As you read this post, the question of "Is Eskimo Clark- a good luck charm or curse for Chewey?" has yet to be fully answered. Only one thing is for certain; whenever I run into or see Eskimo Clark, my trip is either real profitable or real bad. Who is Eskimo Clark you may ask? Clark is a poker player that looks a lot a grizzly bear (pardon the description); nearly passed out in an event (stroke)that I played at during a World Series of Poker Event (back when they had overflow play in an unconditioned outdoor tent) in 06/07. Here is a brief rundown of my history when I play or see Clark at an event. My first WSOP cash, was in an event Clark played in 2007, my final table bubble at an Tunica event happened with Clark; my worst WSOP Circuit Event trip was when I saw Clark in 2008 at Council Bluffs My largest cash game profit happened when Clark was walking by in 2009 at The Rio. It had been a while, since I had a Clark sighting.
Before we get to the Clark Sighting, let's recap my life since March. Did terrible at the 75K Ballys Invite (March); Moved back to Colorado for the most part, Black Friday for Poker occurred- byebye FullTilt Money; Bodog (site I play mostly on) announced they are pulling out of the US end of 2011. So lots of stones are being thrown against my poker avenues- I will save this rant on the US government stance toward online poker & Black Friday for a future blog!
Fast forward to June & The WSOP. I did not play the bracelet events but focused on the lower buy-in DeepStack events at the WSOP. Great structure, lots of chips & MASSIVE FIELDS-I like. I had a group of friends/players there to support & cheer for as well. The first 3 events I played in, did not cash but I lasted longer & longer with each passing tourney. Wham, then I saw Eskimo Clark during the latter part of my 3 week stay. Fortune or Curse? Now it all made sense, I had been sensing a disturbance in the poker force, lol. I told one of my friends, Jay- that the trip was about to be psycho. During a 10pm DeepStack Event, several weird situations occurred: I was moved to at least 16 different tables; I was down to 700 chips when Blinds were150/300/25ante; I witnessed a overused dealer that had been dealing for days almost make a mistake before making a BIG mistake during the money bubble.
During my 8th table change, something like that; this dealer nearly pushed a pot, began to muck the board as 3 players were still in a hand & I stopped him. 3 hours later, we were down to 33 players & only 32 would be paid. I had 14,000 in chips with 800/1,600blinds/200ante; the following hand occurred at an adjacent table:
(Seat 2) Chipleader- Pocket Aces
(Seat 5) Mid Stack-Pocket 7s
(Seat 7) mid stack Pocket Aces
(Seat 8) Pocket Ks
(Seat 10) KQ suited
Seat 2, 5, 7 all-in preflop. Flop is ??? who knows, I wasn;t there yet. This should be routine but the dealer from 3 hours ago scrambles the flop & readies for the next hand. Wtf? This hand is not over & a huge commotion ensues, this is where I notice the Tourney Director running over as we are on hand for hand, the next person out gets no money! The entire table can't agree on what the cards were on the flop. So, the ruling is all of the folded/dead cards were shuffled & the flop was re-dealt. Wait for it, wait for it- the second flop was a mis-deal as well, the burn card was exposed. So, a 3rd flop was dealt & of course the 7 hits! Wow, the turn & river are blanks, short stack quadruples up big time & Seat 7 is crippled, Seat 8 out, Seat 10 out, bubble is burst but the hand took 20 minutes. You can't write better drama than this WSOP drama. Meanwhile, at my table we are all joking about whipping out cells & getting video footage of this. A floor person cautions me & says penalty of 1 Level of play- I decide not to! I go on to finish 13th in this event, decent cash.
2 days later, I played in another WSOP DS Event, field of 700+ & finish in 9th place. Had decent amount of chips but ran my pocket Aces into a rivered flush, ugh but felt good about cashing in my last 2 WSOP tournys. Had to leave town, did I miss my heater run? Don't think so, I'm back at it 2 months later in full force, alter ego "247poker", style+all & will be playing the 75K Poker Invitational at The Flamingo, 3 Events at The Summerfest 2011-Rio in the next two weeks.
Until the next Eskimo Clark Sighting, not!
Chewey
Showing posts with label 2011. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2011. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Flaming-O Streak Wrap-Up
It's been a month since I've cashed at The Harrah's $100,000 Invitational Poker Tournament. The tournament was actually held at The Flamingo or (The Flaming-O) as I like to call it. I never win or do good here. This tournament & trip marked an end to several bad streaks & the beginning of new ones.
