You never forget your first

And while I had come close to winning a league event in the past (a 2nd and a couple 3rd's over the past 2 seasons), I was finally able to wrap one of these bad boys up. I ended up winning a 27 player field, the lion's share of the pot, the top points payout, and most importantly, lock up my TOC seat. No worrying about the points chase in the TOC like last season. I'm in.

The night was full of ups and down, but big hands followed me early on. AA twice, both of which won (once in a showdown). Had QQ go up against JJ (unbeknownst to me until they were shown after the flop). Had AK a couple times, but there were 2 monster pots that I won that helped vault me out to a huge lead. They were:

2 tables, playing down to the final table;

Blinds are 150-300 with a 25 ante:

I'm in the cutoff, and there is one caller to me, I limp in with 6-4 off. Yeah, I know trash, but I was thinking about just making a play at the pot, depending on the flop. The BB checks--3 to the flop.

It comes 3-6-6, with 2 diamonds.

BB checks, caller bets out 800, I go all in. BB folds, caller (has me covered), goes into the tank, and finally calls. He was mulling over a flush draw, as he limped with AJ of diamonds. Had to sweat 2 cards with 9 outs, and luckily, none of them hit. Whew.

Now at FT, I'm probably 2nd or 3rd in chips when this hand comes up. UTG raises the pot to 900 (I think). I call in late position with 7-8 suited (clubs). BB Calls. 3 to the flop which comes:
8-7-X, with 2 diamonds.

Caller fires out 800, I go all in for something like 5000 (I admit it's kinda hazy). BB heads to the tank, and says out loud, "I don't know how I can lay this down."

What do you think he has when he says that? My first inclination is a set, but that's wrong because if he has flopped trips, he beats me into the middle. Next thought is a suited AK in diamonds. Nut flush draw. Yeah, he could easily flat call a raise with AK suited, and be four to it at this point. I settle (in my head) on flush draw. He reluctantly slides in the call, original raiser folds. We flip.

My 2 pair, and his J-10 of diamonds.

Wow. Not only did he have a draw that could beat me, 1 card in that draw would leave me drawing stone dead. Flush draw, straight draw, of, and STRAIGHT FLUSH DRAW. Made sense to me why he thought about it so long. I probably do the same thing--I probably call with that hand too.

Now I have to sweat any diamond or any 9. The 9 of diamonds ends my night, if it shows up. Turn and river are blanks, I double up again, have command of the chip lead.

From there, I got lucky against an A-X all in with K8 suited (made a set), made a broadway straight against a 2 pair all in--he called my all in with 2 pair, on a board that was connected all over the place. I honestly thought I lost the hand when he called so fast. Knocked out another player when I raised pre-flop with QQ, got called, an 8-high flop hit the board, he went all in, I called.

A familiar face in heads-up. Kellie. She beat me heads up at the season opener last year. I had her outchipped a bunch. I don't even know. Maybe 8-1? We played about 10 hands in HU, and I took some pots away with a pair and a better kicker (Queen pair mind you). The last hand, I have AQ (see above pic), and raise it. She calls.

Flop comes:Q-X-X. I check, she shoves all in, and I have my cards flipped before she does. She had Q-7 offsuit. Have to sweat a 3 outer, and nothing shows up.
At last, a trip to the winner's circle.

In an earlier entry, I said I wanted to patch some leaks in my game, and I think I did that. I cut out the biggest one, which was playing too many hands with substandard holdings. The few times I played with bad hands, I hit (see the 6-4, the 8-7, a K-4 suited at an earlier table where I pot committed myself in a bad spot and got real lucky, plus an A-7 off that outflopped a pair of Jacks--loose call preflop to a raise by me there).

The thing I am happiest with, though was getting my chips in (for my tournament life) with the best hand. 6-4 looks like garbage at the start, but a flopped set makes it pretty in a hurry. My chips went in with the lead there, and with the 8-7 at the FT.IO was only all-in one other time, pre-flop, and that was with AK in late position to a raise. The raiser showed me 5-5, so I am glad we didn't race there.

Anyway, football season is fast approaching, so a game at the house (1 table) is approaching as well--I lose many Sunday's in a few weeks. Gotta enjoy them while I can.

~M