It simply doesn't get any dumber than this (NC)

Last nights Party $20K freeroll...

3500 entrants. Pays top 220. I finish...221. Now I know what it feels like to finish on the bubble in an MTT, and let me tell you, it BLOWS.

If I finish 220 I only get $14, but still. It took 3 hours and 10 minutes to get that far.

And what's worse is I had an above-average chipstack at the time!

I had 15K (average ~11k if i remember correctly). I get dealt AK off in MP. Folds around to me. Blinds are 500/1000. Guy in BB has about 35K. I limp. (I know big mistake). Table was playing so tight right now that I figured one of the big stacks in the blinds would try to raise me out PF with an inferior hand (they had been doing this to people).

Folds around to BB who makes it 5K to go. I assume he's trying to bully me out knowing we're 1 away from money and if I play this hand, all my money will get in.

So my first thought is "I'm reraising all in preflop. I've got him beat.". My second thought was "Stall. I will be putting all my chips at risk on this hand and so I need to go as slow as possible in the event he calls AND I lose."

So I let the timer run all the way down and even used my time bank all the way down to 1 and pushed all in for 15K. At that moment I went to type in "If you are going to call, please stall for me.", since our table was very friendly. But before I could he called and flipped QQ.

Community cards fly by, I don't improve, and am out 221st!

GROAN! There are so many things I did wrong here. I'm so disappointed in myself. The payout structure was really flat for 181-220 all only making $14. My strategy was to "eek into the money, then be ULTRA ULTRA agressive". And I Eff it up! [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

I let my poker instincts get the best of me and I figured he maybe had AJ or something and that I could possibly double up to 30K and ride the wave longer.

What I COULD have done, to save time, was just called him 5K raise PF, and then took forever to act on the flop. This would buy me a bit more time. Since I pushed all in PF, he instacalled and the 5 cards flew by. [img]/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img]

I felt like I got stabbed in the stomach.

Oh well, thank god it was a freeroll and not the WSOP or something. I'd even told a girl at our table that I better not get KK vs. AA on the bubble! How prophetic of me. And pathetic.

The $14 means nothing to my bankroll, but the 3 hours (11pm-2am) really hurt me. Plus the fact that I could have folded into the money and taken big risks and possibly accumulated several chips. All in all it was one of the best MTT's I've played. And I havent played an MTT in about 2 months.

Sorry if this belongs in some NC thread. Delete or lock if you want, but I have to vent and warn others not to do something THIS STUPID on the bubble of an MTT. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Bigdaddydvo]

Stressing this much over missing $14 is really bad IMO.

The bubble is where you can make aggressive plays to build up your stack (from frady cats like yourself). What counts is getting to the final table where the real $$$$ is. Bubbling every time + one MTT win >>>>>>> locking up the $14 every time but not getting much further.

Don't beat yourself up... the play goes down the exact same way if the BB has AQ, AJ, so-on.

In that case you double up and feel really good about moving into some descent money.

if your still bumbed out... I'll send you some free movie tickets worth $14.00

[twang]

Uh, I don't know. I think getting a chance to double up your above average stack vs bigstacks' anytwo is a way better deal than folding into the money, planning to go berserk when there.

But, yeah, losing those hours is not fun.

[nath]

Results oriented. the BUBBLE is the time to play ultra aggressively, not immediately afterward.
Besides, what's $14? Play for the big prize and you'll get it.

i think a lot of people play these while playing their regular cash games or sng sets for exactly this reason. playing 3+ hours for an hourly rate of less than $5 is pretty equivalent to $0 imo.

dont' collude. Btw, thats not even a bad beat story. its just a story.

[Beavis68]

no, it is a bad story

be glad you didnt get banned too.

[Skjonne]

Thanks for sharing. I just love it when a staller bubbles

[loffe]

So you where stalling while playing hand-by-hand.............?

Then the subject title is actually true........ [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]