Running into aces FOUR times in the same SNG isn't fun.

A9 vs AA. 9 high flop, doubled up a shortstack who limped.
JJ vs AA. Ace flopped, I folded, he showed.
TT vs AA. Doubled up a shortstack.
99 vs AA. Busted.

Those last two, the TT and 99, were back to back hands.

...and then in my next one, I finished second, getting all-in preflop with KK. Against AA, of course.

My SNGs are going well, but still have just a tiny sample size of 11 of them, so the numbers aren't really worth reporting yet. I do feel very good about my play in them, though, and have shown a nice profit so far.

I played in a $20+2 multi at Party last night. With 50 players left, I was third in chips. I lost two coinflips, and busted in 29th place out of 1070 players, for a $129 payoff. It seems like a waste of time compared to the SNGs, but I guess I'd reconsider that if I had won the $4494 first place. I doubled someone up with KQ vs 66 and then I busted with 55 vs KJ. I only really got lucky in the tournament once, when I was all in with AJ vs AK flopped a jack. Other than that, I seemed to be making all the right moves. I even pushed in with the hammer near the bubble, took down the blinds, and showed it. Didn't help me get called two hands later when I pushed with aces.

Don't forget to sign up for Charlie's tournament:
WPBT "Charlie" Tournament
When: THIS Sunday - July 17th - 3pm PST
Where: PokerStars - Listed under the Private tab
Cost: $20 - Stars is taking nothing: it's all going to charity

The WSOP continues. Keep reading Pauly, Otis (and the other members of the PokerStars blog), and PokerProf. And of course, Flipchip's photo gallery.

There's a good possibility for a really fun final table. Hopefully, things will work out.

I'm still not really making any headway with my NL ring game lately. I think I'm gonna switch to playing some SNGs for a while. I played two $20+2s last night, at Party.

In the first one, I busted out on the first hand. Someone in EP raised to 100 (10/15 blinds, 800 starting stack), and I had KK. I didn't really like raising half my stack, but not all of it, before the flop, so I just pushed all in. Somehow, he called with A8s, and hit an A on the flop. I watched the rest of it while I played my second one. He actually played pretty well after that, and went on to win it.

I don't really remember many hands from the second one. I will be checking PokerTracker later, but I won it. I can't recall any hand where I got all my money in without the best of it, and I miraculously managed to win every one of those hands. Once I was outflopped - I had A3 to J9, and he flopped a J, but I rivered an ace. I wasn't even all-in that hand, my opponent was, and even if he doubled up, I'd still have had more chips.

Anyway, I think I'm gonna try to stick to these for a while and see how that goes. No eight-tabling it like Poker Nerd, though.

The WSOP is now into day three, and they started play today on the money bubble, with 560 paying and 569 starting play. As always, check out Pauly and Otis for the best updates, and LasVegasVegas for the best recaps and photos.

Also, don't forget to check out Wil's great WSOP stories.

And, thanks to Joaquin for the great tip about the free WSOP 2004 DVDs.

I just made the final table in a $1 Omaha hi/lo tournament at Full Tilt. Finished 9th out of 131 for $2.95.

I think I'm doing better (relatively) in non-hold 'em tournaments because I don't know the games as well, so I concentrate more.

My NLHE game has really gone to shit. I should work on that.

Well, I at least feel good about how I played in the tournament at Chumash today. I busted out near the end of the second level. I was all ready to take notes and give a nice Pauly-quality tournament report, but it turns out there isn't really much to tell.

Early on, I called a minimum raise from the small blind with KQo, and flopped AJT, with two spades. I checkraised the 1seat, who didn't really seem to know what he was doing. He called my raise, and I bet out 2000, about the size of the pot, after the offsuit 8 on the turn. He folded, saying he had a small pair. If I had known that, I probably coulda gotten a bit more out of him, but I didn't want to see another spade come out.

Still in the first level, I limped UTG with 55, and there was no raise. The flop was KJ4, and it checked around. I called a 200 bet on the K turn, we checked the river down, and my hand was good. He had A5 for a pair draw, as Maudie would say.

I finished the first level with 5875, from a 5000 starting stack. I folded a bunch of hands in level 2, and they broke our table. My second hand at the new table, I found A♣J♣, in middle position. I raised it up to 400 (50/100 blinds) and got one call behind me, and both blinds stuck around as well. It checked to me on the 78J, rainbow flop, and I bet out 1500. The caller behind me immediately raised to 3000, and the other two folded. I took my time deciding what to do, and really though about what hands he could have that beat me. I ruled out T9, J8, J7, and 87, so the only thing possible was a set, and I didn't think he had one. Finally, I pushed all in for 2175 more, and he called, with Q♥J♥. There were no hearts on the flop, so he was drawing to a queen or a running nine-ten. I also had a backdoor flush draw, with one club out. The turn was the 3♠, and then the awful river came down Q♠, and I was gone.

