Party Poker Half Mil

There were 2334 players starting. $816k up for grabs with first paying over $170k. There are fireworks right away on the first hand- AA beats KK. Before I am able to get comfortable one guy is already out. Nice.

On the second hand, I see A J suited. I raise it up but fold to the re-raise. Yeah, I am feeling pretty tight at the start here.

Red aces come along. I get one caller who fold on my half pot bet on the K high flop.

Out of the BB, I call min raise with A 6. Catch 6 on the flop, J high. Bet it and get called by 2. Bet the turn and river to take down a small pot.

K Q in the small blind nets me a nice pot too when a K hits the flops and I have the open end straight draw. Guy was trying to bluff out on his busted flush.

It seems like forever before I play another hand. K Q in EP looks good so I raise it up to 70. Get one caller, the busted flush guy. Flop of 9 4 4. I bet it and he folds. Pretty tight table so far. Except for busted flush, no one is playing many hands. Makes me wonder if I really am on Party Poker. Wait, there are a ton of min raises going on so I know I am on Party.

I go card dead, not playing a hand for 20 minutes. It seems I get a 2 every time. WTF?

I then get Phil Hellmuth's favorite hand, two black 9s. I call the raise to see a flop of K 4 2. The raiser just check. So I fire a bet out to see where I stand. He folds. Interesting. The K scared him?

I try to buy some pots but just bleed out chips. At the first break I am basically back where I started. 1710 still remain. That seems surprising as I would have expected half the field to be gone.

Still not playing many hands. I get some back witch J J. I just called the preflop raise. Again, no call of my flop bet. Then I get 10 10. UTG limps. I bump it to 225. The loose guy and UTG call. Flop comes 9 9 3. It checks to me. I bet 400. Loose guy folds, but the limper pushes. Huh? Right away I wonder if he limped with aces or kinds. Or does he have a 9? I take the time bank and think. Do I have the best hand? I am not sure and fold. I don't want to go out if he has the 9 or overpair. What it does is put me on a short stack with just 900 now.

I steal some blinds with K Q. Then when I am in the BB I get big slick suited in diamonds. UTG limps as does another and the small blind. I push. UTG folds. The second limper thinks and calls. SB fold. He shows Q J diamonds. Nice call. Then a J comes flying out of the deck. Shit! But the A of hearts hits the river and I am alive!!!

An orbit later I get big slick again in the SB. But I fold it. There was a huge bet out there and my gut told me I was beat. I would basically have to re-raise all in at this spot and would rather wait for a better opportunity. Maybe not the best move, but I am comfortable with it.

My pocket 8s net me the blinds. Then I get them again, but lay them down to a raise. Glad I did as the flop came A J J. Guy showed an ace when folding. At the second break there are still 876 people playing. I am still on the short stack and need to get to 220 to cash.

I get red 9s and call the all in bet ahead of me. This push monkey was going on any ace. He shows A K. Unfortunately for me, a K comes out right away and I am crippled. I soon push with 5 5. That promptly runs into the Hilton Sisters. I am done in 810 place. No cash today.

I feel I played ok. Not great, but not terrible either. I did make some bad calls, but I don't think the push on the 9s was one of them. Maybe next time.