I finally got an account set up at Planet Poker so I could take my seat in the PJK weekly tourney. I've been pretty much out of action for awhile, so I anticipated being rusty. I think I was, but I was also playing really, really tight. That was either going to kill me, or carry me through.
Just 16 people registered this week and I blame Jesus. Well, I mean, I blame the Easter holiday. Don't want to get struck by lightning or anything...
I find myself at a table of heavyweights, with RicksCafe to my right and FeliciaLee to his right.
I fold, fold, fold for a long time until I get dealt AQs. I raise from 50 to 200 and everyone folds. The blinds get me back to 1925T (started at 2000T).
The very next hand, I get cowboys. I raise from 100 to 300 and get two callers. The flop is J-7-3, two hearts. I bet 750 and get one caller. The 2 of spades comes on the turn and I bet 850. The other player folds and I'm up to 3325T.
Seconds later, I switch tables. Damn. Waste time establishing an image and I'm moved.
My first hand to play here is pocket 8's. I raise from 100 to 200 and the big blind calls. The flop is 9-9-7. I bet 500, the other player folds and I'm back to 3325T.
If you can believe it, those are the only hands I played before 6 players went out and we moved to the final table.
My first hand to play at the final table is pocket deuces. I simply call the big blind and three are in the hand. The flop is full of rags, 8-7-4 rainbow. I bet 450 and they all fold. I'm up to 3550T.
A little later, I get my second set of cowboys, but my raise to 600 scares everyone away. I've getting blinded down, and that little pot got me back to just 2875T, that's 7th out of 8 players remaining.
Soon, I get pocket 8's again. A really short stack in front of me goes all-in and I call him. He's got just Q-8o, and gets no help at all. I'm at 2975T now.
The very next hand is A-10o. I raise it to 800 and minorthird calls me. The flop is 8-7-3 rainbow, lots of rags tonight. It's checked to me and I bet the minimum of 400. minorthird calls. I should have bet more. The turn is an Ace. Great! minorthird bets the minimum of 400 and this time I go over the top all-in. minorthird folds and I'm up to 4775T.
A little later, I get my third cowboys of the night. It's raised in front of me to 800 and I raise to 2000. Everyone folds and I'm up to 5575T, 2nd out of 7 remaining.
Later, after I've started getting blinded down pretty bad, I get A-5o. Not a great hand, but I'm in the small blind, and Felicia is in the big blind and has only 425 left before she's all-in. I raise her and she calls all-in. Not sure what she had, but the Ace on the river was enough for me. She's out and I'm up to 4400T, 3rd out of 4 left.
The good news is top 3 pay. It cost $20 to get in, and third pays $60. I figure I'll wait for a premium hand and try to double up, if it comes in time.
Don't have to wait long because the first hand with 3 left is pocket 10's. I raise and it's re-raised. I re-raise all-in, and both call me. Each had a significant stack advantage over me, but I really didn't want to face both of them. The flop is 9-7-5, all diamonds. Damn.
At least I have an overpair, and one of my 10's is a diamond. The turn is the 2 of spades, harmless. The river is the 8 of diamonds. Suddenly my overpair doesn't matter, and I'm hoping there are no diamonds out there higher than my 10. Unfortunatley, minorthird had the Q of diamonds. The only consolation is that it was one of two Q's in his hand, so I was dead either way.
A few hands later, Paulsburboun knocks out minorthird to take the title. Congrats to both! And thanks, as always, to Felicia for setting this up!