This is a continuation of my Scottsdale, AZ Business/Poker trip

Date: 23 JAN, 2012

Casino: Fort McDowell, Fountain Hills, Az

Tournament structure: $50 Buy-in for 10,000 chips, $40 Add-on for 20,000 chips. (50 Entrants)

Summary: The Fort McDowell $50 Deep Stack is one of the best values out there for live tournaments. Early on, I got pushed around some, but did nothing to cost me much in chips. My first big hand was Pocket Queens at Level III (100/200). Two players limped and I raised for 1000 to take the pot pre-flop. From that point, I was able to chip up for awhile without facing tough All-In decicions.

As we got down to 2 tables, blinds were 2000/4000. At that time, I had about 100,000 chips and had a clear road to the Final Table. An older gent joined the table. I'll call him "Grandpa Charlie." He went about 350 bills and looked a bit like Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel. His stack was also quite fat. My first encounter with Grandpa was a hand where I limped in with 87s. Stefan, the player to me left who I was having intelligent conversation with also called (He had just survived an All-In set-over-set encounter with a flush on the river). Grandpa checked his option at the Big Blind. The flop came town K-Q-7. I bet my bottom pair for 8,000 and Stefan folded. Grandpa raised and got me to fold. At that point, I knew Grandpa was going to be my advesary for the rest of the tournament.

A few hands later, I raised with AQ and had a dude with a chip stack equal to mine shove. I made the call and he was the dog with AJ. My hand held up and I shot up to 160,000 chips. A couple of hands later, I raised it up with AJ and Grandpa Charlie called at the button. An Ace with 5 and 7 flopped and I went All-In. I was nervous when the old coot called, but he was in deep kimchee with A-T. A 7 and Queen filled the late streets and Grandpa escaped with a chop. Nice hand," I said sarcastically.

With 13 players left, blinds went to 8000/16000. Grandpa looked to be chip leader. I had just doubled up a short stack and dropped down to 100,000 chips. I was now Big Blind. An Asian guy who I played against at the Final Table the night before was to my right now. When faced with tough decisions, he would flip a coin to decide what to do. He raised me out of my Big Blind while I had A3. Now at the small blind, I held A7s. The coin-flipper raised me again, but this time I put him to test and went All-In. He called with KQ, but had me covered. Though I was a 60-40 favorite, my apprehension was summarily rewarded when he flopped a King, along with 2 and 4. But I caught a miracle wheel when 3 and 5 hit the board. He was apoplectic after that. I made one more bust out with Big Slick and made it to the Final Table with around 180,000 chips. I was probably 2nd in chips with Grandpa Charlie the leader. Stefan, the coin-flipping Asian and one dude who actually was chip and a chair at one point joined me.

My Final Table was Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. I made the first bustout when my Pocket Queens at the Big Blind beat someone's A2s when his steal went awry. I busted out the Asian guy and another when my AJ (with an Ace on the Flop) beat KQ and the Asian's 88 (Heads you lose, Tails you lose). My steamroller was temporarilly derailed when I got in with AT against Stefan's A7. But he rivered a 7. Still had 300,000 chips. Down to 4 players, I busted out the chip-and-chair guy's "Any-2-cards" vs my A2s.

And now it was Me (350,000 chips), Grandpa (450,000 chips) and Stefan the shorty at 200,000 chips. Blinds were 15000/30000. After a Safe, First went from from $1000 to $800, with 2nd and 3rd $500 [We had to twist Grandpa's arm to get him to agree]. The Final 3 encounter went for almost an hour and was a interesting battle of styles. Grandpa (at my right) was very aggressive and raised 2.5 times the Big Blind nearly every time Stefan was out of the hand. He put me to the test every time and I chose to fold most of the time, but would do timely pre-flop shoves which got him to fold to stay afloat. Stefan chose to play flops and was tough to play going in. He got me to fold a pretty large pot and showed a bluff. I seemed to be getting it from both ends against these two and managed to survive with shoves when I was the button.

We were now at 20,000/40,000. Like a tough boxing match, I was taking too many blows and was down to 200,000 chips. Stefan had 300,000 and Grandpa had half-a-mil. I was Big Blind with Pocket Eights and Grandpa did his obligatory raise for 100,000. I was ready and went All-In. For the first time, he actually called and showed KQ. While wired 8s has always been a Death Hand for me, for once they held up and I was now chipleader. By now it was 1:00 AM and we finally got Grandpa to chop. We each took in $600 and they gave me the remaining 10 bucks and declared me the "Winner."

So for the first time in four years of blogging, I am happy to say: "WINNER WINNER. CHICKEN DINNER."