Tiffany "Tiffany M" Michelle
Monday, June 29, 2009 - Tiffany M
Well, well, well…
My summer in Vegas is coming to a close. “A CLOSE?!?!” you say! Although we have the Main Event coming up this week I am officially announcing… (no, not my retirement! Sorry haters, you’ll be stuck with my finger-french-fry-lickin’-clock-callin’-heel-clickin’-UB-branded-poker-pwning-face for several years to come)… that I won’t be defending my title as The Last Woman Standing or giving that darn final table another crack… at least not this year. GASP!!!
It’d have to be something pretty big to deter me from the WSOP Championship Event this year and trust me, IT IS! I can’t disclose much right now but I’ll be leaving the country to film a project for a month and it conflicts with the Main Event. Se la vie! I figure that poker isn’t going anywhere and the WSOP Main Event comes around EVERY SINGLE YEAR. This project and my part are very huge and it’s an opportunity is just too good to pass up. At the end of the day, acting and performing have always been my passion, in fact it’s how I fell into poker to begin with and I never want to lose sight of that part of my life and career.
With that said, my 2009 World Series of Poker isn’t over quite yet. Before I leave Vegas I’ll play the Ante Up For Africa tournament which will be one of the televised events on ESPN this year. There are some great celebrities and poker players coming out to play and support the cause and I’m really looking forward to it. Maybe that’ll be my shot at a little WSOP glory this year. I’ll also be around for the start of the Main Event, doing some fun PR stuff as well as some appearances at the Gaming Life Expo… so if you see me please come say “Hi”!
Below are a few fun pictures that I snapped during a fun night or two away from the Rio and poker tables. The first is with Trishelle & Jeff Madsen and the other with Maria Ho and Vanessa Rousso.
Tags: espn, Poker Poker Poker, ub, Vegas, WSOP
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Monday, June 15, 2009 - Tiffany M
… TO THE TUNE OF ‘THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS’
1. (Event #4 $1000 NL) On my 1st day of the Series I did this interview (http://www.bluffmagazine.com/videos/index.asp?curPage=1&videocatid=0&videoid=826)… then A10 took out my Jacks it wasn’t cute.
2. (Event #7 $1500 NL) On the 2nd day of my Series a roller coaster I did ride… made dinner break then busted out that night.
3. The next day at the Rio I sweated Greg in Stud… I made this sign for him and it was fun (http://www.pokerlistings.com/blog/wsop/2009/greg-mueller-is-a-stud-apparently).
4. (Event #11 $2000 NL) On the 4th day of my Series I wore my Laker shirt… although it was my birthday an early bust really hurt.
5. (Event #13 $2500 NL) My 5th event at the Series I busted the last level of play… but my new Skullcandy headphones kept me occupied all day.
6. (Event #15 $5000 NL) At the 6th event of my Series I made it deep in the $5k… then got knocked out with A10 verses 9A.
7. (Event #17 $1k Ladies) At the 7th tourney of the Series I played with the Ladies… I was out so quick you’d missed it if you blinked.
8 (Event #22 $1500 Shootout) On my 8th tourney of the Series I was the first to go… my AK suited verses KK had little hope.
9.(Event #24 $1500 NL) On the 9th day of the Series I only played two hands… you don’t get many chips and I was out after my kings were damned.
10. (Event #28 $1500 NL) On the 10th day of the Series my top was no good… KQ can’t beat J9, it never could.
11. The 11th day of my Series will arrive in the next day… please wish me luck playing in the $2k.
12. The 12th tourney of my Series I hope Santa brings me some bling… is it too early in the year to ask for such a thing?!
Tags: Poker Poker Poker, Rio, Tiffany M, WSOP
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Tuesday, June 2, 2009 - Tiffany M
Hey UB Peeps! I’m up to my eyeballs in poker, neon lights, hot weather and
daily trips to The Rio. The 2009 World Series of Poker is in full swing.
I’ve only played one WSOP tournament, the $1,000 NL Event #4 and today will
be my second shot at WSOP glory in the $1500 NL Event.
