The Schenefeld Open is over by now. There have been 4 events. I played very long in three of those so I am very tired now, like 15 hours of sleep during the last 4 nights... Here is my recap:

Day 1: €200+unlimited rebuys+addon NLH

Over 70 player for this one. I got there with pockets full of money to start a rebuy bonanza and go all-in every hand to fill either my stack or my table with lots of chips. When I discovered that I was assigned to the highest table number (=first table to break) I changed my strategy to a "try-to-get-lucky-quickly- otherwise-play-it-like-a-loose-cash-game-until-the-end-of-the-rebuy-period-and-then-switch-to-correct-tournament-strategy-depending-on-my-chip-count". Still, good etiquette demands that you go all-in on your first hand blindly. Before the first hand was dealt I took the first rebuy for 1,500 chips. Rebuys could only be taken if on or below 1,500 chips). I was in the SB of 10 on the first hand. While the cards got dealt if course I informed the table about my plan to go all-in blindly and asked to get action, please. Kai in middle position raised to 220 and Thomas Biehl in the cutoff went all-in, for 3,000 also. Fold, fold and I move-in as announced. Kai showed that he is the ultimate chicken and folded although he had only 1,180 chips left. Thomas Biehl showed AKo and I squezzed my cards - 9 was the first one (juhu!) and the second was a 3. Relief as this kind of trash hand will surly win over AK. Board was blank but the turn brought a 9! The table got excited and I trash-talked a little about my perfect play-trash-hands-blind-out-of-position-for-all-my-chips strategy but my word got stucked back into my mouth when the river brought an Ace. Well, double rebuy time! Very soon I blowed those 3,000 chips also and took annother double-rebuy and then just annother one. Now I was in for 7 rebuys, the main buyin and the addon yet to come! Only 20 minutes left and they floorman already came by to count the players as the they wanted to break our table. Near to me was annother action table where Hassan played, already in for 12+ rebuys! I checked out Sebastian who had 7 rebuys also already. I thought to myself that I try one more time for a double-up and then shut down. I manged to double my chips to well over 6,000 when I played J-9 (limp... ;) and flopped a straight. I got full payout from a young guy who -I think- misread his hand but played it either way as badly as possible so when the rebuy period was over I took the addon and was sitting on almost 16,000 in chips! From there on it was no looking back to me. Yes, I did call an all-in with highcard Q and was shown quad-eight's but I always had the chips. All the way down to winning the tournament for a whooping €15,000 I was the chip leader. I think hope that I played really well the rest of the tournament.

Day 2: €500 NLHE freezeout

I started quitly but catched some cards soon. I won big pot's and lost them. A rollercoaster ride. From 70+ players I got down to the last two tables (9 players ITM) with double the average in chips. Then I made a I-am-here-to-win play and reraised a check-raiser and a caller (Peyman) with my nut flush draw and overcards. I was almost right as the check-raiser had nothing but a straight draw and the all-in caller was on the same, weaker flush draw but had hit a small pair. Now I was slightly behind vs. Peyman but ahead for a large sidepot against the straight-draw opponent. The turn gave the guy the straight and the river blanked out to I lost versus both players and was crippled. I manged to get one more double-up but then I played badly by calling for all my chips with AJo from a tight middle position raiser who I should have know to have me beat there. Out in 16th spot. I joined Katja, she has busted out in 17th spot only seconds before after losing an all-in preflop situation holding K-9 vs K-8 of her opponent.

Peymann 'Chappi' - which way he looks better?

Day 3: €800 NLHE freezeout

Again, almost 80 players. We had a last longer side bet in place, 14 people for €100 each. I somehow flowed through the tournament, playing my best tournament poker since a long time. Laying down Q-Q preflop saved my life one time (most likely) and was just 'in the zone'. I got to the final table with some chips and survived until 4th place after taking two beats. With four players left Shine went all-in on the button, I called in the BB having lots of chips with AJs. He showed 4-5. On the turn nobody had improved but I had a straight and a flush draw togheter with my overcards. The river brought one of his 6 outs, the 4 to double-up Shine. Shortly later I lost my remaining chips vs. a five-outer on the river - ironically it was a 4 again. I got €6,600 for this 4th place finish, not bad but I surly I wanted to win here. Tony, who got 3rd and I splitted the last longer money so I made some moeny there also.

Day 4: €1,000 NLHE freezeout

Not a long tournament for me. I had good start, getting from 6,000 to 9,000 chips in the first hour. Then I doubled up a guy who had raised in the cutoff. He raised, I called inthe BB with A-Q. Flop came Q-8-8 and I check-raised him, big. He re-raised and I put him all-in. Of course he showed K-K which held as they should here. I just played that hand poorly. A typical case of not adjusting to the changing situation. I had put him on K-Q when he did raised and was not able to change my perpective on the hand as the betting went on. Maybe I was to tired or to excited about the two last longer sidebets: one list, the €100 list, had 22 (!) players and the other, €500 bet, had 6 players. I, of course, in both. After losing the hand I changed my strategy and this worked for some time but then I lost a strange hand to bust: I raised UTG+1 with AKo to 900 (BB was 200). Button called and BB, Sebastian, called. Flop 3-4-T with two spaded. I made 1,500 bet, button called, Sebastian folded. Turn 6 of spades for 3 open spades. I thought and troed to get an idea what we button player had. He was new at the table and had many chips and I had never seen him before. Finally, being short stacked with about 5,000 already in the pot I went all-in for my remaining 3,000. He thought for a while but then called, showing 5-6 offsuit. OESD on the flop and a pair on the turn. No help on the river and I was out. I had no intention to play cash games in the bad mood I was in and left home a little later, leaving Katja there. She was out also already but the liked to play the juicy cash games. This proved to be a good decision as she made a *very* nice score that night. I was also excited this morning when I read that my very good friend Frank Debus won the torunament and Jan-Peter Jachtman, also a good friend and long time opponent got 2nd. Congratulations boys!

Jan-Peter (l.) and Frank

So, that's what happened the last few days here besides spending 12+ hours inthe office every day :D. Tomorrow I will leave for EPT Monte Carlo. I feel good about my game right now, Katja is in a good mood and we will try to rock there.