Well, it had all come down to this.
I was in second place, only four points behind the leader, and only two points ahead of the third place player. The fourth player was a bit back, but if he got the bounty and played his usual way (he's what I consider to be probably the best player in the group) then he had a real shot at displacing me, and even the leader.
But no pressure or anything.
I promised myself beforehand that I would not go out calling or limping. I was going to start and stay aggressive no matter what. At least, if I busted out early, I could look back and say that I went out like a poker player, and not like a wimp.
It worked well, for about 11 minutes. I first won a hand over-betting (and by over-betting I mean I went all in) with trip fours, everyone folded, and I picked up a nice pot, but it could have been a lot nicer pot if I had used a little restraint. A bet of about a quarter of the pot probably would have gotten the needed action of a caller or two.
A couple hands later, I looked down at JJ UTG. I led out a good chunky bet of just over 3xBB and had two callers, the blinds (who are two of the loosest players in our group.) The board came 3 K 6 rainbow. With me in position, they both checked. Now instead of doing something sensible, say betting half the pot, you know to protect my hand in case someone didn't have a king, or to be able to get away if someone raised because they HAD a king - I did something supremely stupid. I forgot that "aggressive" in poker MUST be selective. I went all-in. STUPID, STUPID, STUPID!
The SB eagerly called with trip 3's. Since I had won a pot prior, I wasn't eliminated. Merely effectively crippled with just over 400 in chips. My heart sank, as the sheer IDIOCY of my play started to sink in. Nothing to do now but hunker down into survival mode.
But all was not lost, I say "effectively" crippled, because I still had just over x20 times the BB. Normally, a fine place to be - but I knew the blinds were due to double in just a handful of rounds - quickly knocking me down to x10 BB - desperation time.
Still, I could afford to wait a bit for a chance to double up. I managed to win a handful of small pots until that chance came, including checking my BB only to catch trips - and naturally not get any callers. The other pots I'm proud to say, I won by making people fold to my all-in bet. By using my entire stack, I could still hurt people - and so I gave myself two chances to win; one by having my hand hold up (on three of the four times I went all in - I'd say I had a very good to excellent chance of this) and two by having everyone fold, which they did every time.
But finally I got called. And I was dominated. My A10 vs. AQ. I limped in, and was raised by the button, almost half of my stack. I typed in "sigh" in the chat box - I honestly put him on two face cards or a small/mid pair, based on the size of his bet in relation to his own stack. Big enough to chase most of us passive types away, small enough that he could get away from the hand if someone came back over the top. I didn't expect AK or AQ or a jumbo pair. With that I'd expect his bet to be slightly bigger, more of a value bet to get paid by one or two callers - or a bet that he would be happy to go all in with against anyone. In any case, I was still desperate. I knew that the blinds were due to crank again soon, and A 10 might be my best chance. I pushed all in, he insta-called. The real truth of it was, that my stack was simply too puny for him to do otherwise. I thought this was the end.
One of my Aces was a heart, the board came runner, runner, runner to give me the nuts. I got lucky, but I still like my decision. This time, even if I had lost, at least I wasn't the caller - I was the raiser.
Two hands later, there was someone else's luck involved -bad luck for them.
The player whom I've learned the most from over the years about poker, one whose game I have high respect for; the fourth place player who had just miraculously eliminated last weeks winner for a hefty five point bounty, now had a big healthy stack and stood a very good chance of winning the whole tourney and maybe the whole season. But it was not to be.
I limped in the cutoff with KQ, villain did the same on the button. Flop came 5 8 Q with two clubs. Four of us left, two to my right and the villain to my left. Check and check. Subconsciously I knew he had limped pre-flop because he was on a speculative hand. If he had AK or AQ he would have bet out. More likely he was on a suited Ace or a middle pair, very possibly on two face cards.
I bet 115 of my 1200 chips. He raised over 400. The two to my right folded. I had just doubled up, and I didn't want to lose a third of my stack here. Calling was 100% out of the question. My gut was to just fold.
But then I thought about it. If he was drawing to a good flush he would just call; it was a small bet on my part compared to his stack and there was no reason for him to lose more to a semi-bluff. And if already had made trips, he would raise, yes. But a little voice inside my head told me that the pot was now big enough that he would probably just go all in and punish anyone who happened to call by giving them the wrong odds to draw to a flush.
An over-pair was out. Trips was out. Two pair, unlikely for him to limp with a Q rag or 5 8. He had to have Q and a decent, hopefully not too high kicker. AQ, I know he didn't have - he would have raised pre-flop. He could have KQ or JQ very easily. Both not bad outcomes for me.
The clocked ticked down to less than five seconds before the computer would automatically fold me.
At the last second I pushed all in, he called sickeningly fast - but thank God he had JQ. I faded a suckout, and was doubled up again. Even better, he was close to being crippled.
Now I had room to maneuver, but I managed to play only okay and not pick up many hands. Before I knew it, I was whittled back down. One particularly bad hand, had me raising with AQ after a ragged flop with a King - the player to my left, an occasional player and typically a non-factor, found himself on quite a rush and was able to re-raise me out of the pot. My stack was down to the 1500 range with the blinds ready to go into super painful mode.
Then, another miracle hand. This one though didn't involve me.
The good news even before the miracle was that the fourth place player who I severely wounded as well as my old tricky nemesis who was in third behind me in points, both went out with tiny stacks against the same running good player to my left. But the season leader, had managed to cling to life, and still had barely enough chips to remain a very real threat to my chances of winning the whole thing (the season and the tourney itself).
Now, he was technically in "desperation" mode, only about x7 BB. But this player puts a capitol P in passive. x7 BB for him is like x15-x20 BB for the rest of us. He will sometimes literally call with half of his stack, and then fold to a re-raise.
Five players left; All except me limp to see the flop. (I've got 1300, blinds are 150. I've got J 10, a good speculative hand, but 150 is just too much for me out of position).
Flop comes 2 Q 2. The SB checks. Turns out that the BB (the short stacked leaderboard leader) catches a piece with a Q 10. Naturally he checks. The next guy, also has a piece, albeit smaller with Q9. This is the aforementioned ultra-passive player from my stupid play above. But this time he bets, a good value bet. The button, the running good chip leader smooth calls. (Warning! Danger Will Robinson!) The SB gets out of the way, and THEN the BB decides that they are both somehow full of shit and pushes all in. Passive guy #2 slows down and just calls, as does the slow playing button.
Turn is a jack. Passive guy #2 now decides that his Q9 is awesome and goes all in for a big amount, over 2K. The button (who everyone seems to have forgot has a mountain of chips and is on a rush) happily calls with his A2! That's right kids, big trips on a ragged board. Both players are WAY behind before the river, dead to only two queens. Big fat blank on the river, TWO eliminated players - I'm in the final three!
And not only that, I'm tied for the season points lead!
That was truly my biggest break all night. I hoped I would be able to double up soon, I used my entire stack to take down a couple of pots, but I finally ran into my flop of two pair into someone else's trips.
So it's a tie! When all was said and done, I cashed out today with $316! That's awesome, but even better, I can look back and say that for 25 weeks, I was the best (okay, me and one other guy - who also happens to be a dear friend, whose game continues to impress me in unexpected ways, were BOTH the best) out of almost 30 other players!
I feel good, I feel great. God I love this game sometimes.
Next week, our Tournament of Champions! Double the buy-in, double the chip stack, for a super ultra cool chance at a winner take all prize pool. A second chance for everyone to make some extra $ at the end of the year.
The good thing is, the pressure's off - I'm already a winner.
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