I didn’t have any tournaments at the Rio yesterday so I popped over to the
Venetian for their $550 Deepstack tournament and made it deep in the
tournament. Just a note for any of you coming out to Vegas, Caesars Palace
and The Venetian are both running Deepstack tournaments with big fields and
great structures so if you’re looking to play but can’t afford the WSOP
buy-ins I’d definitely suggest checking out those tournies.
It’s very cool being a part of UB’s team this year and I have a good feeling
that our pros will REPRESENT for the black and yellow :-) Annie Duke and
Liv Boeree have already cashed in tournaments…. which means that I’m
pulling up the rear for the UB ladies. I’d better run and get to work, I’ve
got catching up to do!
xx
Tiffany Michelle
www.tiffanymichelle.com
Tags: Annie Duke, Ceasars Palace, Liv Boeree, Rio, Tiffany M, ub, Vegas, Venetian, WSOP
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Wednesday, May 27, 2009 - Tiffany M
This will be a quick blog since there is so much madness surrounding the upcoming World Series of Poker AND because I’m WIPED out from the exhausting day I had.
I drove up to Vegas yesterday and moved into my home for the summer that I’m renting along with Maria Ho during our next few WSOP months. I was up bright and early this morning to head over to the penthouse at Hard Rock where I did a “hot girls of poker” photo shoot with Evelyn Ng and Erica Shoenberg for Knockout magazine. We had a fun time together getting the chance to be a little sexier than we usually are at the poker tables. I jetted straight from the photo shoot to catch a flight to LA which was grounded along with all of the rest of the flights from Vegas since President Obama was arriving in town. I was a bit peeved at my flight being delayed since I was already late getting back to LA for a meeting but getting to see Air Force One land was quite amazing… you don’t see THAT everyday!
Last time I blogged I was playing some really good poker resulting in consistent online cashes and final tables. My streak has continued and I recently took 32nd place in the first event at Commerce’s Cal State Poker Championships out of 1,800 players. I’m hoping this “good poker” trend carries into the WSOP, my first event will be on Saturday. I have realistic expectations for this year’s WSOP knowing how large the fields are in each tournament but that doesn’t mean I won’t remain optimistic. I’ve got my sights set on winning myself a purty little bracelet for my birthday next week! I’ll keep you posted.
(The photo below is one that I snapped on my phone with Erica and Evelyn at our photo shoot today.)
Tiffany Michelle
Tags: Air Force One, Erica Shoenberg, Evelyn Ng, Hard Rock, Knockout Mag, LA, Maria Ho, Obama, Poker Poker Poker, Vegas, WSOP
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Sunday, May 3, 2009 - Tiffany M
I play a lot of online tournaments at Ultimate Bet and every now and then I make it deep. I even have a few final tables and a small win here or there in some of the smaller buy-in tournaments but recently my tournament track record has not been consistent especially considering how much I play. Most of the UB Star Player/Pros all play UB’s big Sunday 200k Guarantee tournament and a few weeks ago our very own Scott Ian won THE WHOLE THING for over $40,000. I couldn’t believe it when I heard the news. Of course I’m aware that UB has their pro team for a reason and that each player is skilled at poker. However I also know how hard it is to make it through a large field, to have your hands hold up, to avoid the minefield of bad beats and to skillfully maneuver through a final table and clench the #1 victory. Scott’s win gave me a glimmer of hope. If HE could do it… SO COULD I! Something snapped within me that day and I set out the following Sunday to win the 200k myself!
It sounds so simple but when that Sunday rolled around I simply made the decision to PLAY GOOD POKER! During the tournament I found myself getting away from bad starting hands, no matter how pretty the suited junk looked. I became less enamored by AK and opted to fold it more regularly when I didn’t hit a flop and had someone betting into me. I let go of a lot of small pairs that I’d normally play in early position or to a raise. This might be a controversial suggestion but I watched TV and did other things online to occupy my time so as to avoid getting impatient and becoming an action junkie. I played a Phil Hellmuth type game. Even when I would hit a flop with a good hand, top pair or a tempting draw I made the choice to get out of sticky situations when I didn’t feel that I was strong and look for a position where I could get my money in BETTER. I made a lot of great folds that day and got paid off when I did wait for a strong hand.