On the start of Day 2, I am dealt pocket 10s in the button position with blinds at 25/50. I raise it to 175 & am called by both blinds. Uh oh, I think. The flop brings 10, 9, 8 with two suited hearts. The SB checks, BB bets 300 into a pots of 500. I go into the tank & wonder if the big blind has two overcards with a Jack open ended straight draw, flush draw or air. My first reaction is to lay it down, he has hit his straight already. Less than 2 minutes of Day 2, I'm put to the test already. It really doesn't help that you only start with 1,500 at the start of Day 2; but I don't make the rules. I do the unthinkable & fold. This hand has me curious, I just hope to see the turn & river cards. The SB goes all in & BB insta-calls with a straight & has a redraw to the straight flush. The SB has the sucker (low) end of the straight with 6, 7. BB ends up winning with his Q high straight. Wow, I think to myself, did I just avert disaster. I dislike pocket 10s, always have & always will.
I make it to Level 4 with the blinds 200/400/75antes & in a matter of minutes am dealt pocket Kings, A-K, A-Q, A-9. Don't worry, none of those hands held up & I'm busto around 100th place. I cash but am highly disappointed at what could have been. I played good for the most part but there were opportunities I feel that I could have padded my chip stack. Overall, the trip was blah. I was tired when I flew in & dug myself a hole in the first 5 hours by playing tired. Reflecting, it would help if I could play more live poker as work projects have filled my poker plate up lately.
For Jay-Z fans, I say it's on to the next one! I'm leaving the room for my next tournament "$75,000 Bally's Poker Tournament" in Las Vegas. March Madness is in the air & I'm looking to pull a Cinderella story of my own. Strap your laces boys & girls, this dance is about to begin.
Chewey
On the start of Day 2, I am dealt pocket 10s in the button position with blinds at 25/50. I raise it to 175 & am called by both blinds. Uh oh, I think. The flop brings 10, 9, 8 with two suited hearts. The SB checks, BB bets 300 into a pots of 500. I go into the tank & wonder if the big blind has two overcards with a Jack open ended straight draw, flush draw or air. My first reaction is to lay it down, he has hit his straight already. Less than 2 minutes of Day 2, I'm put to the test already. It really doesn't help that you only start with 1,500 at the start of Day 2; but I don't make the rules. I do the unthinkable & fold. This hand has me curious, I just hope to see the turn & river cards. The SB goes all in & BB insta-calls with a straight & has a redraw to the straight flush. The SB has the sucker (low) end of the straight with 6, 7. BB ends up winning with his Q high straight. Wow, I think to myself, did I just avert disaster. I dislike pocket 10s, always have & always will.
I make it to Level 4 with the blinds 200/400/75antes & in a matter of minutes am dealt pocket Kings, A-K, A-Q, A-9. Don't worry, none of those hands held up & I'm busto around 100th place. I cash but am highly disappointed at what could have been. I played good for the most part but there were opportunities I feel that I could have padded my chip stack. Overall, the trip was blah. I was tired when I flew in & dug myself a hole in the first 5 hours by playing tired. Reflecting, it would help if I could play more live poker as work projects have filled my poker plate up lately.
For Jay-Z fans, I say it's on to the next one! I'm leaving the room for my next tournament "$75,000 Bally's Poker Tournament" in Las Vegas. March Madness is in the air & I'm looking to pull a Cinderella story of my own. Strap your laces boys & girls, this dance is about to begin.
Chewey
Friday, January 28, 2011
The Flaming-O Streak ($100,000 Invitational) Day 1
The Harrahs $100,000 Invitational Poker Tournament in Las Vegas was a tournament full of excitement, twists & turns. I always love getting invitations in the mail to Poker Invitationals that are comped. For the most part, these allow me the opportunity to leave town & actually play poker. Normally, I am able to walk away from these invitationals with a deep finish & some cash. The skill levels at these invitationals range from complete newbies to everyday grinders.
First twist is upon registering, I find out that the tournament venue is The Flamingo & not Harrahs. Uh-oh, I've never ever won anything at The Flamingo or (Flaming-O) on slots, table games, poker, nada, zilch, period in all my travels to Vegas. It has been along time since I set foot in The Flamingo. To complicate matters, I played some Mississippi Stud at The Flamingo on my 1st day of the trip & didn't fare so well. I almost always do terrible on the 1st day of a trip & after I bust out of a tournament, hmmm.
