Chip and a Chair

[Troy92]

Memorial Weekend I got the opportunity to experience a chip and a chair.

It was a live 21-player re-buy tourney with the blinds rapidly rising every 20 minutes. I was the chip leader at my table. However, our table didn’t have any re-buys. So even after adding on, my stack was just about average as we moved to two tables. We quickly got down to 1 table and I drew right into the blinds--which had just doubled to 400/800. I had to let the blinds go and was left with just T700. I almost went in on a couple of occasions. But with no folding equity I decided to wait and take my chances on the blind if not before. My patience paid off when UTG I looked down and saw KK. Three other players were in the pot and I quadrupled my stack. Next rotation had 88 hold up against AK. Later hit a four-outer on the river when all-in (was ahead pre-flop). There were two players that controlled at least 66% of the chips at the final table. But they could only manage 3rd and 5th places. With four players left I grabbed the lead and was relentless from there and won going away.

This game had more to do with luck than skill as I got hit hard by the deck. It was a nice payday, but the dividends have been even larger since as it has given me the confidence that I can come back. I have had a good deal of success at 2 to 3 table tournies in the last 6 weeks. Several of my victories have been from a shorter stack at the final table—though none as short as the game above. That game has resulted in me being more patient with shorter stacks when I may have panicked before. Also, I have been more aggressive in some of my betting at pots, as I am not afraid to be short-stacked if the attempt fails.

Now if I can just figure out how to play with a big stack. Last time, I grabbed 30% of the chips early in a 25-player event I ended up 9th. I had won the same event a couple days earlier from about 8th place at the Final Table.