Tulalip tournament

Finally played poker for the first time in a couple of weeks.  A friend wanted to play the Tulalip evening tournament, so we met in Northgate and carpooled up.  The tournament has 30-minute levels which is much better than the 15-20 minute levels you see in most places.  The structure allows for play, though there's a huge jump after the first break when blinds go from 100-200 (300 an orbit) to 200-400 with a 25 ante (850 an orbit).  To be frank, this is a flaw in what's otherwise a good tournament.

Given that you go from good stack to short stack after the break, I took some chances in the third and fourth levels and wound up busting out early.  While busting out early seems like a bad thing, it's actually better to take chances and bust out early than nurse a tiny stack a long time and still miss the money.  11th and 120th place pay the same -- nothing.  Of course if you get to 11th or 12th, you had a chance to cash, but truly these no difference between 30th and 90th except you waste a couple more hours.  A had a couple of hands where I made a steal raise, bet the flop and got check-raised all-in.  Not having much of a hand, I could fold but that cost be a lot of chips.  Went out when I made a small raise with KK looking for action, shoved on an A-A-9 flop (pretty good) and was called by 99.

The cash game was good, though I hate the 1-3 blinds and $200 max structure.  I guess it's the same as 2-5, $300 max but both feel very, very small.  On an aside, that's one of the pluses of playing in Vegas -- they have larger max buy-ins which allows you to win more money and play more hands.  Imagine choosing between two stocks that are similar companies each selling for $10/share (yes the price is silly but bear with me).  If you were told one stock could never go above $20 while the other could go into the $50s, the latter is the better choice all other things being equal.

I turned a small profit in the cash game and was close to even for the night.  I think I made one bad fold, but since I folded I'll never know. I'd go back sometime, but it's still quite a trip.  With a couple stops at the park and ride and dropping off Meier and home, it took me well over an hour to get home.