Online Poker Tournament Rankings

June 2008 - Posts

• 46th Place In The WSOP 2k.. =(

  By Cre8ive - Jun 29 2008, 03:29 AM

  Alright, first off, let me say I think I played awesome. I came into the day at 24,000 in chips with the blinds being 800,1600 200ante for the first 30 minutes. I immediately started chipping my way up when I had an online player with 90k to my right. He raised on the hijack one time to 4400 and I shoved 88 for about 20k more and he was forced to fold. I worked my stack up to about 60k from winning pots without showdowns and then I lost a 30k flip when a player moved in for 12k at 1000/2000 200ante and I called in the big blind with AJ and he had A5 and turned the 5. After this pot I was back down to about 40k or so. Now at 1k/2k blinds I definitely wanted to have more than 40-50k in chips. I was down about not having 90k (if I would of won the AJ vs A5.) I tried not to let it bother me and then this hand came up. It folded around to me in the small blind and I raised with 99 to 5200 at 1k/2k. The big blind called (I had been active all around the table so I didn't think he would give me credit for a hand here.) The flop came Q35ss and I bet 6600. He called and then turn came the 4d. I don't like when he calls the flop but my hand is pretty strong in this spot, considering he thinks I have nothing in my opinion, and I think he raises the flop with a Q. I check to him and he instantly bets 8k. I have about 27k total at this point and go into the tank. My feel for the situation is basically this guy doesn't have anything, and I decide to shove in for 18k more. He folds pretty quickly and I chip up again with no showdown. A couple hands later I am faced with a tough decision when Kirill Gerasimov makes it 5500 preflop in third position at 1k/2k and the guy next to him moves all in for 31k total. I am on the hijack and look down at JJ. The guy who moved in moved in pretty fast and had been moving in a couple times but I didn't think he would do this really weak. If I called his all in I would be left with about 25k or 20k. So basically it was a huge call/shove if I was going to play the hand I had to be absolutely sure I wasn't crushed. Well, since I wasn't sure, I decided to muck. It got back to Kirill after I thought for a couple minutes and he thought and mucked a smaller pair. The guy went to muck and flashed an ace that Kirill saw. Its most likely this guy had AQ or AK but he might of had Aces as well. I'll never know and I don't care. I get moved to a new table and the table seems alright. I sit around and watch for an orbit or so and realize its a pretty easy table. I open a couple pots and then this hand comes up. UTG Raises to 9k at 1500/3k (this is the first hand this guy has played in a couple orbits) and I look down at QQ on the button. I think about it for a while and no way I can ever fold here or just call, so I shove all in for about 50k more. He tanks it with AQ and mucks. Just a couple hands later an online player shoved in 23k in 3rd position and it got to me in 6th position and I looked down at ATdd. I thought about it for a while, and with 4 people still to act behind me, I figured this guy had to shove a lot of hands, and I decided to call. He had QTo and I won and moved up to 120k. I get blinded down a little bit and have about 110k to start this hand where I raise to 7800 on the button with 33 (blinds 1500/3000.) The small blind thinks for a little bit and makes it 20k. It gets back to me, I ask him how much more he has, he has 71k for 91k total and I started the hand with about 105k. I have him covered by like 15k and I shove on him. He folds pretty quickly. This hand was a huge turning point for me because I went with my read and wasn't scared to lose. I need to follow through with my instincts more because they are normally right in these situations (Like with the 99 earlier.) I get moved to another table once again with Akat11 and g0lfa (online guys.) In my first couple of orbits I pick up AA, KK, and QQ with no action. Wow. I still have yet to cooler anyone this whole trip, like AA vs KK all in preflop. Oh well. I am about 160k at 2k/4k when the cutoff makes it 14k with 38k behind. I look down at KJo in the big blind and decide to shove on this guy. I definitely thought he could fold and I honestly didn't think he was that strong once I asked him to count out his remaining chips. He called pretty quickly. Uht oh. I turned over my KJ and he turned over 22. Wow. How did he call? The board runs out QQ38A and he doubles up and wins about a 120k pot. I go down to about 110k after this and I was shocked that he called/I didn't win with that flop/situation. Oh well. Roothlus (another good online player) is then moved to the table and all three of them are on my left, ouch. I just hang around with nothing interesting and make it to the dinner break. Roothlus, Akat, and I all went to eat dinner on the dinner break at this BBQ at the Rio. We talked about some poker and just the table and how things would play out when we got back from break when the blinds went up to 3k/6k 500a. Me and Roothlus both had about 100k and Akat had 350k because he coolers the shit out of people religiously. Honestly, lol. UTG raises, he calls on button with KK, big blind shoves AKdd, UTG Reshoves QQ and Akat calls and wins a huge pot and eliminates two players to get all his chips (He plays well too =).) Anyways, we eat, Akat loses Credit card Roulette, and we go back to the tournament. A couple hands back I raise