Yeah, yeah, I know you are not my priest or rabbi! And, I wear my heart on my sleeve! Borgata was really depressing last week. Never flopped a set, never made the nuts, and finished 6 away from the money in the survivor when I shoved with 8 Big Blinds, with A-J in mid position and K-10 found call in big blind and flopped a straight against me. Was $5,000 if I cash. At 16 blinds, I probably could have folded to the $5,000. Maybe not. Maybe I could have anyway, with 8 blinds, but felt I needed one double up or two to three blind takes to feel really good.

And look, across 4 buy in's in three tournaments, spanning 20 hours, is a long time to never make the nuts and never flop a set! Not saying I would have maximized those hands, but certainly makes life easier when you make big hands from time to time!

Oh, and I lost aces to 2's, kings to 3's and Queens to 4's. Couldn't get away from any of them (my bad), and ran into quads twice!

ANyway, was supposed to be back to Borgata this weekend, but work event popped up on Sunday. Really wanted to play $500 buy in + $500 bounty tourney. Seems like a lot of fun, with a different dynamic. I mean, mixing it up against a short stack for $500 real dollars is big incentive to change optimal tourney play.

So, I spent 4 days with no poker, and didn't even look at the forum. Last couple days I have been studying, and thinking about hands, and reviewing them with my brother.

General consensus, earlier stages I am valuing my tourney life a bit much. Raise with 10's or jacks, get three bet, and flat. Been a bit too hesitant to flip early. That is my strategy and has been somewhat good to me, but need to get a little more willing to ship it in earlier.

Anyhow, guessing there will be a lot of good players at Borgata this weekend, so I am going to take a shot at the Parx daily tomorrow. $230 buy in. Will be giving myself two bullets (if I give myself more than 2, it can turn into 4-5 really quickly and will find myself being way too loose). if I burn through those, I will hit up 10-20 Big O, depending on the line up. That game is heavenly, or nightmare, depending on the line up. Plays only 8, so 3 nits, without any real spots, the game is lousy. Two spots, though, the game becomes heavenly fast, and the nits gamble it up a bit more. If the game sucks, I might try 2-5, or 2-2 PLO.

If anyone is planning on hitting up Parx daily tomorrow, let me know. I will be wearing golf clothes, no Maga hat. And, on the golf clothes, to quote Eggs, "I didn't bluff that!"

Also, I have now changed my opinion. I am no longer gong to be putting money in for the bubble player, and I am not making a deal, unless it benefits me. ICM if I am chip leader, and even chop if ICM says I deserve less. I feel confident in my short handed low blind count play and am willing to deal with the variance.

As depressing as the Borgata was for me, back on the saddle! Wish me luck, not as my rabbi or priest, but as fellow Degen tournament players!

I was talking to my buddy on the way home tonight about chopping and paying the bubble. I think negotiation skills at the end of the tournament are useful to achieve a better results than you may by continuing to play cards.

I have chopped even with a final table even though the tournament was only paying 7 because of a 5k overlay twice recently - one as the short stack. I have taken first less 200 bucks with 55% of the chips 5 handed.

I enjoy negotiating and do it for a living and find poker provides opportunities to flip things in your favor when the payout/play structure hurts you given the specifics of your final table. Don't limit yourself about negotiation until you get in a spot to use it to your advantage. Good luck.

You know all about variance, and standard spots are standard.

As for chops, i'm generally happy with icm, but there have been times where I've asked for more. The key to successful negotiation is being genuinely prepared to say no and live with the consequences.

Buddy, not trying to mod, but these threads really belong in MTT Community

Yeah, I will be flexible.

But no more paying bubble to pay bubble, and no more chopping cause other people don't want to play.

If I am capping my win at 10 times buy in on daily's, I should just play survivors.

But, if deal is good, deal is good! No more Mr. nice guy.

Haha, Oldsilver, take on the mod job!

They are asking for someone to do it!

I don't think we have problems here, but, if someone is to apply for the job, I think you would be better than anyone who consistently posts on this forum.

But, you know, Oldsilver, if you do take Mod job, those of us that post here consistently, want to keep the highs and lows to those here.

Gotta have a balance!

I want a small knit community that sees my thinking, and experiences my highs and lows.

Taking it off here and putting it on a different thread would impact my desire to share with the group I am coming to know.

Take the discussion to the other thread

I'd only take it on if there was something fundamental I could change to get more elite players posting again, and I'm not sure that's possible.

Besides, the mod job has historically been given to the best technical player on the forum, and that's not me.

Pretty sure I'm elite.

You got me.

My results are about to go through the ceiling.

Once PA opens online poker and you see my specific hands, you will be amazed.

And, now I'm committing to more multiple day tournaments.

You have the next superstar in your midst.

Eggs and the rest of you will find my lines weak, but you will see me combining an old man coffee playing style, mixed with a wacky image.

My play is on point. Pretty sure I bink a few huge scores over the next few months.

And, you know, my brother. He is evaluating my play. Tells me I'm on point right now. Reviewed an entire tournament with him. Felt I was too afraid of big confrontations, but have been very unlucky to not be on the right end with my strategy of preserving my stack.

Between his reviews of my play and what I learn from Egg's posts, and YOUR's!, you are going to see Old Man Coffee play go to a totally new level.

I think I have devised new strategy. Calling it:

OLD MAN COFFEE GTO STRATEGY PRETENDING TO BE HUGE DONK

Going to be completely explotive when they figure it out. But, till then, expecting massive ROI. And you know, I'm not sure it will be able to be figured out.

You'll have to see the hand histories and figure it out.

Hurry up, PA, see how I play a tourney! Start to finish. You will be amazed.