OK, as promised....

A look back at Saturday's league event. 25 or 26 players (frankly I am not sure). My table draw wasn't a favorable one, considering of the 8 players at my starting table, there were 5 previous tournament winners. Ugh.

I start off kinda treading water, pick up a couple small pots here or there, but lose some big ones.

First one I lost, I didn't make it to the showdown, but called off chips thinking I was in the lead. Turns out, a river 5 made one player a full house (pocket 5's with a paired board), while the other held AA, and ended up with 2 pair. I was beat, folded after the river bet, and was glad I did. That took a chunk out of my stack.

I was down to about 1500 (half of our T3K starting stack) with the blinds at 75-150 when this hand came up. I'm in mid-position with K-J off. UTG player limps, I move all in, hoping to take it down right there. All fold to limper, who thinks and finally calls with 77. Coin flip. Flop A-X-Q, turn-brick, river 10. I make broadway, and cripple the limper (the limper held the AA in the hand I folded away from earlier), so now he was down to 250. I double up and a little bit more, so I am feeling better.

Before the end of the round (level 4), I get Q-2 suited (clubs), and feeling a little froggy, in early position, I limp. BB raises it 300 more, and knowing this player likes to play A-X, I decide to see if I can hit a flop, and take the pot. Flop comes K-X-X (I forget what they were, but the X-X were both clubs). Raiser checks, I check. Turn is the K of clubs, giving me 2nd nut flush. Raiser checks, I bet, raiser check raises. I call. At this point, I feel I have the hand. I think they have AK. River is 2 spades. Raiser bets 900. I call quickly, and am horrified to see the raiser roll over KK for quads. That was the last hand before the break, and now I am sitting on 900.

Yeah, I was a bit steamed. Steamed at myself for thinking I had the hand, and not thinking MAYBE the raiser had pocket a pocket pair of ANYTHING on the board. Any of the X cards had me beat, let alone KK. Needless to say, I didn't say much to anyone after that.

We come back from break, and I am on the button. First hand, I get 88 and shove all in, all fold, I scoop. I don't play another hand until I get the button again, I get 55, all-in, all fold, I scoop. It goes this way for a bit, and Soon, my 900 is now up to 2325. I get moved as we get to 12 players (inside the points bubble). I move to the other table with 8 chips in front of me (4-500's, 3-100's, and 1-25). I won an all-in with my stack sitting at around 2200 when my A-10 out ran AQ and get my stack to a little more than 4K, Later, I'm the button with 7-8 (and we are 5-handed.) I limp in for 600, SB and BB check. Flop comes 7-8-7. SB bets out 1200, BB folds, I shove, SB instantly calls. I am dead to one hand. 88. SB rolls over 5-6 for a straight draw, I have the made hand, this hand is over, and now I am at about 8K.

I make the final table, watch as 4 players bust out before me, so now with 5 left, 1 spot for the money. I hardly got involved in much at all, until I have A-J on the button, and raise it to 2000. SB (who has me covered in chips) shoves all-in. This is a player that can shove with pairs as low as 9-9, and can also shove with a big A. He had a big A, alright. His kicker was another A. Thus endeth the mission.

If there is a lesson to be learned (or the lesson I learned) on this night, it is this. You are never out of any event until all your chips are gone. I was mentally exhausted when I was eliminated. I was more focused at the table than I have ever been, even when I had that great week in Vegas last year. I was on stroke in Vegas, where I knew what other players held, when to move, when to get out. I had some of those same feelings on Saturday, but I was in a weird state of intensity that had me someplace I have never been. It was awesome to have the results I got on Saturday (even though I bubbled at the money, and didn't win). I walked away from that tournament feeling a lot better about the way I am playing.

NO--I didn't fully earn this win, as I know I got lucky in 2 spots. I fully expect to get unlucky (as I have in the past), in the future. Saturday, the cards broke in my favor in key spots. It brings to mind, this quote from Robert Wiliamson. "Luck is when preparation meets opportunity." I got lucky, but I also made some plays (which I will not describe here) that enabled me to scoop other pots that I probably wouldn't have with out making the plays I did.

Likely will not have cards in my future for a few weeks with work and a family vacation on the horizon, so it looks like April 19 is the earliest chance for me to sit at the table again. If my math is correct, I am currently 2nd in the points chase, and need a win in the final event to overtake the leader. It sucks that with 2 wins I am in that predicament, but on the flip side, one to go, I still have a chance.

Hope one and all had a Happy Easter,
~M