Whaddya know, that Sunday out of about 1,000 players I cashed in the tournament and took 64th place. I know it doesn’t sound like the most amazing feat but I was excited to accomplish the very thing I set out to do. I play the 200k on a weekly basis and it’s one of UB’s biggest and toughest events and this was my best finish in the tournament to date. Even though I got my money in with a dominating hand and was eliminated when another player sucked out it felt very rewarding to know that I played a really good game of poker.
I kept that same determination and diligence the following Sunday in the 200k and cashed AGAIN, taking 66th place… yet again losing with a the better hand. With back to back cashes I started feeling like I was on to something so I decided to apply this new “PLAY GOOD POKER” technique to every tournament I played. No matter what stakes I played, even the smallest buy-in tournament all I knew was that I liked the taste of winning. So, I’d make up my mind to win whatever tournament I entered. Within the next week I had another deep cash in large tournament followed by two final tables! I had transitioned from splashing around and letting sloppy habits and the tendency to want to gamble dictate my game to simply playing like I knew I should. I’d tell myself “play as if this is the last few tables in the Main Event”. Better yet, I played as if Annie Duke were sitting there watching me, knowing she’d smack me upside the head and lecture my face off if she saw me playing like a donkey.
It’s easy to get lazy with your game when you spend a lot of hours playing online; hand after hand, pot after pot, game after game. It’s easy to lean more towards gambling to accumulate chips than to play a patient and boring game where your chip stack increases painfully slow. I’ve also found that if the money/buy-in isn’t significant to me it becomes easier for me to donk around and not take it seriously. That concept is ridiculous considering that I’d never take, even ten bucks and flush it down a toilet. When I decided to take EVERY game seriously and focus my $25 buy-in game got just as good as my $200 buy-in game. When you start playing good poker, it’s contagious. When you start winning it’s addictive. Scott Ian is making me rich and hopefully I will do the same for you.
Tiffany Michelle
Tags: Phil Hellmuth, Scott Ian, ultimatebet
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Monday, April 6, 2009 - Tiffany M
Everyone has been buzzing about the Dream Team Poker tournament that took place last weekend at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Poker players obviously play a whole lot of poker, jumping from tournament to tournament which can get a little mundane but because this event had a team format was out of the norm and really fun. At the welcoming cocktail party it was hilarious to see each team’s jersey hanging on the wall and read all the creative team names. People had a lot of fun putting together their teams and being thematic and/or wacky with their team name. I think my favorite team name was Kristy Gazes & Jerry Yang’s team comprised of one female and two men thus the team name “Four Nuts, Six Hands and a Rack”. As you can probably tell the atmosphere wasn’t too serious. People ditched their poker faces in order to have a few laughs, poker fun at this game and it’s players.
Poker is usually such a solo game where ‘friendships’ don’t exist at the table so this tournament was a chance to root each other on as well as gang up on other teams. Lacey Jones and Maria Ho were on my team, team “Yo Mama” which was only one of two All-Girl teams competing (see picture below). We did a lot of friendly smack talking at the pre-party and came in the next morning ready to rumble! (You can see the pic below that I snapped with last year’s Dream Team Winner Matt Parvis from team “Bluff” and his championship ring). The huge baseball-like sports jerseys weren’t exactly the most fashionable outfit for Lacey, Maria and I… yes this is something you think about as girl poker player, ha ha. But we didn’t want to be divas and stick up our nose towards our team jersey so we each found our own way to make it work and I have to admit we made those oversized man shirts look pretty hot!
I had a ton of friends and fellow pros playing in the event so it was inevitable that when I got seated there were three familiar faces at my table; Yancey Arias, Nick Gonzales and Casey Thompson. Minutes before the tournament started Casey and I agreed to a last longer bet and then a minute or two later we discovered that we were at the same table which made it convenient for me to keep tabs on him. I ended up knocking him out a few hours into the tournament… $100 bucks for Tiffany, CHA-CHING! Sitting directly to my left was Nick Gonzales who I’ve known for several years through the Hollywood poker scene. He’s a talented actor and a great poker player (he recently took 2nd place in the WPT Celebrity Invitational). Be sure to look for him in the new Fox show ‘Mental’ coming out May 29th! As much as you hate to be seated next to a friend on the battlefield of a poker table we had so much fun catching up, bantering and entertaining the entire table. (There’s a pic below of me being silly with Nick).
