April 30th. We ain't going out like that. Or are we ?

14 hours left before the clock strikes midnight.

Ants' victory Tuesday night changed everything. As I email GC, it was like someone shooting a 59 on the 3rd round of major to take a 7 stroke lead going into Sunday. Basically the pack of golfers behind the lead now had to take a lot more risks to make up such a deficit in a tiny period.
And take risks we did.
Rowin was the first to take a stab at climbing the mountain. he got off to a decent start when he took down a 45 player $10 tourney for a cool prize of $171. However he proceeded to embark on a freeze and dropped 10 tourneys in a row. As he stated last night "One man can only take so many 70/30 suckouts on the river. I HATE poker.". Amen brother. Amen.
GC and Maninder ran pretty card dead yesterday and when they flopped a big hands, they'ed run into the nuts or get sucked out. They will need to overcome the emotional wounds as well as the poker gods if they hope to make noise today.
DC moved up to the $30+ range last night which is a far cry from the $2+.25 tourneys he used grind away at just 3 weeks ago. DC managed to cash in one of his tourney but bricked the other one. His estimated bankroll is $150 right now.
I was the only who seemed to be winning the timely flips and sucking out every now and then. Although I'm still very pissed at donking away my huge lead in the $50 9-man SNG, I'm within striking distance of Ants if I get off to some early results.
I have to give props to Ants for not being a pussy. He played last night, although I sense he was regretting it after bricking his first 4 tourneys. He was able to cash in his last one. I'd guess his stack is now around $400 w/1 rebuy.

Good luck to all today. Please comment frequently with your bankroll status.

Darkhorse Emerged!

Awesome work Ants!
I knew you had it in you to go on a sick run ... and timing could NOT be better.
You have a nice lead with 2 days remaining. It definitely changes some strategies.

I added a graph of the leaderboard (with approximate numbers) ....
I included myself in the leaderboard despite my -ve ROI cause I'm vain like that.

.... "and down the stretch they come " ...

Most. Frustrating. HU Match. Ever

First off, congrats Manny for taking down the SNG!

If I lost this HU match I'd be on life tilt and walking up and down Yonge St mumbling to myself.
$10+$1 --> 155 hands!!!

Have him down and out first time

Seat 1: gcmtl76 (2,600)
Seat 2: collinsl44 (400)
collinsl44 posts the small blind of 15
gcmtl76 posts the big blind of 30
The button is in seat #2
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to gcmtl76 [Qc 6c]
collinsl44 raises to 60
gcmtl76 calls 30
*** FLOP *** [Qh Td 8s]
gcmtl76 checks
collinsl44 bets 340, and is all in
gcmtl76 calls 340
collinsl44 shows [7d As]
gcmtl76 shows [Qc 6c]
*** TURN *** [Qh Td 8s] [Ac]
*** RIVER *** [Qh Td 8s Ac] [8h]
collinsl44 shows two pair, Aces and Eights
gcmtl76 shows two pair, Queens and Eights
collinsl44 wins the pot (800) with two pair, Aces and Eights

Have him Down and out 2nd time

Seat 1: gcmtl76 (2,100)
Seat 2: collinsl44 (900)
gcmtl76 posts the small blind of 20
collinsl44 posts the big blind of 40
The button is in seat #1
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to gcmtl76 [Ks As]
gcmtl76 calls 20
collinsl44 checks
*** FLOP *** [Kc 3c 4h]
collinsl44 bets 80
gcmtl76 raises to 2,060, and is all in
collinsl44 calls 780, and is all in
gcmtl76 shows [Ks As]
collinsl44 shows [4c 9d]
Uncalled bet of 1,200 returned to gcmtl76
*** TURN *** [Kc 3c 4h] [3s]
*** RIVER *** [Kc 3c 4h 3s] [4s]
gcmtl76 shows two pair, Kings and Fours
collinsl44 shows a full house, Fours full of Threes
collinsl44 wins the pot (1,800) with a full house, Fours full of Threes

I go on tilt and should be out:

