Re-Buy!

Nothing like being moved in the second hour of the Crazy Re-Buy at Stars and finding yourself at a table with players sporting a combined 224 Final Table finishes among them (only 9 of them mine). johnster with 79; Andy134 with 69; knickadam with 35; and to my immediate right, Davin Anderson. I mean, you can't break these guys up amongst the 1100 other doucebags? I've played against Anderson before and promised myself I wouldn't let him run over me, because he's very aggressive. First time in my BB, he raises 4x and I call with 6c5c. I, uh, flopped the nuts, 743 rainbow. Check-check and he bets a grand on the Ac turn. I min. raise and he puts me all in. He's drawing dead with AJo. That was 40 minutes ago. I've seen one flop since.

Nevermind, I just took a 15K pot off Andy with Kournikova. Flopped the K and he check-called me all the way down with JJ. Weird.

Two idiots just chipped up johnster, pushing on the flop with Ace-high against his big pockets.

I'm, uh, second in chips behind him at this table. I believe it was Sesame Street which said, "which one of these things doesn't belong here?"

I'm 99 of 375 at the second break. 99 paid. Pool of nearly $41K. I nearly doubled my stack (currently 22K) in the second hour, losing a few small pots, but winning two big ones. Good game plan.

I guess you could say being in this Shark Tank has got my blood flowing.

Davin Anderson just got busted. His AK got out-flopped by knickadam's ATo. Davin had 4 outs when he pushed on the turn (board was QTT7), but failed to convert.

johnster, who I believe topped the Stars TLB for Oct., wins another big pot with AKo v. AQ. he's got 62K. People are dying to give him chips.

I haven't seen a pocket pair in over an hour. The guy to my left defends his blind every time. And Andy is to his left. Not exactly a pair to trifle with.

There's potential here. Got a good read on a couple guys. Just need a hand with which to strike.

A9o gets the blinds and antes.

knickadam just busted Andy. Wow. AK v. JJ and adam flopped a boat.

There's no chipping up, but I am treadng water with steals. Still no pocket pairs. 120 of 247.

WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!

Is there anything better than aces on the button when the BB wakes up with a hand? No. I think not. KQ pushes over my 3x raise and I'm sitting on 38K. This hand should make fhwrdh very happy.

You know, johnster is an amazing player. He plays a lot of hands, wins a lot of small pots and invariably has a monster if it goes to showdown. Top notch.

Awwwwww, I've been moved. I honestly wish I didn't have to go. That was a fucking rush playing there. gotta keep the concentration up. Far fewer chips and pedigree here. Play perfect poker. Play perfect poker. Play perfect poker.

Gigabet, not at my table, just got knocked out. One less Shark.

AA again. I bust a short stack. Up to 40K. JJ next hand and I bust another short stack who had AK. Big Stack came along to the 994 flop too, but dropped when I pushed. Up to 59K. That puts me 28th of 177. And a one-way ticket to another table. Three bigger stacks here, one medium (33K) and the rest 18K or less.

Have I mentioned how farking hungover I am? Man, what a slosh fest at HDouble's last night. I probably should have slept on his couch instead of making the 70-mile trek home at 2:30. I wasn't so much drunk at that point as I was tired. If I didn't have to watch AJ today, I certainly would have. Next time I'll bring him and we'll both sleep there.

I've been listening to Arena Rock on DirecTV all day. Stupid Otis.

Congrats to Sir Waffle House for winning the Dr. Pauly tourney and to geek and proud for taking the Wheaton tourney. Bloggers blowin' shit up.

Big pot. TPTK with Big Slick no good vs. AA. Dude's got 127K now. Other dude has 13.

Guy with 127K now has 214K after another Big Stack, who was holding...er...bottom pair with...er...92o...pays off his set of Queens. Sheesh. Back-to-back hands.

Blind defense rules. After a couple folding orbits, I call min. raise with Jd8d. Flop is AdKdx and my min. bet takes it. 60K. 34 of 146.

Break time. Roughly five tables off the bubble. Sitting in good shape. Gotta keep it together.

Languishing. Got a walk in my BB, but nothing else to report. Small stack to my immediate right and both spots to my left so I'm loathe to steal. Closer to the bubble is the spot for that. They have about 35% of my stack, so it wouldn't be an insubstantial decision if they come over the top.

I'm folding KQo without even thinking twice about it. That fucking hand. 17 from the money. I'm still in the top half of the field at 47th. My Harrington just dropped to 9 with the blind jump. Ugh.

Twelve to the money.

Got the blinds and antes with 33. They're nearly 6K at this point. Splendid. Seven to the money. One more orbit, probably.

I'm subscribing to the Joanne theory that making the money is Job One in these things, as I tighten up like a schoolmarm near the bubble. It's been workinig, but I haven't been able to go deep as I'd like. I'm wondering if there's a middle ground?

Bubble. At 57K, 45th of 101. Short stacks gettin' stole on. that's right, "stole on."

Money! I am officially profitable to the tune of $30.83.

Time to get some cards and make a run. 49K. Still top 50.

Fourth break. 54K, but right into the BB with the numbers huge at 4000/8000/400. 47 of 60 remaining. Time for some luck.

No such luck. Nothing to play, nothing with which to defend and a table full of big stacks throwing themselves around. Frustrating. Out in 51st.

I hung with the Big Boys though, didn't embarass myself and won some cash. All in all, a good day.