Turning Stone Trip Report 7/27/2008

Now my little poker predicament was that I had been running bad and playing about as poor as I can remember especially in NLHE online. I mean I don't think I've cashed in anything to think of except a small cash in the Mookie since March, maybe a SNG here and there but nothing to speak of. I was also running bad in turbos at Omaha8 but had earned some cash in O8 ring and MTTs. When I stopped playing turbo O8's my Omaha 8 stats started improving. I had been doing a lot of reading during my downtime and worked on sealing some leaks. I knew what they were, namely I had lost my aggression component online. As I've mentioned, Live I was running really well till the action dried up. I think the last 10 MTTS I played live I final tabled 8 and cashed 5 with two bubbles. Clearly I'm no joke live.

I tuned up for my trip with a SNG win on Pokerstars, running over the table Saturday nite. That was preceded with a #2 finish in a private MTT on Bodog out of about 90+ on Friday nite. I felt like my old online self circa spring/summer 2007.

So Sunday AM, I met Snake5970 at exit 12 Park and Ride, which is the halfway point between our houses and we headed the back way to TROCK: out rte 67 thru Amsterdam to pick up the thruway there. I had brought muffins from a country store that are really good. I brought frozen water(so that it would be cold when it melted and we were thirsty later in the day) and I chilled some Pepsi's for us. When I arrived at the Park and Ride we opted to drive my SUV out, but I let Snake5970 do the driving. It's about 1 hour 45 minutes to Trock. but the drive flew by as we hadn't actually seen each other since end of April and had tons of non poker stuff to catch up on.

We registered for the deep stack turbo.... 22k starting chips, 20 minute blinds start time 10 AM. We killed some time in the poker room and then headed to the event center. The doors were still closed 10 minutes too ten. I mentioned to Snake that the PokerNews crew and Pauly commented that dead money arrives really really early. We were by no means too early but we weren't late.

I took my seat at table 9 in the two spot. Ray was at table 2 seat 2. I hate the deuce seat and prefer sitting across from the dealer. Literally the tourney started right on time and there were only 4 seated. By the time the first orbit was complete we were 9 handed at my table.

I saw no cards for about 4 levels. I had 32os twice, T2 2-3 times and every version of a jack rag os, except a pair of them. I played one pot when I called with J8 in a limped pot. I bet my 8 that hit the flop as second pair after it checked around and a dude wearing a Heartland poker tour shirt called after checking. The flop was a card I didn't want to see as it put a straight out there. the dude who had checked fired and I mucked. He told me he turned a straight which was pretty obvious. I did take down a hand with Ax blind against blind. I played one hand with 57os just to see a flop in a limped pot and mucked.

Finally I knew they were coming: JJ. After literally every offsuit combo of a Jx offsuit 8 and lower, the Johnnies were bound to invade my hand. I gave them a knowing look as if to plead... Please don't get me in trouble. A dude limped I raised 3x BB. Dude to my immediate left Dante (who played at my club in Albany) 3-bets me. I decide to take a flop and call the three bet, primarily for set mining since we were deep stacked and because you cant fold to every reraise. The board came all babies and I fired. Dante either flat called or raised but I called stupidly at that point if it was a raise. Board paired deuces, check check. So I know he doesn't have a two which would now be quads. River is a Q... I don't like it but figure if i am going to win this hand I need to bet. I fire he tanks after stating he doesn't like the Q and he calls. Dante KK, IG JJ. I lose a good sized pot. Not a great start but Poker Happens. Dante tells me he was afraid of the queen because he figured QQ was in my call a 3bet with range.

Some young dude wanders over to the table and asks if I was just in Vegas. I said "No didn't make it this year because I wasn't funded for the tourneys I wanted to play for the amount of time I wanted to be in Vegas for". Another guy had just gotten moved to my table with a monster stack and nods his head and states. "I tell lots of people with WSOP dreams to take that 10k and use it for something else/tourneys with better value". Something about this dude tells me he is the real deal and to tread with caution. And somehow I mentioned I play under Irongirl/01. At that point about two dudes heads picked up and said. "You're Irongirl???!!!??? I read your blog when I'm bored at work! Another dude knew of me as he played in the league in Saratoga, and when I mentioned who I had come with, he said "I know that name. "I see it on some emails from the Saratoga league and I know Steve and Karen." (which Snake didn't play in either, but he was cc'd on some tourney announcement emails from that league).

