SCOOP Event #1 and Live Poker this weekend

Originally I hadn't planned to play the $5+0.50 6-max rebuy SCOOP event at PokerStars as I wasn't willing to throw out a lot of money. for rebuys in a donkament. But a closer look at the structure showed that there was no need for a huge number of rebuys. They offered 2,500 startchips and a 3,500 add-on with a slow 15 min. blind-structure.

So I took an immediate rebuy at the start and played with 5K chips. Two double ups against the same player brought me up to 17k. First AA vs. KTs and then KK vs. 55. After a table change I went up to 24k with a Full House over a straight. A five hit on the river and made me the house and him the straight.

So I spent a total of $15.50 (including the add-on) and made it up to 29.5k chips after the first hour. Largest at this time was around 180k. Total number of entrants was 27,134.

After the rebuy hour I got a hard time. Missed the nut-flush draw against shorties two times and ran into KK of a shorty ... being behind with JJ. But thanks to a stack that was really big in comparison to the blinds I wasn't out already but now somewhat crippled.

With 14,000 chips left (blinds 150/300 ante 40) I overplayed my final hand again in some way. I hit an Ace with AT on a A-J-4 board. Bet and was re-raised for my remaining 11k chips. His all-in looked suspicious to me and I put him on a move to get me off the hand. Bad read as he showed AK. Out in 9,113th out of 27,134 (with 5,400 getting paid).

Beside the last hand this was quite a good tournament and felt much better then the bad beats I received since February in a big way. Too bad I missed both of the nut-flush draws. That was a real cooler for the game. But in general I liked my mix of small-ball play and selective agression I showed in the game.

Hopefully I can continue with that on the weekend. The CCC in St. Pölten, Austria is host of the second Pokertour.at event in 2009. 45 min. levels and 10K startchips will again make a good tournament. So I am really looking forward to this one. In case I miss day two I will be back home to play the low leg of the two day SCOOP event (#8).

For the Pokertour.at and the SCOOP tournaments there are still some shares available on Chip Me Up.