“I know the process is so much stress but its the progress that feels the best. Cause I came from the projects straight to success and you’re next. So try, they can’t steal your pride it’s inside. Then find it and keep on grinding cause in every dark cloud there’s a silver lining… I know.” Lil Wayne – Tie My Hands.

So let me just explain how I went in with 142k blinds 2k/4k 400a with the average 100k 8 to the money and still bubbled.

I get to the tournament area about 10 minutes before we start and find my bag and my table. Couple people have about 160k, some 100k, one guy has like 30k, and a 200k stack to my right. I played with 2 of the guys previously yesterday. I decide to just hang around and wait and see how people play and not get too crazy. The third hand of the day a guy in middle position with 160k makes it 12k, the small blind calls, and I have 55 in the big blind. I call 8k more. We see a flop of 862ss and the initial raiser continuation bets 30k. The guy to my right makes it 90k. I muck, the other guy tanks 99 for 2 minutes and folds.

I fold an orbit or so. I haven’t raised a pot yet. I pick up KJo on the cutoff and make it 10.6k I normally raise to 9800 or something but figured I would make it a little more since the big blind was a looser Asian player. He calls and the flop comes 864r. He checks, I bet 14.8k and he calls. The turn is 7d. He checks and I was planning on bluffing here, but I figured I would rather see his river action before I tried to run a bluff on this board. I checked as well. The river came Kh and he checked again. At this point I can very likely have the best hand and I decided to check as well. I figured if I bet the river I am only getting called if I am beat. He turned over K6cc and scooped the pot with two pair. I am upset that I didn’t bet the turn because I probably would of won the pot but I think I played the hand well. I was planning on firing the river and it just didn’t work out the way I planned. No biggie.

I now have 90k in chips. I had gotten hit by the blinds once or twice. The very next hand I am in the hijack and a guy in middle position makes it 12k with 56k behind. I look down at 99 and decide what to do. I decide to move in. I declare all in and everyone folds back to the guy. He started agonizing about his decision. He thinks for 2 minutes before asking if I will show. I shook my head up and down telling him I would show him my hand. We are about 3-4 people away from the money and I never want a call here. I can have the best hand here only if he has AQ or AK. I doubt anyone would ever call here with less than 88. I was pretty worried when he was taking so long that he might of had TT or JJ. He agonizes some more and wants to fold. Somehow I just think people want to beat me. They just think I am a jerk or I look like a jerk. I don’t know what it is. I’m respectful and polite for the most part I guess it’s just my image. He ends up saying he calls and I turn over my 99. He doesn’t look too happy and flips over AQo. The board runs out AT8T8 and he wins the 150k flip on the bubble. Sigh…

I now have about 19k in chips. I fold a hand then shove T4hh in middle position. Everyone folds I go up to 28k. I shove KTdd two hands later UTG+1 and everyone folds. Up to 38k. I am now in the big blind and the cutoff limps for 4k, the small blind completes, and I squeeze A5o. I shove in my stack. The cutoff tanks for a while and folds and the small blind folds. Now I’m at 48k and we are going on break, on the absolute bubble.

I come back from break and the blinds are now 3k/6k 500a. A couple hands into hand for hand play the guy with AQo above limps for 6k in second position. I am in middle position and move in with QKo for 43k total. It folds to the big blind who has about 65k and he tanks for 3 minutes while everyone crowds around the table. He is tanking it pretty well. I figured him for JJ or AQ. He looked like he didn’t want to call. He thought about it for two or three minutes deciding what to do, counting his stack, what he would have left, and he ends up putting in the chips to call. The limper folds and the guy opens up AKo. He started claiming how “He hates AK so much..” the board runs out J522A and I lose in 55th place on the absolute bubble.

Not sure what else to say. Sucks. Felt really good going into today. I like how I played every hand. Sure I could of played differently but I think I did my best. On to the next tournament though.

I was pretty bummed after I lost and went for a walk around Atlantic City. It was pretty cold but luckily my buddy Brian gave me this awesome North Face jacket when I came up here and I’m glad he did. I enjoy the cold weather but the cold up here is way different than Florida cold weather. I was out walking and hanging out contemplating for an hour or two until it started to get dark and the temperature dropped considerably. I couldn’t feel my hands when they were out of my pockets and decided it was time to walk back to the Borgata.

I will be playing the $400 tournament tomorrow. If it doesn’t work out I will come to the computer and play the 1k online and scoop it. Either way I’m having chips tomorrow or winning something online. End of story. I am going to win something at the Borgata too, without a doubt.

Also the quote at the top of the page is pretty powerful. When Lil Wayne does deep songs like that he really can put things into perspective. These are the kind of quotes I talk about when I think rap music is just a lot more than some of the garbage that they talk about. Goodnight guys.