Paradise Poker Million Dollar Freeroll

1:16: Here goes nothing! Obviously starting a bit late as Paradise's software had to work hard to seat. 5773 players, starting stack of $2500, blinds at 10/20, going up every 30 mins, but not pro-rated for the late start.

1:29: Won my first pot in the big blind by scooping the small blind’s call when I raised w/my KK. This doesn’t even put me back to even from the first few blinds I’ve called. LOL

1:45: Man, I can’t catch a break here. My kings scooped, I had to fold an AQ to an all-in, and now I raise to $150 w/QQ, get a caller in the big blind, and have to fold to a $500 bet on a K high flop. Stack at 2065, blinds still at 15/30.

2:03: First break. Still no luck. 1945, blinds about to be at 25/50.

2:15: Tried to bluff under the gun w/pocket 7s and pissed away an extra $150 in chips. Come on!

2:17: Geez. I get KQ suited, and there’s 2 raises before me. I can’t call that! UTG raiser had J K off, and early position re-raiser had J 10 suited. This is the type of situation I struggle in. I had the best hand, but can't make that loose call. To me, that’s not one, but two ridiculous plays. Three, really, if you count J K calling the re-raise. Of course, J 10 takes the pot w/Js and 10s, so I made a great fold, but still…

2:22: Finally won a pot w/Q2 in the big blind. UTG min-raises preflop, I call. Flop comes Q high and I bet the pot, he calls. Turn brings a 2, I bet the pot again, and he calls. River blank, I bet the pot, he mucks. Next hand I split a pot 2 ways, and then next hand after that I pick up J 10 spades, bet a K 10 x flop, and take it down. 2220…avg stack 2966.

2:44: I think I just made a huge mistake. I get A Q suited, and the same dude that raised UTG w/J K raised it up. I just called, and the flop came Q-high. He pushes all-in, and I folded after a lot of thought. Thinking about it after the hand, there’s a very good chance he had KQ, QJ, or even a low PP. Of course, he could’ve also hit trips, or had AA or KK. I’d rather be in the tournament, but this hand is gonna bug me.

2:48: Just got back up to 1845 in chips after taking down a little pot when I hit a 2 in my hand flush on the turn. I min-bet my draw on the flop and got a caller, so I min-bet the turn, but the dude mucked.

2:57: That’s a little better. Hit another 2 in my hand flush on the turn, pushed all-in, and scooped an already decent pot. I feel like I’m wasting these flushes a little bit, but I also just really need chips right now. 2785…avg 3598.

3:07: Last hand of 2nd hour, 3 guys all-in. AK off, JJ, and A8 off. A8 takes it down with the nut flush and has the other two covered. Sick. I’m at 2635, blinds will go to 75/150.

3:19: JK off in the small blind, folds around to me. I min-raise and catch a J on an A-high flop. I bet it 300+, call. Turn blank. I check, to see if he has an ace. He checks. River blank, I fire $200, he calls. He’s got 4 6 of clubs, and had caught his flush on the river. I know I played the hand about as badly as one could, but it still irritates the hell out of me. 1500.

3:59: Man, the last 40 minutes have been a grind. But I feel like I played it REALLY well. After the blinds going up to 100/200, scooping once, then being as low as 925, I scooped twice with hands I was willing to stake my tournament life on, then pushed again w/A 10, and finally got a K Q caller, and I held up! Then I took a trip through the blinds, but then scooped in last position, and I’m at 3050. Next blind level is 100/200 again, but w/a 25 chip ante. Man…I was smelling the ropes there for a while.

4:03: Ok, lost a little bit when my JQ clubs hit a flush draw and I called a min bet, but then didn’t have odds to call a raise. 2650.

4:11: After a trip through the blinds, I’m at 2350 at the third break. 2390 players left, and I’m in 1672nd. Time to start picking up some cards. Gonna cost me 550 each time around the table now. Of course, there’s also an extra 250 in each pot.

4:20: 2nd hand after the break I pick up Q 7 diamonds in the big blind. Flop comes Q-high, small blind bets, I raise all-in, other 2 fall out, and small blind folds. Queens in the BB have been good to me. 3500.

4:33: Won a big pot w/99 on a 6 7 8 flop. Pot bet, call. J on the turn, I’m all-in, fold. 4600. Average is at 8313, though, so I’ve got some more work to do.

4:38: In one of those “Obvious fold, but damn it” hands. I had 9 5 in the small blind. UTG raises, and I check the auto-fold box. Flop comes 2 9 5. AK ends up all-in against KK, and my flopped 2 pair would’ve been good enough to triple up.

4:55: I get that blasted pocket jacks hand. In hopes to scoop, I push my 4200 in. I get one caller for less, and he’s got KQ. Flop comes 6 10 6, turn’s a J, but in my infinite lack of wisdom, I’m freaking out now because a K, Q, A, or 9 will beat me. And when I see a Q on the river, my heart breaks. Except that I won with a full house. Durrrrrrr… 7329 after immediately going through the blinds.

5:13: Well, you knew if anyone was gonna get sucked out on to lose, its this guy. Luck is not my strong suit. I get KK in the big blind. Someone in mid position min-raises (to 800), and I re-raise to 2000 total and get a call. Flop comes 10-high. I push all-in with my remaining 3500, and he insta-calls. I'm scared to death of 10 10, but am thrilled to see A 10. But as soon as he said "nh", I knew..and there was the 10 on the turn. I get no help on the river, and 1135th it is. Although I *really* felt I had what it took to cash and my momentum was steadily building (this pot would've put me over 11k and finally right in the thick of the average stack), I actually am pretty at peace with it. The hand played out perfectly though the flop, and I got my money in as almost an 80% favorite. That’s all any poker player can ask for.

Guess my Saturday night is free now.

Originally Posted 7/22/2006