The Ropes

Ninja.

5.5 SNG 9seat

A8suited first hand, missed the flop, called a small bet anyway, hit my ace on the turn, made decent bet, he called, river was a blank, he went all in… I called because I am a waste of skin and my family would be better off if I died. I fuck hate stupid people and I am their king.

So, went out and ran some errands, took a nap, and here I am. 5.5 SNG 9seat.

Pretty short stacked.

I made a small raise with 33 from late mid. Had a caller and then a guy go 5x over our raise. I got out.

Then, from the button, to please Truth, I made a raise with Q6- something I normally wouldn’t do, but that he keeps pushing I need to do more of. I get called. I bet the flop even though I missed, I get called, I miss the turn too, and at this point I am going to be VERY hurt if I push a bluff into somebody who has ANYTHING. I think that is poor play. Its one thing if you decide the table is right for a pure bluff- to just continue a façade is fucking gay.

Then I call in from late position with JTsuited. I hit top pair with the Jack and bet the pot. Guy who has been fucking with me- who is the big stack now- thinks… and then calls. Turn comes an Ace and completes a flush. He puts me all in. I fold.

Now I have a big stack that thinks I am his bitch to my left and only 600 chips.

I get doubled up plus a bit when I get KK and he hits top pair. I am still under the starting stack.

I draw my first AA in 4 days UTG and 3x it. It folds to the BB who calls. I thought they were going to go to waste. Flop comes 477 and I make a small bet. He goes over me. Did he call me with 77, 44, A7, or 44? If not, I’m sure I am good. I push back over him- he goes all in- I call. He turns over AT for the pure bluff. Yeap. Bluffing is bad.

Lost a few chips.

Saw the big blind for free with J8.
Flop comes paired so nobody bets
Turn completes a flush of my Jack suit
Guy to my right bets, small and I think- maybe I catch the flush next turn?
I call
No flush
He bets small
I call
No card comes- what?

Shit! I wasn’t focused and thought there was another street!

DAMN DAMN DAMN

Then I made a small raise with QJ and smallstack (former bigstack) goes all in for about double my bet. Of course I call. He has AQ. We hit nothing and I double him.

Bubble time.

Doubled up small stack- it was a considered risk.

Saw the flop for free from the BB with 3Qsuited
Flop comes 2 of my suit
Small stack goes all in for roughly 2x the pot
This is less than 1/3 of my stack
I call
He had two pair
I don’t get my heart.

Lost a couple more chips to that guy.
Raised his BB with A5
He called
Paired board
We both check
Turn pairs the other card
I make a smell bet thinking if he missed it my A is good
He calls
River is a Q
I check
He bets small
I call
He hit the Q

Another pocket rocket. When it rains it pours. No love- just a BB out of it.

Truth’s Bad For Ninjas Flavored Mojo strikes again.

BB with AJoff
Small stack goes all in.
He has been quiet for a while.
My cards are probably best.
But if I double him up- he will be healthy and I will be small stack.
I call desperate small guy all-in with AJ all the time.
But I really want to cash. I hesitate, and at Truth’s urging- make the call.
He turns over K3.
And flops 2 pair.
I river the Ace to still lose.

Now I am desperate and he is healthy.

I am pissed.

I claw my way back to healthy.

The key was a call with a double gutshot straight- called a half pot bet- also had an overcard… And hit it. Sadly, he did not give me all his chips after.

And to be clear, by healthy I mean “not the most desperate”

Rockets again. Holy schnikes. Guess how many blinds I stole- and guess if I got anything else?

Another monster pocket pair and I crack the bubble with KK.

Before I am done writing this I see AA again.

Other than the small stack (who I crack) I get no real action.

I’m out. Ran broadway straight into a flush. I think given what was going on at the table this was an okay way to go.

Okay, I am a sucker. Doing a 24+2 with Truth.

Tourney starting- I predict that after late reg we are at 978. We were at 509 when the table opened.

I limped with 64suited on the button- missed the flop. Otherwise just folding. Truth just had JJ.

Minraise UTG with 77- raised off it from the button.

Note- reg closed at 795.

720 left.

I’m out. I don’t even know what place. I watched a guy make retarded donkey moves- made notes on him- and then called a big donk move. With a big donk move.

I can’t even tell you how fucking stupid I feel.

It makes me sick in the chest.

5.5 SNG 9seat

I need to stop letting myself be influenced by Truth. He tends to have suggestions that are things I do- but that he doesn’t see. Then, I find myself trying to do them MORE at times when my “read” says not to. I lose chips every fucking time.

Its not his fault. He is a great player. But when I am working so hard and shit goes wrong when I am making “right decisions” it is impossible for me not to look for shit to blame.

Made a move with A8. Had one caller. Missed the flop. He checked so I bet, he called, I missed the turn, he checked, if I take another stab and it doesn’t work I will be down half my stack- and all he needs is ANYTHING to justify staying with me… I check, river comes- I miss this too- he bets- I get out. Bye bye 1/3 of my chips.

Oh look- I did it again- WHY THE FUCK DO I DO ANYTHING????

Half starting stack. Good job Ninja. Why don’t yo-

Nothing good can come of this.

Sat around the low stack FOR-EVER and then hit QQ. One limper so I raise 3x. Everyone folds but limper who calls. Board comes A44. We check. Turn is a K. We check. River is some other thing- we check- he was scared of the 44 I guess. He turned over 62. I didn’t get to double up because of that board… or maybe he would have developed some sense and folded.

A couple hands later there are two limpers and I’ve got AJ. I reraise- same guy calls. Board comes TJK. I went all in- he folded.

3rd

5.5 SNG 9seat

Stole the blinds first hand from UTG with AJoff.

I just tried to look at my tournament history through Full Tilt’s online tracking… thing. It only shows results back to the 11th. I’d cashed a couple days in a row when I started talking about cashing every day. I’ve certainly cashed every day since the 11th. I need to do some forensics and find out when the last day I didn’t cash was.

I reraised a small stack all in with JJ and he called with… KK. I rivered a Jack. NOTED.

In the money with the big stack.

Third. Dang it. I donked off about half my stack becoming a preflop better with good cards, missing the board, and calling bets to the river hoping, then folding.

Then I get the guy just ahead of me all in AT vs. AQ and the board goes QK4Q…J.

5.5 SNG 9seat

Ouch, paid off a small stack.

I raised preflop with AJ.
One caller
Small stack reraises
I call
Caller folds.
Flop comes 8JQ
Small stack checks
I bet enough to put him all in
He calls
And turns over QQ

Oops.

I can hear Truth snoring through the wall. Its so deep and bassy that I’m scared shit is going to rattle off my desk.

I haven’t been writing as much these past few days. That is for a couple of reasons. First, I was starting to feel a bit like I was creating a lot of noise and not much signal. Not sure if this is true or I was just growing tired of the sound of my own voice. Second, I’ve been “even more” focused on my game and so I forget to write. And lastly, I’ve had a few big things going on with my personal life. So, there you go.

Tired and a little bummed for no good reason- table was tight and slow and I’d been low stacked FOREVER. Looked up and was in the money.

Went out third- very similar to last tourney actually. AJ vs. KJ. I got my ace. He got the straight.