Hang on, hear me out.
I really belive I've played some of my best poker ever last night at the 888poker iPad2 challenge. For a small $2.20 buy-in you can win an iPad2. The first 2 of each tournament get one each. Finished 10th. of 345 players enrolled.
I've missed the first two tournaments getting the date wrong twice, and I've almost missed it again tonight… and I will play it again on Saturday. Yepp, I really want this thing and I swear I was "mind set" that night.
Like I mentioned above, I've played some of my best poker ever today. Already before the tournament I said to the misses "I'm gonna ship this" and that's how I've approached it. There was no "in the money" to aim for, no paid places.. nada. Top 2 or nada and this is the thing.. I kinda "felt the table, felt the tournament".
I managed to build my stack from1.500 up to first 5.000 and soon 12.000 before the first hour and re-buys were over. This put me under the top 5-10 already in the early stage of the tournament where I later stayed under the top 5 until late making chip leader a few times and doing very well.
I didn't use a single re-buy of 2 re-buy's available for the first hour. No, I played straight and tight as hell from my first hand. I pressed for value when I knew "it's mine". I stole when I knew I could and I pressed some good bluffs with hands like 49 and a 12k pot with an TK8 texture vs. several players. Tough but I got away with it knowing one of the others may have an 8 but that's it. I press.. I take.
I managed to get some amazing reads on my oponents too, and due to the fact that I was under the top 5 for most of the tournament, I had a strong "table image". For a long period I had this "moment" where I knew this table is mine. I want this pot, it's mine. I raise that guy, it's mine.. mine mine mine and mini-me gets a bit too. It was sick and exciting!
…and here it comes… I FOLDED a few times too. Yeah, I'm not a liar… I folded. F O L D E D which is like putting your cards down even though you kinda wanna play this hand cause it "could" work out.
Finally I busted out with a stack of 89k being 4th. at that moment holding AK raising preflop to 12k getting one caller and A9T on the flop. Here I was, holding the nuts on "the steamer", perfect! I raise 18k, he re-raises me, I go all-in, he calls and shows AQ.. and the dealer turns a Q.
So here is my brag.. I'm proud and I'm very pleased with how I played this tournament and that I finished 10th. I could slap myself for making that call not putting down my winning hand just to hit the final table but I'm proud of the way I played this tournament and that's my own prize they don't even have to ship to me.
I'm gonna give it another swing tonight in the last iPad2 challenge. Hoping for a good run in the early levels while the bingo poker and all-in madness is still going on.
Wish me luck ;-)
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