For the year, I entered a record 20 live tournaments and cashed in five, another personal best. The only thing I could gripe about was I finished no better than 7th in any one tournament. While I’ve enjoyed better results in previous years, I know I am a better player today.

I’m very certain that my active year of live poker was made possible by Black Friday. I would have not made the effort to make several of these tournaments had I had the ability to play online. And that was a blessing in disguise. For example, back in October I probably would not have made the two+ hour trip from Oxnard to LA to play live tournaments at Hollywood Park and would have opted to playing PokerStars in my hotel room in pajamas. So instead of savoring two live cashes over that weekend, I would have lost anywhere from 25 to 30 tournaments without a cash that weekend, with boxes of cold pizza on the floor.

In fact, my greatest single call of the year was when I cashed out my last $180 on PokerStars about two weeks before Black Friday. I had dropped over $400 of bankroll in 40 days and had the sense that PokerStars was no longer about winning or losing, but WHEN YOU WOULD LOSE YOUR BANKROLL. Meanwhile Absolute Poker still advises me that they are aggressively seeking resolution of my $68 bucks that are frozen in my account which I know I will never see again. I also have to laugh now that P5s “proudly” sponsor Club WPT. I admit during the 3 months I played there, I was a consistent winner. But I did not make a single penny before I cancelled my subscription. You are basically paying $240 a year to play Playchips Poker.

So when do I think online poker in the U.S. will resume? My guess is no earlier than 2016. I know you don’t want to hear that, but think about it. No resolution or compromise was made after the UIGEA was enforced and that was 2006. What magical fast-track path could any form of online poker ever get passed in timely fashion with all the political issues and special interest groups in a multiway pot. I surmise, we might get ObamaCare passed before online poker.

So I expect that 2012 will involve more travel for me to locales with Indian Casinos and Card Rooms with more low/mid-buy-in Live NLH tournaments. My first-ever WSOP trip will be problematic next year, as I will probably be in Hawaii during that time. But when I finally get to make it to Vegas sometime in the future, I’ll be ready for you!

5 DEC: Casino - Sycuan; Structure: $36 Buy-in for 3,500 chips.
Summary: My first trip to Sycuan in El Cajon. Nice place. The buffet was outstanding. After eating peanuts for 9 hours on my flight to San Diego, it was nice to sink my teeth into a thick prime rib and crab legs. Monday is a bad night for tournaments in San Diego. Viejas and Barona don’t even run them when Monday Night Football is on, as they push cash games with splash pots to make a killing on the rake. The Sycuan tournament has only 3 tables and 5 get paid.

Blinds start at 100/100. I limp in with KT-off. I flop a nut straight draw and call for 300. But an 8 on the turn and 600-chip bet chases me out. Next comes Big Slick at the button. I call a 300-chip raise. Three to the flop. Flop is Q T 2. It’s checked around. Turn card is a King. The action in front of me: bet for 600 and an all-in convinces me that my Top Pair is no good. Shover shows QT. Next is JJ in the big blind, I raise to 500 and only one of the limpers stays around. The flop is JcQc6c. No way to slow play this one and I put them all in. Other dude didn’t have a club and mucked. That got me back to starting stack.

As we get to 100/200, the play is aggressive as one can expect in a small-buck freeze-out with a crappy blind structure. We quickly got down to 2 tables. I go down to 2700 chips. I’m dying as stacks are growing amongst the lucky villains. I get pocket deuces at the big blind. UTG raises to 800 and there’s one caller before it gets to me. I pick up some chips and feinted splashing 600 more in; but for some reason I deduced that it’s ain’t worth wasting a large chunk of my stack on worthless ducks. My discipline is “rewarded” when a 2 flops and the board paired on the turn. Raiser’s pocket tens won the pot. That was a 4000 to 5000 chip non-call and in my mind I knew the tournament was over. I was experiencing “FOLDER’S REMORSE.” That’s when a pre-flop fold could have resulted in a rainmaker pot. I mean a pocket pair is a pocket pair. While pot odds support my fold, we’re not talking 9-3-off here. I press on and raise pocket 3s UTG. Dude to my left calls. Three overs on the flop. I C-Bet for 1000 (half my remaining stack). He hesitates, hesitates, but calls. Turn is another Broadway. I’m done with the hand and check-fold after he bets 1200. I truly hate baby pairs like 22 and 33. They only hit when I’m out of the hand.

