Last week, I wrote:
Next Monday, I play super tight in the tourneys, only committing my chips when I'm almost sure I've got an advantage. Only allin preflop with QQ-AA or AK pre-flop, and only all-in postflop with trips or better, until I'm in the money or my stack is an orbit or less deep. (We'll see in this space next week if I can actually do this.)So... how did I do?
I missed the Palace tournament; I took my daughter to a dentist appointment instead. I arrived at Palace at about 9, got into the $3/$6 game at about 9:30, and left $100 lighter at about 10:30. My AJs hit a board of A53-J-x only to be brought down by a slow-playing small blind, who had called a pre-flop raise with 42o. A few minutes later, I ran into quad kings while holding top two pair.
I only "won" two hands: pocket aces on the button (folded around to me, I merely call, the big blind folds post flop, net +$4) and A9s (the board is A87-7-7, I split the pot with an A6, net +$7).
At Happy Days, my blackjack match plays got beat (including my double-down 11 against a dealer 3), as did two of the next three hands.
In the tournament, with blinds of 400 and 800, I had 3600 left (from my starting 5000), and was in the small blind. It folded around to the button, who called, and I completed with A♠ 7♠. I've got 2800 left. The big blind, who has a slightly smaller stack, checked. The board came A57 rainbow. I toss in 1000 with my two pair. The big blind immediately pushes his stack of 2100 all in. The button folds. It's to me.
I put the big blind on a bigger ace, which my two pair is beating. I call, and he turns over 86o, for an open-end straight draw. I'm a 70%/30% favorite, but the turn is a 9, giving him the win. I'm crippled at 700 chips, and push QTo a few hands later. It doesn't make it.
It wasn't post-flop trips or better, as I'd promised myself, but I'll replay an edge like that in a tournament every chance I get. It was just an expensive day of bad luck. Unlike some previous sessions, however, I'm very satisfied with how I played.
