Poker, Football, and everything sports

So far in my year of blogging every post has been about poker or vegas or something along those lines. However, I now feel compelled to discuss one of my other loves in life: the USC Trojans Football team. Now after the stunning loss to UW on Saturday, people understandably started to point fingers for the loss. For the average and even some avid fans, the reason was obvious: Aaron Corp. After all, the Trojans had no passing TD's and Corp threw a redzone interception with a chance to extend the lead in the 2nd half. However, from a purely on the field perspective, this makes little sense. Corp was not the guy who had several key fumbles throughout the 2nd half, and he was not on the field when USC could not stop UW on 3rd and 15 on the final drive. But I'm not even going to blame the players for this loss. This lies completely with the coaching staff and more importantly their fear of the passing game. Let me explain.

The answer here is not the fact that the Trojans HAVENT been able to pass the ball. Then answer is the fact that they haven't been ALLOWED to pass the ball. For the past two weeks, the coaching staff has asked the running backs to carry the load on offense, praying that at some point, they can bust a few tackles, break off a big play, and bail the team out from having to pass the ball. But if you look at the success of the limited chances the passing game has had, these fears are unwarranted. Think about it. The Ohio State game. USC scored three times. Once on the first drive where they started on the 1 yard line. The other two times: the two minute drills of the 1st and 2nd half. When the Trojans HAD to pass the ball. In this time, Barkley had the shackles removed, and drove USC down the field on two separate occasions, simply because the opposing Defense had to respect the passing game. With the current run all the time game play, the defense can put 7 or 8 men in the box to stuff the run, because they know we are running the ball. And yet in times when passing is a good possibility, the Trojans succeed.

Now I know what you are thinking. That is because Matt Barkley is good and Aaron Corp couldn't do that against Washington. But really think about it and ask yourself if that is actually true. USC dominated the 1st quarter because Washington didn't know how the Trojans would play. They started the game respecting the pass, and were hammered by the running game. After going down 10-0, the Huskies wised up, stuffed the box, and USC was shut down. Until the 2 minute drill of the 1st half, where Corp successfully led USC into field goal range, only to have another horrible play call ruin their shot at 3 points. On to the 2nd half, the Trojans drive the ball into Washington territory on drives where they pass the ball, and end with turnovers, only one of which being Corps fault. For the rest of the second half, USC is shut out again until......the 2 minute drill! Another drive where the defense must respect the pass. USC ran the ball down their throats, yet comes up with 3 points instead of 7...because whats the play call on 3rd and 6 on the 12 yard line...u guessed it..a run up the middle. So ask yourself, did Corp really have a bad game...or was he not allowed to have a good one?

The answer is really a simple one. If USC and the coaches open up the game plan and allow their QB's to make mistakes, the benefits will far outweigh the negatives. If the Trojans stick to their 80% run 20% pass game plan, Trojan fans can expect more down to the wire low scoring battles that look more like SEC games then the high flying Trojans we've come to expect.

So my success has continued after the good Thursday I had. I didn't get much else in the mini ftops played 3 more events with no success. On Sunday, I was able to chop the 30 buck turbo for 1536. Its a tournament I play a bunch but had yet to break trough except for a 3rd once, but that changed Sunday. Then on Monday, I got 3rd in a 52 buck 90 person KO for 502 bucks, and I almost topped it all off with a win in the 21k guaranteed on Monday, but fell short at 17th after AK lost to QQ for a huge pot. But over 3500 bucks in a weekend aint too bad.

Got a 1k check coming in soon and once I get that in the bank and approved I'll request another cash out for 1500 or something. Also something I'm proud of is receiving "shark" status on sharkscope. Its a website that keeps track of strictly sit n go tallies, and I've managed to get over 7k in profit in it so really proud of that. Not much for the future, maybe a couple live events here and there but no big online tournaments but I'll post any big updates as they come. Thanks for reading guys.

The title is a play of the poker show 2 months 2 million Its a fun show I like it. So I just posted my recap from the 30 buck with rebuys mini ftops. Well the next day was pretty exciting. I played the 14 buck super turbo omaha and the 10 buck heads up in the morning. I play these virtually every day, and I had made it to the final two tables of the omaha and final 4 of heads up a bunch of times. But yesterday was different. I built a stack in omaha, and then crushed from 24 players on. Was very aggressive, hit some draws, and was a dominant cl going into the final table. After more aggressive played, I ship it for 497.