The end comes with 4d3d in the Big Blind. Flop is 8h6h4h. I have no option but to shove and hope there’s no hearts out there. No such luck as some dude flops a nut flush. 45 minutes and it’s over. Hardly had time to even put my cane and gloves down before busting out. Overall, crappy blind structure and unsatisfying tournament. I left Sycuan quite depressed and vowed that I would never go there again unless I just wanted to eat at the buffet.

6 DEC: Casino - Viejas; Structure: $40 Buy-in for 3,000 chips, with $20 rebuys and $40 double add-on 10,000 chips.

Summary:
I’m pretty busy during the re-buy period with semi-decent starting hands. Unfortunately, the flops are typically not good and I am losing chips. A family pot ensues and I have Pocket Tens in the blinds. I have no interest in seeing another bad flop and go All-In. The limpers fold in mass. Near the end of the rebuy period, I get Ah8h and make the call in front of a few other limpers. The flop is Ad2d8c. A short stack goes all-in and a larger stack calls. I have them both covered and make the call. Shorty has Js2s and the other guy had Ad6d. A Jack hits the turn and another Jack on the river. What an awful river. I lose the main and chop the side pot. I go into the break with 17,000 chips.

During the freeze-out period, I keep missing with playable hands like AQ and pocket Sevens. Blind go up to 2000/4000 and I am down to 7,000 chips. I get Q5s at the button and push them in to open the pot. Big Blind calls with 98. I get a Queen on the flop to double up. We break down to two tables (about 70 runners entered). At the big blind, I receive wired 5s. Dude opens with a shove and it’s folded to me. With less than 4 BBs left, I make the mandatory call. He shoved with pocket deuces. I hit a 5 on the river to seal the deal and go up to 40,000 chips.

A few hands later, blinds go up to 3000/6000. I peek at an 8 in the hole. I pray for a rag. No such luck: another 8. Pocket 8s, my DEATH HAND. Sure enough, dude to my right raises to 15. I knew the player was good, but had raised with suspicious holding and got lucky a few times to accrue a big stack. He could be bullying with a marginal hand. Fold or Shove? I shove. The shorty who I beat earlier calls and the dude to my right calls as well. This time, he had the goods: Pocket Kings. Shorty had 87-off, so I’m down to one out to the set. The flop teases – 3 diamonds and I have the only diamond. But as usual, I’m flushed by the missed flush.

I can’t get over Pocket Eights. Over the course of 7 years of live tournament poker, I have no recollection of winning with 88 for my tournament life. But 77 and 88 have cost me time and time again. They repel sets. It was an okay tournament, but losing always leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

8 DEC: Casino - Viejas; Structure: $25 Buy-in for 3,000 chips, with $10 rebuys and $20 double add-on 6,000 chips.

Summary:
It’s college night and all entrants get a discounted Buy-In of just 5 bucks. While most entrants wear the togs of the San Diego State U. Aztecs, I am the only one wearing the cherry-and-white of my alma mater Temple U. There are a lot of youngsters who are in it for just 5 bucks and are just trying to kill time. 76 entrants in all. As I have evolved from a player who waits for Big Hands and plays few pots, to one who plays when the pot tells me it is right to play, I’m fairly active and am doing well, going from 6000 chips to over double that amount. But late in the re-buy period, I raise with AJs one of the girls who is just killing time goes all in. She hasn’t played too many hands, but she kept talking about wanting to make the buffet before it closes, so I didn’t take her move as little more than a race with a small pair. Wrongo!! as she flipped over the Cowboys. That took me down to a notch to 7000 chips. I double re-buy back to 13,000.

