BBT4 is winding down

I donked my way to another final table...this time in limit HE Skeeeeelz. I haven't had problems getting to the final table in the BBT...except for the month of April. The problem is I'm usually short stacked when I get there. Last night I built up to a decent stack of over 16K but started to donk it off slowly. My last hand was AxKx....and a rag board flopped. I raised going in and LJ called. I bet the flop and we RRaised all the way to the river and lo' and behold LJ read me correctly. My problem is when I showed strength with the pre-flop raise I thought she would fold. Well she didn't and I donked out 8th. I'm sure that the people at the final table were not too happy with me doubling up LJ. I made the decision to go for it at that time because 1st is the only thing we should be going for...that is those of us without a TOC seat. Nice read LJ....and apparently she went on to win so that leaves me with exactly 6 or 7 chances left. I'm not gonna lie...I didn't stick around to see the conclusion after my crap final table play.

March : I started out with some good play. I made 6 Final tables...made 6 cashes...made 7 in the points finishes. That's not bad out of 18 tourneys played. No win but I figured I have 2 months to go.

April : I figured I can make the points and final tables but I needed to change the way I get there...get there with a stack or don't get there at all. That was a mistake as I only had 1 final table (3rd or 4th in RiverChasers).....made 2 cashes....and only 2 in the Points finishes for the month out of 12 tourneys played. I'm not sure why I missed 5 tourneys but the Sunday start time of 4:30 for the Brit was just not a good time for me and my kids (not that I'm complaining about anything....it's just hard to justify playing online poker with a toddler and baby running/crawling around the house). People with kids will know what I'm talking about and people who don't have no idea what I'm talking about....those who are planning to have kids...plan on it interrupting your poker time for the foreseeable future. So anyway, I changed my play and went for all or nothing in order to get to the final table with a big stack. It worked once but I could have probably made better decisions at certain times. I figured...no big deal...I have a whole month of tourneys left.

May : I reverted back to my original half LAG half tight approach and so far out of 9 tourneys played I have made the final table 3 times (again missing the Brit Bloggerment...for the month...although if there is one on the 31st I will play that and the Big Game that night as well)
I made 3 times in the points but only 1 cash so far. So I need to take advantage of the final table when I get there. If I ever get there with a big stack I need to just run over the final table (ya right...I just sit there in awe of some of the the people who have won multiple tourneys..they just seem to steamroll with good hands and bad hands)....and if I get there as i did last night...I need to at least not make a single mistake.

Two things that have been pointed out to me :

If I have 10 BB's or less just shove. Don't try to steal the Blinds and then fold to a shove. I folded to a couple of shoves on the final table bubble with 10 or less BB's and that is just not the way to win a tourney. I know this but I was practicing it like I have been on Stars for the last year and a half. As I am typing this that is probably my whole problem with my play on Full Tilt. I've had more problems on Full Tilt than PokerStars or Bodog....I am just giving my chips away at the end. Again I know this but for some reason I haven't been executing it. (It may look like I am chip dumping but I can assure you In my twisted mind I am doing the right thing at that time...so I will stop gifting my chips away Limit HE not withstanding).

Don't raise so much out of position. I raise more out of position then I do in position. It seems that I get better hands OOP then In Position. That continues to creep into my play in almost all tourneys...and we all know that is just not a good way to accumulate chips in NLHE tourneys....

These are two things that I struggle with when playing tourneys online. I guess I'll have to revisit the changes I made at the beginning of 2008 and get back to what works. That brings up the other problem I have....Making time to study HH's and training videos etc. Good luck to everybody in the BBT and the TOC should I get there or not. The only way I get to the WSOP is by satellite or a BBT challenge so that is looking unlikely. Not that I won't blow out a small bankroll trying :)

Big time kudos to Al for the BBT4. I salute you and the next time I meet you I will buy you a Soco 'neat'. I met Al at the 2007 Winter gathering for a brief second but he was inundated with multiple shots and people looking for a party messiah.

See all of you BBTrs and stragglers at the MOOKIE tonight!