First Two Tournaments

To start with getting my feet wet playing for real money, I've decided to play $.25 buy-in tournaments. Yeah, a quarter, you read that right. I will be strictly playing no-limit hold 'em - my favorite variation of poker by far. My goal is to try and build the $50 bankroll into $100 and then move up a level.

First tournament: Right away, I notice that the play is much-more realistic and sensible in these tournaments than even in the 10K play money tournaments. No 7-way pots, a lot fewer all-in idiots on the first hand, etc. The tournament goes well and I catch some cards as well. I make the final table and am in 4th place with 5 players left. The chip leader busts the other 3 players fairly quickly, leaving me heads-up - and him with a gigantic chip lead of 55K - 11K. First hand of heads-up, I get A/K suited, so I'm all-in pre-flop. He calls with JJ and the pair holds.

FINISH: 2nd Place
PAYOUT: $2.41
PROFIT: $2.16
BANKROLL: $52.16

Second tournament: Similar to the first, I'm playing well and hitting some nice big pairs. I make the final table in solid shape but get blinded off and have to struggle to hang on. I somehow make it to heads-up but am again a significant underdog, more than 7:1 in chips. With my stack at around $11,000, I get into a hand with about $8,000 in the pot. I've got nothing - 8/5 off - but bluff all-in on the river and my opponent folds. This pushes me up to around $15K or $16K and I'm on my way. A couple more double ups and suddenly *I* am the overwhelming chip leader, $58K - $8K. One more hand later and I win! First time in probably 5 years that I've won a real money tournament and only my second one ever. Payout that time was $400 - this one's just a bit smaller :)

FINISH: 1st Place
PAYOUT: $3.52
PROFIT: $3.27
BANKROLL: $55.43