Team “Yo Mama” played very well but slowly towards the end of the day we each faded out of the tournament. I’m not a huge fan of dishing all the hand details of a tournament because we’ve all been there and know how it goes but I think it’s significant to mention that I was eliminated with Aces. We got it all-in on a 558 rainbow flop which looked pretty safe for my aces however my opponent flopped QUAD 5’s…. eww. I believe in poker miracles but this time I started walking away from the table before even seeing a turn or river. I had a good feeling the runner-runner aces were NOT coming, not on this day. I was actually okay with that… just as long as my miracle cards show up when I really need them, oh… say in events like the WSOP Main Event!! 
Even though we didn’t clench the coveted title (congrats to Jamie Gold’s team for accomplishing that) we had a ton of fun and look forward to our next chance to play some friendly, team poker. Well, that’s your wrap up from the Dream Team Poker Tourney 2009. LJ, MHo and I can’t wait for team “Yo Mama” to riiiiiide again… and believe me, we will!
Tags: Caesars Palace, Dream Team Poker, Jamie Gold, Jerry Yang, Kristy Gazes, Lacey Jones, las vegas, Maria Ho, Matt Parvis, WPT Invitational
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Tuesday, March 24, 2009 - Tiffany M
After some fabulous downtime after the holidays and New Year, 2009 is kickin’ my butt and keepin’ me busy. On the agenda for the month of March; Reno, San Jose and Vegas… yikes!
A few weeks ago I found myself stranded in the middle of Reno but I was in good company and it was for a great cause. Lacey Jones, Maria Ho and I along with several other pros attended Jen Harman’s Celebrity Charity tournament for the National Kidney Foundation. They put on a great fundraiser, had an excellent turn-out and the unique team tournament format brought some fun camaraderie to the event. Besides raising over 100k for the National Kidney Foundation the highlight of my trip was getting a straight flush while splashin’ around in a $1/$2 NL game with the girls. At the Grand Sierra they have jackpot hands and even though the pot I won was only around $20 bucks I received a $600 bonus!, Woo Hoo! That was super fun.
From Reno, Maria and I headed to San Jose for the WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star tournament. I’d never played cards in the Bay area and due to gaming laws it was a very different experience than what I’m used to in Vegas. Their card room is only allowed two No-Limit tournaments a year which they reserve for the Shooting Star $10k Main Event and the $2k preliminary tournament. That meant that the super satellites were a Spread Limit format which is somewhat like pot limit but at any given point you can only bet 40x the big blind. Maria and I were both eliminated pretty quickly from the first super satellite we played which began at 9:30 in the morning… YIKES. Poker players don’t do mornings! You know how poker goes, the set that I flopped was no good when playing against someone who chases to the river to hit their gut shot… ugg.
The following day I felt really optimistic about the $2k NL event. I was a little under the weather and started coming down with a cold in Reno from the late nights and smokey casino atmosphere but I remembered that when I played the WSOP Main Event I was really sick at the beginning of that tournament as well as when I cashed at the WPT Borgata Poker Open so maybe having a little cold helped me pace myself and be patient.
A few hours into the beginning of the $2k tourney I slowly began losing chips and pots and wasn’t able to capitalize on the ridiculous play and players at my table. I’ve never squeezed 9-2 more in my entire tournament life than I did at that one table. At one point Maria Ho got moved to my table, directly on my right. Of course it’s always fun to have a friend to chat and socialize with but you never want to have to play with one of your best friends.
