Whaddaya know.. I learned something

Just as I figured, I played in the WPBT WSOP qualifier on Stars, and I learned something. I've been reading poker blogs for several months now, and it's no coincidence that my play has improved. Reading all that poker thinking out there has rubbed off on me a little, and the excellent play in the tourney served as evidence that I have plenty more to learn.

My starting table lasted only six hands, give or take, before they moved us all:

Seat 1: dnasty13
Seat 2: micon
Seat 3: BadBlood
Seat 4: - (empty seat)
Seat 5: Statham (that's me!)
Seat 6: jerge88
Seat 7: - (empty seat)
Seat 8: lifesagrind
Seat 9: April

It was table 2 that took me to school. I apologize for not asking for websites..

Seat 1: CrzySmrtGuy
Seat 2: April
Seat 3: sellthekids
Seat 4: Statham
Seat 5: fhwrdh
Seat 6: GRobman
Seat 7: VARoadstter
Seat 8: S.t.B
Seat 9: Bob

I tried a steal with A8 offsuit when VA Roadstter defended his blind. He checkraised me on a Q-T-8 flop, and I had to lay it down. I think this slap put me into "tight 'n timid" mode for too long.

Perhaps a bit too tight, I folded AT-diamonds UTG, only to see a nice A-Jd-7d flop. GRob picked up that pot.

VA got sellthekids a little tilted when STK folded KK to VA's action on a T-Tc-8c board. April followed that up by doubling up her AK against STK's KQo. Sellthekids was down to the felt, but not out. He'd end up doubling up a few times and sticking around to 47th place.

I played 99 from my big blind timidly, not raising the three limpers, then folding to a flop bet with a king and two hearts on the board.

After plenty of folding, I raised preflop with 65-hearts in late-middle position and the big blind defended. I resisted the urge to check and see a free card with a Qh-7s-4h flop, and my bet picked up the pot.

Sellthekids made a great play on me. In his small blind, shortstacked, he completed the bet when it was folded to him, and I checked my BB holding 92 offsuit. The flop was 9-4-4, and he pushed all-in for slightly more than the pot. It looked like a desperation shove, and I reluctantly called with my top-pair-bottom-kicker. Sellthekids played his pocket queens like a champ, and doubled up. I'm gonna have to add that one to my Bag 'o Tricks.

I moved to my third table, glad to leave my shameful 92 offsuit debacle behind...

Seat 1: txchach
Seat 2: Gobias
Seat 3: Statham
Seat 4: sloejack
Seat 5: pcar79
Seat 6: phillsievers
Seat 7: CJ
Seat 8: JoeSpeaker
Seat 9: maigrey

My stay here would be short. I came in for a raise with 88, and pcar79 pushed his shortstack all-in. I was pleased to see his pocket 3's, but the river 3 put me in desperation mode. With the blinds at 50/100, I had 480.

I decided to play for all of my chips with QTo from my big blind. Gobias tabled his pocket two's from the small blind and my hand didn't improve. Out in 54th.

It was a lot of fun, I learned something, and it was really exciting to watch Bob, BadBlood, Joe, and Hdouble duke it out late in the tourney. Yes, I was rooting for the LA bloggers.

Congratulations to Bob on his win! I'm sure he'll represent the blogger contingent in Vegas well. I can't wait to hear about hijinx or a Hammer-drop on an uptight pro..