#1253!

I was looking for something under 130.

Tourney notes:

Something needs to be done about giving extra starting chips to players that play raked hands. It's just not right to do in a cash tournament like this. Starting with 1000 chips at a table when 8 people have the max 2000 is just unfair. I paid my $600 buy in, and I paid my $40 vig to party so look if they want to comp their players for their big cruise of something, fine, but for a cash tournament with that big of a buy-in, very unprofessional to me.

I knew about it but I really didnt expect it to tilt the odds so early in the tournament.

Being able to set someone all in on the first hand and still have 1000 chips left, that's just not right.

I got very subpar hands, 73o on the big blind 3 times in the first 2 levels So anyways, according to poker tracker...

Over 5 levels and 90 minutes, I played a total of 6 hands AA, 22, AJ, AQ, 99 AKs when not on a blind.

Early I had AA, raised to 50. 3 callers. On the flop rainbow under cards came, and I checked the flop. Heads up on the turn, a second spade hit the board. The player bet 15, I raised to 75.

He called. River put a third spade, he checked to be, and worried, I also checked. He showed the JK of spades. Ther was no J or K on the board. Robbed me of 400+ chips and dropped me to around 800.

I dropped down to 600 from taking the blinds when I got A10s on the button. Flop came A10x, I got back to 950 with that hand.

Again the blinds knocked me down to 700, when I got 99 in mid position with an unraised pot. I pushed all in. and stole the blinds.

Down to 1300 players in the 5th level with 50/100 blinds, I pick up AKs on the button. Everyone folds to me and I push all in hoping to steal the blinds. the BB calls with QQ, it holds up and I'm out at 1253 of 2000.

I'm not upset about how I played, I just wish I would have had cards to play. 6 hands in 100 is not much. And many of those were in the first level when I had small pairs hoping to hit a set.

Something does need to be done about the extra starting chips. Can you imaging if the Bellagio did this at the $25,000 WPT championship? Lets say they have their table 1 players twice as many starting chips as everyone else. People would be outraged!

Overall, for a $7+1 satelite it was worth it, but it would have been nice to cash. I think I'll stick to the SnG's for now, and maybe play a few weekday or weekend specials.



--Chris Falco