Tour 55 $2.25 + .25 End 1st 220 Hands Sat to MiniFTOPS ME

This tourney pays out two entries to the MiniFTOPS Main Event on Sun 5/16 .... $70 + $5.

Phew I don't quite know where to start here. It took around 3 hours to get to the finish. At some point after I started I was wondering to myself why do I enter these inexpensive tournaments with 50 or so players when they only have payouts to the top two players, in this case entry to the Main Event. Although they are fun, the odds of me being 1 or 2 are very slim. I should rethink about the $$$$ I'm wasting here and put them to better use where I can win some $$$$. Well, not too long after that I ran into a bit of a lucky streak where my pocket pairs held up to overcards and I began to have a bit of a chip stack. As that was happening, my mood began to improve. :-)

By hand 25 things were looking a little bleak. I was down to 980 chips but in hand 26 I move back up to 1205 chips. Hand 34 I got lucky on the River when my AKo was up against pocket 10's.  I was HJ, UTG+1 limped in w/60; I raised to 210 (3 1/2 BB) and the BB raised me to 660; UTG+1 folded and I called wondering what the BB had. Flop 9c Jh 8s. No help to me. BB bets 420 which puts me all w/my last 395 when I call. I don't that there was any good rationale for calling there, but if I folded I'm left w/only 395 chips, so I felt best to call and hope the cards fall my way. Turn Qh. That gives me a gutshot straight draw along with an Ace or a K for me to win. River 10c. The board has a straight Q high, but I now have a straight AK high. I'm now up to 2200 chips. LUCKY!

Alas only a couple of hands later I give many of them away. Hand 38. I'm UTG w/As 9s. I open raise 2 BB (120) hoping for a cheap entry to see if I can get a nut flush. UTG+1 calls as does the HJ and BB. Flop 3s 7d Js, I need one more spade for my nut flush!! BB checks, I bet 240 into the 510 pot, UTG+1 goes all-in w/their last 1130 chips, HJ & BB fold and I call hoping I get my nut flush. UTG+1 shows pocket Q's (Qh Qs). Turn 6d, River 3d. I miss my nut flush and am down to 890 chips.

I fall as low as 590 chips. Hand 45 I'm UTG w/Qd Jd. I limp in w/an 80 bet, HJ & SB call, BB checks. Flop Qc Qh Jc. VERY NICE for me, I have a FH Q's full of J's. Now can I get any more chips from anyone? We all check. Turn 2s. SB & BB check, I bet 80 into the 320 pot; HJ calls, SB & BB fold. At least I got a few more chips into the pot. River 2h. Does the HJ now have a FH? I bet 200 into the 480 pot and the HJ folds. I have 910 chips.

Hand 49, This may be the 1st of my pocket pairs holding up to overcards. I have pocket 7's (7c 7s) w/790 chips. Action folds to HJ who open raises 280 chips, I raise all-in with my 790 chips, HJ calls and shows Ad Kd. I hold my breath while the board plays out:  3d 8d 5h 5c 9s. I now have 1700 chips and a bit of breathing room.

Hand 51 in UTG+1 I have pocket Q's (Qh Qd). UTG folds, I open raise to 3 BB (240), HJ w/10 chips calls, CO folds, BTN raises all-in w/1275 chips, SB & BB fold. I call. If they have AA or KK I'm toast but I'm willing to take that chance. HJ has Ac 2s, BTN has As Jh, one overcard. The board plays out: 6c 5s 4c 5d 8s. My pocket Q's hold and I have 3105 chips.

Hand 55, I'm UTG+1 w/pocket 10's (10s 10h). UTG folds, I open raise 3 BB (240), all fold to the SB who raises all-in w/3950 chips, BB folds and I decide to call hoping they only have overcards. SB shows As Qd. I hold my breath while the board plays out: 8s 9h 2h 4d 7d. I win again and have 6290 chips.

 Hand 61, I'm HJ and have pocket A's (Ac As). MP open raises 3 BB (300), I raise to 500, rest fold and MP re-raises to 1200. I decide now is as good as time as any to go all-in and hope he calls me, so I put my last 5840 chips in. MP thinks about it for a long time and finally folds. Later he ask me if I had A's, but I don't reply. I now have 7690 chips.

Hand 87. I'm back down to 5865 chips, UTG w/Ah 10s. I open raise 2 BB (320), UTG+1 calls, action folds to the BTN who calls, SB & BB fold. Flop 3d 3c 10c. I pair my 10. I bet 640 into the 1200 pot and UTG+1 calls. Turn 2c. I decide to bet the pot of 2480 this time, which if UTG+1 calls will put them all-in. They do call and show pocket 6's (6d 6c). Good, I'm ahead of them! River Qd. I win and have 9150 chips.

By hand 104 I have 12,290 chips. Hand 122 14,665 chips. Hand 132 19,230 chips. It was not all smooth sailing from there as I went up and down and was as low as 12,000 chips.

Hand 180. Five players left. I'm CO w/4h 5h and 21,655 chips. Blinds are 200/400 w/50 ante. UTG folds, I open raise 2 BB (800), BTN & SB fold, BB w/20,515 chips calls. Flop 3s 2s 8d. I have an open ended straight draw. BB checks and I bet 1000 into the 2050 pot, BB calls. Turn 6h. I hit my straight, which isn't obvious by looking at the board. BB checks again and I bet 2400 into the 4050 pot, BB calls. I don't know what they have that keeps them going, but so far, so good for me! River 7c. That makes a straight look possible and I'm hoping they don't have something like 9 10. One more time BB checks. I bet 4800 into the 8850 pot expecting BB might fold now, but they call again making for a 18,450 pot! BB shows Ac Qh. Only an Ace high! Did they think I was bluffing all the way? I now have 31,105 chips. Closest player to me has 25,710 chips. The other three have 11,915, 7,640, and 6130 chips. It's looking like I may be able be 1st or 2nd if I don't do anything stupid!

Hand 185 I get lucky one more time. Four players left, blinds 250/500 w/ante of 50. I'm BB w/Qh 6s and 33,505 chips. Action folds to the SB who limps in w/500 and I check. Flop Qs 2s 9d. I pair my Q with a weak kicker. SB checks and I bet the pot of 1200. SB raises me to 4800 and I decide to go a showdown, going all-in, hoping that pushes him to fold. It doesn't & he calls showing Qd 9h. He hit top two pair on the flop. My Q's don't look so good.  At least I'll have 22,500 chips left to fight with. Turn is a 3s. That gives me a glimmer of hope as I now have a flush draw on the River, which is the only way I can beat him. River 5s. Oh my God, I hit it!!! I win and have 45,660 chips, 2nd high is 20,630, and smallest is 16,210. We are now on the bubble and unless I really blow it I should make 1st or 2nd!!!

We went on for another 35 hands and I never let my chip count get below 40,000. Hand 220 I'm on the BTN w/Ac Js. Blinds are 400/800 w/ a 100 ante. 2nd high stack has 30,455 chips and short stack has 8035 chips. He has been going all-in a lot and we've not been calling him but it has let him stay around 10,000 chips, while we wait for a hand that would be worth calling him with. I open raise w/a 2 BB bet (1600) and the SB short stack goes all-in w/8435 chips. BB folds. I feel these cards are at least worth a call and hope I'm not doubling him up as I call. He shows Kd Qs; I have one overcard. Flop 10s 7d 4c. so far so good. Turn 4h. River 3c. It's over!! I have 52,045 chips!! I have a Sunday Tournament to play. :-)

When I review this I see a lot of places where luck played a part in my success. It would be good to review the hand with our expert and get his opinion on my plays.