zero to a thousand update

First entry: I qualified in a tourney placing top 30 out of 3500 but the recording software got goofed up so I was unable to load it up. I believe the problem is resolved. I limped with a few pairs early, and it wasn't until I had only 1000 in chips when I hit my set, but that double up got me to 2400 and I was able to accumulate chips from there, getting it all in with aces on the turn with my opponent virtually drawing dead (two outs). I made a lot of sick laydowns. I folded pocket tens twice. The first time was very early to an all in, and those of you that read the Power Holdem blog know my disdain for taking a coinflip early, it was worse than a coinflip because two players had gone all in in front of me... I also layed down pocket Tens to a tight player who only played all in or fold at the time and he showed pocket Qs. Even later on I folded AK suited which was probably the sickest laydown I made the entire tournament, given the timing of it. It was pretty late in the tourney, the period of time that you'll want to take a coinflip. I had about 20000 in chips my opponent had about 18000, However, he hadn't ever moved all in, I felt he had a pair and I was a slight underdog, but most of all I was just confident enough that I was going to be able to squeak into the top 30 anyways. Later on I was getting short and picked up pocket 9's and had to make a move so I shoved all in after a guy who had been raising more than his fair share raised it up in early position (he almost had to have had a hand that was good enough to make it a coinflip). Well I had all my chips at risk for only the third time... The first time my opponent was drawing dead, the second time I had aces built a big multiway pot and flopped the top set. and Now I had 99 and he had AQ and I was a 56% favorite.
I had to make a couple blind steals by making a 2.5X raise and a minraise with basically nothing to kind of tread water. I was in 26th place with 35 left, and just kind of managed to stay afloat as I had to fold 77 and AJ to an all in, knowing I would probably still make it without taking that risk. I was at some tables that it wasn't very easy to accumulate chips at because they were so loose aggressive that I just had to sit back and wait for a hand, and even when I had a hand I had to fold a lot of them.
Qualifier: Now that I qualified, In a field of over 2000 people, all that are top 30 qualifiers in their fields of 3500, I was unable to cash but managed to do very well early accumulate chips before I got distracted and lost focus making a bad play risking my chips from the big blind with A6 on a 623 flop. Opponent had 45 suited. I didn't need to get involved in a big pot against someone who had me outchipped at the time, I had plenty of chips and there were less than 600, maybe even less than 300 at the time.
First documented entry: You should be able to see this soon if I can get the video upload to work. It doesn't seem to want to upload to google or youtube at the moment... the file size might be too big... I'll look for an alternative video source, if any one knows of any let me know. The blinds get big and I come up short again losing with AQ against AA... You hear me talk about how playing AQ in early position is a little bit of a questionable play at that stage in the game, and I almost folded it preflop... The guy played the hand well preflop, but basically gave me a chance to get away from the ace high flop, but I just didn't want to believe that he had me. After that I was short stacked and forced to make some moves two hands later from the BB I shoved in on a minraise and a caller in late position and the small blind, knowing the person always bet his good hands strong, and a minraise to me meant he didn't have it, and the guy that called tended to see a lot of flops. The small blinds calling range was pretty wide for a raise like this. I shoved in with JT suited and it just so happens the smallblind made a trap with AA. I hit a J and a T, however with a pair on board my two pair weren't as good as his two pair and I was out. The funny thing is I was good enough to recognize that the table was good enough to make these sort of traps, and I mentioned when I first sat down how much trapping was going on, but I still wasn't able to identify it and get away from it, an error in judgment on my part.

I think from the video, you'll be able to see how I accumulate chips early without taking much risk (although before I started recording a little early I shoved in with AK and got called by 88 but doubled up). If nothing else it should be a good lesson on risk management and chip accumulation. If anyone knows of a video site where I can upload videos that are above 100M, let me know so I can get this video up and running. No cash yet, but it's still only a couple days into the challenge, and cashing first and getting the money up to a bankroll where I can afford to safely play in games are the most difficult things about the challenge.