Poker Inventory in Progress

First go tell this guy you're happy he walked away from being wrecked. I am sure he will feel like ten miles of bad road today once the adrenaline has left his body but we all know he is a trooper. Heck he was live blogging shortly after taking care of business.

Secondly congrats to this chica for her score of a WSOP seat. I've congratulated her on her blog but felt a personal shout out was also apropos. Forget Tilly/Laak, the Jetts, Harman/Traniello etc. Lucko21/PvanHaribo are definitely the first man and lady of online poker. And Congrats to this little man who I've never had the pleasure to meet and this guy too!!

As Dr Pauly and others have mentioned it seems that this year really is the year of the pro at the WSOP. Definitely appears that way in the bigger buy-in Championship events. Personally, I think its great for the game. I was really happy that Mike Matusow and Layne Flack both won bracelets. As someone who has wrestled with the same demons (in my case it wasn't cocaine but booze and other forms of better living thru modern chemistry) and come out the other side I hope that the past is the past for these two gentlemen. I have seen Matusow endure so many heart-wrenching beats at final tables he was due.

Snake5970 leaves for Vegas on Wednesday for 18 days. I haven't talked to him since last weekends big events where he did not meet success after he played really well the night before in a few warm-ups. I know he is truly disappointed as the last three years he has had seats sewn up for the Main Event. He did have three steps (a 3,4,5) left and he played them Thursday morning and busted out of them all. I am not quite sure what happened there as I didn't rail any of them. He did mention via email that he ran into AA twice and then got his AA cracked by KJ. We were supposed to get together before he left but I don't think that's going to come to pass as I'm busy the next few evenings before he goes and I haven't heard from him since Thursday. And well I really don't know what to say.

Anyway, ever since that 2007 Blogger Bracelet race where LJ runner-upped (I was 5th) she has improved exponentially. My game on the other hand stalled. At least the on-line one did. Live I play fine, I've had plenty of decent live tourney cashes since last years Vegas trip. I've played well at Foxwoods and Turning Stone. For the most part I played okay in my former live league and was doing really well at the club before that action went poof.

I was reading Columbo's blog and he seems to have the same outcomes as I. The other nite i was playing a forum freeroll for a single MSOP seat because I just happened to be ready for the 8:30 PM start time. I normally do not play forum freerolls any longer. I was in fourth place with a nice stack with about 11 or so left. I re-raised a min-raiser with pocket tens. I got called by the chasing/luckbox who was holding KJos. I hit my set on a flop of ATx. He threw out a bet equal to the blind (totally weak there). I potted it to take away all odds and he called. turn was a blank. he checks I put almost all the rest of my chips in but like $45 (i potted again I think) and of course the asshat sucks out the Q for the str8. I win that hand I am chipleader and I was pretty confident that I could take it down. I had been outplaying everyone to that point slowly grinding my way up the board. Once again a river suckout on IG. I just think that it is ridiculous that 9 out of ten times the river card comes for the person who just couldnt lay down their hand and they always seem to have a few more chips.

Anyway, I decided that turbos are not my forte and I do better in deeper stacked tourneys although I am capable of doing okay in just your standard 1500 chip starting fields. I am rereading Sit N Go strategy by Collin Moshman. I also plan to buy Sit and Go Wizard during my vacation in a few weeks when I can sit down and grind and I may eventually take a class with Jennifear. I've had some improving SNG stats (I'm starting at low low buy-ins on stars and making a challenge of it) a few two many bubbles (a few unlucky suck-outs) and a few two many seconds and thirds but I'm rarely first out and I came back to cash after getting stacked to 300 chips in one. I did get my ass handed to me a few times when I re-raised with JJ and TT (i figured not many hands beat me there) only to get called by AK everytime and they hit the K or A to send me packing. I'm not sure that's the right move early on but I figure its a good spot to get some chips so you can pressure later as the blinds go up not to mention thinning the field. I figure once i get the software it will seal most leaks as for the most part my fundamentals are solid.

And to my gal pal CK, where the hell is our man Kirk Morrison? I have seen no mention of him at this years WSOP at all or any stats in the Hendon Mob Database.