Tell me about your First tournament Win

[balt999]

When you win a poker tournament you feel a sense of accomplishment, but what was your first tournament win like?

For me...I remember it like it was yesterday:

It was the monday after Thanksgiving 2001...It was the Orleans weekly Monday No Limit Tournament...$20 buy in with unlimted rebuys in the first hr. The field ranges from 120 -180 players...On this particular night....I believe the field consisted of 126 players...What I remember most about that night is how the cards were cold in the beginning...I ended rebuying onces and adding on at the end of the first level.....For another hour, the only way I could win pots were to steal blinds and make moves against players showing weekness....Then I hit a hot streak where I was dealt AA KK AK on just about every hand....and winning...I took a huge stack going into the final..and stayed out of trouble throughout...Letting every body eliminate each other..In fact the only two people I eliminated at the final table were the last two...I remember the last hand when I called the last player's all in bet with K8off and flopped two pair...

The elation I felt after I realized I won the tournanment was overwelming! I couldn't believe I actually outlasted a huge field to be the last man standing..I remember the ear to ear grin I had as they handed me $1154 is cash...Funny, the money dind't make me happy (Although it wasn't bad), but its the winning...the competition...the will to win that made me happy....

I still have the Orleans Plaque sitting on my shelve with the two cards that won it for me: K [img]/forums/images/icons/diamond.gif[/img] 8 [img]/forums/images/icons/spade.gif[/img] And it's usually a conversation starter whenever I have guest over....

I know it sounds corny, but that plaque means a lot to me..it showed me that if you work hard enough you can accomplish anything....

Anyone else have a story to share about their first tournament win.

[MS Sunshine]

"I know it sounds corny, but that plaque means a lot to me..it showed me that if you work hard enough you can accomplish anything...."

This a little OT, but when I was in High School each class year had over 2000 students in it, over 6000 for the whole school, but the only person in the whole school that I could not beat almost every game of chess I played was the next student after me in the alphabet, in my home room.

Paul won every game we played all year. The first USCF tournament we both played in, in the last round we were matched, I played my usual lack-luster game but he completely caved. I won some trophy, but the feeling of coming thru under pressure lasted my whole life.

Be proud of your win.

MS Sunshine

[JTG51]

Mine was 6 months ago or so. The Monday night limit hold'em tournament at Foxwoods. 100 players or so.

I had a below average stack going to the final table. I got AA 3 times in the next half hour, flopping a set and busting another player twice. A little good luck never hurt anyone. [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[gerf]

About 8 months ago, my 4th NL tournament and my first time at the final table of a $65 buy-in, 50 person field. I'm about 3rd biggest stack with 7 people left. The short stack goes all in, the person next to him goes all in, the small blind goes all in. I'm in the BB and say something like "I doubt I'll find anything good under here." I look down and find two beautiful aces, and I throw my stack in. The others have something like J9, TT, and AK. When it was down to heads up, my opponent was getting run over with good starting hands, but I never had much to get in trouble with against his monsters. I finally win it with K9 (a monster compared to your K8 [img]/forums/images/icons/wink.gif[/img] ).

I certainly got lucky. I agree that the feeling of winning was better than getting the money.

[CMP]

I've only played in 4 B&M tournaments (none online, don't count home-game single table tournaments), and I've been pretty pleased with the results. I hope to score a win at THIS year's Vegas trip (March, Final Four).

Wednesday night limit HE Orleans - first tourney, busted about 30th of 100+
Thursday noon Luxor tourney - 2nd place
Friday noon Luxor tourney - 6th place (still in the money)

All of the above from last year's Vegas trip.

And just last week

Wednesday, Limit HE at Blue Chip, IN - 14th place out of 96 (paid 10 places, grrrr). Trip report down the board, there's some hand questions within, if anyone would like to comment.

Still waiting,

CMP

[ohkanada]

The 1st tourney I won was signicant for a few reasons. It was my 1st pure NL tourney. I had played others that were limit and became NL after 3 rounds. The other reason is it was at Foxwoods and the guy I split it with had all these fossils and we talked after the tourney and Greg told me about 2+2. The only significant hand I remember is at the final table I made a grand suckout with TT vs QQ [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Ken Poklitar

[sdplayerb]

First, great topic.

Mine was about my 8th tournament. Limit HE at Viejas, just a $12 buyin.
I got to the final table in around 6th position and just a monster run of straights, and flushes.
Thing is, they stop when down to four players and whoever is in 1st then takes first. So you even moreso have to go after it.

Somone limped before me, so I did with Q9 (i was in first of 2nd in chips).
JT was on the flop, and i knew i would hit it. Just about everybody was all-in. K.
I flip it over then.

Everybody at the table knew each other except me (i was only 28, so everyone was also at least 15 years older then me) and just about all of them scowled at me, except the guy to my right said you know you just won the tourney right?
Yes I do.

The $400 was nice and all. But the elation was worth more than that.
Then I went on a horrible run..then I learned more about this game called No Limit.

SD

[Mackie]

Fun topic. First TOC qualifier at Canterbury Park, Jan 2001. $100 buy-in w/one $100 rebuy, limit he, final table NL. 73 players. We cut a deal at the start of play at the final table where everyone took $1000 and played on for the rest of the prize pool ($5k). Initally the chip leader objected to the deal but reluctantly agreed after I doubled through against him with AKs against QQ on the first hand, even though there was one very short stack. Another hand I remember a solid tight player limped in EP and all fold to me in BB with Q7o. Flop Q74, we both get all in on the flop and he is out with AA. Heh. I knew him limping at this stage was fishy. Final hand I re-raise all-in on BB with Ac5c, the original chip leader calls with 9dTd(?!), game over. I didn't play the TOC. I was pleased with finishing 1st, didn't really care about qualifying because I knew I wouldn't use it, but the $2500 for first was definitely the best part of winning that one.

[whiskeytown]

can't remember...it was online, $10, and fairly insignificant..

let me tell you about my first money finish though...Playing a live Canterbury tourney...I end up squeeking into seat 1, with twice the BB, and having to pay it first hand...

I get AA...triple up, and milk it for awhile

finally we're down to 3...I have J10 suited and push all in (I have shortest stack) - both call

It's AQ vs KK vs 10/J suited...LOL 3 guys and 3 mega hands...

KK took it down...I got a kick out of how big those hands were when I finally made a steal...

but that was memorable, esp. the AA

RB

[limitti]

My first tourney win was not a free roll at Planet Poker. The price money was $500 ($150 for the winner) except if the winner had not played for real money ever he would win a t-shirt. It was the first tournament ever at Planet Poker and it was also my first tournament ever. 300 participants and I won the whole thing and got a t-shirt + bonus deck of cards [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] It felt absolutely great, beating every player in my very first tourney ever.
Since then I have won many tourneys but I have never had so big chip lead. I was the leader when about 30 players where still left the second player had the stack about 25% of my stack. Cards where running really hot all the time.