Back in Bellingham

I had a nice little week+ at home. I didn't really get a lot done. Just played some golf and quite a bit of poker. I also played a lot with my dogs and my cat and got a chance to meet up with my old friend Trevor and Pat. I don't think you can beat just being at home with absolutely nothing to worry about school or work-related. I hung out with Derek quite a bit, and we had some fun.

The only bad thing about being home is that I always eat out a lot and never ever work out. I started feeling pretty bad about myself toward the end of that week and was determined to get back up here and work out. So far so good.

I got up here on Thursday night and put it good workouts yesterday and today. On Friday, I basically jogged a mile and was nearly dead after that so that was embarassing. Today was quite a bit better as I took it a little easier. I also went to the store today and spent $96+ on some necessities and some healthy food actually, which might equal the most I have ever spent with my own money at a grocery store.

Besides that, my roommate moved out on Friday, and I have just been playing some online. Yesterday I logged on to play in some MTT's, and a few minutes into my sesh, a table popped up that said something about it being a comp tournament. I clicked on the tourney lobby, and apparently it was a freeroll into the 50-seat qualifier which took place today. Because UB sucks at customer service, they had to make up for their lack of notice for the previous freerolls by adding another freeroll which about 5% of the players actually showed up for (no notice was given AGAIN). Oh well, at my starting table, it was me and 2 other players sitting in with 7 black seats. I wasn't sure what the correct strategy was at this point. With the blinds being 5/10, I didn't want to go crazy trying to steal blinds, but the reality was there was only 3 people at a 10-handed table. It was really weird, but I eventually felted those guys and it was just me and 9 black seats LMAO!! I clicked the call button for the rest of the hour until they were all gone, then it was time to play against some actual opponents.

Later on in the tourney, I had chipped up to 140k. The only player who covered me had about 200k and was crazy monkey agro. Then this pot came up: with the blinds at 400/800, there was a limper up front and said villain bet pot at 5kish. I was in the SB with AQ and was weary of 3-betting him because I obv didn't want to play a huge pot with the one player who had me covered given the nature of the tourney. But I figured I had to let my presence be felt, and he was unspeakably active, so I raised to 20k. To my dismay, he called, and we were heads up to a K 10 2 flop. Check, check. Turn 6, which brought a backdoor FD. I bet 32k. He insta-called. River K, and I checked, very frustrated. He almost immediately bet pot to put me AI. I had 70k left and decided to go through the hand before I mucked. I ruled out a K completely, as he would have potted the flop. I would have heard from a 10 earlier, and I was pretty sure he would have done some gay min. raise on the turn with 666 or 222. All in all, it was probably a poor call, given that I was still above average, and only 10 spots paid the entry with about 200 players left. Anyways, I pressed the call button, and he showed AJ. WOOHOOO for the hero call!

So I qualified for that, but I was already qualified, so I scooped the 530 tourney dollars. In addition to that yesterday, I final tabled the 6:20 bounty, and took 5th for $480. While this was going on, I was deep in a FTP 6-handed tourney. There were 20 left, and I was around average when the gross hand came up. With 32k in chips, I raised 66 UTG. The button min-raised (I cannot recall what the blinds were, but I am obv calling the min-3-bet). He had 22k behind to start the hand. The flop came a beautiful Jx 7d 6d. I check/called a 4500 bet because I thought he might have had air. Turn 4d, and I decided on the pot-bet AI. He called and tabled black QQ. River Qh :'-( Very next hand I get in for the rest of my chips with A10 against J8 on a KQxx8 board.

Woke up today, went to work out as I said, then came home to play in the WSOP 50-seat qualifier. I was pretty active early getting up to 3200 from the 2500 starting stack. But then I limped 79ss on the button behind a limper at 20/40, and 4 of us saw a As 6s 5h flop. Checked to me, and I bet 140 into 200. SB called. Turn the interesting Js. He checked, and I decided to check behind for pot control and to get river value. River x, and villain bet 350. I settled on a call, and he showed 10-8ss. Oh well. That put me down to 2400 and I was never able to get anything going and moved in for 1100 (50/100) with 10-10 from MP and SB called with AA.

I then played in the $20k guaranteed DS tourney at 5pm. I doubled up early when a donk open shoved with AK, and I called with KK and held. I was up to as much as 44k but lost a few all in pots and was down to 18k at 1k/2k with 22 left (20 getting paid). I moved in with 77, and BB woke up with KK, making me nearly the exact bubble boy for something like the 4th time in that tourney with 0 cashes!!! Here is the chat between me and Derek:

XxAEstud05xX (9:09:55 PM): 77

XxAEstud05xX (9:09:56 PM): again

afroderek (9:10:33 PM): ugh

afroderek (9:10:35 PM): sorry bro

XxAEstud05xX (9:10:43 PM): FUCK THIAZ GFAGOISJDCFIPONAEWK

XxAEstud05xX (9:10:45 PM): aewdfqefhoqerwocadsfadqf[

XxAEstud05xX (9:10:46 PM): a

XxAEstud05xX (9:10:47 PM): sdfads;faj;dsfkjak;ldsc

XxAEstud05xX (9:10:51 PM): fuking hate thies fuking shit

XxAEstud05xX (9:10:55 PM): fwefkljaewfk;ljadsklfcjak;lsd;ckajds;cas;lkdjck;l

XxAEstud05xX (9:10:57 PM): jalsdkfjas

XxAEstud05xX (9:10:58 PM): dcaskldcs;ldkjcak;lsdfk;lanewdfnqew'fmc

XxAEstud05xX (9:10:59 PM): ac

XxAEstud05xX (9:11:07 PM): fuking bubble

XxAEstud05xX (9:11:14 PM): im AWFUL I WANT TO HANG MYSELF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So yes, I may have been slightly tilted, but what do you expect? I feel like I am playing the best poker of my life and continue to knock on the door in big tournies but have had like almost no success. I feel it's coming soon though, and I am playing in the $200k tomorrow on UB.

Anyways, after that I went and got some dumplings (comfort food) then came back and was itching yet again. I decided to sit down at some 1/2 NL 6-max tables because it's Saturday night.
I played about 500 hands, winning $373 which was nice. Here are some of the cool ones:

It was meh until this hand came up. I love free money:
http://www.pokerhand.org/?2790275

I then got lucky to flop bottom set in a big pot against a guy who would ejaculate with TPTK:
http://www.pokerhand.org/?2790329

I didn't really get unlucky all that much but felt that the games were very weak. I go through phases where I hate then love live games, but I would really like to do the whole move up levels thing like all the other online pros. Tournies are fun, but it definitely got me thinking today how silly it is to play for so long and get absolutely nothing. I'm sure I will be saying how much I hate live games in the next couple weeks, but hopefully not.

Anyways, Grant and his dad are coming up tomorrow to help Grant move in, so I gotta go to bed so I can get up and put in a good workout again before they get here!

God Bless,

JG