This is an amazing read. Did reality actually slip that far that quick?

[Update: I changed my gallery software and broke all the images. You can go to my new gallery to see all the pics.]

Even though it was probably 120 in my garage this evening I spent some time building the subframe to my poker table. Here is what I did today:

I cut a bunch of lumber, in this case 4″x1″ pine. The long peices are 60″, the short 20″. This will make the subframe 60″ x 21″.

To connect the frame together. I am using pocket screw technology by Kreg. This stuff is awesome. There is a clamp on jig and a special drill bit that drills the pockets. I used my corded drill to do the pockets and my cordless to drive the screws.

Here is a completed corner. Note the dual-pockets with screws. This particular Kreg jig has two pockets built in. It made this job cake. You may wonder why there are two flat boards in the picture. This is where the folding table legs will be attached. They are spaced so the attaching plates of the legs will be centered on each flat board. Note, this shows the frame upside down, the flat peices will be touching the underside of the table.

Here is the completed sub-frame. It is amazingly strong.

My plan is to screw and epoxy the folding legs to this frame. I will then epoxy some blocks onto the underside of the table that will fit into this frame. That way it won’t slide around. I’ll try and take more pictures as I make progress. It probably won’t be tomorrow because I have an afternoon tee-time in South Austin.

Don’t ask about my round today. It sucked- and it was brutal hot, even though we finished in 3:20.

As far as I know the results of the 45 Person SnG Challenge are in and I ended up third.

I cashed in 6 of the 15 (40% ITM), but only managed to peak in 2nd place in any event. I did end up playing mostly the $1+.20 events (13 of 15). Even still, I ended up cash-positive with $26.60 invested and winnings of $35.00. As it turns out I would have liked the bankroll boost if I stuck to the $5+.50 events even though I got pretty well smoked in the two I did play.

I found the key to being in the money, and making a deep run is not necessarily to have a huge monster stack when there are 10 or 11 people left, but to make sure you have 4K to 5K in chips. Yes, a monster 10K+ stack would also work- but is not needed. The blinds are quicker in these events than the private multi-table events I normally play in (the Mookie, WWdN, or WWdNot for example). There is a lot less time to wait for true premium hands, especially when the M gets low. But yet, the best way to build that roughly-average final table stack is to nut-peddle, try and get in cheap with AXs or pocket pairs and really punish people with flushes and sets. I stay away from A-mid off, mid-connectors (suited or not), and even dump low pairs when facing a 2 or 3 times raise. Yes, you probably will get paid if they hit, but getting bled away to a short stack with rapid progressing blinds is nearly a sure way to get bumped in the teens pushing with AJo because you are forced to make a move.

Just one man’s opinion of course.

Here is a screenshot of my Google Spreadsheet tracking my own results.

Another solid outing. Despite Jordan’s bounty I made the money ending up 3rd. Drewspop and I would have tied in the challenge in 2nd if I finished 2nd, but it was not to be when my AT ran into AQ. One lucky hand when I woke up with QQ in the small blind and got re-raised from the UTG limper. I pushed, he called. Aces. Ooops. Flop comes KQK and I am a luck bastard.

Edited to make it in *english* versus whatever I had typed in there before.

I cashed again finishing 5th. I played pretty solid with no big hands to talk about. I think this puts me into 4th solo with a chance at getting 2nd or 3rd with a big finish in my last SnG. That will have to be tonight sometime.

Ended up 31st when this hand happened:

PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em Tourney, Big Blind is t50 (8 handed) internettexasholdem.com

SB (t2295)
BB (t1520)
UTG (t6085)
UTG+1 (t1320)
Hero (t870)
MP2 (t1645)
CO (t4570)
Button (t1175)

Preflop: Hero is MP1 with As, Ad.
UTG calls t50, 1 fold, Hero raises to t200, MP2 calls t200, 4 folds, UTG folds.

Flop: (t525) 5s, 9c, 6d (2 players)
Hero bets t670 (All-In), MP2 calls t670.

Turn: (t1865) Ac (2 players, 1 all-in)

River: (t1865) 8d (2 players, 1 all-in)

Final Pot: t1865

River:
Hero has As Ad (three of a kind, aces).
MP2 has 7c Js (straight, nine high).
Outcome: MP2 wins t1865.

Fucker called my 4x raise with J7o, then called my pot sized all-in with a gut shot and one over card!?!?!?! This same guy was up to 5K at one point and had bled it down to 1700. Sick. Just sick. Now I have two tries to launch back into the top 4 of the challenge. With drewspop’s 2nd last night and highonpoker’s run this is going to be a rough one.

Good one this time. 3rd.

I trippled up the first hand with 99 against two people with QJ on a J94 board. I think I played very well and got luck when I needed to get lucky. Including trippling up at the final table with a rivered straight against two people with 2 pair.

I am also cash positive for this challenge. Which is pretty cool.