We were both down to about 2500 when the blinds were 100-200 with a 25 ante. I preach about it all the time but from my past poker tournament experience I’ve learned to keep my optimism even when I’m sitting at ten big blinds. I looked at Maria and optimistically told her that I was going to turn my 2500 into 27,000 within the next two levels… and that’s exactly what I did. Unfortunately Maria wasn’t around to see it since she was eliminated shortly after. I was able to pick up a pot (blinds + antes + a raise), then immediately after I doubled up with aces and just like that I was sitting on 15k. I patiently sat on that stack for awhile and yet again watched it dwindle away when the 9-2 started showing itself every few hands or so. Eventually I made a move in an attempt to pick up chips and walked into someone with a big hand. It’s really tough to be patient while losing pot after pot and watching your chips disappear. To be honest I didn’t need to make the move I did but it’s so tempting to make an aggressive play when you get stars in your eyes over a big pot. There are definitely moments when it’s appropriate and sometimes you have to take a shot and gable to gain chips however in hindsight I wish I had stuck with the patient way I HAD been playing - waiting for good hands and committing chips when I had the best of it or at least shoving when I was ahead. More and more I’m realizing the value in being a solid and patient player however boring it may be, especially with all the poker maniacs out there who are bound to make a donk play and ship you all their chips in the process.
Alright enough poker talk. I’m home in LA and have been taking meetings with some networks who are really serious and excited about doing a reality show, a freaky yet fun thought. This week I’m off to Vegas for the Dream Team poker tournament where Lacey, Maria and I plan on CRUSHING the competition, ha ha. I’ll keep you posted.
Tags: Bay 101, Dream Team, Lacey Jones, Maria Ho, Shooting Star, WPT
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Friday, March 20, 2009 - Tiffany M
February wasn’t a terribly exiting poker month so lets talk about the exciting things that are going on in my life away from the tables!
On the acting side of my career things seem to be picking up. I’ve had a few super cool auditions this week. One was for a Matt Damon movie to play his leading love interest. I mean, it’s no Rounders sequel but I don’t think any of us poker fans want to see them even attempt that! At least if I shot a movie with Matt I know I wouldn’t be bored in between takes since I’d have a poker pal on set to play with.
My management just confirmed that I’ll be joining Erica Schoenberg and Evelyn Ng for a ‘sexy poker chick’ photo shoot in April for Knockout Magazine. .. in BIKINIS. Yikes, I’d better stay away from the French fries and try to get some good workouts in between the long hours sitting on my butt at the poker tables.
Speaking of magazines I recently shot the March cover of Rounder magazine! We did a sexy, fun and funky photo shoot in Vegas at Panorama Towers a few weeks ago. I love getting all dolled up for a photo shoot especially since everyone usually only sees me hiding under a hat or hoodie at a poker table surrounded by a bunch of men. It’s refreshing to step away from the game for a moment and be 100% girlie. I’m definitely looking forward to doing more with the magazine in the future, possibly a special issue during the WSOP. Be sure to pick up your March copy!
At the end of month I’ll be playing in the Dream Team Poker tournament at Caesars palace along with my girls Maria Ho and Lacey Jones. We have given ourselves the team name “Yo Mama”… cracks me up every time I say it! Anyone interested in creating their own team and participating is welcome to do so, you can visit the Dream Team’s website for more info.
Other than that I’m just gearing up for the World Series and will be popping in some events at the WPT Five Star tournament next month as well as the WSOP Caesars Circuit event to warm up my little fingers for a summer of poker! Stay tuned!
Here’s a sneak peek of a picture I snapped real quick with my phone while on
set of my Rounder magazine shoot
Tags: Dream Team Poker, Erica Schoenberg, Evelyn Ng, Knockout Magazine, matt damon, rounders, world series of poker
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Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - Tiffany M
Man, I am WIPED OUT! I’m writing this while sitting on a six hour flight (yuck) from Atlantic City back home to LA from a two week whirlwind poker trip - I had only intended (and PACKED FOR) a five day trip to Biloxi for the WPT Southern Poker Champs.
My plan for January was to stay in Los Angeles to play all the preliminary LAPC events but a few friends were headed to Mississippi for the WPT event and convinced me to come join the fun since it would be a soft field with PCA and Aussie Millions happening simultaneously. ‘Soft field’ for me on Day 1 of the WPT Southern Poker Champs Main Event meant Erick Lindgren, Brandon Cantu and Hoyt Corkins all directly on my right (thank god for that).
