Tournament #86

Still steamed over the way that last one ended. Getting screwed is always fun. Time for a better result!

Card dead early on, haven't seen a flop in the first 8 hands. Finally get something to work with on hand #13 - Q/Q. Raise to 4xBB pre-flop, one caller. Flop is 9/7/4, I bet $540 - enough to put the other guy all-in. He calls and turned over 8/7. He gets no more help and is busted. I move to $2000. 9/9 helps me bust another guy, move to $2200, 14th of 27. Feels like I've been in the blinds ever single hand of late - down to $1500. All-in for $1250 with A/Q, one caller. He's got A/6 and gets no help, doubling me up to $2700, 15th of 17. A/Q again, this time a small pot, pushing me to $3100. J/8 with an 8 on the flop wins me another small pot, now at $3600. A couple of lost blinds drop me to $3100. 10/4 in the BB nets me $800 with the flop comes 10/9/4, up to $3700. Call call-in with A/K and flop a K. Other guy has A/Q and four diamonds but nothing on the river. I more than double to $5300, 7th of 13. A couple of eliminations and we're at the final table, me in 6th with $5200. One guy immediately gone, down to 8. A/J with a 9/3/2 flop nets me $2000, up to $6500. Uncalled raise to $1200 (blinds $600/1200) with A/K and I'm up to $7500. Another guy gone, we're in the money! All in for $5600 with A/J, one caller, he's got 5/5. J on the flop and four diamonds on the board and I think I'm beaten by a flush - only my A is a diamond so I actually double up to $11000! I'm a moron, LOL. 9/9 with 9 on the flop nets me $10000, up to $17000. K/K on the next hand, uncalled raise. Up to $19000, chip leader by nearly $7000. Short-stack gone, down to 6, blinds already at $400/800. A/Q suited gets me guy coming along for the ride when I flop an ace. $15000 pot later, I'm at $25000. Drop $4000 with my Q/Q vs A/K when a K hits on the flop, down to $21000. Another guy gone, we're down to 5. Another gone on the next hand, down to 4. Steal a couple blinds, back to $23000. Call a $10000 all-in with A/Q and he's got K/Q. No help and he's gone, down to 3, me at $31000. We've got a guy who's only play is all-in. Everything else he folds. He's got $22000 though, so he wins a lot of blinds. I don't mind playing that - it makes decisions easy. Drop $9000 calling an all-in with A/7 suited. Guy has 3/3 and flops a 3. Down to $21000. Suddenly, I'm the short guy at $18500. All-in guy is gone when his A/Q is beaten by 10/10. And we're heads-up! All-in for $8500 with A/2 vs A/9 and flop a pair of 2s. Still way down - $52K vs $15K. All-in with Q/5 after a 5 on the flop. Other guy has A/K and flush draw, turns a K but I river a Q to double up! Now at $27000. A couple of 2-pair hands and I'm up to $44000. Another pair and I'm up to $54000. Now up to $62000 vs $5000. Had him out the door with J/10 vs 8/5 but he rivered a 5 and now he's up to $12000. Now we're back to 63 vs 4. Raise him all-in with Q/10 suited and he calls with K/7. Flop was J/5/K with 2 hearts for me. I turn the flush and he's gone - I win! Another nice, long tournament vs a very good opponent. First place!

FINISH: 1st place
PAYOUT: $3.52
PROFIT: $3.27
BANKROLL: $65.92