Good times!
Some people didn't make it, but we still had 15 players. Very fun. As predicted, I came in cocky and went out early - BUT, I didn't donk my chips away; I actually got my money in with the best hand and my opponent who had the right odds to go up against me, picked a very marginal set of starting cards and hit a 3 outer to knock me out.
The player on my left was Sven, who has just recently joined our league. But I have been playing live with him going on for 6 years, first at a low stakes "wacky" home game and more recently at my own home tournaments and occasional cash games. He is not the most technically skilled player, but his ability to shift gears and remain unpredictable has flustered me for years. I'd say in the live home games that I've played, he's my black cat - the number one guy I don't want to tangle with (or even have sitting on my left for that matter).
He's been a non-factor so far online, but last Monday he emerged as I knew he would - a bullying and chip devouring monster. He was catching cards, but his timing also seemed to be right on; and he punished the usual min-raiser donks in our group severely when they tried to draw out on him. It was a pretty cool thing.
I did well myself, stealing enough to keep well ahead of the blinds and even put myself near the top of the standings. Then I looked down at pocket kings. In Arnold Snyder's book "The Poker Tournament Formula" the single best piece of advice it offers is "In a fast tournament, it's the good cards that get you into trouble." There are no absolute truths in poker it seems sometimes, but this piece of knowledge is pretty right on.
It was folded to me and I led out on the button with my standard raise of a "pot sized" bet x3BB (which for some odd reason seems to be a great amount for this group, especially when the blinds are at 50/100). Sven in the SB must have thought I was stealing, as I actually had been up to this point from the button and the cutoff - so he went all in. He had over 5K at this point; and could easily afford to get heads up with me with such a large lead. It was an automatic call for me, only against AA am I a big dog, and if he has that, then that's poker. He had A10os. Guess what card spiked on the turn.
I know I'm growing as a poker player, when I can actually almost be happy when I make a correct decision and yet "lose" the hand. He took a chance, with a prohibitive chip lead against me, and hit his three outer. I know I'm actually winning overall, and I have to look at this poker thang as one long game. I know that I made 100% the correct decision, I'm going broke with cowboys pre-flop if I'm raised in almost every situation, certainly in this one with a great chance of doubling through the chip leader.
Can't wait for next week.
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