The Lows after the High

Haven't updated the blog recently, but that's because there was nothing worth mentioning but loss after loss after loss. LOL.

I did heed the advice of others, and noticed it myself...those Higher STEPS are hard as hell to crack. You have to place 1st in order to move up, not like the regular STEPS or even the new Mini STEPS. So, I figured I would play the Mini STEPS, for less money, and try to get to STEP 5 and win some cash since the top 5 places pay in these ones, versus just the top 3. I don't find them extremely hard, but was having a hard time getting off STEP 3, kept looping back and forth between 2 and 3 all day yesterday. I finally made it to STEP 4 last night, and saved it for today since it was so late.

Yesterday's (Saturday) log: (MS stands for Mini Steps)

MS #3: 5th = Step 2
MS #3: 3rd = Step 3
MS #2: 5th = Step 2
MS #2: 2nd = Step 3
MS #3: 5th = Step 2
MS #3: 6th = Step 2
MS #2: 10th = $0.00
MS #3: 9th = $2.00
MS #2: 2nd = Step 3
MS #3: 9th = $2.00
MS #2: 6th = Step 1
MS #2: 3rd = Step 2
MS #2: 3rd = Step 2
MS #2: 6th = Step 1
MS #2: 1st = Step 3
MS #3: 2nd - Step 4

I did play a Higher Step #1, that I had won a replay into from Friday night, and was able to come into first for the Higher Step #2, but then I completely bombed and placed 10th....dont ask me how, lol.

So today, Sunday, I started on PokerStars and played there pretty much all day long. I decided that I wanted desperately to play the WSOP $650, so I bought into 3 different SNG's and lost them all, then I played in the final $25/$2 R Turbo to get an entry. I can't remember how many people were in it, but the top 23 got a space and yours truly ended up winning. When it got to bubble time, I was very fortunate and lucky enough to get moved two hands in a row to right in between the blinds, so I was dealt out of those hands and didn't have to put in an ante or anything. I just sat back and waited while others had to play and knock someone out. Luckily, it did happen and I won my $650 seat. Now, if I knew then what I know now, I would have cashed it out and taken the W$, I so regret not doing that.

I started playing the "big" event, and I suffered a pretty big loss in the first level, was somewhat crippled from 2500 chips down to 1200 when my AQ ran into KK with a Q on the board. He never raised or gave me any kind of warning, I was shocked to see KK in his hole when it was showdown. So, it kind of put me on tilt..the scared tilt. I was so scared of busting out, and so I started playing scared money. I choked, big time. I walked away, I had my daughter give me a pep talk, to no avail. I ended up busting out when I had 10,J and the flop came 8, 9,9. I checked, the guy bet, I raised all in, and no hesitation whatsoever, he called me with Kh7h to go with the two hearts on the flop. His heart never came, and my straight never came, and I was out in like 274th or some BS number like that. My heart was pounding and my stomach had that sick feeling in it from the time I lost that big hand to the time I was out. Horrible feeling.

So, now I'm back at PartyPoker to play my Mini Step #4, I also have 2 Mini Step #1's saved up, and will play those after this thread is over, whether it ends in failure or in STEP 5 with some money being won. That would be a nice ending to a pretty shitty weekend, poker wise.

OH, one more think I wanted to mention. I found a strategy late yesterday evening in the Mini Steps, and although it's not guaranteed to work, it sure seems to work so far, for me. I buy directly into a Step 2 or Step 3 and then I sit out until either Level 4, or until the first 4-5 people are gone. This way, I'm guaranteed at least another attempt at the same level, if not getting lucky and then making it into the next level. I come back to a short stack, so then I just start bullying and I never call, I always move all in. I either get called, and get doubled up or lose (but then, I'm in the same level again) or they all fold to me and I get to steal the blinds. This technique is very useful when the blinds are 200/400 and above.

I found that when I didn't use this strategy, I was playing too many hands and that gets me into trouble, as I wind up looping back to the step below vs. the same step. Make sense?

Anywho, I will post again tonight once I'm done playing for the night with the outcomes of my Step quest for the night.