Well, played in my seventh poker tournament of 2006 and fared well, placing ninth in the $300 + $40 event at Hollywood Park Casino (click here). The event had 278 participants and each started with 2,000 in chips, 40 minute rounds (25-25) start.
By round three, I was short stacked and down to 550 in chips after playing J-8 suited, flopping trips on a board of JJ7 only to have J7 double up through me. Most would just shove their chips in with any Ace afterwards, but I opted to pick my spots, steal some blinds in position and build my chips stack back to 1200 when I picke up KK on the BB when the SB who only had 1000 picked up 10, 10. So by the end of the 3rd round I wound up getting back up to over 3,000 in chips. I played solid tight aggressive poker and took advantage of short stacks later as well as my position. Down to about 32 players (they pay top 27), I pick up K,J suited in the SB having about 16,000 in chips and blinds are 1,000-2,000 (200 ante). I opt to call the min-raise the button makes and call the extra 3,000. Flop A,Q,8. Check-check. Turn 2, check-check. River nothing, I bet out 3,000 into the nearly 10k pot trying to steal it and the pocket fives on the button actually calls! But I wind up picking up 8,8 and double up and then my 6,6 all-in survives (when we were down to 15 player against AJ after the flop puts a J and I turn a 6 to stay alive and put my in great position to make the final table. 10th-18th place paid $810, while 9th started the escalation of pay netting $1,290. We get to the final table and there’s a proposal to chop which is great for me. I would have been short stacked, and although I feel solid I could have moved up a few spots to maybe 6th, 7th, I would have to have made it to 4th place to have done better than the chop. My portion of the chop was $4,250! It was unanimous since it was 3:30 in the morning. So I netted nearly an additional $3,000 so why wouldn’t I want to chop.
I feel solid in that this was only my seventh tourney of the year and yet my second final table.
April – Hollywood Park – 35th place – $0; May – Bicycle Club – $225 – DNP; May – WSOP Circuit – $500 event – 9th place – $1,222; September - three events at Commerce all three $300 – DNP; October – Hollywood Park NCP – $300 event – 9th place – $4250.
I feel good about my play and how I’ve done thus far in my tournament play. But over the last week and a half adding nearly $5700 to my bankroll, I’m feeling good about my play so far. I’ll likely play now in either the NL500 or NL1000 event next week.
