Update

Haven't been playing much poker lately, thus the reason there have been no posts in nearly 3 weeks. Today the WSOP started with the coveted $500 Casino Employees event. I remember following that event last year, when it was actually the final event of the WSOP. It came down to Gavin Griffin and Corbin Doyle, both of which found last minute casino jobs so they could enter the tournament. Griffin ended up making a deal for the bracelet, turns out he made a prop bet that he would win another bracelet within 5 years of winning his first, and that tournament was his last chance. Good stuff.

Anyway, Full Tilt also started its "Mini Series of Poker" which mirrors the WSOP events but with 1% of the buy-in. Thankfully, one did not need to be employed by an online casino to enter this corresponding $5+$50 tournament. 8,297 people entered, and even 2 red pros (Gabriella Hill and Chris Glecz) participated. 

As for the tournament itself, not really much to tell. Stacks started at 3,000 and blinds at 10/20 with 10 minute levels. I managed to stay afloat for the first 2.5 hours, when I still had my original starting stack and nothing else. With the blinds 170/340 and a 25 ante, I picked up AQo UTG+2 (8 handed). I moved all-in and some clown with ~37k OTB decided to call me with 43o, and my hand held up. 

A few hands later I'm in the SB and the stakes have increased to 200/400/50. I pick up AQo again and after our friend from the previous hand limps up front along with the button I just move in for my 6500. Of course our friend calls again and this time stacks off with 53o. Thank you very much. After neither of us improve again I'm up to ~14k. A little while later I won another decent pot when a player open shoves for 5k and I call out of the SB with AK and beat his QJ. 

Got it up to 22k but didn't do much after that and my stack gradually decreased. Was only able to win pots preflop after that, never got into a postflop situation outside of the few limped pots I played in where I had to chuck it after the flop anyhow. Got down to 8k and just shoved UTG with J5o with the blinds at 1000/2000/250. Player in MP called and then the SB puts him all-in for his 55k and he folds. All I was asking was to be live, and it turns out he has AQ, so I'm a 2:1 dog, but would more than triple up if I were to win the pot. I flopped a 5 but a lousy Q came on the turn and after no help on the river I was gone. I did cash for $12.45 so basically wound up with a $7 profit for a little over 4 hours of my time. I'll take it.

I will probably play a few more of these, they're running all month. Still looking into playing in the real thing, but there's still a lot of things to consider. The money is not a factor in that I will be broke if I lose, or even that it would affect my lifestyle in anyway, but it would still be a kick in the balls to lose $1500 (+expenses) that I could have spent on something else. On the other hand, I could try to win my way in, or at least try to defray the cost by building up my online bankroll. Right now I have $200 on Full Tilt, losing that wouldn't kill me because it was free money to begin with.

Similarly the price has to be right. I want to stay right at the Rio and I'm looking to spend around $500 for round trip flight + 3 nights hotel. Staying at the Rio is a must; since the days are 12 hours long I do not want to be going back to another hotel after midnight and then having to go back to the Rio the next day anyway. Also I would have to get a decent flight. 1 layover is ok but I want to arrive at a decent time and hopefully get to register for the event the day before. Also, I have to get out of there the day after the tournament because of work so I need to arrive back by 11pm at the latest. A lot of flights offered are like 12AM PST - 10:30 AM EST. No good. 

Finally am I really ready to play in a tournament like this? I think I have the skills to at least have a decent chance but I have almost no live experience. I won't have the benefit of having the pot size and all of the stack sizes displayed in front of me. Also, am I going to play my best game or am I going to go out there and be too concerned with the money and get pushed around?

This is what I have to figure out but I have a month to do it. Until next time... 



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