I earn some chips when I 3-bet a raiser with AA. Dante smooth called and the initial raiser called. the flop came down Kxx and the initial raiser bets $600 into a pot that had at least $3600-$4000 in it. I shoved, Dante folded. The other dude folds after thinking a bit. Dante thanked me for my bet as he had QQ. So, I chip back up to about 13k. Shortly after I call a raise to $450 with 99 (the IG) fold on a flop that comes TQK. worst flop for pocket 99's. Then I get dealt AJc. dude raises to $600. I think there was one caller, I call. The flop comes AJ2, I forget the suits.. initial raiser bets $3000. I cant put him on a set here. I figure TPTK and protecting against any draws. I have two pair and if I call I only have $6000 behind so I shove...... IG two pair to the dudes AA.. never thought he had AA, as I figured he would have check raised me rather then leading out. Nice trap and IG is out about 150th of 169. A very uncharacteristic early exit for me in a deep stack structure. Like I said, Poker Happens and I think because it had been a month since I had played live, I was too hasty on some of my decisions and I wasnt really reading well except on the second hand of the tourney where it was obvious the dude turned the straight.

I wandered over to Snake told him I was busto. He had built up some chips with some nice hands and was up to about 35k. I decided to try my hand at cash since it was only $100 max for $1/$2 NL and i might as well entertain myself since blackjack is certainly more expensive. The 12 PM sat for the Ladies event next month was cancelled because of the Continental Poker Championships.

I donk thru $100 in a little over an hour. Once again AJ got me in trouble I called a shorties post turn all-in on a board of A73, 6 .. I knew he didn't have two pair nor did I but I figured I was good. Unfortunately, a young Crasian had hit a str8 with 45os and repops me all in. I fold and am down to about $37-40. after I had just gotten my stack back up from $70 to almost even. I have to fold another hand after I raised with a pocket pair and failed to hit a set and had to lay down. Finally down to $16 I shove to a reraise in a pot that has a bunch of players money already in it. I am holding 87s figuring rebuy time if I buts and if its a big pair I'm live and can hopefully catch something.. I run into QQ. Board almost ran out all clubs for a split pot but I go out when a red Q gives the dude trips!!!.. Second casino live cash foray = busto again!!! I decide to take a break and go back to sweat Snake and be a social butterfly.

Snake is down to just about starting stack. He shoves with KQ postflop and gets two callers. One has TT one has 66 or 99. He looks at me and says you are going to lecture me I know it. I say no your actually a slight favorite. Overcards to the board and no set for them on flop and sure enough a beautiful Q rivers to triple him up.

I check on the big stack from my table. The dude is still accumulating, I give him a thumbs up and he smiles. Still no idea who he is. I go introduce myself to the TD Mike who was kind enough to answer my question on the two plus two threads he creates on tourney action at Turning Stone. I talk to Gobboboy a bunch of times throughout the day as he is railing his buddies still left in the CPC Main Event. Jimmy, is a really nice well spoken young man. I have some lunch (which TROCK nicely spread subs and Pizza) and contemplate challenging Gobboboy to a throwing things prop bet ala Dr Pauly and Otis as they have little spears securing a cherry tomato to each section of these mombo subs. I don't but make my spear throw into the waste basket.

The food runs out before Snake can get any. He was still involved in his final hand before the break. They send us all out for a 45 minute meal break. He gets some lunch at the food court. I know 100% that he will opt for something fried. Unfortunately I cant bet anyone on this. I of course am correct: southern fried chicken is his choice.

