Double Eagle
03-07-2005, 04:58 PM
My friend Peter is out from Detroit to play in the Shooting Star tourney and we decided to drive up to Lucky Chances to play in the Sunday $125 + (1)$100 Rebuy Tourney. Coincidentally another friend of Peter's is visiting family in San Francisco and decides to meet us there as well. Rex is a very strong player who concentrates mostly on NL cash games online and I'm feeling like a sucker when I agree to a three way last longer bet with the other two.
We arrived at around 11:15 for the 12:30 tourney and are disappointed to find we are the 11-13th alternates as they only have 7 tables open for the tourney, however they end up opening 3 more and we are seated before the tourney starts (the good news) all at the same table (very bad news.)
All three of us take the rebuy right away, receiving an extra 1500 chips on top of the initial 1000 we started with and about half the table follows suit.
No real action in level one, but at level two with blinds at 25/50 UTG+1 I limp in with AhJH and with 3 others see a flop of Js7d4d. Checked to me and I bet 150, folded to an asian kid who immediately pushes in for 900, which is flat called by the BB. I tank for a bit and decide that the BB has one pair beat and fold. The asian kid turns over AJ, the BB has 74 and the turn and river are no help.
On the very next hand I pick up JJ and make it 200 UTG, which is called by MP1, a LP player who is short (but who hasn't rebought yet) then pushes in for 500 and its folded around to the SB (winner of the previous hand) who pushes in for 2100. Its 1900 for me to call here and I still have a player behind to worry about. After tanking for a bit, I go ahead and muck and the player behind quickly calls with AsKs, the MP player turns over 44 and the SB tables TT, spikes a set and is now far and away the chip leader at the table. I mark the SB as a LAG at this point as its hard to believe he was so proud of his hand there.
On the very next hand there are a couple of callers and the LAG Chip Leader makes it 400 from the button. I look down from my big blind and see JJ again. I'm pretty sure I'm ahead of him here and after laying down TPTK and JJ on successive hands not in any mood to mess around, so after some deliberation decide to push in for 1900 total - the limpers fold and I get a fairly quickly call by the Button who flips over 88. No set for him this time and I've doubled up to 4k.
An orbit later I get KK in MP after two limpers. I make it 400 to go, and it's folded to Rex on the button who re-raises to 1100, leaving himself 1200 behind. Folded back to me and I immediately announce all in. Now Rex tanks, mumbling to himself about running into Aces in this spot and then finally mucking KK face up - which I respond to by showing him the other two. I know he put me on AA/KK here, so this was probably a correct fold considering his holding - I just don't know if I would have it in me.
Those of you who read my Atlantis trip report know that I nearly busted myself by accidentally limping with AK UTG. You would think it would never happen again, but during the next level it did, this time with Aces. There are a couple of limpers and I mean to fling in 500 for a raise with the blinds 50-100, but fail to announce raise and promptly get 2 other callers behind. Flop comes 774 two diamonds and the BB moves in for 1k - I don't put him on a 7 so I call - and then a shorty out of the SB calls all-in with 78. The BB had K7 and there was no miracle to be had on the turn and river. Rex then chastised me for playing so poorly with his chips. Peter agreed. Note to self - "Announce Raise as soon as you decide that's what you are doing. Figure out how much you are going to raise to afterwards."
Around this time Peter doubles up with two pair vs Ace high with all the money in on the turn with his opponent (the former table chip leader) drawing dead. The table breaks shortly thereafter, with Peter and I both around 5k and Rex hanging by a thread with 1k or so.
My new table is very tight, with very few flops being seen, and I proceed to go card dead for the better part of an hour, stealing some pots here and there but basically staying between 4-5k while the blinds continue to escalate. I do witness some pretty dreadful play along the way, such as a player with 5BB limping UTG with TT and then calling all in from AJ - trapping his opponent into a coinflip which he proceded to lose.
