Sunday, August 15th: Multi-Table NL tourney

This is a level by level update of a tournament that I played in two weeks ago. I promised some details awhile ago so here it is . . . .

Level 1: Blinds are 10/15. I had A3o in BB. I flopped a straight draw but folded on turn after I called a T130 raise on the flop. My 4 came out on the river. I would've won but I shouldn't have even been in this hand. It was a stupid play on my part. I lost T880 pot. Later on, I had JJ and won with two pair. I kept raising and two guys who were both on a draw kept calling me. After losing some money, I was back up to T1270 after this hand. My AJ (had top pair) lost to a runner runner boat. I kept betting but he kept calling and I lost a decent size pot.

Level 2: (Blinds are 10/20) & Level 3 (Blinds are 15/30): I mostly folded crappy hands. I felt I played too many hands in level 1. I usually like to fold everything early in tourneys especially when there is a big field (unless it's a monster hand) . This one had 1,303 participants and I didn't want to get bounced early.

Level 4: Blinds are 25/50. I had AQo in the 1st hand and flopped two pair. I bet the pot and took it down. With T1135, I had AJs a few hands later and flopped top pair with the nut flush draw. I bet the pot and everyone folded. I had A6s on the button. I called a moderate raise and flopped a set of 6's. I bet the pot. Some guy reraised me and I put him all in and won the showdown. He had K3s. What a clown!

Level 5: Blinds are 50/100. A5s in the BB. I flopped a straight. I checked. Two people raised and I went all in. I got both guys to call and I won T2441 versus a 22 and A3. I folded most of the remaining hands in this round.

Level 6: Blinds are 75/150. I had 10-10 on the button with T3344 and re-raised a bettor. He re-raised me and I went all in and this guy called with 7-7. I won and took down a pot of T5863.

Level7: Blinds are 100/200. I had JJ UTG and raised T700. I KO'd some girl with J3o. I won T2272 and my stack was up to T7697. I threw away a ton of K suited and A little hands. A bunch of them would've gotten me flushes or straights.

Level 8: Blinds are 150/300. I have T6897. I won a few unexciting hands when I got KK on the button. I won the pot after several raises. My all in re-raise beat an UTG QQ. I had T11,897 after this pot.

Level 9: Blinds are 200/400. I got AK. AK has been a tough hand for me lately. Everytime I've been getting it lately, I've been beaten bad. In the past, I've been very effective playing with this hand preflop and after the flop. Recently, I've been screwed with this hand. I cringe when I get it now. I bet with this hand when I had T10,747. Someone re-raised me all in. I called and was going up against AA. I lost a big pot. I had T6755 left. I got 5-10s in the next hand and folded it. Unfortunately I would've flopped a full house. Oh well. I had A2s in the next hand and went all in and got one caller. I went up against KT and won a pot worth T6600. Rags came out and I won with A high. I got JJ in the BB and won against A10o. This guy raised me all in with a J on the flop. I won and KO'd this guy. I was up to T15,115 when I got KO'd. I had A9s in the BB. I flopped top pair. I was up against J10o. I went all in and this guy called me. The flop was A-8-4. Two cards were suited. One of his cards matched those suits and he caught runnner runner flush and KO'd me. I finished in 121st place and finished in the money. I won my buy in back. It was a long time to play for such a little payout but I outlasted a ton of people and got some more tourney experience which I'm most happy about. Maybe I'll make it further the next time around. My best finish to date is 27th place.