Now That's What I Call A Roll

So I am running hot right now...

I've placed 5th or higher (earning at least a replay into step 1) in the last 14 tournament.

I have finished in the top 2 each of the last 5 tournaments.

I have won 3 of the last 5 tournaments including 2 in a row to finish off day 4 of my quest.

My average finish is now an impressive 3.2. I have accumulated 5 step 2s in 22 tournaments played for a win % of 22.7%.

... No better time to be hot then right before I leave for the WSOP. As I have said many times in my best Phil Helmuth impersonation: I am playing the best poker of my life right now.



The first table I sat down to tonight was rediculous. Starting on hand #4 and ending on hand #11, we lost 10th through 5th place. That's right! In a span of 8 hands we lost 6 players! When it was down to 3 handed, the average chip stack was T6,666 and the blinds were 30/60!!

Of course, I took it down. I got lucky... but I had to. You know how 6 players got knocked out in 8 hands? Well it was one player who knocked each of those guys out. I got involved in two hands with him right after that when he made stupid raises PF of like 50 x and 60 x the BB (remember he had 14,000 in chips and blinds were 30/60). I called two of his raises - the first time with 77 against his 1010 and I caught a river 7 to scoop it. The second I called his raise with JJ against QQ and caught a J on the turn to scoop that one. Even after sucking out on him twice in 10 hands, I still had half his stack. But I battled back and beat him.

I've officially decided to cut my quest buy-ins down from 50 to 30. It just doesn't make much sense to keep playing these aweful step 1s where only 1st place moves on. I want to get done with this step as soon as possible and move on to the bigger ones. As it stands now, I have 5 buy-ins into the step 2, 13 replays into step 1 plus 8 more buy-ins.

To make playing step 1 +EV, I need to accumulate at least 9 step 2 entries (step 2 entry = $22 x 9 entries = $198 in entries > original buy-in of $180. If I only win 8 or less, I have essentially wasted a bunch of my time and whatever lost buy-ins playing the step 1s. After 22 played, I have won 5 step 2s (22.7% winning) so I am on pace to win 9 step 2 entries if I can play 41 tournaments (and with 13 replays and 8 more buy-ins to step 1 I'm guaranteed to play at least 46 and on pace to play over 50).

All is well... so far.