When we get back upstairs to the hallway outside the Event Center, we talk to an older guy who had been at Ray's table but who busted. Snake had told me about a hand that he was involved in with the dude on a previous break. Ray had a straight flush and the guy told Ray "You would have been busto had the A come" as he would have had the nut flush. Ray had told him no you would have had the second nuts and the dude couldnt figure it out. I believe Ray told him eventually that he hit the str8 flush on the turn. This guy has been around a long time (and Ray actually mentioned the old guy was a good player) and introduces us to the Big Stack dude from my original table as Jim. I had pointed Mr big stack out to Snake and said watch out for that dude if he gets moved to your table. Jim mentions as we are talking that Poker has been really good to him and the older dude mentions a big win. I of course figure I can go home and google this tourney win as it was the Ultimate Poker Challenge in 2004. Lets just say he downplayed this as his biggest win. Based on his stats in the Hendon Mob data base he has over $2.8M in career earnings and is 94th on the career money list. Funny I must have missed his WPT final table. Anyway he is a really nice guy.

I am asked if Snake is my husband about three times from three different people. One guy states, your husband is fortunate to have a wife who knows and plays poker and is supportive. Snake has come back to me several times to discuss some hands and the dude must have just assumed we were married. When he see's me look and cackle and wave my ring hand, he states the obvious: Oh, your not married to him?. I shake my head and don't offer any more info. Not sure, if that was an Oh, cool I should move in on you now Oh or another Oh. I of course tell Snake this. Maybe because we are such good friends and get along so well we act and look like a happily married couple. And maybe that is the key to a happy marriage. Dont get married stay friends!!

Anyway time moves on tick tick tick. He makes the second dinner break. We get dinner at the buffet but have to speed eat dinner as it takes forever to seat you at casino buffet as they make a ritual of the paying, and seating procedure, when there are a gazillion open tables. While in line I start talking about when hes taking me to see his horses work out. As one may actually race at Saratoga this year. The dude in front of us looks at Snake and says? You own horses? I used to own part of a standard bred. His wife makes a remark that it was the stupidest purchase her husband ever did. We get seated and go get our food. When I return Snake tells me the gentleman had found him and wanted to talk horses with him. And snake says did you see the look on his wifes face and hear the tone in her voice?

The turbo structure really goes full throttle and play grinds to a halt as the money bubble approaches. Snake is alive and bound for at least a bottom cash. Jim is at Snakes table and gets moved to the other big stacks table. Snake's table is not sad to see Jim go.

I talk to the look alike ex-wife of Carlos Mortenson who is railing her husband and who donked out before me (they are from Toronto area). I talk to another Canadian dude who doesnt work but plays live cash in Ottawa for a living and who staked a dude at the final table who is a Pstars supernova sng grinder and whose first live MTT it is. And I talk to another girl whose boyfriend is at the FT and who exposes a card to Snake when Snake says: Id really like to see one of your cards as he is contemplating shove or fold. The dude almost gets a penalty for it but since he was playing poker for 12+ hours doesn't and has to show everyone. Snake folds. I state to Snake after the commotion is over. "That is your expert persuasive powers of interrogation as a (retired) CO. The dudes brother on the rail with the girlfrind, says "OH, my dad is a correctons officer too, at the same time the A of spade flasher tells Snake the same thing.

On break, Snake asks me about chopping (when they are now down to about 7 and everyone has at least 4 figures) and should he if the subject came up. I suggest since he is now short not to mention anything. I figure someone else will as it is now 11:30 PM. Sure enough Jim VA does and they chop 5-way for $4600 each with 4 of them throwing $400 each to the chip leader. The chipleader had a monster stack. He had been on a roll ever since calling an all in with K8 and busting the dude without thinking a minute about it. Just prior to that Snake had run his AK into the same guys AA which launched the guys run from shortie to chip leader.

That was Snake's biggest live cash and made up for his poor tourney showing in Vegas this summer. We got back to our cars a little before 1Am after a great poker day. Even though I played poorly and was out early, I had an enjoyable day. And there is the High Heels Poker Tour at TROCK for me next month.