Hey guys,

This is my first blog in quite a while, hello again. I'd rather not recap the entire last few years, so I'm going to start with what's been going on in my life for the past few months and take it from there, starting with the Horseshoe Hammond WPT 10k in Hammond, Indiana. Hammond is not quite the most glamorous spot on the poker circuit (I stayed at the Ramada in Hammond), but as part of the WSOP Circuit events, I decided to check it out (I had also heard they were adding a number of seats via satellites and tournament winners).

I almost busted on day 1, but I had a really nice last level and came in with a good stack. I really cruised on day 2, in large part with help from Blair Hinkle when I caught him 4-betting preflop with K7dd against my AKcc. The flop was KKx so the money would have gone in anyway had he decided to flat preflop. Blair, being the class act that he is, came over after he busted a few hand later and wished me luck. In every interaction I've had with him he's always struck me as an incredibly nice and gentlemanly kid. Someone I would definitely be friends with in real life.

On day 3 it was a real struggle with Shannon Shorr and David Sands 3-betting me at every opportunity (since they both had position on me), and I doubled up Shannon on a poorly played hand when I called his 3-bet with 88 and got it in on a 7 high flop against his QQ. I battled though and came into day 4 with a decent stack. On day 4 we played shorthanded down to the final TV table of 9, and I got owned pretty hard on a hand by gp-33 (or g-p), when I elected to just flat preflop with 99 at a 5 handed table in position, allowing the blinds to come along, then just flatting on an 8 high board and calling a turn T and river blank when he bet turn/shoved river (the FDs bricked, obviously). He had AT with no flush draw and made a good turn bet/river shove. It was simply a misplayed hand, and it's a mistake I have to own up to. It was also unnecessary because he had a monster stack and was the only person at our 5 handed table that could have busted me, and there was possibly some TV-final table equity via patches which I missed out on. However, it was still nice to get a deep run, I'm relatively new to tournaments, and the more experience I gain deep the better.

I also had fun checking out Chicago and getting some deep-dish pizza at Giordano's, which alleviated some of the disappointment I felt for making the mistake so late in the tournament. One of the few things I've realized having played a few of these tournaments now is how important it is to cherish the opportunity when you make a deep run, and how critical it is not to make mistakes. If I had gotten unlucky that's one thing, but defeating yourself, especially as a professional, is not the path to success. Thanks to Jonathan Tamayo and Morgan Wiper as well for helping me out with my tourney game. Most of my friends are cash game players and don't travel the circuit, so having someone to bounce ideas off of, as well as hang out with, while traveling makes things easier.

After Hammond, I went to Los Angeles for the NAPT. Unfortunately the tournament did not go well for me as I busted very early on in an unnecessary hand against the great player Chancescards. He was sitting in two seats stacked on top of one another at the table (making him taller than everyone else) so I had asked him why he was sitting on two seats. He said it was because he wanted to be sure to see when the action was on him (he was in the 1 seat). I asked him if he was implying that everyone else, among ALL the other people in the tournament room who were also in the 1 seat, could therefore not see when the action was on THEM? He didn't have a very good response for this and he asked the table for a second opinion. Obviously no one responded so then he said he was only 5'4". (By the way this actually did happen, it's not made up). I was just joshing with him, obviously, but it was still pretty funny. At this point there was obviously no point in continuing the conversation so we moved onto playing poker. I 3-bet his open of 300 to 900 with the 106dd from the btn (blinds 50/100, starting stack 30k), and he 4-bet me to 2875 (bet sizings are approximate). I called in position, although 5-betting was certainly as option, as was folding (folding is by far the most standard play). Flop came 853cc. He c-bet slightly less than he 4-bet to and I called. Turn was a red 6. He checked and now I decided to small bet (checking back is by far the most standard play here) 3800, he shoved me in. I thought about it and called and he owned me with the K7cc, hitting the red 9 on the river. In retrospect this hand was unnecessary and there was just no reason for it. I wound up looking like the idiot so of course I got my just deserts.

