Coolered but okay w/it

Yesterday I opted to use some of the "player points" on Bodog for the first time. 100 points was the cost of a tournament that paid out T$29 which would get you into a quarter-final round of another tournament. Basically a pathway to some bigger tournaments. 220 people started out and it would pay the top 12. I went out in 18th place. DOH! And I wasn't short stacked at the time, one more score, and I probably could have "skated" to victory. BUT, when you look down at pocket Kings, in late position, what're you going to do. I popped it...got reraised and then we both ended up all in. Yeah, you guessed it he flipped over his Rockets. But hey, I'd played well, and don't think there was any way I was going to get away from the hand. I'm afraid if I'd played it way conservative and stayed out of this and other hands...I would have bubbled, as in relation to my chip stack I was in 13th place as far as chips went. BUT, hey it wasn't a suck out, it was just one of those inevitable hands. I wasn't even all that upset over it. NH...move on. In that same tournament earlier in the first hour I got involved with A-10s, but paired my Ace on the flop. Got smooth called all the way, until the River by one guy, and with 3 Kings on the board...making me a boat Kings full of Aces, he popped it big. And you guessed it I had to pay it off. Yup...Kings full of Aces beaten by QUADS. I guess I should have seen it coming. I mean I only had the 3rd nuts hand. He could have had pocket rockets too, but a King was enough. I survived that onslaught, but had only 3,000 in chips left. I was able to bounce back from that in a few rounds though, and was semi cruising along with 11,000-ish chips. I played well. I played TIGHT! Tighter than I have in a very long time...and it was getting me there too, if only Lady Luck had smiled. I'm really thinking of trying this same approach again in the home game. I deviated from the style which consistently put me on the final table, and a cashout. BUT I did this when the competition continued to improve, or at least I thought so. It might very well be a viable strategy, since my big raises have been ignored as of late. Maybe it's time to wait for the monsters again and get paid. Have to try it out...and let you know, of course if you're reading this you'll know it's coming. Let's see how many of you are! : )

I have bounced back on Bodog, not quite back to where I was, but back to $95.xx. Does little to soften the blow of Friday night's loss, but hey, I'm not out yet... I need to get back to some basics. I read a post by Daniel Negraneau, that said that too many players (amateurs) are used to TV and online play. Fast paced, multiple tabling (online) and constant action, with Degree All-In Moments. Whereas big stack poker tourneys and ring games, aren't like that. It is entirely likely for an hour or more to elapse before you even get a playable hand. Although, with Daniel, I find this UNLIKELY, given that he plays in the neighborhood of 80% of his hands. His game is much more developed and his reads are nothing short of AMAZING! The more I read, and observe, for me during this BR rebuilding time, I need to go back to the slow grind. I won't make a lot...but I won't lose either. I just gotta suffer through it, and one day get back in the fight. I'm frankly not going to forgive myself for poker play indiscretions until I win (back) around $600. So, I'm in for a very long haul.

Football game today for Cole, against Ravenswood. Gonna be a rough one people. Hope we do our best, and that's all that can be hoped for. May it be an injury free day. Go Bullets!!!

Regards,

cheer_dad