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I've created this blog a few years back to keep track of my online life, the things happening in online games and my social networks.

These days you'll find my cocktail recepies here, poker news, my online poker tails, big boats, bad beats and brags about my life as a low stakes cash grinder and tournament player.

I blog about poker strategy on the EU Poker League's website - eupokerleague.eu. Head over tto the site and check it out! Great community, great players and great poker!

09 April 2011

Busted out 10th. on the 888poker iPad2 challenge

You gonna be like "10th? Wtf…what you wanna brag about?".
 
Hang on, hear me out.

I really belive I've played some of my best poker ever last night at the 888poker iPad2 challenge. For a small $2.20 buy-in you can win an iPad2. The first 2 of each tournament get one each. Finished 10th. of 345 players enrolled.

I've missed the first two tournaments getting the date wrong twice, and I've almost missed it again tonight… and I will play it again on Saturday. Yepp, I really want this thing and I swear I was "mind set" that night.

Like I mentioned above, I've played some of my best poker ever today. Already before the tournament I said to the misses "I'm gonna ship this" and that's how I've approached it. There was no "in the money" to aim for, no paid places.. nada. Top 2 or nada and this is the thing.. I kinda "felt the table, felt the tournament".



 I managed to build my stack from1.500 up to first 5.000 and soon 12.000 before the first hour and re-buys were over. This put me under the top 5-10 already in the early stage of the tournament where I later stayed under the top 5 until late making chip leader a few times and doing very well.

I didn't use a single re-buy of 2 re-buy's available for the first hour. No, I played straight and tight as hell from my first hand. I pressed for value when I knew "it's mine". I stole when I knew I could and I pressed some good bluffs with hands like 49 and a 12k pot with an TK8 texture vs. several players. Tough but I got away with it knowing one of the others may have an 8 but that's it. I press.. I take.

I managed to get some amazing reads on my oponents too, and due to the fact that I was under the top 5 for most of the tournament, I had a strong "table image". For a long period I had this "moment" where I knew this table is mine. I want this pot, it's mine. I raise that guy, it's mine.. mine mine mine and mini-me gets a bit too. It was sick and exciting!

…and here it comes… I FOLDED a few times too. Yeah, I'm not a liar… I folded. F O L D E D which is like putting your cards down even though you kinda wanna play this hand cause it "could" work out.
Finally I busted out with a stack of 89k being 4th. at that moment holding AK raising preflop to 12k getting one caller and A9T on the flop. Here I was, holding the nuts on "the steamer", perfect! I raise 18k, he re-raises me, I go all-in, he calls and shows AQ.. and the dealer turns a Q.

So here is my brag.. I'm proud and I'm very pleased with how I played this tournament and that I finished 10th. I could slap myself for making that call not putting down my winning hand just to hit the final table but I'm proud of the way I played this tournament and that's my own prize they don't even have to ship to me.


I'm gonna give it another swing tonight in the last iPad2 challenge. Hoping for a good run in the early levels while the bingo poker and all-in madness is still going on.

Wish me luck ;-)

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