to 14.5k on the cutoff with AJ and g0lfa shoves on me for 90k. Roothlus then reshoves in the big blind instantly. Wow. I muck and g0lfa flips over Ad9h and Rooth has AKcc. The flop comes K63dd and Roothlus is in sick shape to win a pretty big pot. The board comes running diamonds and g0lfa doubles up and sucks out nasty on roothlus. Roothlus was pretty upset, because he knows I'm not raising light there with my stack, and was pretty pissed g0lfa shoved in a9 there and sucked out obviously. Roothlus busts the next hand on a steal and now both the guys to my left have chips. I hang around, shoving here and there, picking up zero hands and no chips. I blind down to about 80k at 4k/8k 1k ante with about 50 players left. I'm picking my spots to stay above 80k and I get down to about 60k and it folds to my sb. I look at the Ah and don't bother looking at my other card and move all in. g0lfa shows the 3c and mucks. I look at my other card and it was the Ks, for AKo. Ouch. I wish someone would have raised. I still have 80k in chips and we are playing 7 handed. I look down at ATo in the hijack and shove all in. It folds to the small blind and he instantly calls. Shit. There is 0 chance I am ever good here. I thought he was going to flip over QQ for sure. He turns over 88 and I'm in a great spot to double up to about 180k chips and have a shot to compete for this title. The board comes K25K6 and his 88 holds and I am knocked out in 46th place, for $11,400. It's really frustrating when you play really well, make a ton of correct decisions, and lose a couple flips. I don't mind losing one flip if I win the next one. They are called coinflips for a reason, right? But oh well. You cant lose coinflips late in a tournament like that and expect to have a shot. You can lose one but you cant lose a couple if you don't have the chips to support it. I was pretty handcuffed after I became a shortstack, because I couldn't really splash around and chip up and the KJ vs 22 pot really hurt because that took away all my leverage. OH WELL. OH WELL OH WELL OH WELL~!!!!!!! I am sick of being a failure, haha. Just kidding, its just the nature of tournament poker. You fail forever and then finally win. After I busted I went to PF Changs with Stu and his mom and that was awesome. I had lettuce wraps which is by far my favorite thing there. I wanted to go out tonight but nobody really wanted to do anything so I'm just going to finish this blog and then goto sleep. Last night I went to Kaizen (sushi place) with Roothlus and his 2 friends. Stu, Hans, Rob Miz, Louie and some others met us at Kaizen and we had a lot of fun messing around and talking crap. Slowly one by one Stu, Hans, Louie, Me and others left the table and went outside and left Rob with the bill. LOL. He had absolutely no clue we were just leaving one by one and he was there alone with one of his buddies and realized we all left and he had to pay. Hahahahahahaha. It was pretty messed up what we did but Rob is the man so he wont mind. I might play the $1500 Horse event tomorrow. I really enjoy horse but I don't know If I will pass up playing online to play it. I'm pretty pooped from the 2k and every time I start a new tournament it seems like forever until you get deep into it. I was really hoping to make the final table but it wasn't meant to be. Alright, I think I'm about done writing. This blog has gotten pretty long. On an ending note we had the creator of the Television shows "Moment of Truth" and "Next" at our table (when it was Akat, me, g0lfa, and roothlus) and I got involved in a pretty serious discussion about him and his show. I remember watching it a couple of times with my family and realizing how loaded the questions were such as: "Do you think you are a better father than your father?" I basically got on the guy about having questions with no distinct answers and he argued that people over complicate things when they are really black or white. I told him that's not really true, such as you could have a question: "Do you think you ever cheated on your wife?" If I think cheating is intercourse, and someone else could think going on a date with a co-worker to dinner while there is an attraction is cheating, the question has different meanings. We discussed back and forth, he commented that he can READ people VERY WELL IN REAL LIFE and he started telling me about myself. Like the fact that I enjoy arguing with authority. I don't really know how he is an authority there, but whatever. First Impressions and assumptions are funny. I was just interested in his show and the reasoning behind it and everything. I also discussed the validity of Lie detectors and one of the players talked about how he had to take a lie detector test before and completely told the truth and it said he failed. -Shrug- You could tell the creator of the show was offended at first I think, but I was more interested about the show and talking to him about it than trying to attack him. Psychology is a great thing. On the flip side we talked about how the show could destroy relationships and then to make the guy feel better I said that the show could help a couple financially if they win money and also allow them to clean the slate and possibly mend a broken relationship. Okay lol, I'm done. My mind wanders sometimes so I will really end this post here. Workout tomorrow, win a poker tournament, write a new blog (trying to update daily) -- all on the agenda for tomorrow. No Comments on this post. Click here to post a comment.




