PARTY POKER $100 TOURNEY

What a crazy tournament this was. There were nearly 400 entrants and the winner stood to earn over nine grand. I played as well as I could, never taking undue chances. The very first hand of the game, I was dealt KK under the gun. I made a modest raise, which was called only by the small blind. When an ace flopped, I made a modest bet, which was called, and I gave up the hand.

Later, I had turned my initial $1000 into over $1700, when I got KK again. I raised a raiser, who then reraised me. I had position on him, so I decided to take a flop before committing the rest of my chips. The flop came J-high, two diamonds, and he went all in with AQd. I called, of course, and had the best of it. It wasn't the diamond or the ace that beat me, but the runner-runner queens, which devasted me all the way down to $125.

I didn't give up, and half an hour later, I was over $2000. Again, I got KK, with two callers. The flop came ace-high, all clubs. I had no clubs, and decided I would not get involved. I actually had the best hand, as both players were on underpairs, until the fourth club hit the river and the pocket eights made a minimal bet. When the other guy called, I knew I couldn't win, so I saved the fifty bucks. My kings were 0-3.

I get up to about $2500 and I am dealt rockets in the small blind. No chance somebody gets uppity leading into me, as it is folded around. I call the blind, hoping to induce the big blind to attack my supposed weakness. He does just that, going all-in with KJs. I quickly call, and am looking to double up, but nooooooo - he flops a king and spikes another on the river. The pain is immense as my chip stack is reduced to a mere $35.

Unbelievably, I work my way back up to over $5000, and I make the money cutoff at 40. I am looking to remain patient, and give myself a chance to win this thing. My first hand after I made the money, I find the dreaded 33 under the gun. Those are tempting, but I wisely mucked it. Two hands later, I receive deuces in the small blind. This time, it is folded around to me, and impossible to muck a pair. I taker her all in, only to find queens in the big blind. Marci let me have it, but I think it was the proper play. He needed a substantially higher pair to play back at me, and the odds suggested he didn't have one. I would have been leading any ace, and he likely would have folded a small to medium pair. I finished 40th place, squeaking into the money and earning $247.