Well, I’ve been threatening for months to go down to Foxwoods and play a tournament (they’ve got, like, 3 per day) in-person. So, yesterday, I did. $100, ($80 to the prize pool, $20 to the house) No-Limit Hold-Em.
I told myself to play smart, not get to excited or committed, watch, and learn. I said I’d be happy if I finished in the top half.
In the end, that’s exactly where I finished. 135 entrants, top 20 places paid, and they were down to 7 tables when I busted out. I made some smart folds with good hands that would have lost to better ones. In the end, I died with a whimper, not with a bang.
Just wasn’t getting any cards. Even once I knew I was desperate, it was hard to find anything to play. I went all-in three times:
A-9, one caller with A-6. the board was x-10-J-Q-K. We split the pot.
A-4, no callers, and the big-blind shows 2-7 offsuit as he folds. The blinds and antes were most welcome by that point.
K-J diamonds, one caller with A-6 clubs. Two clubs on the flop, a jack on the turn, and another club on the river. And I was done.
It was fun. The blinds went up every 20 minutes, which seems like a long time compared to online, but the pace is slower, so the number of hands probably works out about the same. It kinda snuck up on me how fast the blinds added up. I lasted about 2 hours, 20 minutes.