Let's try this tourney thing again.

I entered the FTP $6500 guaranteed tonight. For once there was a small overlay. With all the fishes swimming, these are still good games to play.

I play my first major hand with AK suited. I re-raise the size of the pot, get called by table chip leader who calls 500 more. We see a flop of Q J 6. I make a continuation bet figuring that he has just an ace as well or a small pair. Into a pot of 1300, I push my last 800. I get called by....10 10?
Turn is my A and I double through.

I try to steal some blinds but get re-raised in each of my attempts.

I watch someone re-raise all in with 2 2. That is always a winning move. It is as he flopped his set and took down the pot. Meanwhile, I seem card dead. Or am I playing way too tight? 10 10 gets me the blinds and an all in bet for 35. Whoo hoo!

I soon am moved to a new table. One that has more aggressive players.

For the 3rd time in the last 3 tournaments I have played in, I see Q Q crack K K. Brutal!
I think the guy with the Qs misplayed it too by pushing all in preflop to a re-raise. He should have known his opponent had one of 3 hands, two that have him dominated. But again, with the level of play here, his quick push wasn’t a surprise. He got saved by the river.

I finish the 1st hour with just 2605. I hit a high mark of just 2995 but have failed to get any traction. Of the 264 that started, only 108 remain. Last 3 tables pay and I sit in 65th spot. Not bad considering I haven’t had premium cards. I have been able to bluff my way in some pots but getting caught stealing twice really hurt.

I may a terrible fold in the beginning of the second session. In the cutoff with A Q suited, I watch one guy limp and the guy on my right raise just 3xs the blind to 360. I didn’t like that and quickly folded. Then I wondered why I quickly folded? It was only 360. Even more the flop hit I was mad as the BB called and the limper went away. Flop was 9 9 Q. AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! Yeah, I would have tripled up as the BB had 4 4 and the initial raiser A Joff. Damn! I should have called- or better yet raised as my intial thought was before any action occurred.

I feel a bit redeemed- not much- when I am able to punish the 5 limpers and raise big from the BB with 10 10. I then fold for awhile again. I watch the chip leader play the I call “any and every hand from the BB poker” as he promptly beat the Hiltons with 10 7off. Ouch! The Qs only raised it 2.5 times so maybe he had it coming.

I then play fold em again for another 2 orbits all the time wondering if I am the biggest poker pansy in the world. I have no aggression at all right now. So I raise with K 10off to get some chips. Hey it worked! Next hand I get 7 7 and try again. BB calls. Flop is 8 9 4. He pushes. What? How could that have helped? Damn, I have to fold.

Blinds go by and now I am in all in mode. And quite unhappy. So I put on my best push monkey face and gloves and get my finger ready for the move. Fold, fold, fold. Here it is, the push monkey hand! A 2 offsuit. I push my 960 in and see a re-raise from the SB. Damn, that foils my plan. BB folds. I am up against 9 9. Flop gives me a deuce. The turn a straight draw. The river is a nice A and I more than double up to 2200. Nice, but I am still on life support.

Of course I donk some chips off by defending the big blind with K Q just to fold on the A high flop. Back to push monkey mode. I like the A 5off for the monkey move but someone raises ahead of me and I run away. I am officially in last place too.

Then I go on a tear. UTG- A Q suited. Push get called by Q Q. A on the flop and I double up. Next in the BB I get those same queens. Aggro boy in the SB pushes. Uh...I call? He shows 8 8 and I double up again. Plus, he goes on tilt! He goes off.
Aggro: Omg, un fn real.
Me: What? That 8s got beat?
Aggro: omg... you have no clue
Me: I have no clue how Q Q beat 8 8? Yeah, you are right.
Aggro: and you’re an idiot.
Me: but not as much as the player on my right donking off his chips

I fold for a bit until I see Q Q again. The player that I busted their Qs with had raised. I re-raise of the pot would leave me with 1400 behind. He has me covered so I push to show strength, knowing there is a good chance he calls no matter what. He thinks and folds.

I just about make another borderline stupid move. With 9 9 in EP, I think of folding it because of Aggro boy in the BB. Pfft. Only a wimp does that. So I raise it up and it folds around. Must remember that most of these players are rather passive.

At the second break, I have 8200 in chips and sit at 27th place. Guess that makes me the bubble boy! There are only a couple small stacks (<3000) so this will take some time to get down to the money. But I need to double up a couple of times to make a charge to the final table.

One obstacle are the two big stacks to left. I test them and their defense systems. With K 4 I raise on the button. They fold. Sweet! But I remind myself to be careful and selective. 9 9 is good so I raise again to capture the blinds and antes. A Q off in the SB nets me the BB ante and a limper. But because I am being selective now, I fold A 10 on the button to a raise because the player has been really tight lately.

When we are down to 31 players, I notice that 3 of the small stacks are all at my table. And all on my right, including Aggro boy who has donked off most of his chips. Blinds are now 300/600/75. I need more chips if I want to make a final table.

I get 8 8 and raise it up. Uh oh. Big stack is taking his time. He bumps it 6k more. Damn. I fold. That hurt but it was the right play I believe as we are near cashing. One hand later and we now go hand for hand. Before that even starts I am switched to a new table and have made some coin.

I double up at the new table with A Joff under the gun. I raise it the pot which is just about 2/5 of my stack. I get a call from a chip leader. Flop is J high. I push. He comments that there is too much in the pot for him to fold and calls. He shows A 10. There is a K on the turn which gives him a gutshot but it doesn’t hit and I double up to 14k.

Couple hands later I get K K in the BB. Good thing this isn’t live poker. My eyes lit up like a Christmas tree as I am begging for someone to try and steal. Instead it folds around. Ugh!

I begin to wonder if I should limp with some ok hands like 8 9 suited. It folds to me in late position and I fold as well though I felt like calling. Button calls and both blinds see the flop. Of course I would have had a boat on the turn but that is what you get for playing tight. Is anyone playing that hand late in a tournament with a small stack compared to the others at the table? Everyone behind me had twice what I had.

I bounce over 20k with a nice hand from the BB. I see a free flop with Q 2 off. Flop is K 3 Q but all spades. I bet it out and get called. I check the turn 9d. River is a Q, no spade. I bet half the pot and get raised. It is only a min raise. Hmmm... Did he slow play the flush? I just call, though I really wanted to pop it. He shows A 9 for two pair. I take down a nice pot. Soon, we are down to 2 tables.

That is when I make an unfortunate blind steal. With 4 5 I raise it up 4xs and get called by the BB. Flop is Q Q 8. He bets the pot and I am gone.

I fold and get anted away for what seems like forever. Then I donk it all off with 6 7 suited in the small blind. I try to steal with a raise but get called. The flop is 4 6 A. I push and get called by the A. Damn. I played some good poker for too long to donk out in 15th. Chalk it up to experience I guess.

I was a bit surprised that the play was all that fishy when we got to 50 players. It was pretty tight and solid. Until I played my last hand that is.