Skybox - Great Comeback

Had to go to Skybox again to show the wife she's not the only one that could play. Same crew as usual there (Talking like I'm there all the time), but I recognized almost everyone from last week. I even drew the exact same table and seat! 2 people that were at my table last week were there too. I don't play there enough, so I have no clue how any of these people play.

To make it interesting, Me, yt4d, Porn and X threw in $5 for a "Last Longest" bet. It actually went pretty deep. I think everyone finished in the top half.

The night started off well for me. First hand is QQ UTG. I raise it 5X and the only caller is the BB. Flop is all low unconnected trash. He bets, I raise he calls. Turn is junk. He checks I bet, he calls. Great what does he have? River hits another trash card. He checks, and I just check. I show QQ and he mucks. So, first hand and I'm up to about $4000 (Start with $2500). Next hand I'm the BB. I look down at 65off. Limp Limp Limp bla bla bla. Same as usual. 5 players. Flop comes 347! BAMM! How do you like me now! I check. It checks around to the dealer and he fires at it. I'm the only caller. Turn is a K. I'm loving this! Please hit this board! I check. He bets I call. River is a Q. I've got the nuts. I lead out with a pot-size bet (Blinds are only 10/20, but there must be $600 in there). He calls. I say "The Nuts", and he folds his AA up! Wow. Thanks for the gift! Listen to all you beginners out there" NEVER (Did I say never?, oh yeah...) NEVER limp with rockets. Heads up maybe, MAYBE.

So now I've doubled up, and finish at the first break with about $6K. I'm the chip leader at my table, and I think I was among the 4 of us too.

Second break, I continue to hit hands and get lucky enough to have people pay me off. Another big one that session was when I was in the BB with a 2 4. Pot doesn't get raised, so I see a free flop and of course flop the nuts! A35 on the flop. I keep throwing out medium size bets and get paid off. A guy called off over half his stack on that hand with a KQ. Thanks buddy!

I'm a firm believer that there are 4 big factors in poker, of which we as players only have control over 1. That is the skill to put your chips in good, or force your opponent to fold a better hand. The other 3 that we don't control, but need to have a decent tourney is:

1) At least a few good hands along the way.

2) You need to win a few races along the way.

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY

3) You need to have players that will pay you off when you have the best hands!

I can't stress 3 enough. How many times have you actually ran into some good cards, or hit tons of flops but can never get paid off? Tonight, when I had a hand, I was able to get someone to pay me off almost everytime. Some of that may be skill, but a lot of it is having the right type of player in the hand with you, or to be lucky enough to be on the right side of a cooler.

After the second break, Porn gets moved to my table and we're the only 2 left in the side bet. It's GO TIME. He immediately makes his presence known at the table. Phil looking me straight in the eye. I think the bobblehead intimidates me even more than Porn! So there's finally a solid player at my table. He pushes me off 88 when he raises big with 22, and gets called by 44 I believe. Here it is: he hits his 2-outer on the river and takes the pot. REMEMBER: No more "I never get lucky!" comments. Although you ended up whipping that one out a few hands later when someone sucked out on you. I loose a big chunk of my chips when I look down at A 9. I raise and get 2 callers. Flop comes 9 J 2. I fire $2500 at it and 1 guy calls. Turn is a Q. I check and he goes all-in. How did I know this knob-shine had me? I regretably fold and he shows his K 10! He called $2500 with a gut-shot. Oh my. Later on I found he pays to see all draws.

Just before break, Porn gets moved to the other table (Only 13 players left) and proceeds to get knocked out when he's seated in to the BB right away at that table, and is forced to push. So I've at least survived the pool. I think you guys laid down for me in fear of the reprecussions at EWP. I'll take it!

Down to 12 players and I'm 1 of 3 players that all have about $5000 left with the blinds at $1000/$2000. I pushed all-in with KJ and get called by a Q10 and it holds up, so I'm back up to about $12K. Just like that the All-In fury starts. 2 get knocked off on the other table and we lose 2 in the next hand TO ME. I don't even remember the frickin' hand. All I know is I knocked out the 2 short stacks (With A high if I remember) and go to the final table with about $24K

FINAL TABLE.

Moon and 1 other guy are absolutely frickin LOADED with chips. I'm guessing I'm at about 5 out of 8 in chips. Within a few hands the 2 Brians are knocked out. I'm getting low. Blinds are now up to $3K / $6K and I've got about $14 left. I look down at A8 and push all-in UTG. I get 2 callers and they have a side pot. Flop comes 28J and they both check, so I figure I'm good. Turn is a 8, and I triple up! One of the callers was all-in, so now we're down to 5. Moon donked off a bunch of chips, but got the chip-lead back when he knocked off a guy who pushed with 44 and ran into Moon's AA. Dude didn't improve and now we're down to 4.

I'm again getting blinded out and finally push with KJ UTG and get 1 caller. He flips over AQ. Flop comes 2 8 J, with 2 Clubs. Looking good. Turn is a 4 of clubs, and you guessed it. River is the 5 of Clubs. He had the A of Clubs, and I had the K of clubs. Tourney Over for me!

I'll take the 4/64 finish, but I really thought I had a chance with those guys.

Joe gave me a 1st Place envelope so I could fool Lisa. It worked.

Not sure when I'll tell her I took 4th and not 1st.

OUT