During the Freeze-Out, I shoot up to 18,000 chips, but get into a tangled mess with AsJs again. While I’m guilty of just checking the hand from the big blind with 3 limpers, I felt good when an Ace, along with 8s and 6h land on the flop. I faced an 1100 chip bet and I raised it to 2200. Dude goes all-in. I have him covered, but I am convinced I am beat. I’m ready to make a safe fold, but the runner-runner tempts me to call. It was a bad call, as he lucked into two-pair with A6-off. I still have outs to counterfeit his 6, but he wins, and I fall to a terrible low 3,000 chips. I wait for a good chance to shove and get a chance with Q8s. I dominate the Big Blinds 98 and double-up. Then I run-good with two more double ups when my pocket Queens and pocket Tens make sets on consecutive hands. Another key hand was my innocuous Button steal with KJ, which was defended by the Big Blind for all his chips. I was pot-committed into calling. He had the goods with Pocket Aces, but I rivered a straight.

I have a decent stack as we get down to 12 players (10 get paid). Then we go down to 11. A dude at our table keeps saying, “Let’s play it cool and we’ll all make the final table.” Meanwhile, no one’s busting out and this dude keeps stealing blinds. I finally say, “If you really want us to make the Final Table, why don’t you stop stealing every hand.” I push AT-off while he’s big blind, and he thinks better of calling. But he keeps on stealing, while I’m going cold deck. He busts out someone on our table (so much for his altruism). But I make it to the Final Table as a short stack.

We initially agree to chop. But the tournament director says someone must bust out before you can chop (never heard of that rule before). Someone does bust out ahead of me, but by then the Big Stacks don’t want to chop any more. While there we’re two or 3 stacks smaller than mine, I had the misfortune of getting double-whammied with a Blind Increase right when I have to post the Big. Two-thirds of my stack goes in the Big Blind. Sure enough, my altruistic friend, whom has been raising every pot, raises for 50,000. It’s folded to me and I make the mando-call with Ten-Eight-Off. It’s a classic race with the raiser flipping over two fives. His pair holds up and I go out in 9th place.

And that's that for 2011.

Here is a report on my latest Scottsdale, AZ business/poker trip.

6 NOV: Casino - Fort McDowell; Structure: $20 Buy-in for 4,000 chips, rebuys for the first 6 levels with $20 Add-on for 20,000 chips.

Summary: I have not been happy with Fort McDowell lately. I was even more unhappy when our 4/8 Limit cash game broke up and I was down. One dude
wearing a PokerStars jacket was being particularly dooshy and was insulting other player (Make my day and berate me Dude), which chased one guy away.
But I had the satisfaction of busting him out. I left down 15 bucks. The Sunday buffet was quite good with Crab Legs and Prime Rib (which was more
roast beef than anything). The crab legs were good and all I could think about were those dudes on “Deadliest Cash” risking their lives to feed the
Blue Hairs and Degenerates at Fort McDowell. After my repast, I played some more 4/8 with no success and lost a quick 35 bucks. During the tournament,
I start fairly well during the madness of the 90-minute re-buy period, but a dude wanting to gamble (I’ll call him “Gambler”) caught trips on the river
to crack my top pair on the flop and I am forced to re-buy. I usually pride myself on not rebuying during this phase, but not tonight. Near the end of
the rebuy period, I call a shove with Pocket Queens. Gambler and the Big Blind join the madhouse. First Raiser had Rockets, Big Blind Pocket Eights, Gambler
75-off (WTF). Big Blind hits his set and I am rebuying for $20 and another $40 for the Add-On giving me 24,000 chips going into the Break. So I’ve now invested $110 in a tournament that may barely pay my Buy-in unless I win. Bad money chasing good.

