Bubble Bubble Bubble!

Saturday my wife was out of town with the baby.  I had a chance to play some tournament poker.  I hadn't played much the last week and needed most of my 100 points to get into the 50 free seats to the Big Ticket on Carbon.  That morning I loaded up some cash games.  I did o.k. and was a little ahead by the time I got my 100 VIP points. 

I got into a couple 33.00 ticket tounaments trying to get me a ticket for one of them but didn't have any luck with that.  I also tried to win some 11.00 tickets and got chased out of those games.

When the free seats game started I concentrated on just that game.  I really don't remember if I was short stacked or big stacked at all in the event.  I know when it got down to bubble time, I was sitting o.k., and didn't have to play.  I did make a play at the short stack and got them to fold, causing them to go out shortly after as the bubble boy or girl.  I felt a little like a jerk, but if they would have called my raise, they would have had a good chance of beating me and lasting to get a seat.  It's poker.  I'm bubble boy in a ton of tournaments myself.  Somebody has to be one.

I now have another shot at the 215.00 tournament that I was bubble boy in last time I played it.  That hurt as it was a 450.00 bubble.  Sometimes I should make sure I get into the money then go after 1st place.

On Sunday I tried my luck at more tournaments.  It was ugly as I played the 5 min blind level type tournaments that are played by half of the players like an all in or fold tournament.  I went out 2 before the money in a 5.50 tournament when a guy making an obvious blind steal called my all in.  His Q3 dominated my pocket K's when he hit 2 other Q's on the flop.  Love those KK's.  By 2:00 I was ready to play a real tournament with deep stacks and 15 - 20 minute blind levels.  I got into the 5.50 4000.00 guaranteed tournament on Carbon.  I really like this game and opted to play in instead of the 215.00 game. 

After the 1st hour I was still sitting on 10000 chips.  Nothing had really happened.  As we were starting the 2nd hour I decided that I was going to make something happen or lose and go play a local live game that was starting.  Not long after that I had AA and had a player pot raise and get called by 2 limpers.  I did a pot raise and the inital raiser went all in.  The other 2 went all in as well.  I called.  They had QQ QQ and K10.  My aces held and moved me up to 50000 in chips and 5th place overall.  I was in it for the long haul now. 

At the end of the 2nd hour I had lost a 10000 chip pot when I ran AK into AQ.  I was in 17th with 42108 in chips.

The 3rd hour was unproductive and I ended the hour in 66th with 43296 in chips.  There were 590 players left out of the original 1400.

In the 4th hour I started out winning several hands then had a player go all in on a K high board after I raised pre flop and post flop with my AK.  He had 10 10.  The turn and river brought clubs to give him a flush and cost me a 45000 chip pot.  He donked those chips away within 3 rounds of play. 

Right after that I got moved to the worst table ever.  I had 3 big stacks to my right that were raising every pot.  I couldn't find any spots to play and did not have the cards to come over the top.  They weren't folding to anything from the other players and were showing down good hands.  All I could do was wait for cards or the table to break. 

At the end of hour 4 I was in 194th place with 263 remaining and left with 263 in chips. 

In the 5th hour I doubled up twice and was thinking I had a good chance at a deep run.  I got dealt an A10 and raised.  The bb called.  Flop came A 9 A.  I bet a little over pot and he goes all in.  I called quickly.  He had 8 10.  The turn brought a 7 and the river brought a J.  Sick.  I finished in 129th place for 12.95.  I was break even after a whole weekend of playing tournaments.  I should have been happy, but I wanted a better score.

I got on another couple 1.00 tournaments and made a final table in one of them finishing 5th for 7.00.  One person at the table literally would go all in or fold.  He built up a monster stack doing that.  I doubled through him once but got burnt at the end when I called his all in with 22.  He had JJ.  OOPS!

I felt a little better after that game since I was up after playing all weekend.

Last night I played the local game that I finished 2nd in the week before.  This time I ran good at the start but couldn't do anything when it counted.  I lost AJ all in when I was called by the short stack with 10 10 .  The next hand I was in the BB right as the  blinds doubled putting me all in exactly.  I had 2 callers trying to make me bubble boy.  I didn't look at my cards.  The blinds were at 2000 4000 with a 500 ante.  We had started with 5000 in chips and there were still several of us left but all of us were all but out.  Neither of the other players paired the board.  I turned over my first card.  Nothing.  I turned over my second card.  Bubble Bubble Bubble!