double shootout at the OK Coral

And no, its not a Dick Cheney pun.

I played in a double shootout last night. I like this format for 2 reasons.

1. Only 64 entries.
2. I play a mean SnG.

So, here is my "schedule" now.
Sunday : Big field lotto tournaments.
Monday : SnGs and Shootouts.
Tuesday : mid range (100ish players) tournament
Wednesday : league night once a month (live play! woot!) or online splahsing.
Thursday: PLO
Friday/Sat : Cash ring games

So, I played in the double shootout and immediately switched into SnG mode. The difference between big fields are:

1. You are more tight than you are in big fields as you rarely will get donkeys calling big bets with bottom pair or wild draws.
2. Survival is much more important than chip accumulation.

My strategy is the shootout is that at the first table, I dont want to start "pushing" until there are 3 left. Before then, I am focusing on seeing flops and making better decisions than my opponent. I will almost always make it to the top three. Then I have to outplay, outwit, and out-luckbox.

On the final table, I loosen up my pre-flop raises from position to take advantage of the tightness.

I had maneuverd myself down to the final four. I was the short stack. 15 minutes later, we are stillat four, but I am the chip leader.

I would have easily won the whole thing had it not been for not two, but THREE back-back-back suckouts. The worst one, the one where I am about to knock out 4th place and coast was the hardest to take. Even though I am not really ahead by that much, I caught a short stack on a STONE COLD J6o blush/suicide steal and picked him off.
*** FLOP *** [Tc Ks 6d]
*** TURN *** [Tc Ks 6d] [Th]
*** RIVER *** [Tc Ks 6d Th] [3h]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
suicide player: shows [6s Jc] (two pair, Tens and Sixes)
Columbo777: shows [Ac 9c] (a pair of Tens)

I went downhere from here. Including a brutal cracking of QQ by again J6o. He made a ONE CARD STRAIGHT. Worse yet, I got his money in when he was a huge dog.

I always say that I am never upset when I play better and lose. But this one was hard to take. Again I would have busted 4th place and been the undisputed chip leader. Instead it was uphill again.

I eventually went out when my AKs raced against 44, who turned trips on the river. Not a bad beat, just had to get my money in pre-flop with the short stack and hope to beat a small pair. I did not. So despite playing a superior game, it all came down to losing a race. Argh.