Time for a change

I went out early this morning, early for me anyway since I left the house at 8:15 on a Saturday, because I wanted to play in a free roll poker tourney at Derby Lane at 9.  You can qualify for the freeroll by getting a hand with Aces full or better and every morning at 9 they run it.  Only 50 people can play in it so when they have more than that they draw for seats and some people don't get it.  I tried to get in on Monday and was the last person not to get a seat. That sucked.  But today I got in, for all the good it did me.

The tourney is structured as a turbo with only 10 minute blind levels.  Start with only 2K in chips but you can add on another 2K for $5 which goes to the dealers and everyone does it.  I got off to a slow start but made sure I folded a lot of hands early instead of making a couple of dumb calls.  Figured I could use this image later.  It did work as I got 99 and raised and got a walk then a bit later got JJ under the gun, raised and got another walk even from the big stack.  I was wanting to get him in a hand so I could double up but JJ is a hand I'm generally happy with taking down preflop.

The big stack came out raising early.  He waylaid one guy when his J6 flopped trips and beat AJ then he took out an all in shorty with A8 beating A9.  A bit later I got in a hand in the big blind with 92 suited.  Flop was 10-8-8 and everyone checked.  Turn was a 7 putting the straight draw and a flush on the board.  I thought this was a good opportunity to try and steal the hand and bet 500.  Call down the table then the small blind throws in a 1000 chip but says raise after and the dealer makes him call only.  Well now I know where I stand.  River is a nothing while I was hoping for a 6 or Jack.  Even if it was what am I gonna do.  I suspect a flush in the small blind anyway.  Small blind pushes in, I hollywood for a while then fold while the guy down the table calls.  Small blind surprises me by showing 9-6 for the straight.  Guy down the table doesn't surprise me by showing the ace high flush. 

Very next hand I get QQ in the small blind.  3 callers for 200 each then the big stack raises to 800.  I push all in for a bit over 2500 and everyone folds to the big stack who goes into the think tank for a minute before finally calling.  He wondered aloud if I had a hand or was tilting and finally convinces himself I have a big ace or something.  He was not happy when he called and I showed QQ vs his 33.  But it didn't matter as a 3 hits the turn and I'm out.  Good play, bad result, typical for me lately.  When you're in a rut you can play perfectly - which I didn't I'm sure - and still lose your ass.  My play in Omaha lately has been kinda bad so I'm gonna do a bit of reading and see about improving my results.

So thats how my weekend started.  Well not really.  Last night I was over at a buddy's house playing a PS3 game called Sniper Elite.  You play a WW2 sniper in Germany and it's cool as hell.  When you shoot someone the game shows the bullet leaving your gun, tracking through the air then entering the enemy's head or chest and you see it going through the organs and everything.  Probably not a game I want my nephew playing but I truly enjoyed it.  I ended up killing 72 Germans in my last go round which was best of the night.  Had a few really nice shots so if poker doesn't work out I can always join the Marines and kill for my country.  Of course they'll need to get me to the right place to do it, no way am I hiking 30 miles in the desert just to kill people.  Well not most people, I would make an exception for a few.  Hope everyone has a great weekend.  Hitting the movies this afternoon with the PQ and some friends then heading out to a nice meal.