squirrely

i'm trying to distract myself a little. see, i'm playing in a poker tourney. a large one (as in, started off with 1171 players). the top 30 places pay. this site doesn't tell you what place you are currently in, but i can tell you that there are currently 45 players left. and i just got dealt 77...this could very well be my last hand, so close to the stupid payoff...

woot! okay, on break now. it's a freeroll, well, technically it's a player's club points buy in tourney, but i didn't pay any actual money to get in, so if i make the money, it was for nothing (and, of course, the attendant chicks for free). maybe i'll leave this open and live blog the rest. right now i just wanna make the money (i set small goals so i don't go crazy and get impatient and blow out at 31), but maybe i'll kick ass and you guys will (kinda) get to be there with me.

i should be sleeping, i've been doing this crazy weekend commute, where i leave here on friday and go home, coming back monday morning. i get up at like 4:30 to come back so i can make my bus--just drive straight to the park-n-ride. i could have gone to bed at like 7pm, but i thought that was too early so i tried to wait until at least 8, then i caught my second wind and decided to play this tourney.

14 more outs till the money. when it gets low like this i always think of this johnny cash song, which is a classic. OUCH! just lost a little chink, but made a good lay down. still alive, gotta calm down. i start stealing pots here and there and OH SHIT>>> AA. this could be my last hand. gah, no action. gotta raise with the rockets though. i always get burned when i slowplay aces.

12 more outs. gah! cowboys! big stack puts in a big raise ahead of me and i call. still 11 outs, i'm too young to die! another potential caller is stalling. he puts in a bigger raise, i go all in, flip he shows 77!!!!! kings take it down and i'm a monster!

9 more outs, i have about 117k in chips, average is about 90k so i'm slightly ahead of the curve. almost time to amend my goal.

6 more outs. hand for hand play, damn that's annoying. at least no one's really stalling. i hate that shit. i mean, hand for hand, you gain no advantage by stalling. punk. damn, the smallest stack is 32k.

okay, now we're stalling out with 4 outs to go. no one wants to punk out so close to the money. another good laydown, another narrow miss.

2 more. i can't take it. I CAN'T TAKE IT!!!

okay, made the money. time to go deep. if i can make the final ten, i double what i get for making top 30. i love how after we reach the payout, theres this flurry of crazed activity. it got so tight there right before the cash, then 5 quick outs. with 4 outs till the next jump and 8 people with smaller stacks than me, i think i can wait it out.

i know this is totally anticlimactic, but i'm out (AJ v. 88--he ended up with quads) in 18th place and the adrenalin is wearing off and i need to pass out. i ended up making $37.50 free and clear. not enough to retire on but it's a start.