My slump is officially OVER! I called up CC tonight, begging to go play in some live cash games. But, he had other plans, so I opted to jump online and play a bigger tourney. I had $50 left in my FTP account (see blog entry: "Ever hit the wrong button?") and I uploaded an additional $150 to enter a $200, $20k guaranteed prize event. 15 mins before the start there were only 55 players signed-up. The thought process was anything under 100 and it was "free money" (55 players * $200 = $11,000 in entry fees versus $20,000 prize money). However, by the time the tourney started, there were 160 runners for $32,000 prize money!!
Anyways, starting stacks were 2,000 chips and there were 7 pros entered, including Chris "Jesus" Ferguson. One pro named Aaron Bartley was sitting at my starting table. I ended up knocking Bartley out after I called his button 3x raise from the BB with KhQh. I checked the money flop of KsJh4h and he continuation bet the pot with only the same amount behind, so I pushed him all-in to see JT and took down a big pot. I also got my entry fee of $200 back as a "bounty" for knocking off a pro. NOT BAD!!
So, I was free-rolling after the first 45 minutes. Having that $200 bounty under my belt and 3x starting chip stack in front of me provided the confidence and patience to play SOLID POKER. For most of the middle portion of the tourney I was chip leader or near the top. The field of 160 was shrinking and now down to 50-60 with 18 spots paid. I was sitting on 17,000 chips with the average around 6,000.
Had a very bad beat when my flopped set of 888's went down to a middle-pair and gut shot straight draw (which he hit) after all the money had gone into the pot. I shrunk from 15,000 down to 5,000. Thankfully, on the next hand, I doubled up with KK and quickly got my patience back.
Decided my goal was to just limp into the money, which was now only 15 spots away. and I was just under the average stack of 11,000 chips. First goal was achieved when I slow-played KK and got an over-eager player to commit his chips when he paired a T-high board.
Having made the money, the next goal was to move up the pay spots, 15, then 12, then FINAL TABLE. I limped into the final table as the short stack with 10,000 chips. Average stack is now 35,000, so I only have one move. I find KK on the second hand, UTG. Instead of pushing, I just raise the 1,500 blind 3x to 4,500. Mid-position re-raises 35k, all-in, and the button pushes all-in for 25k. Was sure SOMEONE had AA, but NO! AQ and QQ go down to my KK and I TRIPLE-UP BABY!! Standing at 35,000 chips and at chip average, I have new life.
Final table was CRAZY with 80% of hands involving an all-in move, so I just sat patiently folding. Found AA, QQ, AA, in a series of luckily cards. Twice, I took down 10k without being called and then eliminated a short-stack with QQ against AT.
Making it down to the final 3 players, I found AK and called an all-in by the short-stack who turned over AQ. Flop comes xxx and then QQ to go runner runner and my stack shrunk to 10k chips. With 320k chips in play, I'm basically SCREWED. Instead, I survived all-ins with 66, T9, and was heads-up with 60k chips versus his 260k. Several times, I took down the blinds, which had climbed to 8k/4k/1k, moving up to 85k in chips. Then, I found TT and called an all-in move after position raising. He turns over 33 and I move into a virtual tie in chips. GAME ON!!
The last few hands, I just got lucky with the cards, finding AK and As9s, which both held up. The first place prize money was $8,600 plus the $200 bounty for a cool $8,800 victory!
Will update with screen shot and more specifics (corrections) on some of the hands tomorrow.
GIDDY UP!
Played a few cash games on the rush and finished strongly:
Online Bankroll: $10,574
1 comment:
congratulations sir! you see my busy social life has served you yet again! let's hit up the live games soon. well done.
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