Seat 1: gcmtl76 (1,280)
Seat 2: collinsl44 (1,720)
gcmtl76 posts the small blind of 25
collinsl44 posts the big blind of 50
The button is in seat #1
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to gcmtl76 [3c Ts]
gcmtl76 raises to 150
collinsl44 calls 100
*** FLOP *** [Th 6c 6s]
collinsl44 bets 1,570, and is all in
gcmtl76 calls 1,130, and is all in
collinsl44 shows [Td Qs]
gcmtl76 shows [3c Ts]
Uncalled bet of 440 returned to collinsl44
*** TURN *** [Th 6c 6s] [Jd]
*** RIVER *** [Th 6c 6s Jd] [6d]
collinsl44 shows a full house, Sixes full of Tens
gcmtl76 shows a full house, Sixes full of Tens
collinsl44 ties for the pot (1,280) with a full house, Sixes full of Tens
gcmtl76 ties for the pot (1,280) with a full house, Sixes full of Tens

Nail in the Coffin?

Seat 1: gcmtl76 (1,400)
Seat 2: collinsl44 (1,600)
gcmtl76 posts the small blind of 30
collinsl44 posts the big blind of 60
The button is in seat #1
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to gcmtl76 [Ad Js]
gcmtl76 raises to 180
collinsl44 raises to 1,600, and is all in
gcmtl76 calls 1,220, and is all in
collinsl44 shows [9c 9d]
gcmtl76 shows [Ad Js]
Uncalled bet of 200 returned to collinsl44
*** FLOP *** [Kh 7c Jh]
*** TURN *** [Kh 7c Jh] [5c]
*** RIVER *** [Kh 7c Jh 5c] [2d]
collinsl44 shows a pair of Nines
gcmtl76 shows a pair of Jacks
gcmtl76 wins the pot (2,800) with a pair of Jacks

Poker gods say "think again"

Seat 1: gcmtl76 (2,330)
Seat 2: collinsl44 (670)
gcmtl76 posts the small blind of 30
collinsl44 posts the big blind of 60
The button is in seat #1
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to gcmtl76 [Ks Kc]
gcmtl76 calls 30
collinsl44 checks
*** FLOP *** [7h 8c Tc]
collinsl44 bets 610, and is all in
gcmtl76 calls 610
collinsl44 shows [Qc Th]
gcmtl76 shows [Ks Kc]
*** TURN *** [7h 8c Tc] [Jd]
*** RIVER *** [7h 8c Tc Jd] [Qs]
collinsl44 shows two pair, Queens and Tens
gcmtl76 shows a pair of Kings
collinsl44 wins the pot (1,340) with two pair, Queens and Tens

I'd have lost it here ... but thankfully I hold

Seat 1: gcmtl76 (1,500)
Seat 2: collinsl44 (1,500)
collinsl44 posts the small blind of 40
gcmtl76 posts the big blind of 80
The button is in seat #2
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to gcmtl76 [7c Tc]
collinsl44 calls 40
gcmtl76 raises to 240
collinsl44 calls 160
*** FLOP *** [8d Ah Th]
gcmtl76 bets 320
collinsl44 raises to 1,260, and is all in
gcmtl76 calls 940, and is all in
collinsl44 shows [Ks 8s]
gcmtl76 shows [7c Tc]
*** TURN *** [8d Ah Th] [Js]
*** RIVER *** [8d Ah Th Js] [4d]
collinsl44 shows a pair of Eights
gcmtl76 shows a pair of Tens
gcmtl76 wins the pot (3,000) with a pair of Tens

And down the stretch they come...

Last night, I tried to use GC's strategy of "not play and pray". It didnt work as both DC and RJ posted some sweet results to pad their bankroll. However as DC/GC/DP all know, no lead is insurmountable and there will defintely be a LOT of wild swings and leads changes in the last two days.
I've actually booked some time off on Wednesday to dedicate to MCFC 2 :) I tried to book the whole day, but I may have to go into the office to give a presentation...hopefully not :)

For the next three days, please make frequent updates on the status of your bankroll via the comments. It makes for a lot of excitment !

What are current bankrolls ?
Mine is $120 w/ 1 rebuy.

We have a new leader !

Our resident grinder, RJ, has taken the lead in MCFC2 with a very strong showing lately playing $6.50 9-man and 18-man tourneys. True to his FTP name "Still Learning", he spend the first 23 days playing a LOT of tourneys and gaining experience. His dedication is now paying off with some great results in the last 2 days.

His current bank roll is $174 with no rebuys.

