Sigh

Soo.. the plan to play mostly cash games and a couple tourneys while out in here has completely gone down the tubes. I am already registered for tomorrows 2500 No Limit and I recently played the 5k No Limit Event. In the 5k I built my stack to about 8k in the first two levels, but then took jacks vs queens to bleed some chips away and fizzled from there to eventually be busted my Chad Brown's two tens vs my two nines. After busting out, I jumped immediatly into a cash game, which normally is not a good idea, but there was an open seat and who am I to not take it ? I made a nice score and everything was right in the world again.

Yesterday we had our 4th of July BBQ a day late. We had about 10 people over the house and grilled up some Korean BBQ and Chicken. Kudos to the cook, the food came out great!! The BBQ was obv accompanied by an endless supple of Miller Lite Cans!!

I eventually passed out with little (I mean no) intent to play the 1500 Limit Holdem Event today. But due to my inability to sleep for more than 6 or 7 hours I was up early and felt like today was the day I was going to build a stack and make a run at one of these events. Things were moving smoothly until a player was ready to give up and 4 bet the turn with an open ended straight draw and a flush draw. This is normally a great spot for someone to gamble it up, BUT I had top pair and a bigger flush draw, so what he thought were 15 outs were actually only 6. After he spiked his straight, nothing really went well for me from there on in. I was finally put out of my misery by John Bonnetti on the seven high flop when my pocket nines couldnt hold up vs his A7. ahhhh tournament poker bad beat stories; everyones favorite pastime!!

Again after busting I jumped right into a 1-2 Badugi / Duece to Seven game. Making a bunch of hands early made me feel like a genius. The we kicked it up to 2-4 and I missed a few big draws and bleed back some profits and felt like I was outclassed. These draws games are really a humbling experience; if your running good your on top of the world, running bad and you question every play you make.

Patting himself on the back
I really feel like I made a expert play today in Badagi that I will share with you. 200-400, the button open limps, I call in the small blind with A3xx, I catch a 4 and it gets checked around. I probably should have lead here, but this set up the rest of the hand. I draw 1 as does the BB, the button draws 2. I make a Q badugi, and lead, the BB calls and the button folds. Now I know my hand is best, but the difference between a Q badugi and three card 4 is minial so I decide to break my Q and draw 1, the BB also draws 1. I get my card shuffle it in my hand and "fake look" at it, then bet the river without knowing my hand for value. I know the BB is going to call with any reasonable 3 card hand here, since we both drew 1. If I stood with my Q, he would only put money in on the river when he beat my Q, but by breaking it I made an extra 400 when I missed my draw and my three card 4 was gold !!