A Friend

Pauly is playing in the WSOP Event today, backed by myself and a bandwagon full of bloggers. Send him some cyber love and positive mojo.

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Played some poker last night. Not very well in my estimation, but well enough to post a nice profit. I've decided to forgo the MTTs during the week. For one, they haven't been treating me very well. But more importantly, when I do manage to get deep into them, I end up wide awake in my bed at 2 a.m. A couple times recently those late hours have led to extremely unkind and unproductive days at work.

Call it an over-reaction, but poker is my hobby. I love it, but I gots to take care of bidness. And I started to worry the poker was infringing on my responsibilities, like work and family.

So I'm sticking with the ring games and SnGs during the week. I really should be playing SnGs more often anyway. They're right in my wheelhouse and have been my most consistent game for the last six months or so. They were definitely the foundation that allowed me some good MTT results, so I'm doubling back to focus more on those.

Grabbed a second in a $30 two-table affair on Stars last night. As I said, I was unimpressed with my play. Too tight, too unwilling to mix it up with the monkeys. Typical aggressive internet play that I countered passively, instead of pushing back. I just didn't want to get pot committed before flops. It worked out.

Unlike Party, the Stars structure (higher starting chip count, slower blinds) lends it self to post-flop play at the early levels. Yet, many still treat it like a pre-flop game. I'm gonna guess I'm above-average in skill against the majority of the fields I'll see in these things, so I guess my thinking is that I don't want to get into big early pots where I have no fold equity.

Let me explain. Early on, I get 99 in the BB. Six players limp (15/30) and I can't have that, so I bump it big to 200. I get 3 callers. Now, luckily for me, the flop comes 7-high and my bet takes it down. But here I've sacrificed nearly 20% of my stack (was at about 1200) and I'm not much of a favorite to survive that flop. It's not the wrong play, but, against these types of players, it's a dangerous one.

The end result was me doing a lot more limping with hands I usually raise with, even in position. I don't think that's the way to go. But it felt safer against this group.

Of course, the hand that made my tourney--doubling me up into the chip lead with 6 left--was when I called a minimum raise with A9o in the SB. 952 flop with two clubs. I bet and was raised 3x. I felt like it was a club draw looking for a free card (figuring this particular player's minimum raise negated chance of an over-pair) and called. Turn was a non-club undercard and I pushed. He called with A5o. Thank you Mr. Nutball.

Naturally, Mr. Nutball took me out heads-up, where I sucked. Sure, he got better cards than I the entire way, but some judicious folds and I could have held out longer, hoping for the tide to turn. Regardless, I'll take the place and the cash.

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Some new linky.

Eva, also known as MrsCantHang, has started her own blog. Despite what you may have read, SHE is really the life of the party, not the old man.

Speaking of Al, I'm one MTT final table away from The Bash at the Boathouse. That and one signed permission slip from the Mrs.

I have been completely remiss in not having The Big Pirate on my blogroll. I am, at times, a little slow. Had the pleasure of meeting Wes in Vegas, where he and I suffered a similar WSOP fate at the hands of those dastardly Hilton sisters.

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I have tried many times to put down my thoughts on Charlie. Other people do it better and, honestly, I'm not qualified, based on the simple fact that I've never head to deal with the loss of someone this close to me.

But I can say something about Jason. If you can judge a man by the company he keeps, Charlie must be one helluva guy. Not to diminish the heart-warming acts of Greenstein, Luske and the other pros, but Jason's been there day-in and day-out for his friend, offering all the comfort and compassion he is able. Without him (and the help of Pauly and Felicia), none of that happens.

We're thinking of you today, J. All of us. And we're so sorry for your loss.