From what I can tell, I'm running 2nd right now at $185 with 1 rebuy, so a deficit of $39 from RJ.

DC, who's daughter is getting baptized this weekend, is likely running in 3rd although his stack is coming down from the most recent OPR stats. I'll guess his bankroll is probably at $100.

Everyone else at this time is likely running under the original $50, although there's plenty of time for that to change.

DP

HU conversations

Some background:

I CR all in with middle pair ... bad play on my part.
I was slightly on tilt from a previous match that I lost ...

Anyhow, I get snap called by TP but I river trips to take a commanding chip lead.
Yes, I run good on occasion although I feel I'm always on the bad end of luck!


The following conversation ensues ...

Not_A_PennyMore: this is not true
Not_A_PennyMore: this is cheating

gcmtl76: sorry for the suckout
gcmtl76: i play bad
Not_A_PennyMore: give me my money back you cheating bastards#

Not_A_PennyMore: i am going to kill now
gcmtl76: not me .. ask full tilt for it
gcmtl76: sorry mate .. not my problem

gcmtl76: but i play bad .. you'll get it back



He then turns 2 pair to beat my TP ...
I still have a commanding lead so I decide to needle him a bit.



gcmtl76: your turn to suck out !!!
gcmtl76: gimme my $$ back
Not_A_PennyMore: phuck you idiot

Not_A_PennyMore: i didnt go all in like you on middle pair
Not_A_PennyMore: not even as a short stack

I end up winning .....


Dealer: Not_A_PennyMore finishes in 2nd place
Dealer: gcmtl76 finishes in 1st place and wins: $22


gcmtl76 (Observer): pwned
gcmtl76 (Observer): i own you bro !!!!
gcmtl76 (Observer): i play bad ... you play worse !!!


Yes ... I am a baby !! :)

Moving Day

This weekend will likely be my moving day for this tourney. I'm surprised at how little I've played thus far, but I've been too busy with work. As I told Gary and Manny, I've set the over/under for number of tourneys I play this weekend at 20 since I finally have a bit of free time and Dal's busy with wedding/bridesmaid stuff.

The morning got off to a very Bond18 start (I'll add his poker blog to our links...it's a must read). I woke up at 9am..hit the gym and then had breakfast with the girl I'm seeing (only Gary will find this funny). After she left, I fired up FTP and proceeded to stumble to a very shaky start. I started with $60 in my account. I quickly whittled that to $14 after splitting 2 $22HU and then dropping a heartbreaking $33 where I got sucked out on not 1, not 2, not 3, but 4 times. Each time I was ahead with the money all in..and each time he sucked out..twice on the river with his life on the line. I was pissed to lose that tourney. I also lost a $11 18-player turbo..holy crap do those blinds rise fast..I was in shove mode after about 15 minutes !
I think played a 6 man SNG for $11 and took that down after running hot in the beginning...then running cold..then overcoming a 5-1 chip stack lead. I also decided to play a $22 HU to get myself back to even..and after falling behind, I managed to work my way back and take it down.
After showering up and grabbing lunch..I returned to the tables where I played a $22 HU against Wasabi Wonder. In the first tourney I fell down to 470 chips after 10 hands...his nuts were better than my 2nd pair. Thankfully this is the most passive and predictable HU player I've ever met (aside from Gary pre-lessons-from-DP) so I was able to chip my way into the leads after 40 hands and then took it down after slowplaying a set. Thankfully, he accepted a rematch and we started again. This time, I made a very stupid mistake and tried to get this passive calling station to fold to a sneaky bet on the river. Yes...dumb move. After 7 hands, I was down to 255. Cue the comeback...on hand 9, my AA allowed me to double. With the confidence of my previous victory and knowing his style of play, I worked my way back into the lead at hand 41. On hand 42, I called my blind..he jammed with A7..and I happily called with KK. No A to be seen, and I took this down again.

So I'm back to being positive with a stack of $106 w/1 rebuy.

I was about to type that "DC..keep one eye open". Then I decided to check DC's stats on OPR in the hope he had run cold. Not so. He's cashed in his last 3 tourneys including a $20 HU ! WTF..what happened to the $2 tables ?? Was it a misclick DC ? :) Either way..congrats. You're defending your belt valiantly..but there's still 12 days left.

If anyone wants to play heads up today..comment on the blog or MSN me (djp55).

