GRAND TOURNAMENT IV - DAY ONE RECAP

I took copious notes, so relive it with me:

Starting stack: $10,000; 536 players; $536,000 prize pool; 60 places paid; 30-minute levels.

LEVEL ONE (25/25)
-Didn't rake a single pot during the first blind level. Took a look at some flops, but missed them all. Finished with $8,675.

LEVEL TWO (25/50)
-I got my first real hand against a loose cannon who seemingly plays every suited hand. I had QQ; he had a real hand with AJh. Two hearts under queen flopped and he raised me. I checked the turn, intending a check-raise, but he took a free card and hit a heart. I called his river bet, since I thought he might be bluffing at it. He had been involved in many pots recently and won them all without a showdown, so I thought maybe he was playing the scare card. No such luck.
-Played AQ three-way and the board came AT98J. I was calling the whole way and both opponents folded on my river bet. Somebody likely would have called with two pair, since I bet low. Still, this was my first rake of the day, 54 minutes in. Still recovering from the busted queens, I finished the level with $7,150.

LEVEL THREE (50/75)
-Called a raise with ATd on the blind. Flop 8JA, turn A, river 5. I bet the whole way and he called it down with QQ.
-Called with AK in position. Bet the 353 flop against 3 opponents and they all called. Took a free card after a ten turned and hit a king on the river. I bet and took it down.
-Raised with A9 in middle position and found one caller, the known bluffer from level two. I totally missed the flop, but led out, and he called. We both checked the turn and he made an odd $600 bet when a trey hit the river. I figured he missed his draw and I called with my A9 and took the pot. Finished the level just a tick below average with $10,325.

LEVEL FOUR (50/100)
-With an early position caller, I called with KK and took a multiway flop, hoping to hit it bigtime or get off it cheaply. An ace flopped and I got away.
-Soon after, I got AA (the only time today) and laid a trap and got paid off. Two hands later, I paid off somebody else's AA and it was a net loss. Still, finished the level up a little at $11,475, just under the average chip stack.

LEVEL FIVE (75/150)
-Got paid decently by QT on a ten-high board, holding KK. This pot put me above average. Finished the level in 99th place (of 427) with $16,575.

LEVEL SIX (100/200)
-I raised with AQh and got heads up. Flop came KKx and we both checked. I figured I would play it as if I had a king by checking on the flop. I bet out on the rag turn, and he raised me. I called with the flush draw. Runner-runner hearts gave me the flush on the river - I value bet and he called with T9s, having hit his T on the river and thinking it good. Held my ground and finished the level with $16,975.

LEVEL SEVEN (150/300)
-I called a $1000 raise with KJs, hit a king on the flop, called a $3200 continuation bet and checked down the river when an ace fell. My kings bested his QQ.
-Raised with AKc, found two callers and bet out on a ATx flop. I was called in both places by inferior stacks. I figured one guy for AQ and the other on a spade draw. The turn was a J so I bet $6500 to force either guy to play for all his chips. I didn't think there was a two pair out there and I didn't want to get beat by a straight or flush. Both players folded and I won a handsome pot.
-The guy who was going all in every other hand did it when I had AKc. I called $4500 - it was a coin flip against his 88. I had a club draw on the river, but missed and doubled him up. A win there would have been huge, but still, it was a good level and I finished with $27,910 in 41st place.

LEVEL EIGHT (200/400)
-This was my worst level of the day. With my healthy chip stack, I did exactly what I promised myself I wouldn't - I went to war armed solely with a small pair. With 55 in late-middle position, I came over the top of a raiser. He called and we saw a nine-high flop. He bet out and I put him all in, figuring he had missed. He had QQ, which was a painful reminder of a leak in my game. Finished the level at $15,460 after being over twice that at one point. Oh well, sometimes the first stupid play is also the last, at least this wasn't fatal.

LEVEL NINE (300/600)
-My stack dropped all the way to $11k and I was getting worried. I called a raise with AQs and the flop came QJx. He bet out a strong $3k, and I raised to $6k, essentially committing myself to the hand. He put me all in, and I called. Thank god he showed KQ and not KK. I sweated two cards on my way to doubling up to $22k. Finished the level at $18,520.

