Oh what could have been!!!

Bankroll stands at $5277.95 after losing $116.80 at 50PLO, 25PLO and a winning session of 25NL. Typical variance giving back after the great run I have had at PLO over the last couple of weeks. Probably won't play much tonight and hope to go play live tomorrow night in Perryville.

I'm also going to play the $340 WSOP circuit event at CAesars Indiana on Monday. The tournament starts at 12pm (noon)...I hope to be home way past midnight!

I have played in 5 WSOP circuit $340 buyin tournaments in the last 3 years and have cashed in two. Both were small cashes totaling a little over $900. The first cash was a major disappointment as I was in great shape to go deep inside the money with a good stack of chips.

The small buyin events have fairly quick blind levels (50 minutes)which forces players to push many marginal situations because of the fast rising blinds and antes. I got off to a quick start winning a set over set situation to double up early.

My next big situation allowed me to get an over set to fold to my all in bet. I was in the big blind and a couple of players limped in and I checked 22. Blinds were about 100/200 and the flop came 238 all hearts and I led out for 500 into a 700 pot. I got two callers and the turn was a K no diamond and I moved all-in for about 2500 and an EP player thought for several minutes before reluctantly folding. The other player folded and the EP player said he folded 33 for a set of threes. I was dominated and would have been left with only about 500 in chips. Instead I have about 4500 chips.

A couple of hands later I get 8s10s on the button and I call a MP raise to 600...BB also calls. Flop comes 8 10 3 with 2 diamonds and BB leads out 1000 and the MP minraised to 2000...I moved in for 4500 and the MP calls with A10. Turn was an A giving him the lead and since we are almost equal in chips, I am facing elimination in the third level of play. The river was kind and brought an 8 giving me a full house to his two pair. I moved to over 10K in chips with blinds at 100/200 and I'm sure I am one of the chip leaders at this point.

I didn't have much opposition over the next several levels as I raised PF to steal blinds without anyone ever playing back at me. I must have moved all-in a dozen times times over the next 3-4 levels with only 2 hands being shown (my QQ>KK) and (my 77>A4s). I had chipped up to a little over 25k with the blinds moving to 500/1000.

I played a hand...big bling vs. small blind which was checked around. I had 35o and the flop came A27 rainbow and the SB led out for 1000 into the 3800 pot. I called to float and possibly catch my gut shot...I knew he didn't have an A because he didn't raise PF. The turn was a blank and he checks and I bet 2000 and he folds 24 and I show the table the 35o bluff. A new player had just sat down in seat #4 across from me as I sat in seat #1. Two hands later with me on the button, I pick up two red AA and it is folded to me and I raise to 3K. SB folds and the new player in the BB (seat #4) immediately moves all-in for 30K.

To set this up...the chip leader has a little over 50k in chips, and there are 31 players left...1st place pays about $35k and I going to be chip leader with 30 players left!!! And this is how the ugliness played out. I of course insta-call and show him the AA(92%). He shows AQ (7.5%) and the SB, Tony, chuckled at my opponent's overshove. Flop came KQJ rainbow which made me very uneasy...sometimes you can just feel it coming...Turn was a blank and the river of course was the 2 outer Q which sent me to the rail for a $455 payday....*%*&$()*&#!!! I actually took it very well, much better than I think I should have now that I look back. But, it still was a great day for me as I played very good the entire day with almost no sleep from the night before.

I did finally make a big cash later that year as I chopped the Monday $40 rebuy tournament for $5k. I have about $7k in tournament winnings at Caesar's ...putting me about $4k ahead over the last three years. I probably play about once every two months...so I have done well in terms of ROI, but oh what could have been!!!