• Short Going Into Day 2 of the WSOP 2k..

  By Cre8ive - Jun 28 2008, 04:38 AM

  Basically I have 24k going into Day 2 of the WSOP 2k event that started today. It started with 2300 players and we played down til the money tonight (198 left.) It's cool to make the money but ONCE AGAIN I LOSE A HUGE POT ON THE BUBBLE!!! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ME/THE BUBBLE? This hand I probably misplayed, well most definitely, but at the time I thought I was playing it how I should. Anyways...I just got back from dinner at Kaizen with Roothlus (adam), stu, hans, Rob Mizrachi, Louie, and a couple other people we know. Kaizen is always awesome and its great to have a spot you can go to at just about anytime during night or day and get a good meal. I would write about some of the hands and the bubble hand and everything but I am dead tired and am going to get some rest. Going to wake up early to work out and get a haircut since I don't have to play til 2. Hopefully I get hot and double up and CRUSH!!! I need to make my first final table and win my first WSOP bracelet, so everyone root for me!! Law of Attraction! Look it up if you don't know what I'm talking about =) Ill update everyone tomorrow on the hands and hopefully I am chip leader going into the final table when I post again. No Comments on this post. Click here to post a comment.




• Bellagio 1k, Other Random Stuff...

  By Cre8ive - Jun 27 2008, 03:47 AM

  Tonight I went to dinner at the Bellagio with Stu, Hans, Stu's mom, Louie and Louie's wife, Flo. We went to Noodles and it was great. They have a lot of good appetizers and I enjoyed eating at a new place and a different environment. We saw Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Rondo, Kevin Garnett (From NBA Championship Team Boston Celtics.) Hans, Stu and I went to the table next to Paul Pierce so Hans could play some blackjack but as we got there Paul Pierce was leaving. It was cool seeing all of them at the Bellagio. It's crazy how people put athletes in the spot light just because they are good at a single sport or a sport in general. That's just how the world is though. My dad always said athletics is overrated, and I think he's right. I always played sports my whole life as well as my dad but in that statement he just is saying that people can be role models and admired just for being good at a sport and that's basically it. So although we love sports to death and they are a big part of our life, I definitely see the truth in his statement. I would elaborate more but I think you guys can figure it out on your own lol. I played the Bellagio 1k. I got there a couple minutes late and registered and was an alternate. I didn't get into the tournament for about an hour and a half after I registered. The blinds were 100-200 when I first sat down at my table. There was only five minutes on the clock until the break, with the blinds going to 100-200 25a afterwards. No biggie. I still have 50 big blinds in a soft field, but If I play that tournament again I know I need to get there early. They play in the Bellagio Poker Room, and not the Fontana Lounge, and its just way too small. They make players play 11 handed and that's just ridiculous. My stack fluctuated between 10k-8k for a couple orbits as nothing too exciting happened. I didn't really get into any pots until I was down to about 8k at 200-400 25a and made it 1050 under the gun with 66. The big blind defended and we saw a flop of Q24ss. He checked to me and I figured I would just see what develops in this pot and not try to throw any more chips out and kill my stack if he did raise me. The turn came the Kc, we both checked again, and the river came the Ks and he checked and I checked. He turned over T7o for air and I showed my 66 and won the pot. I was pretty surprised to see him defend an UTG raise with that hand, but oh well, guess that was the player. A couple hands later he raised the button to 1100 and I looked down at T8ss in the small blind and moved all in for around 7k more and he showed an Ace and folded. I figured he needed a decent hand to call my all in there, as I really hadn't played any hands and only showed the 66 down which was checked all the way, so I'm sure they thought I was a passive nit. Next, I was on the hijack and picked up AKo. I made it 1050 and this European guy to my left (Who had called a players all in with