Update: Foxwoods Trip, etc

It's been awhile since I've posted here so here is an update.

WNP
I was doing pretty well in the WNP standings, staying around #2, but a couple of losing weeks in a row has put me in the number 10 spot (out of 17 players) with -8 points.

We had a tournament last week (10 people, $20 buy in) at the WNP home and I came in second, taking home $50. When it got to heads up with Oakie he had about a 3/1 chip lead over me. I had battled my way to just about even when the final hand happened: I was flopped top two pair and Oakie was flopped 4 to the flush, I bet, he reraised all-in, I called, he caught his flush. It was a good final hand and I was happy with the way I played.

HOME GAMES
I've been hosting a bunch of home games with people from the Boston Poker Meetup list. Those have been going well. I've met a bunch of nice people and good players. We've mostly been playing $20 buy in No Limit Hold Em cash games, but have mixed in some dealers choice here and there. I learned to play 7 Card Stud, I enjoy the game a lot and it's a nice break from Hold Em. We've also played a bit of Omaha, Crazy Pineapple, and Blind Man's Bluff...all fun games.

FOXWOODS
I finally made it out to Foxwoods last weekend. My friend Chris and I headed down last Friday and started playing around 4pm. I sat at the 1/2 $100 max buy in No Limit game. The players ranged from good to poor...most of them, like myself, were average players. I played tight and stayed quiet for the first couple of hours. After awhile I got used to the table and atmosphere and became more talkative and loosened up my play a bit. I went broke a few hours into the trip when my AQ raced pocket 10s and Js. I was flopped top pair, but the Jacks turned trips. I bought back in for another $100 and that lasted me until 8am the next morning when I walked away with a $220 profit for the 16 hour session. It was a great experience and a lot of fun. The problem I have with weeknight home games is the time constraint, games don't usually last more than 4 or 5 hours, so if you're down around midnight there is no time to battle back. Having an 'unlimited' amount of time to play at Foxwoods was a good change, it allowed me to take the swings without worrying about the game breaking up soon. I definitely made some mistakes and it was good to have time to adjust and make up for those mistakes. Having a dealer who assured the game would move quickly and smoothly was also a plus. The rake was high, it cost $5 every half hour for the 1/2 No Limit Games...so I spent a total of $160 for 'time', plus tips. Overall I enjoyed myself immensely and I will definitely head back as soon as I get the chance, it's difficult getting there without owning a car.