I have now played three large buy-in (over $5,000) tournies in my life.  And after today, my in-the-money percentage has dropped from 1.000 to .667.

I could not get anything going at all today.  I immediately lost about 20% of my stack on a poorly conceived bluff, then lost another quick 30% when my QQ was cracked when my opponent rivered a set with 77.  From there I scratched and clawed, but it was not enough.  I didn’t pick up any decent hands, nor could I find any decent spots to get my chips in.  On my final hand, I moved all in with 22 and Barry Greenstein’s wife woke up with KK in the big blind, busting me.  Very anticlimactic.

My table was by far the most difficult tournament table i’ve ever sat at.  Immediately to my right was a kid who works for Cardrunners.com.  Three seats to my right was the winner of the 2005 Pokerstars WCOOP Main Event, Jordan Berkowitz (wearing a ghetto fabulous ensemble that probably cost him $10,000).  All the other players at my table were very tricky.  I did not feel overmatched, but there was absoultely no one to pick on.  I ended up playing a little too passively, and I never flopped a damn thing.

One of my streaks will remain alive:  I’ve NEVER missed a NY Jets playoff game.

I’ll be playing in the smaller events, and will report back on those as well.