Send to KindleWell, as expected, I’ve given back a bit of money so far (nothing too material). That said, I’ve played in a number of qualifiers, and I’m doing reasonably well. Not always making the next round, but mostly yes.
For example, a month or two ago, I reported on playing in a free qualifier to get into the semi-final qualifier to win a full package to a big tournament in Aruba. There were 3500 entrants, top 50 get in, and I came in 34th. Yesterday, I played in the same qualifier, with 3500 entrants, top 50 get in. This time, I came 151. So, I didn’t make it, but was pretty close. I got rivered, or I would have doubled, and had a good shot of making it.
I won an entry yesterday to a tourney that normally costs $109. It cost me $31. I didn’t make the money, but in the past, I wasn’t even trying to get into these bigger tournaments, but my confidence level is rising, so I’m taking the shots.
Today, I played in a qualifier for this Sunday’s big one, given my great result this past Sunday. Last week, I played in a qualifier that cost $11 to get in, had rebuys and add-ons, and the top 15 made the big tourney. I put in a total of $31. Today, the tourney was $5.50, had rebuys and add-ons, and only the top 2 made it to Sunday. I put in a total of $25.50. 3rd place paid $45, 4th paid $27, and 5th paid $18. So, if I came 4th, I’d at least get my money back.
There were 31 entrants. When there were roughly 16 left, I was a very small stack. I limped with 88 and the giant stack raised me from the small blind. I went all-in and he called, and had 45o. Obviously, I had been playing weak enough that he felt that I would fold. My 8’s held up and I doubled up. Somehow, that put him on tilt, as roughly 10 hands later, he went from #1 in chip position to out of the tourney, nowhere near the money!
Anyway, I had one guy who folded nearly every hand, except when I had the big blind, when he went all-in, 80% of the time. While it’s possible that he had a big hand each time, I doubt it. What made it dangerous was that there were at least 2 very large stacks between him and me, who could have called him too, so perhaps he had great hands, but I folded every time.
At some point, we got down to the final table, and I was in 9th. The guy to my right raised, it was nearly all of my stack, so I reraised, everyone folded and he called the remaining few chips. I had KK and he had AJo. My kings held up, and I was in decent shape (7th). A few hands later, he raised again, and I reraised all-in, and only he called. He had A8o, and I had AKo, which held up again, and now I was in 3rd and he was out.
It then took forever, but we finally got to 5, so at least $18 was guaranteed. When we got down to 3, I was in 3rd, but at least guaranteed to get back $45 and make a profit. One of the three was the guy who was clearly picking on me earlier. At one point, he won a big pot against the chip leader and became the chip leader.
Finally, cutting to the chase. He raised me all-in when I was the short stack, and I had A8s. He had A7o. An A hit the board, and it looked like we might split, until the T on the board paired on the river, and my 8 kicker beat him. He was crippled. The next hand I had 22 in the small blind, and raised him all in. He had K7o and called, and not only did my 2’s hold up, but I hit a set to cement it. He got the $45, and I will be playing for free this coming Sunday. Woo hoo! 🙂
At the same time, I was in an Omaha Hi-Lo tourney that cost me $5.50. 95 entrants, top 10 paid. I got extremely unlucky on my last hand and finished 10th, getting $11.87 for my $5.50. Oh well, a cash is a cash is a cash.
Anyway, while I’ve given back some cash, if you include the theoretical winnings from the free entry fees (a few of the nightly ones, plus the $109 and $215 bigger ones), I’d be ahead even more. But, like last month, I’ll happily count those as losses, and count any profit I make in a tourney that I get into for free as pure profit.
Here’s hoping I have something nice to write about this coming Sunday! 🙂
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