On to the heads up, I played a few easy matches, all the way leading up to the final 4, which lasted....2 hands. First hand I 3 bet preflop with AJ and he folded. 2nd hand I raise to 90 with KQ and he 3 bet to 270. I call and the flop comes Q33, I check, he bets 390, I shove, and he SNAP calls with...AJ. LOL. I hold, and move to the finals. In the finals I ask if he wants to chop for 420 each. He says "not confident enough?" and declines. He gets an early lead, when I limp with 42. Flop comes 853. He bets I call. Turn is a 9 and he checks I bet 200 leaving me 900 he calls pot is 740. River is a 7. No flushes and I shove with 4 high. He thinks for a few seconds and folds I gladly show my 42. At this point I'm at 1750 to his 1250. He asks if I want to chop and I say I want 40 more bucks he declines and we continue. I win a couple more pots to get up to 2000 to 1000. Then he's down to 850 and raises preflop I go all in with KQ he snap calls with K10. I hold, say "shoulda chopped" and collect my 535.

Last thing to talk about is the 22 buck pot limit omaha heads up. Before I talk about it, this was a great tournament and Full Tilt realllly needs to add a regular heads up mtt for omaha, along with a daily shootout. So I play the first round and with with ease the guy sucks. We were down to 1 match for about 10 minutes when I pull it up to see that the match has both people sitting out! That means that their hands are auto folded, meaning we had to wait till the blinds got up to 1000 2000 for the match to end! That means about 45 minutes of waiting. Poorly played by full tilt should noticed and tried to end the match quickly. Well one of the positives was that my next opponent, full tilt pro Artie Cobb, didn't show up! Maybe he was tired of waiting. Hello next round, free 20 bucks, and my 5th full tilt shirt! The bubble round was another easy round I got up to 4200 real quick when the big hand occurred. I raised with KJ(forget my other cards) and he called. Flop J42 I bet he calls turn is a K I pot bet 1300 he has 1420 and just calls! River K Yahtzee nuts for me. I put him in he calls shows a hugeee wrap that missed AQJ10. On to the money!

I win my next match to get to the 128 and am happy though there is a problem. I'm going to the blink 182 concert at 4:30 and it is 3:30 now! I knew this could be a problem but I joined it just to try to register another cash, and realized that the chances of me making to 4:30 were slim. But it happened. I win again and am on to the round of 64. Its 4:15 at this point, so I run to verizon wireless store to see if I can get a wireless card. As it turns out, I either need to pay a monthly plan, or buy it full price at 200 bucks! No thanks. So I suck it up, and am forced to sit out the round of 64. Ehh I knew it would happen if I got that far, and I won 1k that morning, so I wasn't too bummed. Missed opportunity, but its no one's fault but my own. Woulda been a sick triple crown on FTP lol.

So a great day yesterday, got a grand coming in the mail. Think I'm gonna buy beatles rock band with that. Not playing the 256 2 day event tomorrow which kills, but the Trojans get priority and I'm meeting up with a bunch of friends for the game b4 going to a party. Sunday, go the 12 buck ko, following by the big one, the 55 buck mini ftops main event! I'll post updates as they come. Thanks for reading guys.

So alot has happened since my last post. I cashed in my last two mini ftops tournaments to put mo on the board in my team competition. The standings are here. if my team wins I win 200 bucks! sweet.

So Weds nite I played the 30 buck with rebuys 6 handed tournament. It was a realllly soft 1st table. I think there were only 6 rebuys in the first hour, and I think I had 3 of them lol. I don't remember the big first hour hands, but I remember building it up early then losing on a big hand. I also established a couple enemies at the table, and I knew they'd be after me. Throughout the first hour, I was EXTREMELY aggressive. Every hand I played I raise, and I was constantly continuation betting, playing fast and well. I was the leader at the table at 1 hour, with a whopping 9555 lol. Just a few hands after the break, I pick up AA and make a standard raise. A calling station to my left calls, and the button 3 bets to 1600. My main enemy reraised all in for 5k. I thought for a bit, and reraise to put the 3 better all in. He thought for 20 seconds and folded QQ. My enemy says u owe me 2k( referring to an early hand where my 54 busted his kings)and shows KK and the station called all in with Q5 lol. I hold and get up to 17k. After the hand, the enemy goes crazy on the rail, screaming "How does the most aggressive fucker pick up AA" lol. Haha hilarious that he said I owed him 2k and I still beat him!

I get moved and I do more of the same raising alot making good plays like 3 betting with QJ and bluffing on draw light boards. I steadily increase to about 40k when I finally get moved to a table with a couple big stacks who are aggressive, including an ftops champ on my left. With the money bubble coming, I had to tighten up and got bullied around alittle. We get to the money, and I win a couple huge hands with JJ. First I reraise all in for 38k with blinds at 600 1200 after the crazy big stack raised. He called with A3 suited and I held. About 10 minutes later, I call an utg all in for 23k with JJ he flips 43 off! The flop: A24!! so sick, but I hold. Up to 100k!

