another disappointing day

Three tournaments today - 150 on stars (why? I don't know. I really don't. The structure sucks and doesn't fit my playing style at all. I think I'm done playing this tournament), the Friday Party Special and a UB WSOP satellite.

150 on stars was pretty bad, I got no service and went out on a coinflip (though I did win one earlier in the tournament). I got up to just under double my stack early at Party, though I made a poor play on a hand where I called a PFR from the SB with AJs. That was probably my main mistake in the hand, I hit the flop reasonably and unsuccessfully tried to take it on the turn. I treaded water for a while till I C/Red in hour 2 with 9T on a KTx flop - the button called all in iwth QQ. I went out on a... yep. AT < 44.

So to the UB WSOP satellite (3 seats). I have good results on UB because I play a very patient game, but I mix it up. That was again the case today. I don't know why, but I am able to maintain patience much longer on UB than on Party, which also requires tremendous amounts of patience. Anyway, I did get a bit of luck that got me some momentum. The player on the button on my big blind had, from really the beginning, potraised when there was one limper. Without fail. I got very few free big blinds unless they were real multiway limpfests. I hadn't had much to fight back with, lots of T6o and 94s and the like. Finally I got A8 and planned a stop and go (I was pretty sure the weak limper would fold - he usually did). The flop came 832 rainbow, I went ahead and pushed it in, and he instacalled with queens. Oops. The 8 on the turn was the first REAL suckout I'd had in a while.

I built my stack up from there (QQ > 99 featured), lost a bunch of it on a coinflip, got it back, then stagnated for a while. At one point I was 23rd of 27. I then got a nice rush of cards and the happy side of the deck - most of them escape me at the moment, but I know a boat beat a straight in there. With 16 left I had moved to 3rd, and leader at my table.

And then they moved me. I was suddenly 4th in the tournament, 4th at my table - the top 6 were all at one table. I went into a modified shell - I was going to work to get a tight image and use it. Pick up a few pots with my image, pick up a few with my cards, but mostly just sit back and wait. It worked, and I came to the final table 4th in chips. The key hand at the final table is one for me to think over for some time. I believe I'm correct here, but I'm not certain. I was fifth in chips at the time (33k), but only 5k back from first. Villain in the hand had 21k and was on the SB.

I raised (150/800/1600) from LP to 4500 with TT. The SB moved in. It was slightly over 16k to me to win about 28k. In a quick guesstimate put his range on 88-AA, AK, AQ, KQs. I put less emphasis on AA and KK though, I think it's more likely that he plays those hands a little cuter. I decided that I would be at around 55k if I won the hand, while still have 12k if I lost. The advantage of being able to sit back with a healthy stack and continue to pick spots was a huge + to win, and I would not be crippled if I lost. I made the call, unfortunately he had JJ and it held. I wonder if my thinking on this hand is flawed.

Anyway, I shortly busted thereafter with AA to 88 - 8 on the flop. If I won the hand I'd have had 21k and a chance at the top 3. Instead I finished in 8th.

It was rough, but I've come to expect these things. I took a chance with the TT hand, and maybe the 88 spiking was just a way of saying "no, not today."

I like the structure at UB much more than at FT, certainly. The bad side is, for multiple seats I believe they give 100 TECs and 2k cash. I believe FT gives the 12k cash. 12kcash > 100 TECs + 2k. But I'll worry about that after I qualify.

Which I'm sure won't be long.