DP

Rebuy Madness

We're more than halfway through this month's MCFC.
I was running good at one point but it's all been downhill since.
I hate this game sometimes.

I just transferred NC some more money and he's officially a member of the "REBUY" club alongside DP, MC, DD - who has confirmed via email that he's rebought twice already. That's good news to people who bet "DD on the most rebuys".

RJ is treading water based on his OPR stats but needs to heat up soon.

AC was perilously close to "REBUY" but he finished 3rd in a 90man SNG to boost the roll.

I'm currently sitting at $61.62 and looking up to DC. I feel crap about my game and despite still be up slightly on the month I feel like I've blown a huge opportunity since I was a lot higher and had a ton of confidence. After running like pure ass and getting dirtied at every turn all I can mutter now is "FML".

DC is sitting pretty and is obnoxiously clearing a space on the mantle for a new trophy. I hope that angers the poker gods.

Not a lot of time left so time to buckle down and run good!

Back to the grind after Long Weekend

So I'm back to grinding SNGs after a weekend off.
Here's a screen capture of my early evening action


Unfortunately I bricked everything ... some bad beats, some pretty bad play, running KK AIPF into AA ... the usual!

BR: $84.26

Almost took down another 90 man SNG

My HU game is terrible lately.
I keep betting/jamming into the nuts and getting my money is so bad!

This helps a bit after running so terrible last 2 nights.
I should have had a couple more of these though.


Had the chip lead at the FT.
Had the chip lead HU.
Played terrible and "value bet" every street when my opponent had the nuts! :)
Yup, I'm that good!

Current BR: $113.61

Double Rebuy ?

Looking at OPR, it appears that David Delorme has had to rebuy. Please confirm with a post comment, DD.

I started my evening with $18.50. I decide to play $13 HU for a token. After quickly getting mowed down to 500 chips, I mounted a bit of a comeback..but ultimately was taken out. Nothing spectacular happen..aside from getting caught badly on a couple of raises and check-raises. Couldn't hit a card..and that was that. So with my stack at $4.75, I decided to bit the bullet. REBUY !

After reading fmylife.com to feel a bit better about myself, I decided that I'd try an avert the comeback grind and make a quick strike instead. I registered for a $50+2.50 HU. I alerted Gary via MSN so he could watch along..and revive me if I lost. After 5 hands, I was already down 200 chips. My opponent was a bit aggro..which was fine. Me, being the douche I am, ignored his aggroness and decided to counter-aggro...and each time he'd jam all in leaving with one option - fold. So after 20 hands or so, I was down to 560 chips and the odds didn't look good. The only thing I had learned about my opponent as he stole my chips was that he was aggro..and a hero on the river making calls with A high. The next hand for me gave me KQ. I hit the K on the flop..check check..hit the Q on the turn..check check. Blank at the river, he checked. There was 120 in the pot and I had 480 behind me. I had been getting smoked by him in the last few hands, so I decided to make the desperate play and jam. After he tanked for a bit..he called. A high no good sir. After that, I gained a little bit of confidence and started to exploit his trigger finger on the river. I worked my way close to even..as he became more timid. I took the lead on a bluff on the river..and never looked back. I continued to chip away at him, play aggressively in spots..didn't give him a solid chance to double up..and eventually my K7 took down his AJ when the flop was KKx.

So my stack is now $53...or $103 w/ 1 rebuy.

__________________________________________________________________

Let cut & paste excerpts from an MSN convo with Manny

Maninder says:
i ran sooooo bad

Maninder says:
i'm at $14

Maninder says:
started this session with $105

Gary says:
wow ...

Maninder says:
i might have to rebuy <--- Note he said originally that he would NOT take a rebuy

Maninder says:
unbeliveable

Gary says:
that's the manny we all know !

Maninder says:
i guess teh "Under" on my $20 per day is over

Maninder says:
you know what it was, i had nothing to do tonight <--- I love that quote!!! Blame running back on having nothing to do!

Maninder says:
aight, if i need to rebuy can you ship me the $50?

Gary says:
sure thing

Maninder says:
you wanna play HU for $10?

Gary says:
i'm playing 3 SNGs right now <--- and running like ass thank you very much

Gary says:
i got tired of waiting for you ...

