IN THE MONEY

I played the $50 5PM PST tournament at PokerRoom, as I often do, and for the first time ever, I actually made the money. I have had the worst luck in this tourney up to now. I got involved early on with a straight flush draw that didn't connect which chewed up a third of my stack, but I grinded it out and got back in the hunt.

The best moment in the event came when the blinds jumped up to $50/100 while I sat just under $1000 after a bad beat. I realized that I needed to take a risk to see if I could get back into some kind of position. Otherwise I would soon be so desperate that only luck could save me. In the big blind, I had $100 already invested and I was dealt 76d. There was a call in middle position, then a raise to $350 in late position. I took the risk and I called the raise. If I hit a pair or any kind of draw, my plan was to go all in, even with the worst of it. The flop came Q73 rainbow. If I had a draw, I might lead out all in, but having hit a pair, I was willing to let the preflop raiser bet first. I was just hoping he had AK and not AQ, or a high pair. Both players checked to him and he put in his standard continuation bet, to which I responded all in. He called as I figured he would, and he showed AK. My pair held up and it was a big score for me.

For the next several minutes I took a virtual-tongue-lashing like you've never heard. This guy was giving me the business for being such a moron. I kept reminding him that one pair beats no pair, but he couldn't get past the fact that I had called his preflop raise. There were a couple of players at the table who recognized that I was simply taking a necessary risk and that I wasn't technically a moron. One player was particularly astounded by my play and took up my defense, calling me genius and the other guy a bum. The bum wished out loud that he could play me for $100 heads up and when I eagerly took up his challenge and offered to schedule the match, he suddenly became my good-natured ally, while still vowing to take his chips back ultimately.

That brash play got me back in the tourney, and at my next table, I limped in with aces and the monster stack decided to take his Q6d all-in to avoid playing it. I called and doubled up. The bum/ally was at this table and he gave the Q6 some verbal abuse for giving me more chips. I lasted all the way into the money and finally bowed out when I lost a race AK v 99. I felt sufficiently damaged that I was willing to take any pair all in and soon after my 44 ran into JJ to knock me out in full view of the bum/ally who offered a parting gg (good game). I finished 16th and was paid $148.