Pregame warmup

Well I'm not talking about Super Bowl XL either. I am just 2 hours out of playing my first ever Stars 750k tournament. It will be the largest buyin tournament I have played to date. I've cleared it with the wife, and will be holed up in my home office taking my shot at the big prize.

I've gone over a couple different chapters in supersystem II, and Harrington OH I&II. I've read a couple thread and articles on cardplayer, pocketfives, and twoplustwo. I took a shot at a large field MTT the other night. 2200 people, and I finished 26th. I played another a 1k field tournament last night on paradise and I finished in the 20's. So I am as ready as I am going to ever be (well at least for today).

I'm going to have a little lunch before I play, drink a guiness or 2 to clear my nerves, and go for it.

I've been going over my personal poker mantra getting ready for the game. These big games are about trapping so I am going to be the trapper, and try to extract maximum value for my premium hands. I am going to acoid going broke with one pair. I feel it is a smaller mistake to fold a winner than call with a loser. I am going to play the game 1 hand at a time, and carefully observe each opponent at my table. I amgoing to treat the game as one extended sit and go, and chip away at my opponents when the oppurtunities present themselves.

I am going to eliminate distractions, I wont be watching any television (gg SBXL), browsing any internet, or any of the other things that provide distraction. I am going to listen to rhapsody while I play and just focus.

So I am ready for the game, bring it on!

I am kind of optimistic that there may be an overlay for the first time ever. Pokerstars chose this weekend as the one to boost the guarantee from 500k to 750k, but it coincides withthe superbowl. Right now there are 1881 players registered, with 2 hours and 30 mins until gametime. In order for pokerstars to clear the guarantee there needs to be 3750 players. So they are just half way there. I dont know how the signups go closer to game time, maybe there will be a mad rush, I've seen it before. I guess only time will tell.

On another front.

I have given up playing the .5/1 limit tables at paradise to clear my bonus. I suffered so many bad beats from the idiots I think it is barely a break even EV. I have switched to the 1/2 5 max tables, and have recouped all my previous loses, and shown a slight porfit. I only have 1100 more hands to go to clear my bonus. I've been following a similar strategy as Fox outlines (on pokerfox.net) for 6 max. Its proven well, and I knew it would. I used the same approach to clear bonuses on Absolute Poker. I actually prefer playing short hand games now over full ring. Its even more useful when playing a site like paradise where PAHUD cant be incorporated.

Well, the next post will either be me recapping how I busted out of the 750k or how I took down a big win and what I might allocate my winnings too.