Back on the grind

Well, I have to admit that when I returned to the tables last night it was with a mixture of both excitement and trepidation.

I think the rest did me some good, cleared my head and got rid of the fear of the runner runner, 85-15 outdraws.

I played two sessions last night, the first hour I played 5 tournaments at 1 $100 and 4 $50 winning the $100 and 2 of the $50 for a profit of £50.

This had me bouncing with excitement, not so much because of the amount won but more that it was a winning session.

Before I then played my main session I had a couple fo calls from a mate who has played pretty regularly in the GUKPT and GCBPT tours.

I could tell that the call was all about how he was getting fed up with the outdraws and I could see that his enthusiasm was waning.

Hopefully I gave him some encouragement and even suggested he have a couple of days break just to get his enthusiasm back.

Anyway, back to my second session and everything was going swimmingly. I started off the night with a balance of £531 on Big Slick and I had run that up to £486 plus the 3 $100 and 1 $50 tournaments that I was in, so winning just one of them would cement seal a profit for the night and any more was a bonus with the possibility of £300 profit for the night.

Anyway, I was ahead in all four at this point and I would confidently expect to win at least 2 usually.

The first one I got knocked out on was unfortunate but I was victim to the rising blinds when someone went all on on my big blind of 600 for 210 more when I had a big ace but he out flopped me, next hand was a similar story and I was out. Relatively standard stuff and just part of the normal variance.

The second one ended up with me running into Kings on my button push so that was 2 down 2 to go.

The third one (the $50) I think I made a mistake in hindsight.

I generally try to avoid calling all in in these tournaments if I have above average chips and I got AK when someone went all in with slightly more chips than me when we were on the bubble. I had 1900 chips after the blind was posted of 400. Two others had less chips than me so I folded. I know I was miles ahead of his range but he could easily have had a pair or any 2 live cards and I find it is better to let the two short stacks go against each other then I can't lose.

Anyway, I ended up losing that one once the blinds went round a couple more times without me having an opportunity to push and so I was out regretting not calling ther AK hand. I'm not totally convinced what the best action is in the situation. I can happily fold with say 2500 - 3000 in that spot and its an obvious call with more.

Anyway I was still in the last $100 and the good thing here was when we were 5 handed there were 2 short stacks, one with only 600 chips and the other sitting out on the big blind to my small blind. I was sitting pretty with 2500 chips.

Anyway, to cut a long story short the short stack went out leaving us with the sit out to be blinded away.... at least that was the plan. Unfortunately every time he was all in he won, and won and won and won.

I ended up with 930 chips when he was all in for 150 odd in the bb on my sb (blinds at 300/600). I make up the small blind with KQ or something and we check it down 3 or 4 handed and he wins giving him 615 chips and leaving me only 330 and having to go through the blinds before him!

I'm now down to having to win a confrontation so I go all in with my A6 and get the other 2 calling and someone hits one of their rag cards and I'm beaten by someone who wasn't even there!!!!!!

Oh well, that's life.

Let's hope tonight goes better because I usually play 4 or 5 hours on a Thursday night as Julie works till 2am.

Please let me beat the sit outs tonight!!!!!!!!