Wednesday Poker 3000m Steeplechase (Cont.)

4:37: Picked up a thousand chips with 99, moving all-in over the top of one limper and a 3x raise. Thanks for folding, kids. I'm usually not that aggressive, but I'm 3 beers in. Not to mention I'm the tightest player BY FAR at this table and one would think somebody noticed along the line. We'll see. It's time to turn it up.

4:49: First Test of Above Theory: So far, so good. 4x raise one from the button with A8o gets the blinds.

4:54: A8s in MP takes the blinds, as well. Looks like folks are tightening up. At this point, it would be correct to comment on changing gears in these tourneys, how it was crazy loose early and seems to be tightening up now, which is natural. And my idea is to be opposite. Tight early, aggressive later. It's a theory. It's a plan. I have no doubt, after mentioning it, that it will bite me in the ass.

4:57: Anyone ever been literally bitten in the ass? I have. Eight-years-old, tennis ball over the fence, neighbor dog caught me on the left butt cheek. Little sucker actually hung there for a while as I tried to fend him off. I'll show you the scar in Vegas. You don't even have to ask.

4:59: AJ just showed me a picture he drew. It's "an alligator reading a book." No imagination problems.

5:00: One hour 'til the WPBT. Up to 60 combatants. Boy, I hope I don't embarass myself again. I might fold the first 6 levels.

5:08: Congratulations are in order. I made a good fold, my first of the day. A9o in the SB and I complete. Flop comes AJx and I toss out 200 to test the waters. Am raised to 600 by a limper. And I fold. She (her name is OhioPrincess, so I assume it's a "she" unless Iggy is gender-bending his screen names again) is proud to show her pocket Js. Better kicker and I go broke on that hand.

5:14: Alright. My first big pot of the day. Pocket 7s and flop the set. One comes along until the turn on a flush draw. Folds on the river. Plenty of chips to play relative to the blinds. Not so much in relation to the other players, but plenty of time.

5:15: An all-in over the top of my 4x (800) raise with 66. I have to let it go. T7500

5:18: 4x raise with Big Slick UTG+1 gets blinds and antes. Here come the cards?

5:19: Wow. Folds all the way around to my BB (J6o). First time since the Carter Administration.

5:21: The Earth is back on its axis. With two limpers in front, I limp with KT of diamonds. Flop is all black. That's what happens when I'm looking flush.

5:23: Think I've got a pretty good read on this group. Which will naturally lead to a horrid mis-read in the next five minutes.

5:24: Living dangerously. 4x (1600) raise UTG with 66. I get folds. I know the UTG raise gets extra respect--or should--but I surely don't want callers there. And it's a long way around the table.

5:27: Gonna try to take the blinds with Mr. October in LP. Until the 3 raises in front of me. Had a better hand than the guy who won the pot (unimproved Big Slick). Woulda been put to the test, for sure.

5:29: Big Slick from the previous is a huge stack and willing to call most anything. Must watch out for small pre-flop raises.

5:31: He'll pay a brother off, too, calling an all-in from the nut straight with middle pair. And expresses surprise.

5:32: He'll pay a brother off again with bottom two pair. The same brother. Who now has more chips than the former Big Stack.

5:35: Primus' "Frizzle Fry" gettin' us in the groove at present. This disc was the soundtrack for a good 18 months of my life. Right after college, I lived in a rented house with 3 buddies from high school. It was dubbed "Castle West" or, more often, just The Castle. It was an ironic name. A more appropriate one would have been "Hovel West." It was a very "Tale of Two Cities" time of my life. I've never had more fun. I'd never been more miserable. That might not make much sense, but trust me. I bang out the saga in this space at some point, a meandering tale of drug use (not abuse; okay, maybe a little), rock and roll, missed opportunity, broken hearts, spiritual lethargy and plummeting self-esteem. I wouldn't trade the experience for the world. I would never want to re-live it.

5:40: Hey look! A poker tournament! At the second break I am 189th of 244 remaining with a "stack" well below average and 13x the BB. Two smokes left.

5:40: Twenty minutes until the WPBT. 90 registered. Gonna be tough to blog and play two tourneys at once. (Another excuse to suck in the event)

5:45: Serious bidness now. No limping. No drawing past the flop. A lot of chips in play and folks are using them.

5:48: Big Slick pays another brother off. This times it's me. I double up with AA vs. his 66. I now have more chips than he does. Gotta love raising two limpers in front, having one call and the other re-raise. I didn't slow-play 'em ghost. Standard 4x raise.

5:51: When I grow up I want to be...one of the harvsters of the sea. Yes, I'm singing along. Loudly.

5:56: AH HA! I folded to a min. raise from loose-ass Big Slick in the BB with a playable hand (QTs). Aces. Got a guy's whole stack, too. Yep. History repeating.

7:05: As I said, no way I can blog while playing in two tourneys. I'm down to one, falling out of the re-buy in 81st. Never could get a playable stack. Things were going well in the Blogger tourney until I lost a coin flip with JJ vs/ AKo. Ace on the river cut me in half. Still in it, but a relatively short stack. All for now. Re-cap tomorrow. I'm done. D.O.N.E.