During the Freeze-Out period, Blinds are 1K/2K. I do nothing until 2K/4K when I get AcKc in the Small Blind. It’s folded to me and I push my last 17,000.
The Big Blind is down to 9000 chips and calls with 9c3c. I was fully expecting to lose, but a King on the river seals the deal. That buys me a little time. Blinds go up to 4K/8K with 300 Antes. Gambler and another stealer raise and my blinds get ripped away – down to 15,000. At the button, I get Pocket Jacks. I’m first to act and do the compulsory jam. Dude to my left is wearing a goofy hat and is chipleader – he goes all-in. Then Gambler goes all-in; what’s he got, 8-3??! Nope, he lucked into Cowboys. Dude with the goofy hat had KQ and lamented that he was “...SO DEAD.” The board is A 5 T Q J, so I hit my set while drawing all but dead (1 out with the case King) and the two other players hit straights and chop-chop. Out of 35 entrants, I leave in 14th place, 4 from the cash.
I guess it kind of sucks to have big hands like QQ and JJ only to run into monsters. But it’s insane to see third best hand Pre win over and over. I’m no longer complaining about tough luck, because I have had my share of lucky draws this year. In the final analysis, it comes down to winning a hand you have no business winning that results in tournament players winning a boatload of chips and vaults them into the final table.

After one session: I’m DOWN $160!!!

7 NOV: Casino - Fort McDowell; Structure: $50 Buy-in for 10,000 chips, with up to two $20 Add-on for 20,000 chips.

Summary: It’s a deep stack tournament with a good blind structure. There’s 58 entrants. I make it into the first break with 7,000 chips taking only 3 of 11 pots. The next three levels, I play QJ three times and lose all three. I win a small pot just before the end of the 2nd break and have 26,000 chips. I come out fighting at the 1,000/2,000 level and win a couple pots. Then I shove a 4-player limped pot with Big Slick. One dude with Q3s calls and I take him out when I hit a King on the River. That puts me over 45,000. I go cold and am down to 31,000 chips. Near the end of Level XII (2000/4000), I shove with A9 and get called by the Big Blind with A3. Board runs 8-Q-4-4-J; I had him dominated, but a lucky runner-runner lets him get a chop. That hurts. Break.

At Level 13 (3000/6000), I’m Big Blind and we’re down to 19 players. I get Pocket Queens. An old dude who has been raising almost every pot, does it again for 18,000. Small Blind call and I push my last 32,000 in. Had I won the A9 hand, I would have had fold equity and could have gotten one or both of them out.
But they both call. The flop looks okay: JT7, except for the fact that they are all Hearts. Both players go All-In. The small blind called with 5h4h and made his flush. The raiser has AhTc. I’m dead. For the record, no hearts on 4th and 5th street. Had the board been rainbow, I would have vaulted to 96,000 chips and been in a very strong position.

I don’t sleep all night.

8 NOV: Casino – Casino Arizona; Structure: $140 Buy-in for 7,500 chips.

Summary: This is a big field, over 150 players. They’ll pay 20. I felt good after a profitable cash session earlier. The first hand I play, I call a raise with Pocket 4s. The Flop: A-6-4 Rainbow. I check and the raiser (who had lost a big pot the previous hand), goes All-In. So do I. He’s dead with a pair of Aces. I shoot to 13,000. I play some hands and give some back. By Level IV (150/300), I’m at 11,000 chips. Dude to my right raises to 675 and I call with KdTd. Big blind Calls. The Flop is 3hQdJd. I have a Royal Straight Flush Draw.

Flop Action goes: Raiser Villain Bets 1300
Hero (Me) Calls
Big Blind Villain Raises to 2800
Raiser Villain re-raises to 7000
Hero Goes All-In for 10,350
Big Blind Villain calls his last 1500
Raiser Villain Calls (He has me covered)
We flip, Raiser has AhQc for TPTK/Big Blind 3d3c and a set
I have a 60% chance of beating the AQ for the 10K Side Pot and a 42% Chance of winning the Main Pot which was close to 17,000 chips.
Turn: 5c
River: 7h

All those outs...All those fucking outs. So Awful.

I have one more night in Scottsdale, but I feel borderline suicidal. One more tournament will put me over the edge.