Maninder says:
aignt i'll play a $10+1 sng

Maninder says:
if i lose, i'll be coming to the bank

Gary says:
bank is open 24/7

(some time later ... like 30 minutes later)

Maninder says:
ship the $50

Maninder says:
i hate my life <-- Manny officially on life tilt!!

Gary says:
go read fmylife.com

Gary says:
make you feel better ! :)


ANOTHER MCFC CONTESTANT TO SHOUT .... "REBUY"!!!!!

Bankroll updates

Hey guys..just a reminder to post your bankroll updates regularly. OPR isn't a bad proxy, but I don't think it takes into account rebuys or bounties from KO tourneys.

The best way to provide updates is simply to make comment in the last blog posting. And feel free to type up your bad beat stories. It's incredibly theraputic.

Everyone welcome John to the mix. Like Ants, he's starting a bit late..but he's ahead of at least 3 of us !

I'm at $19 now. Don't fret however...Jesus won't be the only one rising from the dead this weekend.

Manny's a stud...player.

From the desk of MC:

So i started off yesterday with my standard $22+1 HU game, i did not play well... steaming a little i thought about upping the stakes and clicked on a 30+1.5 HU match, upon getting dealt 3 cards i looked up and realized i was playing Limit Stud H/L.... this is a grinding game, there are no real swings and as long as you can draw to a low, you should stay in the hand... at least that's what my opponent felt, so it was pretty easy to pick up the very small pots when it was clear he had no low... i maintained a 1600 to 1400 chip lead for what felt like forever.... finally, i took down a pot where there was no low and i made the nut flush... so we were at 2k v 1k... GC came along to watch and offer some "dude, Stud H/L? I have no idea how to play this game -- but you're running well, how's that for a reverse jinx?" commentary.

Eventually with my chip lead, I just chipped away at him, taking down a full house with no low and leaving him with about 150 chips. we got AIPF, i had wired Q's, 9 up and he had split 9's with a Jack. i paired an Ace to solidify and take it down. Up $6 on the day, and called it a night -- BR $102

AC sighting !!

So AC is finally up and running on FTP!

He had a little delay getting his account settled and funded but he's right in the middle of things as we speak.

His 6 day delay has been a decent decision, he's ahead of NC and Delorme!
I've updated his user name in the top left hand corner since it's different from his old one.

AC is a notorious SNG machine and can run his bankroll up really fast ... holding onto it is another story but he's a definite wildcard in this competition!

$66 swing on the river

After seeing DC and GC have a profitable weekend and create some separation from the rest of the pack, I decided to take a shot at a $33+1.50 HU tourney.
The tourney lasted a while with me taking an early lead..then falling as low as 420, before doubling up with A5 against 77. After a while..we finally drew exactly to even when this happened.

Full Tilt Poker Game #11533431299: $33 + $1.50 Heads Up Sit & Go (86595115), Table 1 - 40/80 - No Limit Hold'em - 0:52:48 ET - 2009/04/06
Seat 1: djp55 (1,500)
Seat 2: pigleeee96 (1,500)
pigleeee96 posts the small blind of 40
djp55 posts the big blind of 80
The button is in seat #2
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to djp55 [Ac 9c]
pigleeee96 raises to 160 -> he had been minraising with a wide range
djp55 raises to 1,500, and is all in -> I decided to jam because I had been jamming a fair bit during my comeback to even, so I figured he'd put me on a wide range and potentially call.
pigleeee96 has 15 seconds left to act
pigleeee96 calls 1,340, and is all in -> yup
djp55 shows [Ac 9c]
pigleeee96 shows [Jc Qs] - sweet..it's 70/30 for me.
*** FLOP *** [7c 3h 5h] - great flop
*** TURN *** [7c 3h 5h] [3c] - great turn..I have the club draw as well which kills his Qc out.
*** RIVER *** [7c 3h 5h 3c] [Jd] - and there's one of his 5 outs.
djp55 shows a pair of Threes
pigleeee96 shows two pair, Jacks and Threes
pigleeee96 wins the pot (3,000) with two pair, Jacks and Threes
djp55 stands up
pigleeee96 stands up
*** SUMMARY ***

Not much I can do there. The jam with A9 was a little aggressive, but I think the right play given the situation. That river card was worth a $66 swing. Painful..but I'm wiling to bet it won't be the most expensive card we see this month.

