Tournament #73

Fast start to this one as we've got an all-in maniac pushing all-in on every hand. I pick up KK on the second hand and call his push-in. He turns over K/J. Flop is 3/3/9, turn and river both aces. I double up to over $3000, he's gone. A/K on the next hand goes nowhere thanks to a Q/6/5 flop and a big re-raise of my feeler bet, down to $2890. A few hands later, I pick up A/Q suited, raise to $80 (4xBB) and get 2 callers. Flop is K/6/J, 2 spades. I bet $120, 2 callers. Turn is nothing, checks all around. River is another 6. I've got nothing. Other two guys check, I bet $200, no callers. $730 pot, up $3300. Been in reverse a little bit, down to $2800. I'm getting hit with the deck tonight - KK, A/Q, A/J, 10/10, 5/5, 3/3 already - but most are turning to nothing post-flop. A/J went nowhere when another player raised all-in for $1500 in early position. I'm not calling half my stack with A/J like that. Lots of bust-outs already, though, so I'm 9th of 22. Dropped $500 when I rivered an ace after a turn of a 10. I had a pair of aces, other guy had 10/10 for a set. Down to $2200. Win a nice pot with A/J. Raise to $200, one caller. Flop is 10/7/10, check. Turn is a J, I push in $400, called. River is Q, another $400, another call. My pair of Js is good enough and I take down $2200 to move to $3300 again, 8th of 20. Next hand I fold K/5 only to watch three Ks on the board for missed quads. ARGH! K/K again! Raise to $400, one caller. Flop is 10/2/6, I bet enough to put the guy all-in, he folds. Pushes me to $4000, 7th of 18. Q/Q turns into a $2100 pot for me with 4/3/5/9/3 on the board, up to $5000. And I pick up KK again very next hand! Raise to $450 (3xBB) and no callers. I'm getting a week's worth of hands in one tourney. $5200, 5th of 13. 2 gone on one hand, me 6th of 11. Another gone on the next hand, down to 10. Could there be a final table in my near future?!?!!? Another gone, final table baby! 7th of 9. Blinds still a reasonable $100/200, me at $4800. Short stack gone, we're at 8. Coulda made a ton of money with that hand if I had the stomach. J/6 with J on the turn, 6 on the river. Winner had a pair of aces but no way I could call the bets being made with absolutely nothing. A/J suited turns into a $3600 pot for me when I flop a flush draw, call a small bet, and turn the flush. Other guy bet on the river, I raised, he folded. Up to $7200, 5th of 8. Another gone, we're into the money and I immediately get A/A! No callers to my raise tho :( Back to back big hands, including a K-high and a straight push me to over $12000 and now I've got A/K suited! K on the turn and I pick up $2400. $13800, 2nd of 7. Sitter FINALLY gone, we're down to 6, me in 4th now, no big leader. K/Q turns into a $16000 pot for me when K/10/3 hits on the flop - all diamonds (me with none). I call big bets on flop and turn then bet big on the river when no diamond hits. Other guy had K/J. Me at $20K, chip leader! I bust a guy when I turn a pair of Qs, me at $21000, 1st out of 5. Bust another guy with my A/K. Up to $29000, 1st of 4. Short stack busted by another guy's almost-forced call while holding just 7/2. Down to 3, me still leading. A/K and QQ push me to $37000. Four straight steals of blinds and I'm up to $41000. A dumb call with 5/5 and I'm down to $35000, solid chip leader. Big pot has me on the short side with 9s against Js, down to $29000, barely chip leader. Misplayed that hand, knew I was behind. 3/3 and I raise the short stack all-in. He calls with K/7 and I bust him. Heads up, me with $38000. I take down a couple small pots to push to $53000. Pick up 6/6 and call a raise. Flop is 2/7/6. Other guy pushes all-in and I call. He turns over 8/8. Turn is a 5, making me a bit nervous but river is a J and he's busted. WOOHOO. First tourney win since March 29! I'd like to say this was some great demonstration of skill but I can't. I got hit upside the deck in this one - AA, KK (3 times), QQ (twice), A/K at least 5 times, etc. Still, it's great to win again and be back on the right track. 1st place.

FINISH: 1st place
PAYOUT: $3.52
PROFIT: $3.27
BANKROLL: $59.17