During my run in the WSOP Main Event I didn’t actually run into many recognizable pros with that kind of star power at my tables so I have to admit it was a new experience for me to sit at such a stacked one. Knowing these player’s reputations I was a bit nervous when I sat down to play. My brain had a short circuit for a second, wondering what I was supposed to do and how I was supposed to play. Then I just reminded myself that these guys are just poker players like any others. None of them had super powers like being able to see my cards. Yes they have a few tricks in their bag and would probably be more observant and aggressive, preying on weakness and their reads but there was nothing I could do to change my table draw so I made a mental note to stay alert but not to shy away from game. I think that’s a really good mental tip for those of you who might be newer players but making the transition to playing live in pro heavy fields. If you find yourself at a “pro’s” table *Don’t freak yourself out – *Don’t be stupid, but Don’t shy away – *And Don’t lose confidence in your game. This little pep talk I gave myself helped restore my confidence and play a solid tournament.
I made it through Day 1 but I was steaming towards the end of the day when Brandon Cantu got dirty on the button with a garbage hand at the same time I woke up with KJ suited in the big blind… of course as the luckiest player in THE WORLD he hit a miracle flop (while I hit my flush draw and had overs) that left me with 20 big blinds.
Here’s another tip that I’m noticing more at the tables. Coming into Day 2 I was frustrated by the beat Brandon put on me the day before. I was not optimistic about my 20 big blinds but if I’ve learned anything from my Main Event run it’s that IT’S NEVER OVER. Most of you know on Day 2 of the Main Event I was UNDER TEN BIG BLINDS and somehow I managed to survive five more days and take 17th. I see so many players get tilted when they lose a huge pot and most of their chips. A lot of players end their tournament all on their own accord and can’t blame anyone but themself. They get chip envy, they throw a pity party about having a short stack and mentally give up on the game and somehow get all in with a poor hand in poor position when they could actually regroup and with a double up or two be right back in the game. I call it “commiting poker suicide.” JUST DON’T DO IT!
I was dejecting doing into Day 2 as the short stack but I knew a comeback was more than possible so I decided to play patient and grind it out. Grinding it out with a short stack is definitely no fun but I did exactly that. I went between a stack with ten big blinds to 30 big blinds… THE ENTIRE DAY. I’d picked my spots and mentally decided not to give up. The encouragement I always give my poker friends when they take a big hit and are unhappy with their chip count, “Push the rest button and pretend like you JUST sat down at the table for the first time and this was the amount of chips you were given!” There’s no going back once the chips are gone, right? You can only start where you’re at.
At my first table on Day 2 I sat with Bill Edler (directly to my left) and once again Brandon Cantu appeared at my table, I jokingly said that God was giving me the chance to get my chips back. Later on in the day when I worked my stack up to a healthy amount I was moved to a table with Greg Mueller, Anna Wroblewski and Jordan Morgan. After my roller coaster day and finally collecting some chips it took just TWO back-to-back hands to eliminate me. I shipped a majority of my chips when I made a big lay down to Jordan (who is a very solid player) and then the very next hand he delivered the final blow picking up Aces to my 8’s shove.
I thought the poker trip was over when I was kidnapped for a relaxing little weekend in Tennessee (where I got to see a fresh snowfall). But just a few days later I was convinced to jump over to Atlantic City for the Borgata Winter Open since I was still on the Eastern side of the country. The main event was a $3k buy-in and 2mill guarantee, which I couldn’t pass up. While hanging out with Maria Ho, Lacey and Etay we joked about how it was almost impossible to bust out on Day 1 of the event since you start with 50k chips (blinds starting at 25/50)! I guess Maria and I like doing the impossible… we both busted out Day 1 with the same hand scenario; Queens verses Kings! However Maria’s beat was worse than mine, flopping set verses set.
After two weeks on the road, between three different states (from what was supposed to be a five day, one city trip) I walked out of the Borgata Poker room upon getting knocked out, literally threw my clothes into a suitcase, hopped in a limo to the airport and took a flight out of Philly 2.5 hours later. My own bed has never sounded so good.