GC takes down a 180 player tourney for a cool $97 (DP original edited by GC)

Congrats to GC for taking down a $2.25 180-player tourney yesterday for a cool $97. After he described most of his day with the following 3 words "I'm on Tilt", it appears he regrouped valiantly and survived a minefield of donks to win the biggest single prize in MCFC2. I'm sure he'll posting some comments about his exploits.

It was a moving day for many of us. I've updated the scores unofficially using the numbers from OPR. A couple of players have fallen below the line, specifically Nick and David D. Neither are close to having to rebuy yet and there's still 25 days in the month so no need for either of them to fret.

GC and I have made some updates to the blog and added new sections. Let us know if you'd like to see some other some other sections.

DP
____________________________________________________

Alright, let me add a description of my SNG luckbox skills.

I was absolutely running terrible at HU matches yesterday.
In one match, I CR'ed into a flopped straight with a monster hand ... top 2 pair is no good obviously.

The most frustrating hand was this one from another match:

Table 1 - 20/40 - No Limit Hold'em - 16:13:14 ET - 2009/04/04
Seat 1: gcmtl76 (1,360)
Seat 2: extra noodle (1,640)
gcmtl76 posts the small blind of 20
extra noodle posts the big blind of 40
The button is in seat #1

*** HOLE CARDS ***

Dealt to gcmtl76 [7h 9s] <--- I love this hand!

gcmtl76 raises to 120 <-- button raise is standard
extra noodle raises to 200 <-- min raise?
gcmtl76 raises to 555 <--- 1st 4 bet of the day to get him to define his hand extra noodle calls 355 <-- really? just flat? some mid pair or weak Ace hand

*** FLOP *** [9c 9d Td] <--- that's the nuts to me!

extra noodle checks
gcmtl76 bets 805, and is all in <-- I move in since I want my hand to look weak like AJ/AQ/33/44/55/66/77 ... that board misses so much of my range that it looks fishy and a shove on this board could get him to call off weak. Not to mention the drawy texture of the board and I'm happy to get it in now or win the pot immediately.

extra noodle calls 805 <--- INSTA CALL ... so definitely a pair, probably overpair. Sorry dude!

gcmtl76 shows [7h 9s]
extra noodle shows [9h 8s] <--- WHAT?!??! (I'm stunned ... speechless .. without speech)

*** TURN *** [9c 9d Td] [8h]
*** RIVER *** [9c 9d Td 8h] [2s]

gcmtl76 shows three of a kind, Nines
extra noodle shows a full house, Nines full of Eights

extra noodle wins the pot (2,720) with a full house, Nines full of Eights
gcmtl76 stands up
extra noodle stands up

I don't think calling a 4-bet OOP (Out Of Position) with 89o is the best play here especially since it was my first 4-bet of the session ... it's definitely spewy.

I think his options are push (if he thinks I'm weak) or fold. He's gonna miss the flop too often to continue on and put a large portion of his stack in the pot PF OOP.
I definitely thought I binked that flop and my hand is so disguised.
I NEVER NEVER NEVER expected to see him show up with a 9 in his hand.
I like my play (and dont like his) so I can't be pissed off and be results oriented ....

That put me on tilt but UNC's huge win got me excited (go heels!)
I was gonna watch SNL but decided to see some flops to keep me company.

Wow I'm such a baller young single male!
Nothing says player like sitting at home (unshowered none the less) in basketball shorts and UNC t-shirt watching SNL and playing online poker ... I kinda see where E says those gambling commercials remind him of me! :)
Anyways, this is a poker blog and not a commentary on my lack of "hot dates" as DP (and DP's wifey) put it.

The closest SNG to fill up was a low stakes $2 SNG so I decided to dig in and find my inner DC/Rowin. I also didn't want to risk too much of my dwindling roll in such a negative mindset. I signed up and based on my day I was expecting to be out by the time the show was over; at which point I'd head to bed and be on "MCFC tilt". I just wanted to make it "Weekend Update".

However, a funny thing happened ... I was playing well and getting some good results. I mostly played pot control poker (unless I had the nuts or close to it) and was winning pots. I never had to race for all my chips since these guys were willing to get their money is so bad I didn't have to flip for chips ... I didn't see the point.