AK on a 824dd flop the other player had JJ) made it 3300. I moved in for 6400 more and he called with J9ss. I guess he was priced in (He left himself about 6k after calling) The board ran out AsKJTs9. He turned flush draws and straight draws but luckily my two pair beat his two pair on the river. Aggressive Europeans =) An orbit or so later the guy who had defended with T7o raised the cutoff and I reraised from 1100 to 4600 with 88. We both had about 18-20k he had a little more, so I was just hoping to take the pot there. He mucked and I went up to about 20k or so. I lost a small pot when I raised with A2o on the cutoff the next hand and the big blind defended and I fired a turn and checked the river and he won. So at this point I'm down to 18k. Vanessa Selbst was also at my table, and she had gotten lucky on two hands. One hand in specific when a tight player raise to 1100 preflop, she called with 77. The flop came 842 rainbow and he bet 1600, she made it like 3600, and he shoved all in for 6kish more. She felt like she was priced in. She gave that little look like I know I'm beat but I'm calling, oh well. Well, she is never ahead in this spot ever vs this player and I couldn't believe she called. He turned over T8cc (I thought it was like JJ minimum) and she turned the two outer 7 no problem. I also saw her shove A5 shortstacked with no fold equity to an early position raiser which was pretty weird too (earlier in the day.) So now a couple hands later she opens to 1600 in middle position and I have AKss in the hijack or next to it, and I've been active the last two orbits, repopping although I had hands. I decided to repop here as well, thinking that maybe she would put it in bad with AQ or something, so I raise it to 4600. The European I talked about earlier called all in for 3k and it got back to her, she thought about it for about 30 seconds and moved in. I called. She flipped over TT. The European turned over J9ss (once again lol.) I guess this is just a normal con flip hand and having an aggressive image when you are playing tight is good. The minimum I'm reraising there with is AK. I wouldn't reraise with AQ or a pair under Jacks, so oh well, I guess when I do have bigger hands that AK I will get it in 80/20 there. The board came T78hhh 4d Qh or something and Vanessa won the main 30k+ main pot and lost the 10k side pot. She immediately started berating the guy who called all in with J9ss saying "When I flop a Ten there I expect to win the whole pot I am pissed I am losing a 10k pot there regardless!" Although she won a 30k main pot. Whatever, cry some more. I said good hand, gave her my chips, paid the European his 3k in chips and left the tournament. I was pretty disappointed. AK once again destroys my tournament and racing sucks. Some hands just play out like that I guess. I saw the movie "Wanted" tonight with Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman, etc. It was alright. I went with my buddy Steve (SLEEZE) and he fell asleep during the movie lol. I guess he didn't enjoy it that much. It had a couple twists in it but I guess it could of been better. Its basically about a guy who was meant to be an assassin and there is some more to it but I'll leave it at that. You do get to see Angelina Jolie naked from the backside, so I guess that was worth the admission lol. It was pretty action packed but it could of been better, so if you like action movies its not a bad movie to check out. I'm playing the 2k WSOP event tomorrow so hopefully I can make a Final table for once and take it down. The WSOP is coming to an end and I really want to have a strong finish in one of these events. I feel like I'm playing awesome with little mistakes so hopefully I can eliminate all the mistakes and get lucky and make a deep run at this tournament. Good luck to everyone playing, unless you're in a hand with me =). Thanks to everyone who has shown support over the last couple days or just in general. I really appreciate it. Some of my friends in Orlando have contacted me and given me some insightful words. Other people have just been curious to how everything has been going out here too and that is also appreciated. I have a great family and great friends and I am really thankful for having so many good people in my life. Thank you to everyone. No Comments on this post. Click here to post a comment.




• $1k Rebuy Tournament...

