World Blogger Championship, Part the Second

Well, its now the morning after, and i can reflect on last nights tournament. Overall, I'm fairly pleased with my performance. I finished ahead of 95% of the field, and the players behind me included Joanne Lutynec, Wil Wheaton and the Blogfather.

I did feel sorry for Wil. The bounty on him was a fleece, a shirt and a hat, and everyone (including me) wanted to get their hands on it. This resulted in players really going after him, and it looked like he had to play it very tight as a consequence. He went out placed 342.

I was trying to play fairly tight myself. I've had a habit recently of making some bad calls, and playing hands I should have folded straight away. Overall I saw the flop on 19% of hands, and I won 97% of the showdowns I faced. In the early stages I must have earned some fold credit, because I went though a series of hands where ePublishverytime I raised, everybody folded on me. Stealing the blinds is all very well, but this got a bit frustrating, so I limped in on a few hands for a change, and had some success that way.

I think there were two hands that lead to my downfall. The first I think I played correctly, the second, not so good.

I had over 26000 in chips, and was UTG+1, blinds 1600. I was dealt 9s 9h. UTG raises 9346 and is all in. I call. Everyone else folds. UTG has 2s 2d. Looking good. Flop comes 47Q rainbow. Still in the driving seat. Here comes the turn. 2c! Damn! River is a 3, and I'm down nearly 10000.

On the second occasion I had worked my way back up to 22000, blinds still 1600.and was dealt QTd in late position. It checks round, and I test the water with a raise of 1600. BB (who has 48000) raises 8000, and like a fool I call. Flop is 4c 2d 2h, and BB raises 11200. Too rich for me , and I fold, having again lost nearly 10000.

Back down to 12000, and it was all downhill from then on. Blinds went up, I didn't get any decent hands, and the blinds and antes eroded my stack. Down to 8000, I went all in with a pair of 2s. Got one caller, who showed AQ. There was a queen on the flop, and nothing for me. Out in 112th place.


So, after three and a half hours play, I'm finished, with nothing to show for it. Actually, thats not really true. I had three and a half hours of fun poker, where I was generally happy with the way I played, and finished in the top 5% . If I could have resisted that call with QT, maybe I could have won and Ipod, but who knows, the next hand I could have gone all in with AA, and been busted by trips. I just need to try and carry on in the same vein, and hopefully success will follow.