Finally our table breaks and I'm moved over to Peter's table - there are around 36 left at this point and it's only the Final Table that gets paid. Peter's been his usual hyper-agressive self he says, raising limpers with trash from the BB, and then taking a big pot when he raises with 38 on the button and has to make a pot odds call when the BB moves in with A9. A 3 on the flop and an 8 on the turn seal the poor guy's fate. Somewhere in there Rex busts with AK against K6 - he would have had 9000 or so had he won, so a great comeback - I ask Peter if he wants to chop the last longer but he just kind of laughs at me.
Peter loses a couple of pots immediately after arrive and is down to 4500 or so - I have 3K with blinds at 300/600 a100 and push in with QQ from MP which is called by the a big stack in the SB. He flips over AJ and receives no help so I've bought myself a little breathing time, however we only play one more hand until the blinds go up to 400/800 a100 so I'm still pretty short and know I can't wait around before moving my chips in again.
Evidently inspired by my double up, Peter moves in from UTG and the player to his immediate left (who has him well covered) moves all in behind him and everyone else folds. I'm somewhat surprised to see K7 for Peter and 77 for the other guy. The flop hits air but the turn is a King and Peter's back in business after avoiding the one outer on the River. Two hands later Peter moves in from the SB over the top off a standard raise from a big stack in the Cutoff. The BB who had the 77 in the previous hand then moves all in behind and the cutoff tanks but eventually folds. Peter turns over A9 and the BB has AT - the Cutoff says he folded AJ here! Once again Peter's way behind but the flop contains a 9 and the turn and river are bricks and the BB busts after being a 70% favorite twice in a row. He now has close to 20k which he uses liberally, raising the next 3 hands and taking down the blinds (including mine.)
After paying that round of blinds I am in the cutoff when it's folded to me (Peter must have only gotten one card that hand) and I look down to see 89os. The three to my left are pretty tight so I decide to move em in with the expectation that if I get called my cards are live. The SB takes quite a bit of time before folding, and then I get a fairly quick call from the BB who has 8k or so. He flips over ATs so at least I am live. When the flop comes Kh8cJd I'm in decent shape, but my opponent has outs - and the small blind is groaning, saying that he mucked KJ. The turn is another King giving him 3 more outs, but the river is a 9 and I double up again - finally to 5 figures, which i is about average with 25 players left.
On the next hand, once again the pot is unopened to me and I look down to see 33. Normally I would go ahead and raise here, but the SB is looking like he wants to play and I don't have the greatest image at this point, so I go ahead and fold which as it turns out was a mistake as the SB has AT again and this time loses to the BB's J5 autocall after a jack hits the turn.
Players are dropping pretty quickly and I get table balanced away to a new table. I tread water, winning the blinds only with 77 and QQ when with 20 players and blinds at 600/1200 a200 left I find AA on the button in an unopened pot. There is a fairly agressive big stack with 25k or so in the BB, so I try to look extra weak and make it 3k to go with 8k behind. The SB folds and the BB looks at me like he wants to play back but just calls. The flop come KK7 rainbow and the BB puts out a stack of black chips which are 1500 or so less than my stack. I quickly push my chips in and he says "Damn, you have a King" and angrily tosses his 42 offsuit into the muck. At this point the TD, who was passing by tells the BB that the hand must be played out and that he should be penalizing him (inferring that this is not the first time this guy has been warned about this) - now I guess he intended to call, but in the confusion I forget to make sure that he put the extra chips in. It's only after I get my chips stacked after the next hand has been dealt that I've been shorted, but I don't say anything figuring it's too late at that point.
There are several short stacks at our table who are starting to get pretty active, so I pretty much stay out of there way as carnage ensues. Soon we are down to the bubble and I take down a couple of meaty blinds with position raises, so at least I'm treading water. Finally there is a bust at the other table and we are down the Final Table, in the money.
