Current Bankroll: $1.50 - 1.5M Play Chips
Cashed in on tonight's 500K Play Chip $40 Freeroll at Full Tilt Poker and then bought into one of the $1+$0.25 90 Player SnG's. Played a really tight game because I wasn't getting anything. Finally picked up a pair of queens and pushed with them only to hit a spade flop and another spade on the river so I had to fold. That cut my stack in half and after another dry spell I was facing blind extinction already half-way through the tourney. Was forced to push all-in preflop with pocket 88's and doubled up nicely when 3 aces came down on the board and gave me a full house. Another dry spell put me right back in the same position a little bit later and this time a pair of tens bailed me out. Still couldn't get a hand to save my life though and tried to hold on as long as possible until I found myself sitting on the bubble with 1 blind left and way behind the next guy so I had to push with KTo and ended up busting on the bubble. I considered waiting another round of the blinds, but my odds weren't very good on improving over KTo so I'm pretty happy with the decision. It really sucks to bust on the bubble, but since I was so far behind the next player I had a long uphill battle anyway and it wasn't as if I could have waited it out.
I'll have to analyze my play some more to figure out if I was really experiencing an awful dry spell or if I could have worked with my cards a bit better. I seem to be doing a lot more folding than usual in these tourneys lately and the "dry-spell" excuse is starting to feel less and less credible. Perhaps I'm playing too tight, but I really don't think so.
Labels: Chris Ferguson Challenge
Ok as for the tourney play, it sounds to me like you may be focusing a little too hard on your cards and not the players around you. As a little tip, next time you play, keep an eye on the players who are in the blinds when you are in late position and try and work out who can fold to a raise. Then later when you are getting shortish, you know you can push hard against these players to maintain your stack. IMO and experience, I try my best to never let myself get below 10BB's and once i do, it's push or fold poker. Once you get below 10BB's you are losing fold equity and starting to give your opponents better odds to make the calls with weak hands!!
WOW, sorry about all that, just hope you can take something from it!
Keep up the good blogging!!
I really appreciate the feedback, by the way. I'm still a relative beginner when it comes to playing poker, so while I may have the passion for it, I am going to need to learn a lot before I'm going to be able to really move up in stakes. So your advice is greatly appreciated.