Just short of the final table look at that "Showdown win Percentage"



When we made the Final Table (FT) I was 4th in chips but blinds were high relative to stack sizes so we were all kinda short .... it was gamble time!! I had a feeling I was gonna take it down ... my DC luckbox skills were about to show up big time!


I didn't get in involved much and was mostly card dead so I stayed afloat picking up blinds. In higher buyin MTTs I like to 3-bet steal chips since it's so profitable. However here it's so unlikely that people will fold once they open that I never did that unless I was willing to get it all in. I also raised the button a lot less since they NEVER gave that raise respect. A raise from MP/CO did the job nicely.

5 handed I gave someone a wicked ass bad beat !!!! Thanks to DC for lending me his skills for the night! :)

Check out the bottom right hand history and it was AIPF.
He raised the button and I shoved the SB ... he snap called.
Pretty standard given the hands but what a feeling to hit the JACK !!!
I'm usually on the other end ... it feels so good to deliver the bad beat once in a while.


I then took out the 3rd place finisher in a standard race format and was ready to pwn HU!!
I was like "all I need to do is get HU then it's mine ... I'm a monster HU".
Wow ... SNL has been over for a long time now and my mood has turned 180 degrees. I refuse to change the channel for fear of upsetting the poker gods ... so I'm now watching Entertainment Tonight Canada ... wow ... what a terrible show ... but I stick to it and refuse to change the channel.


A HU monster I was ... I just kept raising every button and grinding him down ... I got a 4-1 chip lead and eventually found the right spot to call his shove.

And "boom goes the dynamite" ... 180 man SNG pwnage!


And the time ... it was ... hmmm .... 4.44am !!!
I was up for a ridiculous 4+ hours playing a $2 SNG!!!
Note that anyone who calls me a degen doesn't understand the pride of winning the MCFC trophy !

That win vaulted me to the top of the MCFC leaderboard ... something I definitely needed. Once this month is over I need to have a similar run the Fifty-Fifty or 750K!!! :) Let's see if I can ride this momentum to build on my lead.

-GC

Bankroll Strategies

The running subplot of this tourney will be the contrasting strategy of each play as they attempt to win the crown. Here's the summary from what I can tell thus far :

The Grinders

It appears that DC has found his poker BFF. They're both big boys, they love their steaks rare and their stakes low. Rowin and DC have been dedicated to their craft in grinding thus far athough Rowin's 34 tourneys to date (according to officialpokerrankings.com) is by far the most thus far. DC has been in the money (ITM) 5 out of 6 tourneys which is very impressive. This strategy will typically have low variance which limits the losses, but limits the upside as well. However they can always move up stakes at the end of the month if they're in catch up mode.

The Kamikaze in Grinders Clothing

Maninder has claimed that he's a new man. After an 8 month sabbatical from the tables, he's come back invigorated with a new zest for check-raising the river. He's claimed to be much more disciplined than in the past and has set a goal of $20 profit per day. This actually a very interesting strategy assuming unlimited bankroll, because much like his next favourite pastime roulette, if he lost a tourney, he could increase the stakes of his next one accordingly. With a $50 cap however, he'll need to be very disciplined, which could be an issue if he approaches the rebuy threshold. Regardless, I expect him to be playing $30-$50 SNG and HU tourneys by early next week. Congrats on a good start as he's in the lead right now with $91.

Sir Mix-A-Lot

David Delorme has played the following thus far : NLHE, Razz, Super Turbos, KO tourney and HORSE. HORSE !!! 5 games in 1 !! Thus far, his results have been very promising having cashed in 5 out of 9 tourneys with a profit of $27 to date. It will be interesting to see if he keeps up changing it up...or sticks to his money pitch if he gets in a jam.

The Rookie

NDGhabs has only played two tourneys to date..but he's taken down one and could be a darkhorse. His work hours + the depression onset by Montreal's first round playoff loss will determine how much time he'll be able to spend on the virtual felt.

HUG (Heads-Up Gary)

I don't have a lot of regrets in my life. One of my biggest regrets took place in the middle of last December. After annihilating GC in a series of HU matches, I took pity on him and pointed out quite a few leaks in his game. He took the lesson to heart and has been a HU monster ever since. He's beaten me at least 80% of the time and he's found most of his success in MCFC 2 via the HU game. HUG however has a passion for the bigger tourneys so it will be interesting to see how he mixes up his games. He's also learned NOT to go on Life tilt even after getting sucked out on the river by a 1-outer. He's definitely a favourite to take this tourney down given that he's got the experience from MCFC 1.