Luckily for me, my trip did not end with the tournament, as I went to the Commerce to play cash games. They had some good NL and PLO games running, and I won every time I played, save for the final session, where I played a huge hand against James St. Hillaire. Jennifer Tilly (who by the way, is a pleasure to play with) was in the game, drinking red wine and waiting for her boyfriend Phil Laak to finish his PLO session at the other table. She is tons of action and is genuinely curious about the game, analyzing hands, etc. We were playing 10/20/40 with 100 on the BB. Tilly had straddled to 80 and James opened from LP to around 240 and I flatted from the SB with 33 and Jennifer flatted. Flop came AQ3r and I went the aggressive route (we were like 25k deep to start the hand) and c/r'd James c-bet, full potted the 5c turn (which brought clubs) and near-potted the Xc river. He called my river bet with QQ and won a huge pot. I made a mistake on the flop by c/ring, this deep it's only a recipe for disaster as it's hard for me to get 3-streets of value. I prefer a lead or a check call. I also bet too big on the turn/river. I immediately quit the game after the hand, as it was late and my flight was the next morning and I didn't want to lose any more back. I wound up winning a decent amount (even after the last losing session), but it was still disappointing because I made a really deep run in the sunday warm-up on stars, busting in 12th with KK to A9ss when I cold 4-balled it from the blinds and A9ss called off getting the price and hit his ace on the river. That hand probably cost me a large amount of equity because had I won it I would have been in the top 4 in chips in great shape.

After LA, my next trip was to Miami, which started off so promisingly and then ended in disaster. I went down with a few of the guys from the Boston game, Mopey (Chris), HEK, Favaloro, to celebrate Mopey's birthday. We went to Prime 112 (where I met up with my friend from college Valerie, who lives in Miami), which was excellent despite the long wait, and then to Mynt. Miami is all about the house music (I much prefer hip-hop or mash-ups in the club), and the club scene is thriving down there. I only was able to go to one club while down there but I definitely would like to return soon. The first night of the trip I played NL/PLO 10/25 (with frequent Mississippi straddles) and won 21kish which I thought would be a good omen to start the trip.

I played the WPT 5k event at the Hard Rock in Hollywood, Florida. I played quite laggy on day 1, but made a poor bluff at the end to start day 2 with a slightly below average stack. Day 2 didn't last long as I 3-bet folded against someone who I should have realized wouldn't be opening light from EP, then shoved over a LP with A9 against a medium stack (who again, probably was not opening/folding) and he had AQ. Then against the same player I had 99 v. his 1010 to bust.

I then played in a big 100 btn ante (no blinds) PLO game, and lost around 10 buy ins, which put a severe damper on the trip. Everyone else who played in the game, including Julian, Favs, and HEK lost, so I'm pretty sure the Florida guys would welcome anyone from Boston into their games. There was a drunken Israeli guy who was potting every hand preflop in position and button anteing for 500 some hands (you are allowed to button ante for over the 100 minimum), so the game was playing really big. I think I would play in the game again, but I would buy in for 3k (the minimum) or 15kish to have a working stack, rather than having an awkward 5k stack. I don't have much experience playing cap PLO, and the biggest my stack ever got was 13.5k, so I rarely had over 100bb to work with and I simply ran below expectation and most likely played too aggressive in the game. Valerie told me when Favs, Chris and I met her for lunch the next day and told her our sob story that next time we came to Miami "no more betting," so maybe I'll take her advice next time I go down and just enjoy the city.

Luckily, right after Miami I came back to Boston, and won the USA COOP HU NLHE $215 event for 25k, and four days later won the $320 1r1a USA COOP event for 32k, in the process winning player of the series which nets me 26 sunday million tickets which I can use anytime (~5k in value). Not too shabby and these were also my first and second online tournament wins ever (had won a FTP 750k but I had chopped that 3 ways so it doesn't count as an outright win). These tournaments were obviously smaller fields as only US players were allowed to enter, making them easier to win, but hey a win's a win.

I split most of my time between playing live and playing PLO cash these days, and one of my goals is to improve my PLO play. I am very weak in the game right now, but hopefully with practice and study I will improve to the point where I can become a significant winner in these games. I really do love the game, and have really enjoyed the learning process thus far. For those of you who are learning the game, I would recommend watching Skjervoy's leakfinder series where he critiques my PLO play. Andreas is a fantastic PLO player and I really appreciate him taking the time out to review my play.

Cheers,

David