Another personal first

Last night, I experienced another personal first - my first heart royal flush. I made the money for the third time in a row. I ran into some bad luck on my last hand. I'd been dealt cowboys (pocket kings), but lost to an opponent with snowmen (pocket eights), who hit a set on the turn. Whatcha gonna do?

style flavor buy_in entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000 26000       6      71   18    12   432000

delta: $232,000
MTT NLHE balance: $9,875,668
2020 balance: $2,944,343
balance: $64,752,353

Full Monty

Last night, on the strength of a Lord High Everything Else result, I achieved another Full Monty. It was the 61st of my career and 6th in MTT NLHE. Since I've made the money twice in a row at the $200,000 BI+EF level, I'm thinking that's my new favorite buy in. I'll give it another go tonight :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000 26000       6      52   15     2  1221000

delta: $1,021,000
MTT NLHE balance: $9,643,668
2020 balance: $2,712,343
balance: $64,520,353

Back to the 90s

On PokerStars, to min cash an MTT NLHE, you have to achieve a percentile in the range of 75 to 80. To make a significant profit, your percentile needs to be considerably higher. Whenever your percentile cracks the 90 barrier, you can be pretty sure you had a load of apples coming in :-)  Last night, for the first time in eleven tournaments, I achieved a percentile in the 90s, just barely - 90.14, to be precise. I bubbled the final table.

style flavor buy_in entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000 26000       6      71   18     7   642000

delta: $442,000
MTT NLHE balance: $8,622,668
2020 balance: $1,691,343
balance: $63,499,353

The peril of the shorter stack

Last night, I didn't outlast the late registration period of the one tournament I entered. On my final hand, I got my money in good, but it wasn't meant to be. I was dealt the ace and king of diamonds, and two more aces showed up in the flop. I went all in after the turn, which should have forced my opponent to fold, but he called. Granted, he had a flush draw, and had me covered, but he wasn't getting the right price to call. Be that as it may, he hit his flush, and I was out of the tournament in a New York minute. The problem with having a shorter stack than an opponent in a tournament is that shoving won't necessarily cause him to fold, even when it's the mathematically correct play. Despite that, I never regret shoving when it turns out I was the favorite. I was an 84% favorite after the turn in last night's scenario.

style flavor buy_in entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000 26000       6      71   18     -        0

delta: $-200,000
MTT NLHE balance: $8,180,668
2020 balance: $1,249,343
balance: $63,057,353

A $100,000 savings

The best thing I can say about last night's session is that I didn't lose as much money as I thought I had. I can hardly remember a thing about the session; the only hand that comes to mind was one I wasn't involved in, when two players went to showdown and chopped the pot when they each turned over A6o (ace six offsuit). For some reason I thought the second tournament I entered had a $200,000 by in, but in fact it was only $100,000, giving me a $100,000 savings :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE    45000  5000       9     103   27     -        0
MTT   NLHE    87000 13000       6      85   21    59        0

delta: $-150,000
MTT NLHE balance: $8,380,668
2020 balance: $1,449,343
balance: $63,257,353

You were never shovelier

I've used this blog post title many times before, and will use it many times again. Why? For the simple reason that the circumstances which call for using it will never stop recurring. A "you were never shovelier" scenario has the following characteristics:

- I'm short stacked
- the money bubble is near
- I've been dealt a pair

On Thursday night, on my final hand, I was dealt a pair of sevens, went all in preflop, and got one caller. He turned over a pair of queens, and that was all she wrote.

style flavor buy_in entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE    45000  5000       6     114   30    37        0

delta: $-50,000
MTT NLHE balance: $8,530,668
2020 balance: $1,599,343
balance: $63,407,353

AK < AJ

As is often the case, the most memorable hand of last night's session was the final one. I'd already made the money, and was hoping to ladder up significantly. I was dealt a big slick, a premium hand. I paired my ace on the flop, and bet it heavily on each remaining street until I was all in. At showdown, I was dismayed to see my opponent turn over AJ, since the turn card was a jack. I'd never change the way I played the hand, however.

style flavor buy_in entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE    45000  5000       9      98   27    16    53000

delta: $3,000
MTT NLHE balance: $8,580,668
2020 balance: $1,649,343
balance: $63,457,353