Today I entered the $2,000 NL event, here is a summary of the hands I played:
J-J Level 1, I raise, the big blind calls, flop is Q-Q-3, check check. Turn A, putting three clubs on board. Check check. I have the Jack of clubs. River a blank, BB checks, I make a small value bet (unusual perhaps, but been playing a lot of heads-up online the last few days and sure I'm ahead). Big blind folds quickly saying my A-Q is good. Nice read Sir.
2,200 chips from the 2,000 starting stack, bit of a snooze fest, and appear to be no bad players on the table.
With blinds at 25/50, I raise in early position with 9-9. Chinese player in mid-pos flat calls, everyone else folds. At start of hand I have approx 2,000 chips, him 1,000. Flop is 7-8-T rainbow. For some reason I check, he checks behind. Turn is a 2, completing the rainbow. I check call his bet; I'm surprised he didn't fire at the flop and I put him on either K-Q or a smaller pocket pair: if he has 7-7 or 88 then I will double him up. River is another ten. I check, he moves all-in, 550 into a 700 pot. Reason I checked every street was I expect my hand to be good and as I've seen already this player likes to bluff so I'm happy to give him a chance to bluff his chips off to me. I call his river bet, I was right, he did have a smaller pocket pair than me, but the free card I gave him on the flop made him a set as he turns over 2-2 :-(.
So down to 1,000 chips, the aforementioned Chinese player donks off the chips I donated to him and he is back down to 700 chips when he open pushes with blinds at 25/50. Folded to me in the big blind, I have A-Qo. After a bit of deliberation I decide to call, he turns over A-Qs. Needless to say, he scoops the lot with a flush. Soon after with 300 chips left it's folded to me on the button, I have A5s and stick my remaining chips in, the big blind wakes up with A-A!
So that's four bracelet events played, not once have I reached double my starting stack, and I'm pretty fed up with playing these events. I haven't seen much value in terms of bad players. Going to concentrate on playing online the next few days, and try to rebuild my confidence. Live poker is definitely rigged.
