A Victory!

Original Posting Date: November 26, 2010

Played one tournament so far today, and brought home the bacon in a two-table SNG. Partway through I was getting ready to write about how I was distracted and should stop playing when I can't focus what I'm doing, but it turned out okay. Obviously.

The top 4 places cashed, and once it got down to four, I started playing more aggressively. It helped that I got a nice run of cards, 4 0r 5 straight hands with A/K, A/8, K/J and the like. I made a huge move with pocket kings and knocked out the third place finisher when he couldn't hit his flush draw.

I forget what happened on the final hand, but I know the other guy had pocket 7's and I had gone all in with a pair of queens, one on the board, after the flop. He needed a seven and only a seven, and couldn't get it.

So, what went right? I made aggressive moves when I had the cards. And of course, luck was on my side in that people couldn't draw to what they needed. The only halfway sketchy move I made was when I knocked someone out before the final table, by going all-in with A/J diamonds. Post-flop, I had an open ended straight draw as well as a nut flush draw and the ace as an over card. At the time I moved in, only one other player remained, and I had him covered about 2-1. It worked out when he had exactly nothing when he called.

Another thing that went right was that I was smart in getting out of the way when the odds weren't in my favor. Sometimes this meant folding in the big blind, but every single time, it worked out, because I would have lost. (Not that it matters - you can't be mad at yourself if you fold 2/10 off suit and the flop comes 2/10/10.)

I might play some more tonight, depending on how early Jules goes to bed.