My buddy Jay, who won the last invite by Harrah's is here for his vacation & to watch me play. Day 1 of tournament begins & I feel like Brett Favre in a Vikings Uniform walking onto Lambeau Field. The Flamingo is a casino that I just have not done well. Day 1 Starting chip stack of 1,500. Top 20% of field advances. Below are highlights from Day 1 play, 2,100 players:
Level 1 (25/50)-In hand 3 of the day, I call from small blind with 5,9x & big blind checks. Flop is 9,2,5 with 2 diamonds. I bet 125 on the flop & bb calls. The turn is a 3 & I bet 200. Once again, bb calls. River is a J, I check & bb bets 600. I go into the tank & fold. The bb goes on a tear & becomes the table leader early. I end the level with 1,075.
Level 2 (50/100/25ante) - No face cards during this level for me. Got pocket 3s, 4s a few times but the action was raised before me. At one point I was down to 325 & feel the walls closing in on me. Jay watches on & I go chat a few minutes to clear my head.
Level 3 (100/200/50ante)- Mid level I pick up A3 suited in button position & limp with 4 callers. I start the hand with 850 in chips. Flop is A,9,6x. Everyone checks including me. WTF am I thinking? I'm looking to accumulate chips with a dangerous move. The turn is a 2. I go all-in for 650 & am called by the chipleader that I tangled with in Level 1. She turns over pocket 4s & my stack grows to 1875. I end the level with 1,200.
Level 4 (200/400/75ante) More than 60% of totals field is gone, I can see the finish line to Day 2 nearing. The blinds & antes numb me down to 550 but I pick up 5,6 hearts in bb position & flop a full house with 3 players in the pot. I check the flop, turn & finally on the river I put my last 300 in & am called by button position & win a pot of 1,475.
Level 5 (300/600/200ante) Over 75 % of field eliminated, top 20% advance. My survival game plan is working as experience is kicking in. Most players shove with any face, but I hold on & wait for position. My table image is tight & I will be changing gears from tight to aggro. Players that were chip leaders early on have been eliminated. The aggressive blind structure, varied level of player skill sets makes for an interesting tournament pace. We are down to 4 players at my table, I eliminate a player with 3,5 suite in sb position & make this a tighter race. I end the Level with 2,250 & chip stack is growing. A crowd of 40 gathers around our table as the once short-stack (me) is looming large. Floor personnel now guard our table as spectators are inches from us. I love the crowd & pressure as I've never been chip leader at our table but the other two players have.
Level 6 (500/1,000/200ante) The chip leader (seat 5), me (seat 3) & loose player( seat 6) are in a shove battle for the blinds. At the start of the level, seat 6- 14,500; seat 5- 5,100; me 2,250. Now , Seat 5-11,000; Seat 6- 7,000; & me 6,500. I shove every 1.5 orbits to grow my stack but never from the same position & each time my bet is not called. Most of my stack is comprised of green chips (25) lol. Each time I shove, my stack appears larger than the amount seems. jay stands in the background & shoots me a glance "almost there!".
Level 7 (800/1600/300ante) I'm dealt K,10 suited in button position. I just won a huge pot on the last hand & am taking the time to stack my chips & watch the other 2 players from the corner of my eye at the same time. I notice seat 6 (bb) reaching for chips & seat 5 (sb) reaching for his & eyeballing seat 6. I check my stack of 8,800 & realize it's not worth the gamble as I'm certain I will advance to day 2 after this hand. I do the unthinkable & fold. Sb calls, bb min-raises & sb instacalls. The flop is 7,8,4x. The sb checks, bb goes all-in for 3,100 into a pot of over 9k. Sb calls with pocket 9s, bb rolls over open ended straight & flush draws. The river bricks & I advance to hard earned Day 2. I was down to 325 in level 2 & still made it. Chip stacks would be re-set for all players on Day 2. All players advancing to Day 2 are in the money! So, my losing streak for The Flaming-O is over for now. My experience & composure were key in me advancing to Day 2.
Next time see how far I advance at The Harrahs $100,000 Invitational Poker Tournament that's held at The Flamingo or to follow my Vegas/life escapades on twitter . You can also view all of my blog posts since 2007 on Poker Across America (Chewey's Corner).
Caption: Me sizing up the competition at my table!
Stay Cool & Get Paid!
Chewey
First twist is upon registering, I find out that the tournament venue is The Flamingo & not Harrahs. Uh-oh, I've never ever won anything at The Flamingo or (Flaming-O) on slots, table games, poker, nada, zilch, period in all my travels to Vegas. It has been along time since I set foot in The Flamingo. To complicate matters, I played some Mississippi Stud at The Flamingo on my 1st day of the trip & didn't fare so well. I almost always do terrible on the 1st day of a trip & after I bust out of a tournament, hmmm.
