CHIP AND A VIRTUAL CHAIR

I had a rough weekend, but buddy Tom came through with his first MTT victory. Last night, I played the Long Kiss Goodnight at PokerRoom and had a tourney for the ages to grab a share of the headlines with my pal.

It was a $50 buy-in with 151 runners and $1500 starting stacks. I was cruising along at $2920 when this nonsense happened: $15/30 blinds, I called a raise to $120 holding QJd. The big blind called and we took a flop three-way, which came 10s 8h 2s. Pot is $375 and preflop raiser puts in a $150 continuation bet. It looked to me like he missed, and I had the gutshot draw to go with my overcards, so I bumped to $350. The big blind folded but stubborn guy called. The turn came 6s which surely missed him and put a three-flush out there, so after he checked to me, I put out a $450 bet to take it down.

Again, stubborn guy called. Now I figured he had a high spade, so when the river came 5d, I fired a third bullet, a whopping $1200. Stubborn guy was sitting on a stack of $1400 and he called with AKh. Sure, it looks brilliant as he's raking the chips, but I don't know how the hell he check/calls three times with ace high. He must have been damn sure I was on J9 or a stone bluff. Did it ever occur to him that I could have paired the ten? Or made my flush? Or flopped trips? Or was bluffing with a pair of deuces?

Oh, well. That's why I'm bluffing less frequently than in the past. When opponents just won't lay down a hand, there's no sense in trying to push them out of the pot when I know I'm behind. This hand knocked me down to $800 as the blinds increased to $50/100. I played the short stack for awhile, looking for an opportunity to double up. After a round of stagnation, I wound up playing a hand from the small blind with A2 against the button and the big blind. The flop came KK5 and I thought this was a decent flop for my naked ace in this situation. I checked, the big blind checked, and the button put out a probe bet. I came back all in, content to rake in the dead money, with worst case that I am half way to a chop in case the button is playing a better ace.

He called with A7, which meant I just needed a couple of high cards or a 5 to peel off for a chop, or a deuce for a scoop. The turn was a 3 which was about the worst card I could imagine. Suddenly the kickers were in play and I was in trouble. Then the magical 4 dropped on the river to give me the blessed wheel. It felt like found money, so I took it all in soon after but lost to a smaller stack with ace/rag, knocking me down to $245.

That was the last significant pot I would lose all night. When stubborn guy raised from first position, I called with QJ, hoping he had AK, which he did. Everyone else folded and I hit a Q to double up. Then I stole the blinds, then I doubled up, etc. I risked it all when I played A8 from the big blind against a raiser and caller. The flop came 8xx and I pushed it in, only to be called by both players with overpairs. An 8 came on the river to triple me up and continue my improbable comeback.

Later, at the final table, when I actually had over $20k in chips, a $6k stack pushed all-in and was called by Stubborn Guy and his $6k stack. I got in there as well with AKs. I was not surprised that the first guy had a weaker ace, but my nemisis showed KK. I hit the two-outer ace to take them both out.

Soon after, I raised 3x from second position with JJ and it folded around. The next hand I got AA and again raised 3x. Another player went all in from middle position and showed QQ. The door card was a Q and I thought my run was ending, but there was an ace trailing right behind it. I took out 7 of the 9 other players at the FT. By the time it was three way, I had over $200k with the other guys sharing the remaining $25k. The rest was easy. First place paid $1963.

I paid special attention to work on my late game and not blow the wad on a mediocre hand. I made a couple of preflop AQ laydowns when I was reraised. Both paid off as I played big pots soon after against players who thought I might be willing to muck again after open-raising. All in all, this was a tourney I will not soon forget.

I am ready to share my secrets of success:

1) I never, ever give up.
2) I can dodge bullets, baby.
3) If luck wasn't involved, I'd win every time.