Small Score Attempts: A few MTTs

I played in a couple of MTTs this week because I was looking for a big score. I also mass tables Party when the jackpot was over $900k also looking for a big score.

I think it was Friday night when I fired up 2 $100 buyin MTTs. I love the $109 6max deep on full tilt. Although I am not a solid MTT player I feel my edge on the 6max deep is pretty significant. I started off pretty slow, losing a few small pots in an attempt to gain some chips early. About mid way through I doubled up twice with AKs in resteal spots and just kinda coasted from there. I got up to about 100k in chips with about 14 left (avg was prob 60kish) and I lost with AK to a 20k shortstack after he shoved (I believe blinds were like 800/1600) and then I attempted to steal into a 24k stack with J9s when blinds were 1/2k and I tilt called his shove getting 1.5-1. I am still not sure if this was an ok call. I suppose it was though because I wanted to gain a good chip position for the final 2 tables and I was willing to go in to this as a 40% dog. Anyway I lost this pot too so I was down to 45kish. I held on to my stack until final 12, got in with QQ vs AK and busted in a 100k pot for a decent stack. Standard tournies.

The $109 on stars was a full ring tourney which I steadily increase my chip stack in the latest stages and eventually busted 26th I believe.

In both tournies I entered I felt I played ok, and I ran pretty good obviously because of my placements. I just wish the poker gods would shine on me and let me actually get to a final table some day soon. A big score would be so awesome. (Oh and by big score I mean like $4k+, I'm still a SSNL chilla).

I bought 2 books on MTTs before this. Kill Phil and Kill Everyone. Kill Phil I read for about 20 minutes until I realized its meant for absolute beginners. And although I am not a seasoned pro at MTTs, this book is just very basic and basically an extension of Sklansky's push system. My education in MTTs is much better suited with my second book. The follow up of Kill Phil, which is Kill Everyone. I am not too far in to it but I really like this book. It goes into some detailed mathematical and strategic options in the game which is pretty interesting to me.

Party Jackpot Dream Chasing

Looking for a massive score though, was me 13 tabling $100 NL jackpot tables on party over the weekend. I normally would not do this, as my EV is drastically cut, but I was in it for the gamble. I wanted to sit on a table that hit (or hit myself) and score a $50k+ day at $100 NL. The jackpot was at $700k when I started late last week. Eventually it did get up to $930kish before it hit and the winner got $330k. I heard a rumor it hit at $25NL. thank god it didn't hit at $100 NL or I'd probably shoot something.

The experience of mass tabling taught me a weird but obvious lesson for poker. Nitting it up at $100 NL can be mindlessly profitable. Although this approach is not optimal in the long run because you aren't learning much of anything, its interesting to note that a solid preflop game accompanied by smart post flop aggression can yield some easy money. I ended up making like 7 buyins or so during the few hours I could stand mass tabling (on 3 different occasions). I spewed a lot at the beginning and didn't really enjoy it, but as I played more and more it kind of got "easy" to play. I don't think I will play any more than 8 tables in the near future but the lessons are to just play a solid (fairly tight) preflop game and think about decisions post flop - thats all that is required for me to do to beat $100 NL and I am happy with that for now. I want to build a bankroll in this manner and then when I am comfortable, drop tables significant to focus on improving and move up, possibly with some coaching from a Leggo Pro.

Bigger Score Attempt Coming: $1M guar. on Party

Party Poker has a cool $640 buyin million dollar guaranteed tournament coming up, with satellites to enter at $77 a piece. I opted to play in 2 sat's and ended up winning in the second one. So I will be playing in a big tourney on august 10th looking for a big score there. Hopefully I can come through with some luck and jumpstart my learning curve by getting to avoid all this mindless bankroll building and jump right in to learning.

Future Scores?

As for the future. I won't be playing in many MTTs. I think that if I have a free night with no work to do and nothing on the go around town I might opt to buy in to a few of these per month (especially the 6max deep on FTP I love those things). I made a few hundred on MTTs last weekend so I don't feel terrible about the investment.

Cliff Notes

A big score would be sweet. Played a few MTTs, got semi-deep, and lost out. 13 tabled $100 NL on party trying to nail the jackpot and came up with winning sessions but no jackpot winnings. My goal is to build up a bankroll at $100 NL and then cut tables and focus on improving my game as I (hopefully!) move up in stakes with the aid of a coach. I am playing in the million guaranteed on August 10th at party and would ask if you would please pray to the poker gods that I run goo0t.

Overall this seems to me like a pretty boring post but that's fine by me. I just want a place to write down my thoughts and maybe I'll look back in a year when I am playing $10/$20 and be content with my progress. Or, more likely, I'll be still playing $100 NL and still be swinging with both arms. Let's see!