OK, so they weren't complete blowups ... but I'm definitely not happy with myself in the wake of the Borgata Poker Open.

When I left off in my last blog I had a big stack in the $400 NL opening event of the series. Although my 240k stack had me near the chip lead to start day two, it was only thirty big blinds in a somewhat quick structure.

Even though Borgata has some of the best structures in the country for big events, they really should include all of the blind levels that they include in their main event structure for the preliminary events.

I eventually lost two huge races in pretty standard spots for >350k each, one with A♣ K♣ against 10♣ 10♦, and another with 7♦ 7♠ against A♦ Q♣. I finished in 19th out of about 850 entrants.

I came back strong in the $1k NL, which was the very next event I played. Coincidentally I managed to amass 240k once again by the end of day one, except that this was from a 12k starting stack instead of 10k.

However, longer levels meant that we were only halfway through the 1500/3000 level to end the day, which left a lot more play. We also hadn't yet made the money, unlike the $400 NL which saw the bubble burst on day one.

I had an interesting battle with another one of the big stacks at my table during the bubble named Alex Santiago, during which I four-bet bluffed K♥ 9♣ into his A♦ A♠. Slight misread. Oops.

After doubling him up there, it didn't take long to get almost all of the chips back when I doubled A♠ A♦ through his 7♣ 7♦ an orbit later.

Unfortunately, it didn't end there. After the money bubble burst I managed to blow a couple hundred thousand chips with my least favorite hand of all, A-Q.

After a fairly tight player known as "Coldstone" raised under the gun, the same guy called from middle position. I picked up A♦ Q♠ in the small blind, and we all about 27 big blinds deep effective, with me having both players well covered.

Aya!

After some deliberation with my first instinct just being to fold, I eventually went against my better judgment and decided to squeeze. I didn't want to flat out of position, and I thought I'd be able to get the UTG player to make some pretty big laydowns based on previous history.

However, epic failure of mass proportions occured. I pot committed myself with the squeeze since re-raising and folding with these stacks really sucks (that's a high-level mathematical term, of course). My opponents literally showed me the worst news I could possibly see, A♠ A♥ and Q♦ Q♥!!!

Somehow, I didn't manage to make broadway. I lost most of my chips there, and then we redrew tables. I picked up J♦ J♣ with about 150k left at 3/6k, and made it 15k in early-middle position.

Normally I'd be more than happy to get it all in preflop with this stack and hand at this stage of the tournament. However, it's a good rule of thumb that you better have the nuts when someone over 55 re-raises you. An older heavy-set gentleman with a stack of 200k made it 35k to go in middle position.

I'd never played with the guy before, but his bet sizing and demeanor definitely made me want to make a huge laydown on a relatively short stack.

However, I let something influence my decision that I shouldn't have. A $1k online event that would be awarding almost half a million to first had just started, and I could still make it on late registration!

I shoved, he showed me aces, and I rushed home so that I could make a deep run in the other $1k and not cash in the short version of that pathetic story.

My final missed opportunity came in the $1,500NL, but I'll leave that and the story of the loser who berated and threatened me after I busted him on the bubble of the Borgata 400NL for my next post.

Time to get some rest and pack up...off to the Bronx tomorrow night to watch the Yankees crush the Red Sox, then headed to London the following morning for the WSOP Europe main event and EPT event.

I'm really looking forward to seeing London for the first time, but miss Vegas badly. It's strange, but this may be the first time in my life that I've truly felt homesick. I want a chocolate-banana from Tropical Smoothie!!!!!!!!!!

--Matt Stout