BOUNTY TOURNAMENT

There were 58 players with bounties on their heads in a field of 1075 runners. Whichever bountied player lasted the longest got a $1000 bonus, with $500 going to the second and $250 going to the third longest. We began with a starting stack of $1500 and I was under $700 in no time. I finally got AK in late position, and with one caller in the pot ahead of me, I pushed it all in. The big blind called with garbage for his shot at the $100 bounty and the caller came in also. The board came 588 or something similar, and I thought I might be good. When the Q hit the turn, I was sure I was done for, but in the end my AK stood up and I tripled up.

I was playing weak-tight because of the bounty on my head. I didn't try stealing blinds with A7 or such things because I knew that players were looking to get in against me. I just waited for some cards and used them to build my stack. I got to the point where I had the big stack at the table, and then I was able to play aggressively because nobody could bust me.

At the one hour break, I was 26 of 515.
At the two hour break, I was 26 of 129.
At the three hour break, I was 28 of 41 and in the money.

At the four hour break, I was 8 of 9, sitting at the final table next to djdaddio, the only remaining Team PokerRoom player and the only player at the table with a smaller stack than mine, though just barely.

We were already guaranteed $500 apiece with the extra $500 going to whichever of us outlasted the other. DJ had actually been down to $45 at one point in the tourney. He staged a magnificent comeback and he even knocked out the third Team member in an AA-TT clash. DJ was sitting to my left and the blinds were $8k/10k, so the blinds were going to reach me first. I had to win a pot to have any chance of outlasting him. I wanted the money but I was also looking for the added notoriety of making the PokerRoom blog - it's good to keep one's name in the news.

I got dealt A7 in the small blind with DJ in the big blind. We were at the stage of the game where it was rare to see a flop. I was hoping it would fold around to me and I could go all in, either taking DJ's big blind to give me the edge in the atrophy war, or to knock him out if my hand holds up. As I was plotting this, the button goes all in. I thought a long time about what to do. I finally decided there was a good chance he was bullying, so I called all in. DJ folded. My A7 was up against 99, a legitimate hand. I got lucky and caught an ace on the turn to stay alive. Now the screws were turning on DJ and he got all in with AQs against KJ but lost the hand. I got the $1000 bonus and I'll get my name in the news.

My stack was workable but still smallish. I was 6 of 8 and I decided A5s was too good a hand not to play when the same button raiser attacked again. He wasn't all-in, just in for a raise. I probably should have gone all-in but instead, I just reraised, hoping he'd fold. He called with Q4. I went all-in on the J43 flop hoping he missed it, but he called with his middle pair and huge chip advantage. I picked up a spade draw on the turn. I could win with any spade, ace, five, or deuce, but the river was a red Q and I was out in 8th place, which paid $376.