I get moved again, and this table is really aggressive, as to be expected deep in a rebuy. After two hands of calling raises and folding, I raise with KQ blinds at 1k 2k to 5575. Good big stack flats on the button, and a stack of 65k raises to 20k. He had squeezed a couple times, and I thought I had a good shot of either being live if I was called all in or taking it down if he was kind of weak. So I push, and he snaps off with AA. Lame. Terrible play by me, especially after all my good play before. Knocked me down to 35k, and I went all in 3 straight hands 20 mins later. 88 and 88 with no callers. Then with 99 I push, and get snap called by QQ. No luck. out in 168th for 230.

I was so bummed after this tournament. I played some of the best poker of my life for 5 hours, and I pretty much threw it all away with one bad play. Oh well if he folds I'm a genius thats what poker is all about. Thanks for reading

I said in a previous post that at the end of every mtt I don't win, I feel either disappointed or upset. Today, I feel a different feeling. Disheartened. This is so because I feel like I played nearly at the top of my game, only to fall very hard just before the money in my two biggest events of the day: the 50 50 and the 109 mini ftops, along with losing a HUGEEEE pot early that would have put me in control in the 22 ha Mini ftops. Cue the tiny violins lol.

22 ha mini ftops. Start with 5k in chips. I thought it mite be another 30 minute knock out when I got into a huge pot in the 1st session of omaha. I raised preflop with AQ107 with the AQ of diamonds. The flop comes a monster J92 with two diamonds. I bet and get min raised. I decided to just call to keep the pot small. The turn is gin 8 for the nut straight. The guy bets and I raise pot to 3200 he almost immediately moves all in. Expecting a freerol chop, he flips not Q10 but top set JJ. Gotta dodge the board pairing, and I do just that to jump to 11k very early!

I make a good play with 66 in the holdem section to get up to 15k. I get knocked back down to 10k in omaha when the fateful hand comes up. I raise standard in ep with AAQ10. I get two callers, and the flop comes A76. I decide to bet out and I get raised pot. Praying for a under set, I shove all in and he calls with the absolute worst possible hand ever in this spot. 10985 for a hugeeee straight draw. I need to dodge 10,9,8,5, or 4. Q on the turn and I'm one card from 20k with blinds at 25 50. River...8. Sick. down to 700 lol. I bust two hands later with AA preflop my opponent flops a flush. Yet another early ko, so sick cause I almost had 200 bbs.

Moving on to the 50 50. I'll keep this short. I played really solid and tite aggressive the whole tournament. I was in the top 20% for a good portion before getting knocked down to about 200th with 300 left. 180 get paid. I raised with A8 blinds at 200 400 I had 5k. The flop came A34 two hearts. I bet 1200 guy raised me all in and I snap call he shows KQ of hearts. So no heart and I have 12k. Turn blank river 4 of hearts. Another river loss. Knocked out 100 from money. Oh well.

Most disheartening was the big tourney tonite the 109 mini ftops event. We started out with 6k in chips and I was down to 3800 after literally 5 hands lol. One missed bluff and one tough river that hit both of us. But I got it back over 6k in a few hands and managed to get it up to about 8k when a big hand comes up. I raise with AQ of spades. I get 3 bet by a very aggressive big stack. I flat call flop comes J92 two spades. I get 2k leaving 4 behind and he shoves all in. He shows...107 of spades. No 10, 8, 7 and I get 15k. I dodge them and win the big pot. I get down to 10k when the same guy doubled me with KK vs Q10. I work it up to about 30k mostly raise and take it preflops. I make a good play with QJ I 3 bet preflop on the button with QJ and he calls. I bet half the pot on a 9 high flop and he folds. Whewwww.

With about 20k, I raise pre with KJ with blinds at 250 500 I raise to 1500. The same aggressive guy shoves for 10k. Against anyone else I fold, but I decided to call and he flips 33. He wins the coin flip though woulda loved to have gotten that one. Later on, I raise with AJ and get 3 bet all in and I got alittle frustrated admittedly and called. I'm pretty sure the guy was an online regular and hadn't gotten out of line the entire time. Its a call I should never make, but I did and he flipped up AK. I got lucky and flopped a J and survived but I defintely wasn't proud.