The payouts at the Final Table were:
1st $7200
2nd $3700
3rd $2000
4th $1600
5th $1200
6th $1000
7th $800
8th $600
9th $500
10th $400
I have 18k in chips which is below the 24k average at the table. There are two micro stacks, two largish stacks of 40k and everyone else between 15-25k, and with the blinds at 1200/2400 a400 I decide that I have to gamble if the opportunity presents itself. What follows is pretty comedic as there is one terrible player who proceeds to limp into pots from early position and then calls short stack all-ins, once with QT vs K9, the next with KT vs AK, doubling up the shorty each time in the process.
No one has been eliminated after two orbits when I post the BB and the pot is folded to the SB, an agressive older Asian gentleman who move in on me, though I have him covered by 1k or so. I look down to see A3, and putting the SB on random cards I know I pretty much have to call here, though I would hate to go out 10th if I lose the race. After tanking for 30 seconds or so I announce the call and am only somewhat relieved to see him flip over 82. The board brought no help to either of us and now I have 28k and a few chips to work with.
Peter also has about the same amount and is still very active, opening whenever the opportunity presented itself, while the big stacks are incredibly passive, apparently waiting for a hand to get involved. A couple of the short stacks get busted, so now we are down to 7 when Peter opens a pot from the button and an amazingly weak tight lady in the BB (the one that had doubled up previously with AK vs KT) moves in instantly. Peter is getting 2.5-1 on his call so he does so with K9 but is unhappy to see her once again flip over AK. The flop contains an Ace and now she has 30k or so after being very desparate an orbit earlier.
Two hands later an EP player pushes in has last 12k and the weak tight lady again pushes her chips in. All fold to the chip leader in the BB who looks at his cards and says oh no, I guess I call. He flips over JJ and looks to be in great shape when the initial raiser and the WTL both table AK. It looks like we have the makings of a twin killing here, but the door card on the flop is an ace and no Jack comes - all of a sudden WTL is now the chip leader with over 50k while the previous chip leader is gutted. Would like to here from SossMan, MLG, etc. as to whether they would fold JJ here, especially after the rock moved over the top as AK would be her worst hand here....
When my BB gets to me we are now at 3000/1500 a500 and the button (the guy who doubled me up on the AA vs 42 hand earlier) makes a raise to 9k which I think he would do with most any two cards. The SB, who has 16k then tanks and I take a peak and see 44. I decide to move in with my 30k if the SB folds, but he moves in instead. At this point I'm worried that if I move in the button might be forced to make a pot odds call with something like K9/QT and don't like the idea of racing vs 4 overs so I go ahead and muck. The button then says he wishes I would have moved in as he is forced to call the extra 7k with Kd3d vs the SB's A9, which looks to be a winner when an Ace hits the flop, however running diamonds win the race for the Button and we are down to 6.
Peter takes out the guy that was gutted in the three way all in hand and we are down to 5 players. I pick up some chips on the next orbit in my BB as the SB (the 42 guy) makes a smallish raise to 10k (we are now at 2k/4k a500) and I push in for 30 total. He shows a King and mucks and I oblige by flashing the Ace. He was getting better than 2-1 and I figure to be moving with alot of hands, so this is a pretty bad laydown IMO but I'm not complaining.
The WTL busts another short stack all in in the Blinds 44 vs AT and we're down to 5. I'm in the BB and get a walk, which I'm happy for, until I look at my cards and see Aces! I flip them up in disgust as the rail oohs and ahhs. The next hand UTG shortie with about 15k chips moves in, it's folded to me, and this time I look down and see KK! Amazingly it holds up vs A3, as I flop an unneeded set and now I'm the chip leader with 75k or so.
On the next hand I get A8 on the button, I put a raise to 12k in, half expecting Peter to move in on me with almost any two, as he knows that I probably won't call the extra 30k without a really big hand. He does and he's right as I go ahead and fold, but make sure that he knows he better find a taxi back to San Jose. After we're done he tells me he had JT there but I'm not unhappy with the laydown as I don't see any reason to get involved in a huge pot at this point with the 4th place guy (Mr. 42) pretty low.
