The Janus percentile

This is the second time I've used this blog post title. Everything I wrote on July 16 of this year applies equally well to last night's session:

I remember almost no details of last night's session. The most striking thing about it was that my percentile was exactly 50. In other words, I outlasted precisely half the field. That and a dollar might buy you a small bag of potato chips :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000 26000       6      80   21    40        0

delta: $-200,000
MTT NLHE balance: $22,779,668
2020 balance: $15,557,343
balance: $77,365,353

Too much of a good thing

I experienced a poker "apockalypse" last night. I was getting dealt pocket pairs at a frantic pace. I got cowboys (pocket kings) two hands in a row. Some of the other pocket pairs I remember receiving: queens, jacks (twice, I think), nines, fives, and deuces (aka ducks). I hit the rail when I got cowboys for the third time; definitely, too much of a good thing :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000 26000       6      99   24    30        0

delta: $-200,000
MTT NLHE balance: $22,979,668
2020 balance: $15,757,343
balance: $77,565,353

Saved by a flush

Last night, I hit a diamond flush on the river when I was all in. That luck paved my way to the money. To put it plainly, I was saved by the flush. Being saved is a recurring tournament theme. It's almost a given that you'll need to be saved at least once in a tournament to have a shot at making the money. Realizing that is a good way to stay within shouting distance of humble :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000 26000       6      98   24    19   341000

delta: $141,000
MTT NLHE balance: $23,179,668
2020 balance: $15,957,343
balance: $77,765,353

Saved by a six

I'll be the first to admit that I was very lucky to make the money last night. On one particular hand, I was all in and drawing thin. Only pairing one of my hole cards on the river could save me, and that's just what happened. I was saved by a six. To me, it's even more satisfying to be saved by a mediocre card than it is to be saved by an ace :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000 26000       6      79   21    19   302000

delta: $102,000
MTT NLHE balance: $23,038,668
2020 balance: $15,816,343
balance: $77,624,353

Eking out a money jump

Last night, after making the money, I hung around as long as I could. I eked out a money jump at the very end, earning an extra $47,000 by managing to finish in 15th place instead of 16th. How did I do this? By folding, of course :-) The most memorable hand of the night? The one where I was dealt pocket nines and flopped quads.

style flavor buy_in entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000 26000       6      91   24    15   411000

delta: $211,000
MTT NLHE balance: $22,936,668
2020 balance: $15,714,343
balance: $77,522,353

Min outkicked

It's never fun to lose a hand by being outkicked. It's even less fun to be min outkicked. That's what I call it when my opponent's kicker is just one denomination above mine. That's what happened in last night's most memorable hand. I was dealt QTo (queen ten offsuit) and flopped a pair of queens, which was top pair. I bet every street and the board never paired. I lost to an opponent who'd been dealt QJo. I lost about half my stack on that hand, and never recovered. I'd play the hand the same way if I had it to do over, though, and that's really all that matters :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000 26000       6      76   21    28        0

delta: $-200,000
MTT NLHE balance: $22,725,668
2020 balance: $15,503,343
balance: $77,311,353

yaagbh

This is the second time I've used this blog post title. The first was on April 7, 2018; here's an excerpt of what I had to say:

I love my "yet another" acronyms. My newest one is yaagbh, and stands for "yet another always going broke hand". My final hand of last night's session was such a one ... As a refresher, an always going broke hand is a hand you're always prepared to go all in with; it doesn't mean you'll always go broke doing so :-)

Last night, I hit the rail with such a hand shortly after entering the tournament. I was dealt K4o (king four offsuit) and the flop had an ace, a deuce, and a trey. The turn and river were both kings. I shoved after the river and got snap called by a player who'd flopped a straight with 54o (five four offsuit) and had slow played it. Whatcha gonna do?

style flavor buy_in entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000 26000       6      26    8     -        0

delta: $-200,000
MTT NLHE balance: $22,925,668
2020 balance: $15,703,343
balance: $77,511,353