$2446 - Ladder Challenge Home Stretch

Not a lot of hands since my last update, but I was away on business for 5 days and did not play much cash games. I am less than 1500 hands from finishing this thing, and I am going to try to get those in over the weekend. The 9-handed 3/6NL table on FullTilt has been empty every time I have checked, so I am not sure if I will get more hands in at that level. For those of you interested in attempting a ladder challenge similar to this, check back next week, as I will do a full post mortem on the challenge. I am also planning on doing something that I don't think has been done before in the blogosphere (as far as I know). I am going to do a detailed analysis of the 10k hands via PokerTracker, that may reveal too much about my game, but will also show the power of using PokerTracker to attack your leaks, and improve your game. Anyone serious about improving really needs to have the tools that PT provides. I find that those who refuse to use it are typically afraid of what it will reveal about their game. Things like not wanting to stare at statistical evidence of a serious leak, or come to the realization that you are not a winning player. Anyway, I think there will be some interesting posts next week to make up for the lack of good stuff the last few weeks.

On another note, I just wanted to touch on some live tournament stuff. I won the first event on the 2007 OCPT earlier in the month. I was the cash leader last year, and I plan on taking it down again this year. It's not in my official 2007 goals, because 2007 for me is all about improving my cash game and moving up the stakes. Also, tomorrow night will be the first event of the OPT (orange poker tour). This is a league type structure with an end of the year single table championship. Last year I made the championship and took 5th for a pretty nice cash. This year they have made some improvements to the structure that raises the stakes and make it less of a crap shoot. The play is pretty bad in this thing, so I am looking to win it all this year.

Below is a bad beat, that was extra brutal. Read on at your own risk.

Full Tilt Poker Game #1656942824: Table Verbena Creek - $1/$2 - No Limit Hold'em - 0:13:14 ET - 2007/01/23
Seat 1: JoeChicago7 ($68)
Seat 2: Arctic Spider ($100)
Seat 3: tommyzero51 ($197.70)
Seat 4: o7 ($306.65)
Seat 5: AAvKK ($216.20)
Seat 6: dfulvio ($84)
Seat 7: BIG_LOOSAR23 ($200)
Seat 8: pokerRN72 ($309.30)
Seat 9: Blinders ($287.40)
o7 posts the small blind of $1
AAvKK posts the big blind of $2
The button is in seat #3
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Blinders [7h 7c]
dfulvio folds
pokerRN72 folds
Blinders calls $2
JoeChicago7 calls $2
Arctic Spider folds
tommyzero51 calls $2
o7 folds
AAvKK raises to $8
Blinders calls $6
JoeChicago7 folds
tommyzero51 calls $6
*** FLOP *** [7s 8s Qc]
AAvKK bets $20
Blinders raises to $40
tommyzero51 folds
AAvKK raises to $90
Blinders raises to $279.40, and is all in
AAvKK calls $118.20, and is all in
Blinders shows [7h 7c]
AAvKK shows [Qs Ad]
Uncalled bet of $71.20 returned to Blinders
*** TURN *** [7s 8s Qc] [6s]
*** RIVER *** [7s 8s Qc 6s] [3s]
Blinders shows three of a kind, Sevens
AAvKK shows a flush, Queen high
AAvKK wins the pot ($440.40) with a flush, Queen high
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $443.40 Rake $3
Board: [7s 8s Qc 6s 3s]
Seat 5: AAvKK (big blind) showed [Qs Ad] and won ($440.40) with a flush, Queen high
Seat 9: Blinders showed [7h 7c] and lost with three of a kind, Sevens