Peter takes down 4 pots in a row pre-flop, then finally it looks like we'll be down to three as the short stack calls off his last 4 chips out of the big blind with Q2 vs Peter's A4 and the flop comes with an Ace, but the board ends up 4 flushing and shortie's deuce makes a flush. On the next hand WTL opens raises the pot on my BB from the button, only the second time she had done so without being all in. I take a look, see 99 and muck relatively quickly as I'm sure she is only playing pairs and big Aces. She later tells me she had QQ there. She returns the favor two hands later when I open with AQs on her BB. She hems and haws and obviously likes her hand but her Gap is Grand Canyon-like and she goes ahead and mucks. On the next hand I raise to 18k (blinds now 3k/6k a1k) with 88 UTG and it folds to the short stack who pushes in with just 3k more. I call and he flips over K4 and once again I flop a set, knocking him out and this time there's no runner runner and he's out.
At this point the stacks of the three of us remaining are pretty close. Peter has 93k, I have 84k, WTL has 75k. Immediately we start talking about a deal. It's obvious that Peter and I would probably run her over, but with the blinds and antes so high it doesn't take much to turn things on its head, so we decide to chop it evenly, no fuss, no muss. It works out to $4300 for each of us, $1k better than 2nd. Afterwards Peter and I figure we cost ourselves a few hundred in equity, but the truth is I suspected that he and I would probably end up playing a big pot together had we played on and one of us would end up crippled or knocked out, handing WTL second place money so I'm not unhappy with the deal.
As I've written this I realize what a dream trip I got in this tourney. Lots of big hands, few real difficult decisions, and most importantly I never got unlucky and sucked out huge the only time I got all in as a dog. Comparing notes after the tourney Peter really did outplay the field with much worse cards, though he did get very lucky twice in a row. But once he got chips he really used them to build his stack -- my hat is off to him. All in all it was a tremendous day and I was totally spent but exhilerated at the same time. After winning my first Tourney online on Saturday, to follow it up with a live "victory" the very next day is pretty amazing. Here's to positive variance!
As always feedback/opinions on any of the hands here would be appreciated...
We arrived at around 11:15 for the 12:30 tourney and are disappointed to find we are the 11-13th alternates as they only have 7 tables open for the tourney, however they end up opening 3 more and we are seated before the tourney starts (the good news) all at the same table (very bad news.)
All three of us take the rebuy right away, receiving an extra 1500 chips on top of the initial 1000 we started with and about half the table follows suit.
No real action in level one, but at level two with blinds at 25/50 UTG+1 I limp in with AhJH and with 3 others see a flop of Js7d4d. Checked to me and I bet 150, folded to an asian kid who immediately pushes in for 900, which is flat called by the BB. I tank for a bit and decide that the BB has one pair beat and fold. The asian kid turns over AJ, the BB has 74 and the turn and river are no help.
On the very next hand I pick up JJ and make it 200 UTG, which is called by MP1, a LP player who is short (but who hasn't rebought yet) then pushes in for 500 and its folded around to the SB (winner of the previous hand) who pushes in for 2100. Its 1900 for me to call here and I still have a player behind to worry about. After tanking for a bit, I go ahead and muck and the player behind quickly calls with AsKs, the MP player turns over 44 and the SB tables TT, spikes a set and is now far and away the chip leader at the table. I mark the SB as a LAG at this point as its hard to believe he was so proud of his hand there.
On the very next hand there are a couple of callers and the LAG Chip Leader makes it 400 from the button. I look down from my big blind and see JJ again. I'm pretty sure I'm ahead of him here and after laying down TPTK and JJ on successive hands not in any mood to mess around, so after some deliberation decide to push in for 1900 total - the limpers fold and I get a fairly quickly call by the Button who flips over 88. No set for him this time and I've doubled up to 4k.
