By
the_schmenx
Things had been going so poorly for me that I originally wanted to exchange this seat for cash. I sent Paradise a few emails to no avail. I joked with a friend that I'd probably end up winning it.
I won the seat in a tournament in which I thought I was playing a regular 50 dollar tournament for the first 90 minutes until I decided to click on the lobby.
I played fairly tight early, actually don't think I played more than a hand or two out of the blinds for the 1st 40 minutes. I was down to about 1950 near the 1st break when I was in the SB with AcQc and the button pushed all in for around 800. Based strictly on the position, I decided to push all in to protect my hand. He's got QQ, I don't hit my ace and I got 1150 left. I'm not feeling too good about my chances to do much of anything at this point, but I'm not going to quit.
At the 50-100 level a pretty loose player raises me 4x BB in early position when I'm in the BB with KQ suited. Now, I'm not a big fan of KQ of any kind, but this guy could have any two cards and I don't put much merritt in his position. I put him on a crappy ace and I'm willing to gamble at this point. I push all in he calls, he's got A4 off and I flop a King and it holds, ok now I got about 2200.
A few hands later I've got 99 in mid position with one limper in front of me. I decide to call and try and spike a set, because there are some poor players on my table that will pay me off. The SB calls and the BB checks (the BB is the same guy who doubled me). The flop is A 9 6 rainbow! Absolutely perfect. The SB checks BB bets a little less than the pot I flat call and the others fold, we are now heads up. A 3 comes on the turn and to my suprise, this guy puts me all in. I pause for a second and am almost positive he's got a bad ace. I call and hes got 62! Unbelieveable. He's drawing dead and now I have almost 5000 in chips.
An hour or so later I got the one real lucky hand of my tournament. A player who hasnt played too many hands 2 bets in early position and I have AK when I've only got around 10 bets left at 300-600, I decide to give it a shot and go for it and push all in. She actually takes quite a while to call and I'm shocked to see Kings....not because of the betting pattern, but because it took almost 40 seconds for the call. Anyhow, I get nothing on the flop, nothing on the turn,..............BOOM river ACE! My heart that sunk when the hands turned up is now ok and I'm in decent shape again. I took a shot and it paid off, not the best hand I've ever played, but hell, it worked.
Another key hand was a SB BB hand when I'm in the BB. Blinds were around 600-1200 and I think I had around 29k and he had about 25k The SB played some solid poker and when it gets folded to him he raises my BB about 3x. I flat call with JT suited. The flop is K T 6 I think and he makes a smallish bet, I take my time and raise him maybe twice his bet, he thinks for a second and calls. I turn another T, so now I got trips and I doubt he can put me on it. I don't want to give him a free miracle card if he's got AJ or AQ for nothing and if hes got AK or KQ maybe he thinks he's good, so I bet about 60 percent of the pot and he folds. I had raised his limp 4x BB 2 rounds prior to that and he folded as well. Now I think he's not real excited about playing the blinds with me.
When I have about 150k in chips at the 4-8k level I raise from the cutoff with QQ to 28k and the only guy on the table who can break me who has about 200k makes it 58k. I haven't seen this guy play a hand or playback at anyone. In my mind I'm thinking that this guy has KK. My instincts are usually correct and I had a really big decision to make. I go into the time bank and say "really?" and he says a few things that don't sway me one way or the other. So, based on the fact that 1) I'm the only stack that can hurt him, 2) he hasn't seen me come after him or the guy on his left (who I categorize as a maniac), 3) I haven't seen him play a hand back at anyone, 4) the size and timing of the bet I decide I'm just going to fold. When you put someone on a hand sometimes you need to stick to your guns, especially with QQ. If the flop is 2 5 6, it's just too tempting to push, so, basically, I'd be calling another 30k hoping to flop a set, which is horrible odds, or pushing all in and praying, which I don't want to do with QQ when I have chips and especially when I think I can outplay the table. Almost every one of the big online players I spoke to disagree with the way I played this hand, but, I feel the fact that I don't have patterns or any hardfast rules except to try and figure out the best way to play situations and people, I feel I have to go with what I'm feeling. Now I got 117k and perhaps a few players think I can be pushed around. I obviously do not show the QQ and don't say another word but, "nh". Maybe people put me on a prolonged bluff.
Another key hand was with around 20-30 people left and I'm down to around 110k at 6k-12k blinds and I see AQ utg with a 9 handed table. IMO, there is no other way to play the hand but just push and hope nobody can call or maybe AJ or 99 or TT calls and you at least got a shot. AK KK AA obvioulsy are not what you are looking for. I'm dismayed when 3rd position goes over the top of me all in and feel it's probably over. Nobody else calls and he's got KJ! How on Earth this guy makes this play (he's only got about 40k more than me is beyond me). I flop an ace on a non scarry flop and double up right there. The very next hand i have AA in the BB and someone pushes for 60k all in and 2 other small stacks push as well. My aces weather AQ 75 and JJ I beleive and now I have over 300k and am doing well.
I lose a big pot around 20 left when the button pushes for about 6 bets and I call with KQ. He's got J8spades turns both a straight and flush draw and rivers a flush.
I'm dealt TT 3 times in 2 rounds. Each time I push all in for between 8-11 bets and don't ever have to show.
I push all in in the cutoff with 66 for ten bets and don't have to show.
A very agressive Scandanavian player pushes all in (which is more than I have) for about ten bets with 13 left. I have a6 off. I'm my mind I'm almost positive this guy is on the steal because of his style and the situation. I think he's got KQ or KJ and I call quickly. I withstand a very scarry board on the turn and double up. He's now in big trouble and ended up on the final table bubble. I went with my gut instinct when I laiddown QQ nd I went with my gut instinct when I called with A6os.
A few hands later we are all going to Costa Rica. Congratualtions to all the other players who made it and good luck on the final table.