I've issued a challenge

OK, it's not an original idea, but I think it's ambitious. Win my way into the WSOP in 2010.

Not by tournament qualifying, mind you.

By grinding.

Got an e-mail from an online poker site that I used to frequent (haven't played online in a long time, due to the UIGEA, and watching how it all played out). Anyway, the e-mail says, "hey, there's a balance of $10 in your account. Why have you stopped playing here?"

Honestly, I had no idea there was $10 in that account. So, I have taken that as a challenge. Run $10 into a WSOP (smaller buy in) seat.

I'll be keeping tabs on the progress here at the blog, and hopefully, will be able to be triumphant. The goal is to run it into a buy in for my June trip to Vegas, during the heart of the WSOP.

If I go broke, I go broke. All I lose is $10 I didn't know I had in the first place, right?

Session 1:
START - $10
END: $28.31 (+18.31)
GAME: .05/.10 NLHE
TIME PLAYED: No clue. ROI isn't important to me at the moment. Just trying to build the roll.

~M

EDIT: this challenge lasted about 2 months, highest I got the account to was about $50, and got bored with micro-limit cash games. Went nuts playing $5 tourneys until it was gone. GG, me.

Quick Blast on a Thursday

Strange to think we are in 2010. Anyway...had some table time, thought I'd pass along some stuff.

Hosted some friends last Saturday, short pot (just 3 rebuys? Really?), and managed a 2nd place finish. Got close to the felt, and stuck it in with 9-5 suited. Yeah, I was really short stacked. Got called by 7-7. Flop rolls out 5-5-9. Talk about hitting lucky! After that, was able to win some smaller pots, build up my stack. Got to HU, traded small pots, until I got it all in after the flop with AA on a 2-4-5 rainbow board. Got called, chip leader had K-5. Brick the turn, K on the end. Meh.

Not unhappy about my play there, just managed to get unlucky (again). It's funny, and I know you're reading saying, "he's griping about being unlucky again." Let me take you back to our Vegas trip in July. One of the dealers at Fitzgerald's (Grant, my "Lodden Thinks" buddy), told me he has never seen a player get victimized by so many single-digit outs. If I have the lead, my opponent has 5 outs, he hits. Happens all the time. Long term thinking, I am getting my chips in with the goods. That's how I have to think, even when the results don't show it.

Sat at Irish Jim's on Wednesday, got smoked with the deck most of the night. KK on the first hand, flop trips, but muck the hand after the turn brought out a 3rd club, and also put a straight draw out there. Based on the history of some of the other players in the hand, I figured to be a huge underdog once the 3rd club hit. I ended up being right with my fold, as a 4th club fell on the river, making one player the winner with the nut flush (he had K of clubs), and another ran a straight (which also had me beat).

Saw AA twice, had KK again later, and got outflopped by a caller with A-7. Chipped down to 1400 with 300/600/75 level, stuck it in bad with Q-10 off, called by K-9 in BB. Dunzo.

For the most part, I am playing well, not making horrible mistakes, but still making mistakes. Need ot tighten those up, with next league game coming next weekend. Before that, a potential weekend game at home, and Mrs. Chipstack's birthday. She'll be 29 for the 11th time, so it's a biggie!

Good luck and good cards,
~M