An orbit later I get KK in MP after two limpers. I make it 400 to go, and it's folded to Rex on the button who re-raises to 1100, leaving himself 1200 behind. Folded back to me and I immediately announce all in. Now Rex tanks, mumbling to himself about running into Aces in this spot and then finally mucking KK face up - which I respond to by showing him the other two. I know he put me on AA/KK here, so this was probably a correct fold considering his holding - I just don't know if I would have it in me.
Those of you who read my Atlantis trip report know that I nearly busted myself by accidentally limping with AK UTG. You would think it would never happen again, but during the next level it did, this time with Aces. There are a couple of limpers and I mean to fling in 500 for a raise with the blinds 50-100, but fail to announce raise and promptly get 2 other callers behind. Flop comes 774 two diamonds and the BB moves in for 1k - I don't put him on a 7 so I call - and then a shorty out of the SB calls all-in with 78. The BB had K7 and there was no miracle to be had on the turn and river. Rex then chastised me for playing so poorly with his chips. Peter agreed. Note to self - "Announce Raise as soon as you decide that's what you are doing. Figure out how much you are going to raise to afterwards."
Around this time Peter doubles up with two pair vs Ace high with all the money in on the turn with his opponent (the former table chip leader) drawing dead. The table breaks shortly thereafter, with Peter and I both around 5k and Rex hanging by a thread with 1k or so.
My new table is very tight, with very few flops being seen, and I proceed to go card dead for the better part of an hour, stealing some pots here and there but basically staying between 4-5k while the blinds continue to escalate. I do witness some pretty dreadful play along the way, such as a player with 5BB limping UTG with TT and then calling all in from AJ - trapping his opponent into a coinflip which he proceded to lose.
Finally our table breaks and I'm moved over to Peter's table - there are around 36 left at this point and it's only the Final Table that gets paid. Peter's been his usual hyper-agressive self he says, raising limpers with trash from the BB, and then taking a big pot when he raises with 38 on the button and has to make a pot odds call when the BB moves in with A9. A 3 on the flop and an 8 on the turn seal the poor guy's fate. Somewhere in there Rex busts with AK against K6 - he would have had 9000 or so had he won, so a great comeback - I ask Peter if he wants to chop the last longer but he just kind of laughs at me.
Peter loses a couple of pots immediately after arrive and is down to 4500 or so - I have 3K with blinds at 300/600 a100 and push in with QQ from MP which is called by the a big stack in the SB. He flips over AJ and receives no help so I've bought myself a little breathing time, however we only play one more hand until the blinds go up to 400/800 a100 so I'm still pretty short and know I can't wait around before moving my chips in again.
Evidently inspired by my double up, Peter moves in from UTG and the player to his immediate left (who has him well covered) moves all in behind him and everyone else folds. I'm somewhat surprised to see K7 for Peter and 77 for the other guy. The flop hits air but the turn is a King and Peter's back in business after avoiding the one outer on the River. Two hands later Peter moves in from the SB over the top off a standard raise from a big stack in the Cutoff. The BB who had the 77 in the previous hand then moves all in behind and the cutoff tanks but eventually folds. Peter turns over A9 and the BB has AT - the Cutoff says he folded AJ here! Once again Peter's way behind but the flop contains a 9 and the turn and river are bricks and the BB busts after being a 70% favorite twice in a row. He now has close to 20k which he uses liberally, raising the next 3 hands and taking down the blinds (including mine.)
After paying that round of blinds I am in the cutoff when it's folded to me (Peter must have only gotten one card that hand) and I look down to see 89os. The three to my left are pretty tight so I decide to move em in with the expectation that if I get called my cards are live. The SB takes quite a bit of time before folding, and then I get a fairly quick call from the BB who has 8k or so. He flips over ATs so at least I am live. When the flop comes Kh8cJd I'm in decent shape, but my opponent has outs - and the small blind is groaning, saying that he mucked KJ. The turn is another King giving him 3 more outs, but the river is a 9 and I double up again - finally to 5 figures, which i is about average with 25 players left.
