Lost My Bloggerment Cherry!

I finally played in my first Brit Bloggerment on Sunday as I no longer have to work Sunday's since jacking in my bar job and moving out from the pub and I managed to finish 3rd from 22 entrants for a $22.00 return on my $5.50. Not a bad start eh? 100% ITM and 300% ROI. I almost didn't play because I couldn't register for the fucking thing! No matter if I typed in capitals or lower case it wouldn't accept the password, then all of a sudden it decided to accept it and I was in my first Bloggerment.

With 22 entrants we were short handed from the off and I found myself sandwiched between Cell 1919 and Al Eleven. I've played a couple of times with Cell and I read his blog regularly so I knew what to expect but I've never seen Al Eleven play although I had been told he can be pretty loose and aggressive. Anyway, things didn't get off to the greatest of starts and I soon found myself hovering around the 1100 chips mark when I changed gears, hit a couple of hands and was suddenly back up to around 2k and a little more comfortable. I managed to lay down 2 pair on a highly coordinated board against an unknown and a ran an awful bluff against Hammerheid which looking back at it he should have called but I got away with it. I came to the money bubble as the short stack, I was joined there by Cogsgoigne, Poker 4 Ever and Katitude and Katitude was sitting out making it a strange bubble. I ran a couple of moves based on the fact that I was the short stack with the reasoning why would I make a play without a monster when I could fold to the money. I ended up busting in 3rd when my J9 hit on a flop of xJK and was up against Cog's pocket Cowboys and I was practically drawing dead. My tournament seems to have been remembered for the following two hands though. What do you think?

Poker Stars, $5 + $0.50 NL Hold'em Tournament, 50/100 Blinds, 7 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter

UTG+1: 2,160
MP: 2,350
CO: 1,895
BTN: 2,745
SB: 1,205
Hero (BB): 2,730
UTG: 1,385

Pre-Flop: (150) Q 9 dealt to Hero (BB)

4 folds, BTN raises to 400, SB folds, Hero raises to 1,300, BTN raises to 2,745 and is All-In, Hero calls 1,430 and is All-In

Flop: (5,510) T 4 Q (2 Players - 1 is All-In)

Turn: (5,510) 3 (2 Players - 1 is All-In)

River: (5,510) 2 (2 Players - 1 is All-In)

Results: 5,510 Pot

BTN showed J A (high card Ace) and LOST (-2,730 NET)

Hero showed Q 9 (a pair of Queens) and WON 5,510 (+2,780 NET)

The second hand was posted on Cell 1919's blog as it knocked him out and pissed him off slightly! 4 handed, ATo is a monster to me so I raise it up. I'd been pretty active and wasn't surprised to see Cell push. Cell is pretty tight but getting 1.9/1 odds I have to call here with AT and hope for a hand like 77-99. Instead I was up against JJ and sucked out in the worst possible way with a runner-runner wheel! I think it was the way he busted at the final table bubble that made him pissed off not my actual call. I would call here with almost any holdings as I'd still have an M of 14 if I lost out.

Poker Stars, $5 + $0.50 NL Hold'em Tournament, 75/150 Blinds, 4 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter

SB: 5,260
BB: 3,545
Hero (UTG): 4,455
BTN: 1,210

Pre-Flop: (225) T A dealt to Hero (UTG)

Hero raises to 450, BTN raises to 1,210 and is All-In, 2 folds, Hero calls 760

Flop: (2,645) 5 Q 4 (2 Players - 1 is All-In)

Turn: (2,645) 2 (2 Players - 1 is All-In)

River: (2,645) 3 (2 Players - 1 is All-In)

Results: 2,645 Pot

Hero showed T A (a straight, Ace to Five) and WON 2,645 (+1,435 NET)

BTN showed J J (a pair of Jacks) and LOST (-1,210 NET)

To say it was my first MTT for over a month that had decent opposition in it I don't think I did too badly to be honest. There were a couple of times where I rode my luck and looking through the HH I made a couple of silly moves but hey ho we live and learn. Not sure if I'll be playing in the next one because I've withdrawn my roll and stuck it on Betfair for some silly reason!

Thanks for reading and good luck at the tables!