Oh yeah, besides watching the snowfall in Tennessee the other highlight of my trip was in Biloxi during one of the main event satellites where I flopped QUAD ACES (two in hand, two on board) and got paid off! THAT was fun… thanks Rock
Tags: Brandon Cantu, Erick Lindgren, Hoyt Corkins, LAPC, Poker Poker Poker, Poker Strategy, Poker Tips, poker tournaments, world series of poker, WPT, WSOP
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Tuesday, December 16, 2008 - Tiffany M
With family coming into town for the holidays, a magazine cover to shoot and
a COMPLETELY thrashed voice (from a combination of being sick, smokey Vegas
casino air and staying out way to late/early… as you do in Vegas) I had to
cut my Vegas trip short and come home to LA a little earlier than expected.
Which means that I didn’t have the chance to play the WPT Five Diamond Main
Event although for a second there it looked like I might…
The night before Day 1b of the Main (also the day I planned to leave) I
decided to play the 10pm, $1500 Super Satellite. I figured if I won my $15k
seat it would be worth it to adjust a thing or two back here in LA and
postpone my return. We started with $4500 chips and 40min levels which
isn’t bad but not the greatest structure since the blinds almost double
every level. I was a little bit tired but had a REALLY good feeling about
this tournament. I find that sometimes when I’m very chill and not too
eager to play… I play my best. I play a much more patient, paced and
thoughtful game. I’m more focused on the hands and players and less likely
to get reckless.
Six hours into the event I was down to the last three and a half tables (11
players got seats, the 12th got their money back). The confidence I had
started to diminish as I kept glancing at the clock realizing that the
blinds were creeping up on us. When you don’t have a great structure the
last few levels in a tournament just become a ‘shove fest’ and I felt uneasy
knowing this would most likely be the case since even the chip average was
now TWENTY big blinds at this point. It was a roller coaster at the end. I
lost AQ v. KQ when the button (who was getting short) pushed on my big
blind, hit his king and took about a third of my chips. Then I lost AK v.
44 - even though I hit my four to a flush the 4’s, OF COURSE rivered a boat.
This knocked me down to 1900 when the blinds were 800/1600. If anybody can
be optimistic about a big comeback it’s ME! I’ve seen it happen. In fact,
on Day 2 of the WSOP Main event was down to 6k when the blinds were
400/800… and we all know how that turned out.
It was kind of comical when I somehow managed to turn the 1900 into 15,000
(still less than ten bigs). Next thing you know we’re seating the final two
tables and are down to 18 players. I couldn’t help but laugh at the poker
gods taunting me as we were just SEVEN players away from a $15k seat.
Blinds bumped up to 1k/2k as I sat on an 11k stack. I look down at K-10 in
the big blind and am fairly certain this will be my hand. As everyone
folded around I planned on pushing to a small blind call. The player in the
SB looks at his hand and says something like, “Alright, lets go.” I tease
him by moving my entire stack close to the line but he hadn’t yet put his
chips in the pot to call the BB. He looks at me and then changes his mind
about the call and says he’s “all in”. It was a weird sequence of events
but I strongly got the feeling that he was just trying to scare me
especially since a minute prior his hand was only good enough to call. I
follow my read and call, putting myself all in. He show Q7 of clubs and
announced that he felt lucky and felt a suck out coming… GREAT! He flops,
turns and rivers his clubs… OF COURSE. Ahhh the torture of tournaments
and getting so close. But I can’t complain, I felt great about how I played
and am well aware that that is just the nature of this brutal game of poker
we play. It does remind me and give me hope however that when your good
hands DO hold up… those are the days you’ll cash, go deep and win
tournaments.
Happiest Holidays to all of you! I’ll leave you with some pictures from the
Jingle at the Hard Rock Charity Tournament I played on this trip which
raised money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. It was a beautiful event
where the Christmas spirit was very present and life of Mindy Trinidad (a
poker fanatic who recently lost her battle to the disease) was remembered.
Tags: Tiffany "Tiffany M" Michelle, WPT
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