Saturday, August 05, 2006
Could my luck be changing?
Today started just like any  other with me dumping $75 on three small tourneys.  After losing 2 on bad beats and a third to someone who called my all in on a flush draw I was needless to say somewhat aggravated.  There was a $10,000 guarantee getting ready to start that I had decided not to play in.  I was gonna watch some t.v. with the wife instead.  Well, as it turns out she wasnt feeling good and decided to call it a night early.
Double Up
I jumped in the 10K and regretted it within 10 minutes.  I really didnt feel like sitting here for 4 hours to try and win this thing.  Luckily, I picked up cowboys a few hands later.  I was on the button and raised 5 x the blind.  The player UTG called.  I was sure she had aces at that point.  The flop came three rags and I bet out the   pot.  UTG check/called me.  The turn came and againt UTG checked.  I bet the pot.  She moved all in.  Here I am thinking  she has aces but dont feel like mounting a comeback if I fold so I call.  Turns out she had played 5 6 to the raise and was actually holding mid pair.  Good for me.  I doubled up and decided maybe  I wanted to play after all.
Making the Final Table
Well, 3 and 1/2 hours later I found myself at the final table second in chips.  The chip leader had 285,000 of the 550,000 in play and I had 86,000.  Everyone else fell between 10,000 and 45,000.  The chip leader had no idea how to play his stack and raised like 15 blinds in a row.  After this people were moving over the top of him at will and he was calling them down with hands such as J 9 off.  Soon, he was short stacked and most everyone was even stacked with 7 players to go.  I knew all I had to do was  watch these players throw chips around and I would be in the top 3.  Soon that was the case.  I played hands as I got them and soon the former chip leader was out in third.
Heads Up
I was short stacked by about 400,000 to 150,000 but felt good I could take this thing home.  I ran over the leader for a solid 10 hands or so until I had taken his chip lead and had him 300,000 to 250,000.  Then, as I always do I made a mistake.  With the blinds at 6000/12000, I raised from the small blind 36,000 with J 2 suited.  He called.  We saw a flop of 5 J 8 rainbow.  With about 80,000 in the pot, he bet 75,000.  After  a few moments, I decided he was betting mid pair.  I pushed all in.  He thought and thought until his hand was about to auto fold and finally called.  His hand; J 9.  The turn didn't offer any salvation and I found myself short stacked 500,000 to 50,000.  The blinds also jumped to 8000/16000 at that point.  I made a valiant effort at a comeback even tip toeing over 100K at one point, but the blinds were just too much and I was seeing hands like 26 off and 9 4.  With my last 50K,I pushed all in with 6 7 suited.  He called with a less than perfect Q 3 off and hit he Q on the flop to end it.
What an Investment
393 players entered the event and I felt pretty sore at coming so close to a win only to get second.  I will say however, that I couldn't stay too angry considering second did payout $1600 compared to the $2500 first place.  Ya, an extra $900 would have been nice but I got a 5,925 % return on my $27 investment.  Where else can an investment get a return like that in under 5 hours?

