Biggest cash yet - $700

Actually it was $760. 5th place out of 91 players. I'll take it (although the $3,300 for first would have been super sweet), considering it was my first final table in a tournament of this size in over a year. I don't play too many rebuy tourney's let alone live tourney's so I am happy with my results. I'll try to recall a few key areas that helped me get to the final 8.

First hour and a half (the rebuy period):
I insta-add on for $25 to double my stack right from the start (not sure why everyone else didn't do it, only three at our table did).

UTG: third hand of the tournament I get AK of hearts... looking back obviously I should have raised... but I call hoping that some one else will raise and I can come over the top... nope. 5 players and the flop comes J-10-9 with two diamonds. Basically I played this hand about as bad as i could have. No one bets the flop, and the turn is a K... ok I have top pair... I'll bet. So I bet the pot which is only at about $100 at this point and Mr. limper to my left (who apparantly is a really good player) raises me all in! I tank and eventually call putting him on a flush draw with some sort of low suited connector... wrong... he had Q-5 off suit... and he takes my stack... add on for another $25 to get my stack back over 1500. At this point I am totally questioning my poker skills and its only about 20 minutes into the tournament. Anyway, I cool off and think of Annie Duke for some reason and a comment she made on TV once about being able to move on and to put whatever just happened behind me. So I did. A few rounds later I double up when I spike an ace on the turn and get my chips back from Mr. Limper when I crack his Kings (he goes out a few orbits later after smoking a J on the break)...Doesn't he know that weed and poker don't mix... so I hear... Ok, now I am ready with enough chips to make some moves.

Funny side story: Mr. Limper's buddy is sitting at our table too (they blazed one together). I call him a maniac because of his super hyper agressive style. He was basically gambling with ridiculous hands like 4-6off, 3-9clubs etc. I call him a maniac and he goes on to tell me that he guarantees that he is the best player that I have ever sat down at a poker table with... I think to myself 'who says that' and say to him "really? well I have played a lot of poker with a lot of good players"... and his response was "I cashed 300th in the Series for over 6 figures"... my response "what's the series??" the table burst out laughing, it was great. He ends up busting out right after they get back from their "break". Good times, see ya!


I add on for $30 (total investment $145) and get another 2,000 chips and sit at about average with almost 5,000 after the first 1.5 hours. This was fine for me as I knew this was where I was going to start to make some moves and accumualte chips. I move tables and tighten up. I raise consistently with Kings and Jacks and steal very little.

Key hand with about 40 players left: I get A-3 off suit and open raise it to 3x BB = 2,400 in late position knowing that the BB has about another 2,000 chips left if he calls the raise... He calls, not good. the flop comes 2-4-9 and he goes all in for his last 2,000. I groan knowing I am behind and he shows A-8... yikes. Well I end up rivering a 5 and hitting a straight for my only suckout of the tournament. A we all know, this type of luck is very necessary if you want to go deep in big tounaments. There were river knockouts going on all over the place. Little did I know this would come to haunt me at the final table...

Middle tourney play: This part of my game really has improved. Previously I would just wait and limp and be so passive it was ridiculous. This time I had a few more chips to sling around and when I moved tables for a second time I really started to play well and make some great reads. I was re-raising and putting guys to the test. I knew that no one wanted to busto with only 20 players left. It was actually pretty easy too. It felt great and I was really focused.

Final table: I am sitting in about 3rd in chips when we get there with about 50,000. I pick my seat and I get the BB right off the bat. Blinds were at 1,500/3,000 with a 200 ante. First hand I fold to a big raise from the chip leader who managed to pick the button to start off... I knew this wasn't going to be easy. Next hand I am in the small blind and it folds to me and look down at 7-7... I really didn't want to see a flop so I push all in... BB calls and I had him covered by about 20K... He shows K-Q and we are off the to races...I really was in shock that he would race knowing that 8th only got $360. he spikes a king on the river and takes half my stack. I am down to under 20,000. So I buckle down hoping that others get knocked out and wait for a big hand. Well that never came. I get my remaining 15K in UTG with K-5 offsuit and Mr. K-Q calls me with As-8h. Three spades come on the flop but I flop a king. No Spades, no spades!! please!! He rivers a spade and I go home packin... 5th place.

Pat myself on the back, move on and work towards that elusive 1st place. 2007 looks like it is going to be a good one and all my studying and hard work is starting to pay off.

Congrats to my buddy Will's brother Andre who placed 8th for $380. Great job dude, very proud of you.


Happy New Year everyone. Be safe.