I feel really good about my play, though, and know it was just a little bad luck that knocked me out. I got my money is as an 6:1 favorite. Can't really do any better than that. Maybe next time.

Edit: A few things I forgot to add.

First, sadly, my new card protector didn't show up in the mail until today after I left for the casino, so I didn't get to use it.

Second, after I busted out, I sweated a friend of mine for a while, waiting for the free lunch, before I went home. He was down to 500 in chips after losing a big pot with AKs vs AKs vs 99 vs some other hand. The other AKs won with nut flush. In the big blind, with 200/400 blinds and one limper, he went all in, in the dark. The limper called, with 65s, and he flipped up the hammer! No one got any help, his 7 high held up, and he doubled up. He won another pot before they broke his table, and I went back to hang out by the food area. Unfortunately, he was out before the lunch break.

...but this is where I'll be tomorrow at 10am:

The Chumash Poker Extravaganza. $220 buyin, $150k guarantee. I finished in the money last time they had one of these, and I was pretty much card dead the whole time.

Hopefully this time I can get some good cards when the blinds get bigger, and have them hold up.

...and PSO points.

I don't know if I can spend any of them now. This number is just too perfect.

First, if you want to watch ESPN's coverage of last year's event:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACTS: Melisa Richter, Richter Strategic Communications,
416-652-5592, melisa@richterpr.com
Sandra C. John, ESPN, 212-515-1207, sandra.c.john@espn3.com

ESPN Original Entertainment's 2004 World Series of Poker Now Available on DVD

NEW YORK (June 28, 2005) -- The poker phenomenon is still raging and so is its highest stakes game, No-Limit Texas Hold'Em. To the delight of poker fans nationwide, ESPN Original Entertainment and DVD Marketing Inc. have compiled the complete 2004 World Series of Poker's Main Event, a six-day shoot-out between the creme de la creme of the poker world and wildcard amateurs to capture the multi-million dollar cash prize, onto an ultimate must-have three-disc DVD set.

The DVD set, packed with bonus features and more than 11 hours of poker action, will be available for online purchase as of today at http://www.espnshop.com and http://www.championshipdvd.com with a suggested retail price of $19.95. Availability in retail outlets will follow.

"Our fans will really enjoy the 2004 WSOP DVD collection because we've loaded it with four hours of bonus content," said Victoria Stevens, vice president, ESPN. "It's great for people who enjoy poker and dream of someday making it to the final table at the game's biggest stage."

A record-breaking 2,576 players, more than triple the number from last year, came to Las Vegas for the 2004 World Series of Poker. Once again, it was a virtual unknown in the poker world that would beat the poker masters and garner the top prize. Greg "Fossilman" Raymer, a patent attorney from Connecticut, parlayed a $160 online entry fee into $5 million in winnings and the coveted WSOP title.

This DVD set contains ESPN Original Entertainment's final 10 programs from the telecast of the 2004 World Series of Poker, which earned a 1.7 rating for more than 1.5 million viewing households. Hosted by ESPN commentators and poker aficionados, Lon McEachern and Norman Chad, the DVD is presented in fullscreen (1.33:1) digital video without commercial interruption, and includes revealing interviews of star players, basic rules of No-Limit Texas Hold'Em and four hours of bonus features. Chapter points set at the key rounds allow the viewer to jump directly to the action putting them in control of every frame of video as ESPN captures the emotion, strategy and luck in route to crowning the champion of the World Series of Poker.

The unprecedented four hours of bonus features include:

* Top-10 moments from the 2004 tournament
* A Greg Raymer commentary
* A Greg Raymer All Access
* Greg Raymer's Bio
* A Stu Unger feature
* Beyond the Felt: Poker Talk segment
* Coverage of the $1,000 Buy-In No-Limit Texas Hold'Em
* Coverage of the $2,000 Buy-In Pot Limit Omaha
* Tournament of Champions feature
* Coverage of the Kansas City Lowball event, exclusive only to the DVD

Review copies and interviews with Greg Raymer are available upon request.
Distributor: DVD Marketing Inc., 1-888-383-1200, sales@dvdmarketing.com

Second: Good luck to Wil, and everyone else playing.

Third: Head over to Tao of Poker for the best liveblogging of the event, courtesy of Pauly, WSOP Photo Gallery for the best pictures from the Rio, thanks to flipchipro, and Las Vegas and Poker Blog for news and recaps, from the PokerProf. Thanks again for all the great coverage, guys!

Also, don't forget to check out Otis' coverage over at the PokerStars Blog.