A 2nd Place Finish And A Big Boost For My Bankroll

I was playin $5 sngs and not doing very well this morning.  It seems to me that the players at this level are too wild and that makes them really hard to play against.  Or maybe it's that I don't play my best because it is such a low limit.  Maybe it's both, I don't know.  So going against the rules of bankroll management I decided to play a $10 sng to see if the players were any different at that level.  The level of skill seemed to be the same.  There were still people pushing all in with 2 random cards with 1500 chips and the blinds at 10/20.  I don't understand what these people are thinking.  I played pretty solid and I was gettin some good cards and I ended up taking 1st for $45.  I was happy to win but since the level of skill seems to be the same at $10 as it is at the $5 sngs I am going to drop back down and continue to play at the $5 level so that I am playing within my bankroll.  I don't want to put too much of my bankroll at risk with all of these insane beats that I see happen every time I am at a table.

I signed up for a $2 180 man sng while I was playing the $10 sng and totally forgot about it until I was seated when the tourney started.  I was down to a few players in the $10 sng so I was focusing more on that and folding most of my hands in the $2 sng.  After I won the $10 sng and basked in the glory for a few seconds I turned my attention towards going deep in the $2.  I told myself that this would be the last one for the night/morning so I wanted to make it last as long as possible (I never want to stop playing and I have to force myself to). 

I approached this one differently than I usually do.  I usually watch the lobby constantly to see where the chip average is and how many players are left.  This time I wouldn't let myself do that.  I didn't want to feel rushed and start playing hands that I had no business playing.  I had no idea how many players were left the entire time until we started going hand for hand with 28 players.  Even then I didn't keep track of how many players were left.  I could only tell we were down to 18 players when our 3 tables were condensed down to 2..  I had an average/below average stack the entire tourney but I played more patiently than I ever have and picked my spots to pick up blinds.  I ended up taking out the short stack on our table and another player got knocked out at the other table at the same time so we were sat at the final table with only 8 players.  I didn't change my game plan at all.  I had an average chip stack and I waited patiently for good hands,  and I got plenty of them thank the good lord. Hallelujah.  It got down to 4 handed and I had 173K in chips and the guy 2nd in chips only had around 50K.  I took out 2 more players and went into heads up with a 4/1 chip lead.  This is the only time that I question my play.  The blinds are around 1000/2000 and Mort is pushing all in with 50K in chips preflop with what turns out to be small/medium pocket pairs.  I fold A9 and he shows 88.  I fold Q10 and he show 99.  At the time I felt like I was in control and didn't need to risk a coin flip, either knocking him out or doubling him up and making our stacks about even.  He won every sizable pot that we got involved in after that.  If I had two pair, he had a bigger two pair.  If I had trips, he had trips with a better kicker.  He eventually overtakes the chip lead and in the final hand I push all in with JJ preflop and he calls with A9 and spikes the A on the flop.  I take 2nd place for $61.  I had a blast and enjoyed every minute of it I just wish I would have been able to take 1st.  Any comments or criticisms would be much appreciated on my play in this tourney. 

Tomorrow I should be able to add $15 in bonuses to my bankroll from the Take 2 promotion that I have been participating in.  I started in the middle of the month this month but I plan to get the full $50 in October if they are still running it.

Below is the screen shot of the $2 sng lobby for my own prosperity.  I didn't know how to make it any bigger.  Oh well, at least I know what it says   :) 

Started  =  S51.32

            

                 +72.48

Total     = $123.80

      

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Day 1

I am starting this blog now because if I don't then I never will.  I get more interested in reading other people's blogs than in writing my own.  Which comes as no surprise, I have always loved to read but hated writing.

My main reason for keeping this blog is so that I can track my progress as I try to become a winning poker player.  I will also include anything that I find to be interesting along the way.  I plan to mimic a challenge that a pro poker player, Chris Ferguson, completed by turning $0 into $10,000.  He is one of the world's best players and it took him 16 months to accomplish this feat.  It took him 7 months just to get his bankroll stabalized around $6.50.  The hardest part is turning that $0 into real money by playing free tournaments with 2,700 entrants that only pay a couple dollars to the top 27 finishers.  Since I am a pure novice I am starting with $30 to give myself  a head start in hopes that I don't pull all of my hair out or go on a tri-state killing spree which would be horrible because I do have great hair.

I started by playing $5 Sit & Gos. The payout is:  1st - $22.50, 2nd - $13.50, 3rd - $9.  My first three SNGs I finished in 1st, 1st, and 2nd.  The last one that I played I went out 7th due to this hand early on:  Player under the gun min. raises to 60 with Q10.  I reraise to 120 with KK and the rest of the table folds around to player with Q10 who reraises to 180.  I push all in and he calls and the flop comes 89J making a straight for Q10 and I am out. Good game me.  Not a bad start still with 3 cashes.

 I decide to call it a night after that and watched the new episodes of Family Guy, The Cleveland Show and American Dad.  They were all hilarious and everybody should check it out if you get a chance.  Is it just me or does The Cleveland Show look exactly identical to Family Guy?  Don't they think they should have changed it up a little?

Started = $30.00
   
              + 21.32

Total     = $51.32