SaturDay is PokerDay

Yesterday I decided on playing the WPT satellite over at the ACF. The buy-in was P 1500+300 with only rebuy or add-on. I thought that this tournament would be up my alley since people would play more sensibly because you would only have one rebuy. I arrived with my girlfriend at around 2:15 and watched all the regulars pour in. After playing for quite some time now at the ACF, I know alot of people by face and they know me the same way, but I probably know only less than 5% of them by name. No offense guys! Hehe

Game started off reasonably, the table felt really tight so the good players took advantage by being aggressive at the pots early. One girl in particular won the first 4 hands and was really up alot of chips. The first hand I got was a pair of Kings! Oh yeah, the mighty cowboys! So I bet 220 at the pot and got 3 callers. Flop came out 8-4-6 rainbow. No scare cards so I bet out 400. Guy folds and girl raises up to 800. At this point Im scared, she either has rockets or is bluffing. I cant back down from my pockets so I reluctantly call. Turn is a trash hand, girl goes all-in and I call. I turn up my Kings and she turns up, yep, you guessed it, Aces! Of course when I get a good hand, someone is going to get a better one. Havent I learned that already? By the way, thats my sarcastic voice. Of course the river does not improve any of our hands, so I bust out after just 10 minutes. To her credit, she did look apologetic and sorry to me. Oh well!

The deck would also feel sorry and deal me an AK offsuit. I decide to slowplay it to see a cheap flop and get 5 people in the pot. Flop pairs my Ace and everyone checks. I bet out 200 and get one caller. Turn is a rag and I bet 400, which other guy calls again. River is another rag and I bet 800. Guy just folds, and looks at me like I fooled him. Better that way I guess, keep him thinking.

Deck feels sorry for me once more and gives me pocket Aces. This is the 2nd time I have got these hands in all my tourneys and love to slow-play them. I am left of dealer and just check. Dealer bets 220, and I quick call him. Flop comes and immaculate J-A-10 with two hearts. I check again and guy bets 600 which I call again. Turn is a Jack, and I hit the full house. I check again and dealer goes all in. He shows his A4 offsuit and he cant believe what he's up against. He is drawing dead and I double up. One player in particular commends me on the great play. I am 2-0 with pocket Aces. Hehe

During the break, my girlfriend tears me a new one for rebuying this early in the tourney. Hehe. That was not pleasant at all. I later fuel her bloodlust once more by spilling soup on her arm, which by the way, is the quickest way to a womans heart. After she tears me another new one, I head back to the tables.

I dont get any good hands after the break but try something different. Guy to my left comments that our table limps in too much and decide to try and steal some pots. At the dealer button, one guy in middle position bets 300 I call with a medium-strength hand (cant remember). Flop does not improve my hand, which was no big surprise. What did baffle me is that the raiser just checks. I bet at him with 600 and he quickly folds. "So thats how its done!", is what I tell myself. A little later I get pocket 10s and bet 400. I only get one caller, who is first to act. Flop has one overcard, an Ace. Guy checks, and I bet 1000 quickly. I try and look at the pot rather casually like I couldnt care if he would call or not, trying to keep my table image as tight-aggressive. He folds after a long deliberation with himself and I love it! Unfortunately that was the last time in the evening I decide to love the tourney. I never get any medium-strength or strong hands to play, and never seem to get the courage to bluff at the pot. I eventually lost it all after the 2nd break, and after the 4th table transfer, to an all-in for an AQ offsuit. Wouldnt you know it, I get one caller who was AK offsuit. That was grand! Flop pairs his King and I leave. The river gives him a Flush. I later see the same guy leave the casino about 10 minutes after me. Either he won really fast or got screwed by the Poker gods.

I didnt feel so bad because I made good decisions the entire night, but did not just follow through on the results. I am going to try to focus on this more in the future. My girlfriend and I amde our way to Mall of Asia to walk around and relax and have something to eat. I got a text later from a buddy of mine inviting me to a cash game at his place in Ortigas. With permission from my commander in chief, we hopped on a cab for more poker. We arrived at 11:00 PM and there was a lot people playing, all of them I already knew. They were telling me about how they lost, I think, P 50,000 on baccarat the previous night from the ACF. Hehe. Baccarat is a funny word.

The first hand I played was an A4 offsuit and everyone limps in the pot. Flop is 2-3-10 with 2 hearts which everyone checks to. I think I have chance for a straight so I check as well. Flop is a Queen of hearts and everyone checks. I assume no one has the flush and decide to represent it, so I bet 300. One guy calls. River is another heart and guy checks again. I bet 500, not knowing that he only has 410 left. He definitely has a flush because he is really considering calling me but is reluctant 'cause his hole cards are small hearts, below 6 in value I think. Any heart I (could) have would definitely beat his. After more thatn 5 minutes of deliberation he calls, I just muck my cards and say, "you win". There was no way I was going to win the pot with my hand so I had to bet at it. I didnt mind the loss to much because I think my table image allowed me to represent effectively a strong hand.

A little later I got a J3 suited and decided to go with it. Flop comes out J-J-3. I hit the friggin full house on the flop. I know that checking will not do, so I bet 20 at the pot to just increase the size. Guy beside me raises it to 500. Everyone fold to me and I push all-in. He calls and shows his QJ. Cant blame the guy, he did hit the trips on flop. Whos gonna think someone would hit the full house? The only card that could help him is a Queen for the win or another 3 for the split. Neither show and I take down the nice pot.

I do not get any strong hands later and steal the pot several times only. Despite this, I leave with P 1950, P 50 less than my initial buyin. Hehe. On the way home, I contemplated about the days events and realize that the only thing lacking from my game is the willingness to take a loss to win big. One poker pro once said that in order to survive, you must be willing to die. I have to learn to hone my killer instincts so I can finally chalk a tourney win in my name. Finishing ITM would not be bad as well.

Well let you guys know what happens when it happens. By the way, if any of the local poker blog community want me to post their links on my blog, drop me a comment so I can add it ASAP. Thanks for reading guys! Peace and good luck to your games! As Mike Sexton would say, "May all your cards be live and your pots be monsters!. Hehe. Sexton is a funny word.