Tournaments are hard

I have been playing a lot of tournaments on-line since I gave up on my Supernova 200k quest about 2 weeks ago. I could have gotten to 200k I think but just didn't want to put in the grind necessary to make it with the holidays, etc. I also grinded way too many NLHE hands early in the month in my quest and my results showed this (more in my monthly recap).

However, the variance associated with tournaments is staggering. I have no clue how some people grind out MTTs for a living. But I guess the one or two big scores every month or whatever compensate for the dry times. Here is a sampling of annoying hands I lost on Monday night to illustrate. None are particularly deep in tournaments but are shitty all the same as winning these hands give me workable to strong stacks at the mid stages.

First is FTP 40k Guarantee ($69+6 buy-in). His min-raise jam with 99 seems pretty bad since I am 3b an UTG raiser with 15BB...

Full Tilt Poker No Limit Hold'em Tournament - t80.00/t160.00 Blinds - 9 players - View hand 1095603
DeucesCracked Poker Videos Hand History Converter

Hero (MP2): t2353.00 14.71 BBs
CO: t26233.00 163.96 BBs
BTN: t4937.00 30.86 BBs
SB: t7260.00 45.38 BBs
BB: t8475.00 52.97 BBs
UTG: t4758.00 29.74 BBs
UTG+1: t3240.00 20.25 BBs
UTG+2: t6159.00 38.49 BBs
MP1: t3330.00 20.81 BBs

Pre Flop: (t240) Hero is MP2 with A A
UTG raises to t320, 3 folds, Hero raises to t555, 4 folds, UTG raises to t2560, Hero calls t1798 all in

Flop: (t4946) 5 J 2 (2 players - 1 is all in)

Turn: (t4946) 5 (2 players - 1 is all in)

River: (t4946) 6 (2 players - 1 is all in)

Final Pot: t4946
Hero shows A A
UTG shows 9 9
UTG wins t4946.00

This is not even mid-stage but at least his play is pretty standard from the Big Double ($75 buy-in)...

Full Tilt Poker No Limit Hold'em Tournament - t40.00/t80.00 Blinds - 9 players - View hand 1095607
DeucesCracked Poker Videos Hand History Converter

BTN: t1785.00 22.31 BBs
SB: t2180.00 27.25 BBs
BB: t1915.00 23.94 BBs
UTG: t4459.00 55.74 BBs
UTG+1: t3610.00 45.12 BBs
UTG+2: t2750.00 34.38 BBs
MP1: t4650.00 58.12 BBs
MP2: t4810.00 60.12 BBs
Hero (CO): t2625.00 32.81 BBs

Pre Flop: (t120) Hero is CO with A A
5 folds, Hero raises to t222, BTN raises to t1785, 2 folds, Hero calls t1563

Flop: (t3690) 2 4 Q (2 players)

Turn: (t3690) 6 (2 players)

River: (t3690) T (2 players)

Final Pot: t3690
BTN shows T T
Hero shows A A
BTN wins t3690.00

One of my favorites in the $20 rebuy 6 max. This is after the rebuy period was over and would have given me a nice workable stack of nearly 100BB. I guess he should never be folding the flop and probably should be getting it in. The turn, however, is a terrible card for him. I bet small on the turn to set up a 2/3 pot sized bet on the river that he might feel committed to call. River is pretty annoying.

Full Tilt Poker No Limit Hold'em Tournament - t60.00/t120.00 Blinds - 6 players - View hand 1095610
DeucesCracked Poker Videos Hand History Converter

CO: t1715.00 14.29 BBs
BTN: t3300.00 27.50 BBs
SB: t11355.00 94.62 BBs
BB: t1160.00 9.67 BBs
Hero (UTG): t8529.00 71.08 BBs
MP: t9620.00 80.17 BBs

Pre Flop: (t180) Hero is UTG with 4 4
Hero raises to t289, 2 folds, BTN calls t289, 2 folds

Flop: (t758) 4 J 2 (2 players)
Hero bets t366.00, BTN calls t366

Turn: (t1490) J (2 players)
Hero bets t675.00, BTN calls t675

River: (t2840) A (2 players)
Hero bets t1970.00, BTN calls t1970

Final Pot: t6780
BTN shows A A
Hero shows 4 4
BTN wins t6780.00

Oh well. I did final table the nightly PLO8 on FTP that night but crapped out in 7th when I flopped Nut Low draw, K high flush draw and got it in vs. a wrap with pair and, of course, I bricked off (I held AKh2hT on a Q36 heart-heart board).

Finally, the Borgata announced the schedule for the Winter Poker Open which begins Wed Jan 19. Unfortunately I will not be able to "defend" my chop win from Event 1 last year due to a family obligation that day. But I will go up the next morning and play a handful of events. These are the events that I am interested in:

Event 2 11am Thu 20-Jan $300 + $50 NL Holdem 2 day

Event 5 1pm Fri $400 + $50 Omaha H/L 8B 2 day (I will likely play this rather than Event 4)

Event 6 11am Sat 22-Jan $1000 + $90 NL H 2 day OR
Event 7 12pm Sat $350 + $50 NL H 1 day (softer field, etc.)

Event 8 11am Sun 23-Jan $400 + $50 NL H DeepStack 2 day

Event 11 1pm Mon $300 + $50 PLO 2 day

Event17 12pm Thu $500 + $60 HOSE 2 Day

I really want to play the HOSE but it doesn't fit very well in the schedule for me. Perhaps I will go back up for that event specifically.