table I get 77 the blinds are still 50/100 and I limp, along with six others, in late position. The flop comes 774. I flop quads! UTG bets 200, lady next to me calls and I call. 10 comes on the turn and puts another flush draw on the turn. UTG checks and the lady bets 800, I call and he folds. The river comes the 3 and the lady goes all in, I call and show quads and she turns over 5 6 offsuit for a straight.

A couple of hours later I won the blinds 3 hands in a row with 88, JJ and AA. 20 minutes later, I had 7500 in chips, the blinds were 300/600/100 and I have 88 in the cut off. I raise to 2000 and only the big blind calls. The flop came 3 4 5 rainbow and he checks. I go all in and he immediately calls. He shows K Q offsuit and I am confused. I am in great shape to double up. 7 on the turn gives me additional out for the straight although I don't really need them. 6 cards stand between me doubling up or busting........... King on the river and I leave the table dizzy!

Decided no to play any poker today. Hungover from going to Pure at Ceasers and getting completely wasted!

Played a $500+$50 Super Sat at the Rio on this day. 380 players and a $3000 starting stack. 18 seats to the main event were being given away on this day. The blind structure in these events is very aggressive so there is no sitting back and waiting for hands in this event. You must play. 5 hours into the tournament, 40 players left, I have about 17000 in chips and the blinds are now 1000/2000/300 so there is 6000 in the pot before the cards are dealt. This is the following 6 hands in a row that ended my run in the tournamnet.
Hand 1
I am under the UTG+1 and push with A10. Everybody folds to the big blind who thinks for about 3 minutes and looks at me and says "it's a race". I immediately put him on a medium pocket pair. He calls and turns over 45. Race! I am a 2-1 favourite. What a donkey! Needless to say he hits and I don't and I am crippled to 3900 in chips.
Hand 2
I go all in UTG with A2 and get called by AJ in the big blind. I hit the deuce and I am back up to 11800.
Hand 3
Everybody folds to me on the big blind and I have 15800.
Hand 4
Everybody folds round to me in the small blind and I have Q9. I go all in and the big blind calls with A2. He hits the deuce and I walk away from the table. The dealer calls me back and says I still have chips left so I come back. I have 3100 in chips.
Hand 5
On the button I have A3. One limper and I go all in. The blinds fold and the limper calls with AK. I hit the 3 and I am back to 14400.
Hand 6
In the cutoff I have 55. There is a raise to 5000 from late position and I push for the 6th time with my pair. He call with 66. I am beat. The flop, however, comes 4 5 Q. I flop a set. 7 on the turn and yes, thats right, an 8 on the river to give him a straight.

Had I won that pot I would have had about 36000 in chips and would probably survived to win a seat.

I went to the Rio and played a $1030 sat. No good, busted out 4th.