  By Cre8ive - Jun 25 2008, 10:06 PM

  Today sucked. I can honestly say that I think the $1500 event was the one I was supposed to win the other day. That has been the only tournament this whole trip where I actually ran good (Aside from running AK into KK on the bubble and AKcc vs AA -- but I blew that hand.) I hate talking about running good and running bad and getting unlucky, I absolutely hate it. I feel like every day, every hand, is a new moment and I don't ever want to feel like I am in a bad "run" or something that can last for months on end. So anyways, that $1500 tournament I was winning races, making good calls, winning pots and my hands were holding (aka running good lol.) Hopefully I can have another tournament where I run "good" and can get deeper and have a better finish. In the 1k rebuy today I shoved a couple hands during the first 2 hours of rebuy period and didn't get any action. I won some small pots here and there and at the end of the break I had 4650 chips and opted to do the double addon for $2k more so my stack went up to 8650 chips while being in for $4k, which is about the minimum in this tournament if you double rebuy and double addon. There were really no interesting hands before the rebuy, but I did pick up some stuff on the opponents at my table and I liked my chances after the rebuy period. I had Chris McCormack two to my left, Jon "pokertrip" Freidberg directly to my right, and Thomas Wahlroos across from me. The other players were randoms or people I never played with before. I recognized one more player but have no clue what his name was. About 5 hands after the rebuy period ended this familiar player raised for his third time in about four hands and Freidberg called from the small blind and I called from the big blind with 9Thh. (Blinds 100-200, Raiser made it 500) I had about 8.5k to start the hand, Jon had a little under 8, and the other player had about 12k or so I believe, maybe 14k. The flop came A64s rainbow and we both checked to the raiser. He fired 1200 and Jon raised to 3200. Now I didn't believe the raiser had an ace either, and I was thinking about stabbing here, but his 1200 bet is pretty strong so I figured he had to have some piece of the flop. I figured Jon had to have a piece too but Jon raised to 3200 leaving himself 3050. Its a pretty big raise and it looks like hes committing himself, but I thought he was doing this on a bluff after I thought about it. I felt like shoving in here with air, but I gave the other player the credit for having a piece and folded. The other player called 2k and the turn came the 2s. Jon shoved all in for his last 3050 and the player called with AQdd. Jon turned a flush draw along with his gutter on the flop (He had 78ss) and the river came the 5h and Jon rivered his straight. After the hand Jon said exactly what I was thinking. "You raised like three hands after break already, I couldn't put you on an ace. I was folding if you moved in on the flop or I was check folding the turn if I didn't hit a pair or anything to improve my draw." The other player said "You were going to fold the flop or turn after you put in half your stack? That's good poker." He said sarcastically. It was a pretty weird hand and I wish I had a piece to shove on Jon there, because I didn't think he was too strong on the flop. And I think the other player should just put him in on the flop unless he 1) Wants to have Jon bluff off the turn or 2) If he thinks he has the best hand whats the point of just calling the flop and calling the turn all in if you think you are beat in the first place? The only purpose of just calling the flop is for Jon to bluff all in on the turn. If you are behind on the flop why even call? Either way, Jon got lucky and doubled up. The very next hand Thomas Wahlroos opens for 600 (he had been in a lot of hands) and Jon Freidberg reraised to 1800 on the button. Since Jon just got a lot of chips through the double up I figured he could be reraising here using his new found chips and position. I looked down at QQ and was forced to make a decision. Freidberg hadn't done anything too crazy during the rebuy period, but I thought about him just getting chips, and thought he would reraise Wahlroos who was active with 99-AA and AQ and some other hands in the range. I looked at Jon he didn't seem overly confident in his hand, as he was just waiting for me to make my decision, and with about 8300 total I decided to reraise all in for 6350 more, on top of the 1800 raise, for 8150 total. He got a count and called pretty quickly, and flipped up AKcc. Damn. I mean, that's good for me, but I was hoping he had Jacks or something. The board ran out 34cc9h8h so I was safe going into the river, just needed to dodge an Ace, king or club. The river came the 9 of clubs and Jon rivered his flush to knock me out and win a ~17k pot. I'm only ever shoving QQ, KK, AA, and probably AK there. So I don't know how much I like his call, but I guess nobody who plays online folds AK, so it kind of makes me think back to the Bellagio 2k when I mucked AK. I wish I was just like every other Internet player and never folded AK. Oh well. When I fold AK I win, and when I jam it in like a moron (like in the $1500) I run into AA and KK, lol, fair game. Oh well, nothing you can do. I was going to play really tight after the rebuy period because normally people play huge pots after the rebuy breaks so I stuck to my strategy although I got it in as a coin flip. That's all I have to say about that. Don't know what else to say. Tomorrow is another event and I will be playing it whatever it is, so maybe tomorrow will go better. Time is running out. I need to get that big score soon, before I leave Vegas. No Comments on this post. Click here to post a comment.