yea im trying to make it too…. usually always a good tournament and nice turnout…

Event #1 got a little over 1400 players.  I will diffenently be at Sunday's two day Deep stack.

I won an entry into the $3300 Main event!   Wish Me Luck!  

OK. Please accept my apology for this diatribe! 

Won an entry to the ME when 20 of us played a 16 week tourney and the winner got to go to the ME.  That was me.  Anyway, first live event with a Buy in over $100!  Was thinking I was gonna get Crushed and was very intimidated by the “Pro's” and “Pro-wannabies”.   Had an awesome time.  Met a few pros, Vanessa Selbst,  sat next to Matt Afflect, (fan of both). 

My goals were this; Finish day 1.  “Make it” to Day 3, Cash! 

Day 1's goal. (check) I played WAY too tight day 1.  I finished with just over 15 K in chips (below avg. chips).  Got cooler-ed when a straight hit the river to crack my QQ. (gutter!)

“Make-it” to day 3! (check). Finished day 2 with 56K in chips (below avg chips).  Ran into two bad hands. In the BB I had T9 and called SB min raise.  Flop J93. He bet, I called.  Turn 9. He chked. I bet ½ pot, he called. River J!  He bet ½ pot, so I crying called to see J-5!   So all in all. I chipped up in Day 2…

Make the money!  (Next year!)  718 entries, 72 got paid. I busted out 82.  It still stings a little.  I did manage to hit a couple hands early and get it up to about $165K in chips, which at the time was the average chip stack.  But could never get anything after that.  Went kinda card dead for a while, then this…..

Early open from kid who was opening a lot of pots.  I had JJ.  Best hand I had seen in hours.  Figured I was racing at worst.  Blinds were 2500-5000 w/500 antes. I shove 100K, he calls and slowly turns over AK, knowing he was racing too!  Well, at least I didn’t have to sweat as the flop was AAx!  NH, GG, Drive safe!  Then the slow “So close” walk to the parking lot!

What I learned. 

-Don’t be such a NIT!  Case in point.  About 2 orbits prior to me busting UTG+1 who was fairly tight opened.  MP guy shoves 40K plus.  I look down at AQs.  Now I had about 120K.  Blinds with 2K-4K w/400 antes.  I was thinking EP may have PP 99+AK. Or the shover had that.  I “thought” the AQ may be dominated or racing.  Anyway, I fold EP calls with KQ, Shover had A5.  Board was dry til the A hits the river.  I “coulda” been up to 180K with a shove over the initial shover as I figured the EP opener would have folded.

Another time (day two) I was in the BB with KQc.  MP big stack min raised and I called by the HJ.  I call and the flop is AJ5 with two clubs!  I was unsure what to do in this spot.  I knew I had at least 12 outs.  So I checked.  Initial raiser checks. HJ bets POT!  (woulda called ½ pot). Now I was really unsure what to do.  UGH!  I folded!  If it was just the two of us maybe I ship-it, but the first raiser was still there….but in hind site who cares if I ship it, I should have shipped to draw anyways!  So, I fold, initial raiser calls. Turn is a J.  They both check, which makes me sick even more! Then the river is a Ten.  AQ (HJ) and weaker A is shown.  If I shipped AQ probably woulda called.  But I “try” not to be results oriented.  But just typing this is therapy to me. 

I definitely feel like I improved from just playing in this event in the last 3 days.  I Got my chips in good and lost.  I really can't ask for more than that!

So for the last day and a half I’ve been online and playing like I can’t seem to do live!  Open a lot of pots, stay aggressive, show strength!  Getting there TPE, thanks for listening!