Tournament #74

First tourney in a month...I can only imagine the rust I'll be fighting...

An early A/5 turns into a straight pushing to $1700. Next hand, I A/8 turns into a pair of 8s and I bump to $1850. Holding A/3, I rivered a 5th club to have an ace-high flush - and two other guys betting. Bet, raise, re-raise (by me) to $360, and another guy pushes all-in. I call (of course) and he's got king-high, so home he goes. I'm at $3150, 4th of 36. Holding 10/10, flop comes 8/9/Q, checks all around. Turn is nothing, so I bet $90, raised to $180, I call. River is a J, giving me a Q-high straight. I bet $90, get raised all-in and call. Other guy has Q/8 for 2-pair and I double-up to over $6000. Chip leader! Been quiet for a long time - we're down to 16 players but I've been stuck at $6000 so am now 5th. Fine by me. Just farted away $2000 chasing a flush while holding top pair against a guy holding trip 7s. Argh. Bad play. Uncalled all-in with 9/9 pushes me to $3300. Still way down in the standings. $300 of that quickly disappears thanks to the blinds ($100/200). Blinded down to $2500, I pick up A/K suited. All-in again goes uncalled, back to $3000, 10th of 12. A/6 suited wins me a small pot, up to $3500. Blinded down again but uncalled all-in with Q/Q pushes me back to $3500. Blinded down to $2700 but I've made the final table! One guy gone, we're down to 8. All-in for $1900 with A/8 suited, one caller. Other guy has K/10. Flop is K/9/4...but I river an ace to more than double to $4900!!!! Fold Q/J in the face of 2 big raises and the flop comes...10/J/J. Argh. Would have done really well with that hand. J/J are cracked and a guy gets busted. We're in the money! Now I'm all-in with A/K. Uncalled, back to $4800. A/5 with a 4/7/5 flop and I push all-in. No callers, $1800 pot, me back to $6000. Q/J with a Q/9/5 flop wins me a $1600 pot and I'm up to $6800. Another guy busted, we're down to 6. I'm in the BB for $800 and pick up AA! I get raised, so re-raise all-in. Other guy has 9/4 and it goes nowhere, me up to $10000, good for 2nd place, waaaaay behind the chip leader at $32K. Chip leader with 3/3 vs 5/5 and J/J rivers a miracle 3 and busts 2 guys! We're down to 4. In the BB with A/6, one guy limps but I raise all-in. He folds, and I'm up to $6400 (blinded down quickly with blinds at 600/1200). Uncalled all-in with 10/10 holds me at $6500. Turn a pair of 4s with Q/4 to bump myself to $9100. All-in with K/6, called by A/4. Flop gives me a pair but he hits runner-runner for a flush. Busted in 4th place. That felt good. Overcame a terrible mistake to cash, playing well overall. Could easily have hung on longer but was getting nowhere and wanted to make a move.

FINISH: 4th place
PAYOUT: $1.40
PROFIT: $1.15
BANKROLL: $60.32