"Here Comes The Pain"

The Poker Cruise tournament from PokerSourceOnline.com is tonight. I'm very excited about it. I have played against these players 3 times before with considerable success. I like the field, I like the format. I like my chances. Not necessarily to win the cruise, but to place in the money. There's $1500 to split amongst the top 30 or 40 who don't win the cruise.

KingLucky is registered for the tourney too, so I figured that doubles my chances. I don't know who else he'd take on a cruise besides me, so I hope he wins. I told him if he wins he has to take me, and if I win I'm going to take my wife. He said "Screw you, if I win, I'm taking your wife."

I have been playing in a lot of freerolls in preparation for this tourney. Most of the players are not very good, and it is a freeroll after all. Hopefully most players will be taking it more seriously than your everyday $250 freeroll, but you have to know some won't. There will be crazy all-ins on the first hand, no question. My usual strategy is to play super tight the first hour, then ruin the clutch by speed shifting into super aggressive after the first hour. If you can stay at the same table for a long time, this is a very effective way to play. The psychos will be long gone, and the tighties left will believe your image as a GRANITE STONE. Many blinds to be stolen, at a time when they become worth stealing. In limit tourneys I always try to make a steal when the blinds reach 25/50 or 50/100 because the sudden increase of having to call that extra 50/100 usually shocks a tight player into folding. It's a good way for me to find out what kind of competition I am against. I did this effectively in the limit tourney I played last night. I bubbled out of the final table, but managed to cash in 11th place. First 30 places paid.

For the first time EVER I misread an online hand. I thought I had A4s when I in fact had A5s. When 4 flopped and another came on the turn, I thought I was golden. I raised on the river and got called by TJ. When he won with a pair of Jacks I said "What the...." and then looked at my cards again and saw the A5 of hearts. It was inches away from where I was focused, and I didn't see it. It's happened to me in the casino, and in a home game too, but this is the first time I've misread online. Made me very uncomfortable. I will have to be rested for the tourney tonight.