On the next hand, once again the pot is unopened to me and I look down to see 33. Normally I would go ahead and raise here, but the SB is looking like he wants to play and I don't have the greatest image at this point, so I go ahead and fold which as it turns out was a mistake as the SB has AT again and this time loses to the BB's J5 autocall after a jack hits the turn.
Players are dropping pretty quickly and I get table balanced away to a new table. I tread water, winning the blinds only with 77 and QQ when with 20 players and blinds at 600/1200 a200 left I find AA on the button in an unopened pot. There is a fairly agressive big stack with 25k or so in the BB, so I try to look extra weak and make it 3k to go with 8k behind. The SB folds and the BB looks at me like he wants to play back but just calls. The flop come KK7 rainbow and the BB puts out a stack of black chips which are 1500 or so less than my stack. I quickly push my chips in and he says "Damn, you have a King" and angrily tosses his 42 offsuit into the muck. At this point the TD, who was passing by tells the BB that the hand must be played out and that he should be penalizing him (inferring that this is not the first time this guy has been warned about this) - now I guess he intended to call, but in the confusion I forget to make sure that he put the extra chips in. It's only after I get my chips stacked after the next hand has been dealt that I've been shorted, but I don't say anything figuring it's too late at that point.
There are several short stacks at our table who are starting to get pretty active, so I pretty much stay out of there way as carnage ensues. Soon we are down to the bubble and I take down a couple of meaty blinds with position raises, so at least I'm treading water. Finally there is a bust at the other table and we are down the Final Table, in the money.
The payouts at the Final Table were:
1st $7200
2nd $3700
3rd $2000
4th $1600
5th $1200
6th $1000
7th $800
8th $600
9th $500
10th $400
I have 18k in chips which is below the 24k average at the table. There are two micro stacks, two largish stacks of 40k and everyone else between 15-25k, and with the blinds at 1200/2400 a400 I decide that I have to gamble if the opportunity presents itself. What follows is pretty comedic as there is one terrible player who proceeds to limp into pots from early position and then calls short stack all-ins, once with QT vs K9, the next with KT vs AK, doubling up the shorty each time in the process.
No one has been eliminated after two orbits when I post the BB and the pot is folded to the SB, an agressive older Asian gentleman who move in on me, though I have him covered by 1k or so. I look down to see A3, and putting the SB on random cards I know I pretty much have to call here, though I would hate to go out 10th if I lose the race. After tanking for 30 seconds or so I announce the call and am only somewhat relieved to see him flip over 82. The board brought no help to either of us and now I have 28k and a few chips to work with.
Peter also has about the same amount and is still very active, opening whenever the opportunity presented itself, while the big stacks are incredibly passive, apparently waiting for a hand to get involved. A couple of the short stacks get busted, so now we are down to 7 when Peter opens a pot from the button and an amazingly weak tight lady in the BB (the one that had doubled up previously with AK vs KT) moves in instantly. Peter is getting 2.5-1 on his call so he does so with K9 but is unhappy to see her once again flip over AK. The flop contains an Ace and now she has 30k or so after being very desparate an orbit earlier.
Two hands later an EP player pushes in has last 12k and the weak tight lady again pushes her chips in. All fold to the chip leader in the BB who looks at his cards and says oh no, I guess I call. He flips over JJ and looks to be in great shape when the initial raiser and the WTL both table AK. It looks like we have the makings of a twin killing here, but the door card on the flop is an ace and no Jack comes - all of a sudden WTL is now the chip leader with over 50k while the previous chip leader is gutted. Would like to here from SossMan, MLG, etc. as to whether they would fold JJ here, especially after the rock moved over the top as AK would be her worst hand here....
