Vook Luckboxes another online MTT for a "big" score

ok.   I still owe a trip report for my Vegas visit but I have other important news to share first...
I am going to play in the Main Event.   I have already talked it over with my wife and she agrees to go for it.   I will probably get a solid staking package going in about 2-3 months for anybody who is interested.   I also plan on starting a thread here to discuss my planning and strategy.   All comments will be welcome.  

So one of the things I wanted to do to prepare was to start mixing in some online MTTs (I usually only play 1 table SNGs since it's hard for me to play longer 3 hours at a time).   So I don't have the time for normal speed tourneys.   Instead I decided to start playing turbo speed MTTs while I stack the profitable DoNs in the corner.    Well.. I am off to a good start.

The night after returning from Vegas I took first out of 492 in the $11 Merge $2.5K Guarantee.  I wrote about that in my last blog update->   http://vookenmeister.blogspot.com/2013/01/won-my-first-large-field-mtt-1k.html

Then tonight I played a couple more MTTs while I was grinding DoNS.   After busting out of the $33 Merge nightly turbo MTT, I decided to late reg for the $60 mtt that was already running.   Well,  I ended up winning that also for a nice score of a little over $1500 profit.

I got much luckier in this event as halfway thru I tripled up when my A2 > A9.    I also managed to crack Aces three handed at the final table after getting my money in behind (would've meant 3rd place and only $600).

Here is a pic of the winning tourney lobby...   Probably won't sleep much tonight!!!   Still excited since I don't play these tourneys very often.

http://i825.photobucket.com/albums/zz171/vookenmeister/bigscore_zps30358dc9.jpg

Won my first large field MTT ($1K)

Yippee!   I took down my first large field MTT (472 runners) Tuesday night (one night after returning from Vegas).  It was an $11 merge turbo shove fest, first place was $1K.

Obviously, I had a good run of luck, but I also feel I played well.   I only got all in behind and called once.  There were many other hands that didn't hold but I had chips to cover.
I also was lucky enough to have AA dealt to me twice at the final table (and got action each time).

Here are some pivotal hands from the tourney.

Hand 1,
THis was 9 handed.   Folded to me on the button and I standard shove with 65s > QT.   Winning this 40/60 was a difference of $900

http://www.pokerhand.org/?6521951

Hand 2.
Now we are heads up and I'm trailing almost 2 to 1 in chips. I had been raising almost every button.  he was usually folding.

I hit low pair, ace kicker on flop.  I actually decide to check because I don't want to get raised and bet off the hand.  I'm actually waiting to see what he does on the turn.
Turn is a very safe four.  He leads 2/3 pot on a double flush board.  It just seems like this misses his range a ton.    He might have a flush draw but unlikely this board makes him a monster.  I'm down 2 to 1 in chips anyways so decide to shove over expecting to be ahead most of the time and even get a fold from some 2nd pairs when I am not.   No clue what he had but he folded.  Interesting hand... it worked out.

http://www.pokerhand.org/?6521952
Last hand.   My new favorite had of 83o   He was playing so tight that with 11 effective BBs, I went for a button steal again despite my cards.  He called OOP which allows me to narrow his hand to not include pairs.   

I lead out and stack off on an 833 board when i hit top pair, no kicker.   The only hands that beat me here are A8,K8,Q8,98, A3, maybe K3.

He played this hand poorly (as opposed to my playing it well).
pS. obviously he was too tight since he didn't ship it preflop.

http://www.pokerhand.org/?6521955

Very happy with the big score as the turbo MTTs go so fast that you need a good amount of luck.

I'll recap the Vegas trip later!

Vegas Trip this weekend - a Drinking Trip

It's Vegas time!   my flight leaves in the morning.    I arrive at about 11am Friday local time.   I fly back Monday around lunch time.   Lots of things planned for the trip.   A couple of my good friends from an online skype strategy group are meeting me there plus I'll be meeting up with some other AVP friends throughout the weekend.   It's going to be a packed weekend with lots of drinking and poker and next thing I know it will be time to fly back.   Good times!

Tentative plans:
- arrive, check in and meet friends at Bally's cash game
- Friday 2pm Treasure Island tourney.  looking forward to meeting Troy there.
- Friday 7pm Aria tourney
- Friday night debauchery somewhere late, probably Hard Rock
- Saturday afternoon - maybe cash games/ maybe football watch/ maybe both
- Saturday 7pm Mirage tourney, wear green, meet other AVPers that show up (please come on down, Mirage kicks ass!)
- Mirage cash game as folks bust out
- Voodoo lounge sometime after Saturday night with friends (Scott Davies and my online buddies, anyone else?)
Sunday I've left slightly open TBD, probably going to play cash games.