My buddy Jay, who won the last invite by Harrah's is here for his vacation & to watch me play. Day 1 of tournament begins & I feel like Brett Favre in a Vikings Uniform walking onto Lambeau Field. The Flamingo is a casino that I just have not done well. Day 1 Starting chip stack of 1,500. Top 20% of field advances. Below are highlights from Day 1 play, 2,100 players:
Level 1 (25/50)-In hand 3 of the day, I call from small blind with 5,9x & big blind checks. Flop is 9,2,5 with 2 diamonds. I bet 125 on the flop & bb calls. The turn is a 3 & I bet 200. Once again, bb calls. River is a J, I check & bb bets 600. I go into the tank & fold. The bb goes on a tear & becomes the table leader early. I end the level with 1,075.
Level 2 (50/100/25ante) - No face cards during this level for me. Got pocket 3s, 4s a few times but the action was raised before me. At one point I was down to 325 & feel the walls closing in on me. Jay watches on & I go chat a few minutes to clear my head.
Level 3 (100/200/50ante)- Mid level I pick up A3 suited in button position & limp with 4 callers. I start the hand with 850 in chips. Flop is A,9,6x. Everyone checks including me. WTF am I thinking? I'm looking to accumulate chips with a dangerous move. The turn is a 2. I go all-in for 650 & am called by the chipleader that I tangled with in Level 1. She turns over pocket 4s & my stack grows to 1875. I end the level with 1,200.
Level 4 (200/400/75ante) More than 60% of totals field is gone, I can see the finish line to Day 2 nearing. The blinds & antes numb me down to 550 but I pick up 5,6 hearts in bb position & flop a full house with 3 players in the pot. I check the flop, turn & finally on the river I put my last 300 in & am called by button position & win a pot of 1,475.
Level 5 (300/600/200ante) Over 75 % of field eliminated, top 20% advance. My survival game plan is working as experience is kicking in. Most players shove with any face, but I hold on & wait for position. My table image is tight & I will be changing gears from tight to aggro. Players that were chip leaders early on have been eliminated. The aggressive blind structure, varied level of player skill sets makes for an interesting tournament pace. We are down to 4 players at my table, I eliminate a player with 3,5 suite in sb position & make this a tighter race. I end the Level with 2,250 & chip stack is growing. A crowd of 40 gathers around our table as the once short-stack (me) is looming large. Floor personnel now guard our table as spectators are inches from us. I love the crowd & pressure as I've never been chip leader at our table but the other two players have.
Level 6 (500/1,000/200ante) The chip leader (seat 5), me (seat 3) & loose player( seat 6) are in a shove battle for the blinds. At the start of the level, seat 6- 14,500; seat 5- 5,100; me 2,250. Now , Seat 5-11,000; Seat 6- 7,000; & me 6,500. I shove every 1.5 orbits to grow my stack but never from the same position & each time my bet is not called. Most of my stack is comprised of green chips (25) lol. Each time I shove, my stack appears larger than the amount seems. jay stands in the background & shoots me a glance "almost there!".
Level 7 (800/1600/300ante) I'm dealt K,10 suited in button position. I just won a huge pot on the last hand & am taking the time to stack my chips & watch the other 2 players from the corner of my eye at the same time. I notice seat 6 (bb) reaching for chips & seat 5 (sb) reaching for his & eyeballing seat 6. I check my stack of 8,800 & realize it's not worth the gamble as I'm certain I will advance to day 2 after this hand. I do the unthinkable & fold. Sb calls, bb min-raises & sb instacalls. The flop is 7,8,4x. The sb checks, bb goes all-in for 3,100 into a pot of over 9k. Sb calls with pocket 9s, bb rolls over open ended straight & flush draws. The river bricks & I advance to hard earned Day 2. I was down to 325 in level 2 & still made it. Chip stacks would be re-set for all players on Day 2. All players advancing to Day 2 are in the money! So, my losing streak for The Flaming-O is over for now. My experience & composure were key in me advancing to Day 2.
Next time see how far I advance at The Harrahs $100,000 Invitational Poker Tournament that's held at The Flamingo or to follow my Vegas/life escapades on twitter . You can also view all of my blog posts since 2007 on Poker Across America (Chewey's Corner).
Caption: Me sizing up the competition at my table!Stay Cool & Get Paid!
Chewey
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