First, let me state that I am loving Yahoo's Launchcast Plus. Check it out. Second. I played a $5 + 1 multi Sunday morning, forgoing the chore of cleaning the garage... from level 2 through level 6 I held the chip lead, then my game fell apart and I went out 26th out of 99. I was able to gain the lead from some all around aggressive play. This time out I adjusted my post-flop play to press re-raises and taking advantage of weakness, being careful not to abuse the tactic. I cut off dangerous draws very aggressively. If I was challenged on steal attempts, I backed off. This was a successful strategy up until level six where I realized, too late, that I needed to adjust. The weak players were all but gone now that we were down to 3 tables.
My strategy had been an optimal one against weaker opponents, but now it was proving difficult to maintain against equal/better players. There were two hands when in late position and first to act, I came in for a raise with a questionable hand (late position) - K9 suited was one of them I remember. Both times the player to my immediate left pushed all-in and both times I backed down. The crippling hand came when several had limped in for t150 and I was holding JJ. I had about t4800, give or take a few - about an average stack. With at least 4 others in the pot, I reasoned that a standard raise wasn't going to push out any Ax and the limps informed me that I wasn't up against a big pair. I pushed all-in expecting to pick up the limps. I got one caller who was holding QQ. Deja vu all over again. I was out for good a few hands later.
Chalk this one up to experience. I will be evaluating my late stage tourney strategy (which, I have to confess, is a new problem for me not having reached the late stage that often, as of yet...). Now, it's off to lunch and that garage... irrggg.
Well, I made a half-assed attempt at cleaning the garage... I logged back in later (after watching Sense and Sensibility - I love Jane Austen) and ended up at a $25 NL with Badblood, and was soon joined by Pauly and the venerable Otis B. Dart. I managed to lose a large portion of my stack to a few bad calls and at least one suckout and had to reload. I hung around due to the clever banter and good company. It was a fun table. I managed to end that session a little better than even thanks, sadly, to a pair of KK which bested Pauly's sluts QQ. I'd just taken a pot off of him with KK and, lo and behold, I got KK again the very next hand. He pushed in on his AQ and a Q on the flop. Well, I had to call. I got a third K, just to rub salt in the wound. I diddint mean to. It just happened, I swear. 'K?
I then hopped over the the Sit-n-Go's. You see, I had yet to crack the $10 SnG's at Empire. So I thought I'd take a stab at them once again. The first one - pah - out early. The second one, however, I won. Hooray! Finally cracked them.
