Oh man! I finally tasted the thrill of going deep in a tournament online. The thrill of having my KK hold, the thrill of having my QQ hold, twice (that's a new one), the thrill of winning races and building a massive stack.
Actually it was my second time going deep after finishing 17th in a $11 touney, but I had no idea what I was doing at the time.
This time was the $3.30 2000 guarantie. 1494 players. My goal was to build a 10k stack by the end of the 1st hour and see from there. I had 2 major hands in the 1st hour. 11 minutes is I get KK and het payed all the way to the river on a board that had three 9s. The very last hand before the break I get KQo and call a preflop raise. The flop comes K high, 2 spades, I bet and get called by the initial raiser, turn is a blank and I lead again, just to be reraised all in. I know I'm good and call the flush draw of my opponent and hold. Sweet, I'm just under 10k at the break, I met my goal.
Second hour I build to 11.5k early and soon lose a big pot for half my chips with KJ in the BB, I call a preflop min raise and see a flop of J8T. I bet, get called by preflop raiser only, I bet again on the T turn, call, and bet again on the blank river, call. He has QT for turned trips... down to 6.5k.
I think I'm dead until I decide to to play bad and call a 6x raise pre with A7s, though there were 2 players in, so the pot was fairly big already. Flop 277, first to bet goes all in, I raise all in and get called by 3rd player. Sweet. they have KK and A9o (?), I hold and am up to 18k. I'm the king of the world now.
Next interesting hand is in the 3rd hour (200/400/50). I'm still sitting on 18k when I get 88. it folds to the button who min raises to 800, SB folds, I reraise to 2000, button jams for 15k, I decide to call. He is probably on a steal with 2 high cards of a small PP, I don't see him jamming with a huge hand. I'm glad to see him turn over 66 and I hold to climb to 34k chips. I don;t think I ever had that many BBs in a tourny.
I start taking control of the table (nice feeling btw) and I win another nice hand with AT on an A77 bord against KK to climb to 52k, By then I'm in the top 15 of the tournament. I win another 10k by check raising a river with air holding KQ on the A river, I'm pretty proud of this play, I knew he didn't have an ace.
Next big hand is a big milestone for me. I QQ out of position (remember QQ is the one hand I hate). I have 71k (largest stack at the table) at 800/1600/150. I raise 3x and get called by button and BB. Flop comes 563, 2 clubs. I lead for 9600 and get reraised by button to 20k, I shove and he calls with 77. Again I hold and hold. I'm up to 132k, for the 1st time I break the 100k chip mark in a tourney! I'm top 5 now.
I build to 150k then things go south a little and drop to 90k when I flop a strait with 7T and ultimately lose to a higher strait when Q and T come on turn and river. I build back to 125k in a few hand including another nice check raise on the river for a 30k pot with air, when I get KK UTG at 2000/4000/400. The usual 3x raised is called twice (UTG+1 and BB), flop is J high, I lead for 20k and get raised to 40k. I think he has AA or AJ here, though he would have raised AA pre. So I shove and he calls with AJ and hold. I'm up to 220k and 2nd in Chips with around 60 players left.
I run up to 250k at one point until I made my 1st really stupid play with ATo UTG+1, Iraise 3x and get called once. check check the flop 8 high 2 hearts, check check blanc turn, and bet 15k on the Qc river and call the 15k reraise to be shown 9Qhh. Still can't figure out why I couldn't let it go. I still have 190k and top 10 stack though.
The very next hand is where I lose the tournament, but I'll stand by my play. 2500/5000/500, I have AJcc UTG and raise 3x and get called by BB. Flop comes Qd9cTc. BB checks I bet 20k and he shoves 125k more. I don't see how I can fold my nut flush draw and strait draw. Just too many outs. I call and am behind his AQ and don't get there. I'm left with under 10 BB. If I win this I'm chip leader by far.
I manage to hold a little longer when I manage to get a split with K9 vs KK, but finally die 23rd. I won 14 dollar when 1st payed 790, i really thought I could do it. I'm not complaining, it was still a massive thrill.
Anyway, after the weekend I still have under 10 bucks in my accound and will go busto soon, so I can forget about all this!