Wednesday night I had another nice result but it was a 4th place finish, I'm not here for the money alone, I hate losing, always have and always will. Yes I made some good money but I'm here for the victory, there's no better feeling than that first place finish in tournaments, every other place your left feeling disappointing and the moneys a consolation prize, I want to be the champ not the chump.
Now I'm fairly sure I've been a little too tight in some spots recently but when your playing in a tournament with pay jumps that are 50+ buyins based on your current roll its hard not to. I have played this way mainly due to ICM considerations which I'm no expert on but I at least think about, unlike each and everyone of the guys that made this FT which I guess is top be expected in a $5 buyin 1700 runner field.
This was as we made the FT, the 2 big stacks are supposed to be able to apply pressure on me and the Swede, me and the swede can pound on the 3 middling stacks when given the opportunity and the dynamics in general should get really really interesting. It's just not the case in these buyins though there's so much punting that goes on. Anyways, as it happened I made a very very snug fold with AKo with 5 players remaining, me, the Swede, toby1805, elapapia and The.DPR. I had shark scoped these guys, the only reasonable winner was toby who had a 22% ROI over 10k games on 888, the Swede seemed somewhat solid, the other 2 were recreational.
I went into the FT thinking I want 4th minimum here but ideally top 3, once we get there open up and go for the win, then this spot came up.
toby180 (~30-35bb) who was UTG opens 2.2bb, the Swede (11bb) folds, elpapaia (14bb) folds The.DPR in the SB (40-45bb) 3bs to 5.8bb and I'm in the big blind with 18bb and AKo. The thing here is The.DPR for sure knows nothing about ICM here or the pressure he should be applying in this spot and the way he had been playing lead me to believe he almost certainly has Js+ AK here. A reasonable FT with some good thinking players I have SB 3b range crushed here and very easily flick it in, I just did not feel the need to either take a flip or get it in crushed when I for sure have an edge, have 2 players covered and have plenty to work with on a mainly passive FT with 18BB. I made the fold, so did UTG and we will never know but honestly I'm ok with it given what I've said above.
That's it now though, as I said I'm ok with it but I do feel disappointing I didn't take this down and I do understand you have to win some flips at FTs to get the win. I've got a nice little roll going, have a buffer in case I need money for this or that so that's enough, I won't be totally discounting ICM but I will be taking spots in tournys with $2k or less for first place, I'm going for the win, I'm going to try crush some souls at FT's, put the nits in tough spots etc
Five handed play was pretty frustrating, the 2 big stacks just were not doing they're jobs and pounding on the 2 shortest stacks and when elapapia did get it in with KJo I might add, he sucked out on the river vs toby. Not long after that the same player jammed his 13bb I have AQo on the BTN with 18bb and make a pretty easy call knowing this guy is getting it in lighter than he should be. He has 6s we flop the Q he runner runners the straight and were down to 3bb. If I win that I have 30bb and very good shot at the win but it wasnt to be Luckily the very next hand the same player gets in his 26bb with 8s and loses against tobys AK and we get the ladder and position we were looking for at the start of the FT. There ya go though, that hand itself confirms everything I've said above about how these guys were playing and why I felt the need to only take spots where I was for sure in good shape.
I busted not long after for $975, a decent nights work when all is said and done
Health / Lifestyle
I've basically been a beer monster recently, we've had a pretty darn good start to the summer that has lead to one too many sessions with family and friends. So yeh I'm getting fatter not fitter but I have bought a Vape ciggy thingy to get me off the cigs when I'm not drinking which so far this week has worked a treat. Now I've just gotta get this beer belly back out on the roads, it's going to happen next week, If it doesn't I'm retiring this blog, if I have not posted a 3 mile run on here by Wednesday I will never make another post
Food wise I eat pretty well other than the odd cake or chocolate bar that are supposed to be for the kids so I'm not going on about that. I do want to get on the smoothie grind in a morning though so that will be my next fad for sure.
Grinding tonight, York Races for a horse racing day out with friends tomorrow then back at it Sunday to crush some hopes and dreams!
Laters