Kamikaze

I know I should be more disciplined with my bankroll management...but I'm not. Earlier tonight, when I was at around $26..I decided to play a $22+1 HU because it would either bring me back to even..or it would allow me to rebuy. Luckily I took it down with my QQ sucking out against AA (payback for him sucking out against me twice) and went on to take down another $22+1 to put me back in the black. I've got a few bankroll strategies that I'm considering using. You can read all about them after I write my memoirs entitled "MCFC 2 Champion : He who Jams First Jams Best",

MCFC2 - Day 2

Things are progressing nicely ...

Delorme is quietly putting up some nice results.
Don't be shy about posting in the comments.


Rowin is BY FAR putting in the most volume .... awesome work!
Buddy wants that trophy bad.

DP is in typical yoyo fashion.

Manny (being Manny) is quietly in the lead .... but I'm not too nervous.
I'm positive he'll donk it off at some point! :)


I'll be online later to get some HU matches in and grind away ....

GC strikes first ...

I've attached a screen capture of the inaugural MCFC2 HU match at the stroke of midnight ... actually at 12:06 to be exact.


With my Baby Becks desktop cheering me on I took an early lead on DP.

Rowin watched the fast paced HU action and began the scouting process of his opposition.


HU Match #1 - $5.25
This ended rather quickly after some initial small ball. My first 3-bet with AQ was not well received with DP's 4-bet shove. I was 99% I was calling but thought things over.

1) DP is running terrible
2) I'm running good.
3) DP's range is sooooo wide here that he knows I can't call without a hand
4) I call and DP actually has JJ (much better than I thought .. but still flipping)

Ace on the turn and GC is up 1-0

HU Match #2 - $5.25
The rematch is more the same with GC hitting every card imaginable and being dealt premium hands from the poker gods. We get it All In Pre Flop (AIPF) with my A8 dominating DP's A3 ... yes, I INSTA-CALLED DP's shove with A8o! That's how I roll ... actually more so because I know how DP rolls when he's on mild tilt! :)

DP pauses to regroup for a while ... offers Rowin the chance to play me HU ... then decides "let's play $10 HU" ... I guess DP didnt get kicked in the junk enough tonight.


HU Match #3 - $10.50

DP took the early lead when he made a correct hero call on the end with Ace high. I think I completely butchered the hand and my hand didnt make sense in any shape!! But you know what? When you flop the nuts and hit EVERY draw ... NO PROBLEM !!! :)

I actually made some real good decisions

Seat 1: DP(993)
Seat 2: GC(2,007)
GC posts the small blind of 10
DP posts the big blind of 20
The button is in seat #2
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to GC[4s 6s]
GC calls 10
DP checks
*** FLOP *** [Jd 6h 4d]
GC bets 40
DP calls 40
*** TURN *** [Jd 6h 4d] [5s]
DP bets 120
GC calls 120
*** RIVER *** [Jd 6h 4d 5s] [3d]
DP has 15 seconds left to act
DP checks
GC has 15 seconds left to act
GC checks
*** SHOW DOWN ***
DP shows [7d 2d] a flush, Jack high
GC mucks
DP wins the pot (360) with a flush, Jack high

The ensuing chat ...

DP : %$@@ YOU
GC: knew u wanted to CR !!
DP: how you check that river?
GC: so fishy ... i flopped so hard
GC: i didnt know what hand calls me that i get value from
GC: all i envisioned is getting CR and throw up in my mouth
GC: too much showdown value to NOT see your cards


Later on, we got it AI on the flop

DP shows [5h Ad]
GC shows [Kd Ah]
*** TURN *** [As Jh 2c] [8c]
*** RIVER *** [As Jh 2c 8c] [Kc]
GC wins the pot (2,716) with two pair, Aces and Kings

DP stands up <--- dejected, beat down 30 minutes into MCFC 2 !!!
GC stands up <-- Good start for me!

GC ends the HU battle up 3-0 over.
More importantly, up $19 and DP down $21 ... FTP ALWAYS wins with the rake! :)

GC: $69
DP: $29

Let's hope I continue to run gooooooooooood !!!!