Mookie Mookie Mookie

I managed to luckbox my way to the final table last night in the Mookie. At the first break I had a 2k chiplead but then started to get tired. What that means is that I stopped attacking the blinds and stopped defending until about three other people at the table had similar stacks.

Luckbox moment of the night happened with 15 people left and Up4Poker sat down to my right. He proceeded to raise about 3 out of 4 pots and mentioned that he was working on his image to exploit it later. Since we were getting closer to the bubble I figure he will laydown A-small to a reraise especially since my stack was 60% of his stack. He raises again and I assume he is stealing so I reraise all in with K9o (but this is based on the fact that he hasn't seen me play a pot yet and he has been raising the last few hands) and he calls with JJ. I river the 9 high straight and back to 1st in chips overall.

It is at that point that I should and I knew I should tighten up my play. Instead I end up raising with Ax and Mookie comes over the top. I end up folding to his lead out bet on the flop and my stack advantage is gone. So instead of using the luck I was given to a good advantage I end up donating chips away. Eventually I was put between Garthmeister and Hoyazo and it was a blind stealing chipfest at that table. Dnasty13 who eventually won the entire tournament played some awesome poker at that table to stay above water.

Iakaris was bubble boy last night and he stayed very level headed about getting reraised at least 6 or 7 times preflop. He is a tight player and I know he isn't raising with junk like most in the event, so going over the top on him (happened twice last night - showed him JJ the second time) could get a person into a lot of trouble.

CC showed some awesome play that even after I was out of the tournament I wanted to see more of his LAGGY style (only reason for going to the cash table). He sure knows how to committ to a hand and apply maximum pressure.... once I read Doubleas book I should be able to deal with this type of player! slb was unstoppable in the cash game last night (he rivered me again for a few dollars!) which is good because he can crush that level consistently. I learned the hard way that playing calling station with bloggers will get you hurt (one typo cost me a bit as well when I overbet a pot with KK on J high flop $22 into a $3 pot!). MiamiDon is another player that I want to watch closer going forward as he is so solid. They probably wouldn't believe me when I say that I am usually just a TAG style player.

My death in the tournament came with a stupid push with 55. I was going to fold since Up4Poker limped from UTG which was weird (he said he had 55!). In MP and I should have been thinking more about other shortstacks and moving up the ladder a bit instead of pushing. If I limp then Hoy raises big and the BB calls and then I can get away from that hand.... so easy with hindsight. That is the problem of playing tired in that you eventually can't think properly... small pocket pairs try to see the flop cheap. Hoyazo pushes and so did the BB (can't remember who it was) and it was 10's for Hoy holding up to give him a huge chip lead.

Lately, I have been working on the LAG style of play a bit more especially in MTTs. Twice last night I managed to get guys to go all in against me on a flop with nothing but 2nd pair. Nice when you hit a hand that you can get paid off since most think I am donking around by reverse hoying them for the 3rd time in 3 hands!