LEVEL TEN (400/800)
-Decided to call with 44, hoping to see a cheap no-set-no-bet flop. I hit my set on a jack-high flop against the chip leader. He checked, I bet the minimum and he called. Another 4 on the turn gave me quads but killed the action. The board was rainbow, offering no draws, so I bet the minimum, hoping he had a jack. He passed, leaving me thinking I should have checked and hoped he bluffed out on the river.
-Soon after, I played 44 again for a raise. Not a good play, but this time it paid off. I was called by two opponents. On a queen-high flop with two hearts, I checked and the position player bet out. The chip leader called, and I came back with a huge check-raise. The bettor folded, but the big stack thought about it quite awhile before folding. This was the biggest move I put on today - I'm glad it worked out. I figured 44 was my lucky hand and I wanted to see lightning strike twice. Every now and again you have to do something a bit crazy to keep the table guessing. Besides, the way the betting went down, I thought my pair might be good.
-I was in a groove when I hit my hand of the day. I raised with QTd, trying to steal the blinds. The big blind defended and I flopped the nuts: AKJ rainbow. I bet half the pot on the flop and he called. The turn completed the rainbow with a 7, and I knew I was not going to lose the hand. I bet half the pot and he called. The river was another 7 but I knew he did not have a full house. In fact, it improved his hand, as he was holding A4. I wanted the sure call, so I bet $2k shy of putting him all-in and he called instantly, figuring he was splitting at worst.
-I got back on my plan to release small pairs by folding 22 in first position. I cursed the 662 flop, but would have lost a ton to AA when an ace hit the turn. Boy, lesson learned! I finished this level at $39,120 in 53rd place of 179 remaining.

LEVEL ELEVEN (500/1000)
-I called the chip leader's $3k raise with AK. A king hit the flop with two diamonds and he bet out $4k. I didn't want to get all in just in case he was playing diamonds or aces, so I smooth called. We checked down the turn and I bet the river when a queen hit. He thought awhile, worrying me that he might come over the top with KQ, but he folded. He probably had jacks or tens.
-With my stack growing, I tightly folded weak aces rather than mix it up. After several folds, I tried to steal from the small blind with 74, but was reraised all-in. It is good to try steals with hands that are easy to get away from if you meet resistance. The next hand, I stole from the button with AJ, then again with 77 on the next hand. The next hand I just called with AQ because I didn't think anyone would believe me if I raised for a fourth time. I bet out a rag flop against the blinds but was called by both of them. When a king turned, I got huge and bet half the pot, getting them both to lay down their weak underpairs. The next hand I folded a weak ace and got back to the regularly scheduled programming.
-I tinkered with playing 44 again, but wisely laid it down. There was an all-in battle and no four hit the board. I finished the level at a robust $56,120 in 34th place of 141 remaining.

LEVEL TWELVE (600/1200)
-Lots of callers and no raisers allowed me into a pot holding J3 on the big blind. Flop came 383 and I bet 2/3 of the pot, finding one caller, possibly on a diamond draw. The turn was a rag and I bet nearly the size of the pot, taking it down. I used to get crafty in these situations, but now I just bet it if I have it, which usually makes money without introducing the risk of someone drawing out on me.
-Held A2d in a battle of the blinds. The flop contained two diamonds, and I check-raised the smaller stack when he bet the nine-high flop. He called. The ace of hearts hit the turn and I bet out strong. He had the nine but knew he was beat and laid it down. Again, rather than getting crafty and giving him a free draw to hit his two pair, I figured I would make him pay if he wanted to draw - worst case, we end up all in while I have a great hand, or he folds and I win less than his entire stack, but good money all the same.
-I lost some chips when I called a raise with QT from the small blind. The flop gave me a gutshot draw, which I bet. He called. The turn was a diamond and I bet the scare card. Again he called, suggesting he holds a high diamond. The river was another diamond, giving me the T-flush. I bet out $3k and he called with KK and the winning diamond. I knew I might not have the best hand on the end, but I had to take the lead. If he raises, he has the ace of diamonds. If he doesn't have the ace, he can only call. I lost money, but played it decently, staying aggressive.
-On the last hand of the level, I called $2k from the big blind with 64 since I was priced in with two live cards. He hit his ace and bet out. I missed and folded, finishing the level and the day at $59,620 in 36th place of 109 going into tomorrow.