$30 TOURNAMENT 5/105

I will recap my France adventure later in the week, but after a week away, I was itching to get back into the game and I had to commit today's multi to the blog archives. I feel recharged and honestly, a little improved after spending so much time with Brian Bonacci (BonesATL), my fellow panelist at the gaming convention. After crashing early Thursday night, I awoke before dawn Friday and fired up a $30 tournament to get my fix. I managed to make the final table and made a couple hundred dollars. I didn't get another chance to play over the weekend until Sunday night, when I got involved in some heads up tournaments at PokerRoom.

I first played a $50 event, and I was so close to winning, but every time I went to close the deal, I got sucked out on. My money was in good every time, until the last time, when I hit bottom pair and went all in on an ugly flop, not realizing I was up against aces. I was down $50, so I tried to recoup in a $100 match, but I lost that one also, putting me $150 in the hole. I went back to a $50 and won, then I went back to another $100 and won. I was now even in payouts, but I was still down the $24 in vigorish, so in a quest for profit, I played one more $50 match. I won, which gave me a small profit of $22 on the night.

This morning, I wanted to catch up on watching all the poker that ended up on Tivo during my trip, so I set myself up on the sofa with my laptop and fired up a $30 tournament to keep me company. I folded a few hands, then the landscapers arrived and I spent the next hour out in the yard. I came back to a stack of $1000 with $100/200 blinds. I was on the big blind, dropping my stack to $800. I held 98. I decided if I could play heads up, I will just push in and take my chances. Why wait for an ace if it means having a stack of only $700 when it arrives? There was a late position raiser, so I just called, expecting to go all in if I catch any piece of the flop. It came down J87. This was good enough for me - I went all in with my final $500 and the KJ called. I caught another 8 and doubled up. He bitched at me for how I played it, but I ignored him. I could have won with a ten or nine, but I suppose the unlikely eight was especially insulting to him.

What I love most about this event was that after doubling up there, I got huge and managed to make the final table. I made a great run, and had my money in at the end with the best of it. I came over the top of the chip leader with an all-in reraise, holding pocket nines. He called with A4 which was a call you won't see a good player make. He hit a bunch of stuff on the board and finished with a full house, knocking me out in fifth place, but not before I could parlay my $30 into $252.