Rolling in the deep

Today I had a full session. I cashed in 5 out of 20 MTTs with three final tables including a win in the $11 1k, and a 3rd in the $22 2k. I also had a 10th, 11th, and a 17th in a MTT that paid 15. I played good for the most part all day but there was a play or two I would like to make differently. I have been working hard on my game and will continue to do so and that should only bring more good results.

I know that one of the big mistakes I made was in the tournament I got 10th in. I was in the top five of chip stacks in this MTT as I played both the final tables that I finished in the top three. As soon as the two final tables where done I started adding focus to the $11cube 4k which is the very MTT I bubbled the final table. As I increased focus on this MTT one player in particular seemed to be very active and had pushed me off a couple recent opens. It seemed as if he was trying to exploit the bubble. I did want to tangle with him just for the sake of tangling but when I got AQ and he had opened I reshipped my 22 bbs over the top. Well, he had AK and it held, gg me. I'll be honest the problem isn't that hand, it is the fact I had been patiently grinding up a top 5 stack and then my stubbornness had me opening and having to fold a couple times and I hood flatted him once. I f I could get those wasted chips back I might have possibly not played the AQ for my MTT life like I did. I think it is important to note that when we get knocked out of a MTT no matter what the situation, there is one simple fact, we didn't have enough chips to take that beat. If we would have built up a bigger stack things would be different. This obviously won't always apply but it makes a good point that any time your knocked out of an MTT it's usually the result of more than just the knock out hand.

I have been playing several forms of HU recently and am feeling very comfortable when I reach HU in a MTT. I really feel like my HU practice is paying off. I have some hands I need to review and have been getting a lot out of my review sessions. I have been making sire I plug a few ranges in pokerstove to and I think I am getting better at ranging players but I still have lots of work to do.

Tomorrow is the best day for online poker so I am going to keep this blog entry kind of short and get some sleep. I hope all my friends in Las Vegas are doing great and good luck to all the online grinders.