Then the bustout hand. I get knocked down to about 14k blinds at 500 1000. A stack with 500 more chips then me raises to 2850. I shove with 88, and the guy goes into the tank. At this point my guess is 77 or AJ. He tanks for 30 seconds and calls with...A9?! I mean there's really nothin he ever beats there, especially for his entire stack. There's a small chance I'm doing it with KQ but still. Lame. Well the flop comes J high. Turn is a blank. River....9. Worst way to lose tha crappy coin flip. Out in 700th, 300 from the money in a 3700 person field

I feel like except for a few exceptions, I really played close to my A game. And to get knocked out the way i did in the last two was pretty lame. I woudla rather lost with the AJ and lose on a mistake then to lose to a bad call with A9 but what can you do. I still got alot of events coming up. Tomorrow was the 22 buck 6 handed turbo and a 55 buck horse tomorrow. Hope my luck can turn around. I'm definitely due.

Well The title sums it up I have had absolutely 0 luck in my first three mini ftops events. In Event #1 22 buy in 5k in starting chips. 30 minutes in and not much luck when I call a raise in the bb with 22. Flop comes A82 yahtzee! I check call a bet of 300. Turn was 5 two diamonds on board I check again he checks was hoping to check raise there. Then river brings a 7 of diamonds. I bet 600 he raises to 1800. Ugh runner runner flush? Thats about all it could be but I can't fold. I call he flips A9 of diamonds. Lame. That knocked me down to 2k blinds at 50 100. I raise with A10 and after being 3 bet I pushed all in he called with 66 and held. Out in about 10,000. Lame

Event 2 was the 33 buck 6 handed shootout I really thought that I had a good shot to at least win the first table and go from there. My table turned out very interesting, as two people sat out. There was an early ko when two players rivered flushes, with the higher winner obviously. Then I ran a bluff with a K high flush draw into turned trip 10's. Then after another bluff the same guy knocks out the last player at the table when they both flop a flush. So now I have 1k, the other has 11k, and there are two sitters. Understandably, the guy raises every single hand. I double to 1800 with A3 against K4. Then after more folding, I get it in with A8 against 55 for a shot at 3600 and maybe a shot at taking down the juggernaut. Flop comes A79. Yahtzee!! Turn was an 8. River 6. Straight for him. Out in 20 minutes. LAME

Event 3 the 22 buck 1 rebuy 1 add on. I was hoping to get a double up early and save the rebuy. And I thought I would do just that. After a mid position limper, I check in the bb with 62. The flop comes Q62 yahtzee! I bet 40. The limper raises to 190. At this point, I'm 1000% sure he has KQ, QJ, or Q10. Raising with a set makes no sense, and doubt he's limping with K6 or K2. So I repop it to 600. He thinks for a few seconds and min raises to pretty much go all in. I know I'm ahead, snap call, and he flips KQ. Turn is a blank river.....Q. Figures. Guy puts 100 bbs in there with top pair and gets rewarded. Oh well. I rebuy. I raise with AJ bb calls. Flop comes AQ2. I bet he calls. Turn J I bet he raises. Only hand that has me beat as play is K10 but wouldn't think he woulda called on an A high flop. I reraise all in. I was wrong. K10. Out 20 minutes in lol.

The losses aren't a hit to my bankroll but still disappointing especially since i'm on a team repoping Cali. hopefully next week goes better. It'll start monday with the 22 buck HA and I'm gonna play the 109 holdem Monday night. I also won a 26 ko last nite for 600, so the roll is doing fine. Hopefully next week goes well. Thanks for reading.

Ok alot of big tournaments coming up on Full Tilt starting this wednesday. Gonna play in 10 mini ftops events I think I'm part of a 4 man team representing California so hopefulyl that goes well. Here is a link tho the schedule: http://www.fulltiltpoker.com/mini-full-tilt-online-poker-series/schedule

And here's the events I will be playing in.

Weds Sept. 9th- Event #1 22 buy in 200k guaranteed
Thurs Sept 10th- event #2 33 buy in 6 handed shootout 30k guaranteed
Fri Sept 11th- event #4 22 1R1A 150k guaranteed
Monday Sept 14th- event #11 22 HA 30k guaranteed
Tuesday Sept 15th- Event #15 22 turbo 6 handed 100k guaranteed
Weds Sept 16th- Event #16 26 pl omaha 8/b KO 50k guaranteed
Thurs Sept 17th- Event #18 22 pl omaha heads up 30k guaranteed
Fri Sept 18th- 22 buck 6 handed 100k guaranteed
Sunday Sept 20th- 12 buck KO 100k guaranteed
Sunday Sept 20th- 55 buck Main Event 500k guaranteed.

Thats what i got for now 10 events mite add more or take some off as the time comes. As always I'll be posting twitter updates just look for my name tayke2 to follow along. Thanks for reading.