When my BB gets to me we are now at 3000/1500 a500 and the button (the guy who doubled me up on the AA vs 42 hand earlier) makes a raise to 9k which I think he would do with most any two cards. The SB, who has 16k then tanks and I take a peak and see 44. I decide to move in with my 30k if the SB folds, but he moves in instead. At this point I'm worried that if I move in the button might be forced to make a pot odds call with something like K9/QT and don't like the idea of racing vs 4 overs so I go ahead and muck. The button then says he wishes I would have moved in as he is forced to call the extra 7k with Kd3d vs the SB's A9, which looks to be a winner when an Ace hits the flop, however running diamonds win the race for the Button and we are down to 6.
Peter takes out the guy that was gutted in the three way all in hand and we are down to 5 players. I pick up some chips on the next orbit in my BB as the SB (the 42 guy) makes a smallish raise to 10k (we are now at 2k/4k a500) and I push in for 30 total. He shows a King and mucks and I oblige by flashing the Ace. He was getting better than 2-1 and I figure to be moving with alot of hands, so this is a pretty bad laydown IMO but I'm not complaining.
The WTL busts another short stack all in in the Blinds 44 vs AT and we're down to 5. I'm in the BB and get a walk, which I'm happy for, until I look at my cards and see Aces! I flip them up in disgust as the rail oohs and ahhs. The next hand UTG shortie with about 15k chips moves in, it's folded to me, and this time I look down and see KK! Amazingly it holds up vs A3, as I flop an unneeded set and now I'm the chip leader with 75k or so.
On the next hand I get A8 on the button, I put a raise to 12k in, half expecting Peter to move in on me with almost any two, as he knows that I probably won't call the extra 30k without a really big hand. He does and he's right as I go ahead and fold, but make sure that he knows he better find a taxi back to San Jose. After we're done he tells me he had JT there but I'm not unhappy with the laydown as I don't see any reason to get involved in a huge pot at this point with the 4th place guy (Mr. 42) pretty low.
Peter takes down 4 pots in a row pre-flop, then finally it looks like we'll be down to three as the short stack calls off his last 4 chips out of the big blind with Q2 vs Peter's A4 and the flop comes with an Ace, but the board ends up 4 flushing and shortie's deuce makes a flush. On the next hand WTL opens raises the pot on my BB from the button, only the second time she had done so without being all in. I take a look, see 99 and muck relatively quickly as I'm sure she is only playing pairs and big Aces. She later tells me she had QQ there. She returns the favor two hands later when I open with AQs on her BB. She hems and haws and obviously likes her hand but her Gap is Grand Canyon-like and she goes ahead and mucks. On the next hand I raise to 18k (blinds now 3k/6k a1k) with 88 UTG and it folds to the short stack who pushes in with just 3k more. I call and he flips over K4 and once again I flop a set, knocking him out and this time there's no runner runner and he's out.
At this point the stacks of the three of us remaining are pretty close. Peter has 93k, I have 84k, WTL has 75k. Immediately we start talking about a deal. It's obvious that Peter and I would probably run her over, but with the blinds and antes so high it doesn't take much to turn things on its head, so we decide to chop it evenly, no fuss, no muss. It works out to $4300 for each of us, $1k better than 2nd. Afterwards Peter and I figure we cost ourselves a few hundred in equity, but the truth is I suspected that he and I would probably end up playing a big pot together had we played on and one of us would end up crippled or knocked out, handing WTL second place money so I'm not unhappy with the deal.
As I've written this I realize what a dream trip I got in this tourney. Lots of big hands, few real difficult decisions, and most importantly I never got unlucky and sucked out huge the only time I got all in as a dog. Comparing notes after the tourney Peter really did outplay the field with much worse cards, though he did get very lucky twice in a row. But once he got chips he really used them to build his stack -- my hat is off to him. All in all it was a tremendous day and I was totally spent but exhilerated at the same time. After winning my first Tourney online on Saturday, to follow it up with a live "victory" the very next day is pretty amazing. Here's to positive variance!
As always feedback/opinions on any of the hands here would be appreciated...