OK, so I have been running pretty bad the last few weeks. I can look back on some hands that I would have played different, but for the most part the cards have just been running cold. Set over set, flush lose to a higher flush, boat lost to quads, etc.
After a particularly brutal session last Friday, I call up Matt G to announce that I'm quitting poker for at least the next month. The only issue is that my hours qualified me for the $10k guarantee O11 freeroll the next morning. I decided to play despite my self-imposed ban. There are 148 entrants (very low for their freerolls which avg closer to 300) so I like my odds already. I know tournament journals are generally pretty boring, so I'll stick to the highlights.
Second hand of the tournament in middle position (blinds 25-50), I open with raise to 150 w/KcQs. Everyone folds except SB who calls. Flop Qc8c6c. Small blind leads out for 250, I pop it to 1000. He looks at his cards again and announces he's Allin. A normal tournament I probably let it go, but this one you have to build your stack quick (4000 starting chips, 12 minute levels). I decide to roll the dice w/the 2nd nut draw and top pair, thinking he may have the Ac, possibly a set or an up and down str8 draw. Outside chance he's a total donk and has something like QJ, which wouldn't be unheardof at this casino.
I call, he shows Tc5c....well, I didn't put him on that. Regardless, I have outs. Turn is.......Jc!
After that, I coasted picking up a few small pots and making a couple nice bluffs. We got down to 3 tables, my chipstack about avg when I open from the button w/a raise w/AsJs. BB is short stacked and pushes over the top. No choice but to call there. He shows QJ, and flops 2 Qs! Now I'm really in trouble. I'm now low man at my table and probably the tournament. Next hand I get QQ. This is great b/c I want my allin to look like a tilt bet. I have about $8k in chips, blinds are 750/1500. UTG is also short stacked and pushes. Cutoff is big stack and calls, I repush for a little bit more....then BB repushes his stack and is called by the big stack! Well, I'm either going to quadruple up or I'm gone. Players show their hands. First guy shows KJo, big stack shows KJ std, BB shows KJo! Another player at the table announces he folded a K. QQ holds up of course and I'm back in business!
The tournament winds down to 15 players, with the top 14 getting paid. Someone asks the TD if we can chop now for about 600. TD explains that it is the casino rule on freerolls that you cannot chop until we hit the $. I'm in big trouble at this point. I had subsequently lost 2/3 of my stack when my AKs lost to JJ. I'm now 2nd to last in the tournament and that button is fast approaching. I have roughly $10k, and blinds are 2k/4k....not even 2 orbitz left! I'm UTG and look down at AA! I push and get 4 callers! I had to dodge a lot of cards, but somehow the AA held up! Right after that, someone from the other table bounces, putting me in the money! The chop is over 600, and even though i'm in 7-8 place, I'd just assume take it and head over to the cash table. Old black dude at my table is now the low stack and is pleading with the big stack from the other table to chop, but he refuses. Next had Old Blackie pushes UTG, I call on the button w/AJ. He shows his AK, and I flop a J! Old blackie is gone with a $140 prize. He is salty no doubt. 2 hands later, I take down a huge pot, knock someone else out and am now the tournament chip leader with 12 left! At this point the chatter gets louder for chopping. Big stack at the other table announces that if you give him a couple hundred extra, he'll chop. I announce I want the same thing, and everyone agrees. $970 to me!
I made a couple hundred more at the cash table over the next few hours, so it was a good day for me.
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