…what’s better than a live poker game when you need to get outside to clear your head? Exactly, nothing! Got a call from a friend about a poker game tonight, so instead of loungin on the couch I made my way to the bar where the tourney was held. Had little luck early on, but once the main tourney started I made my run. I was one of the shortstacks right from the beginning – I started with 1.5k…others started with up to 7.5k (they got extra chips for winning pre main-tourney shootout tables). Nothing much going on at the first table…one nut-flush for me…double-up. Then I get moved to the next table and I sit down UTG. I look down at the first card…A…at the second card…A…I like! I raise it up 5BB and someone UTG+2 decides to push…I love it and insta-call…he shows the tourist (A7o), my rockets hold up and I’m good to go. A flush and some small pots later and I’m sitting pretty…then a tough one comes up. The blinds just gone up and it’s more or less a crapshoot now (0.8k/1.6k blinds), I’m in the BB and take a free look. The flop comes 9-5-4 rainbow…the SB checks…I check…turn comes the Jh…SB pushes…I hold 96o. I try to remember what the SB did on earlier hands with straight draws on board…I decide to go with my gut-feeling as I think he’s on a straight-draw again (he played them overly aggressive earlier)…I put him on 78 and call…he isn’t too pleased with my call and show 67o for the gutterball…river is blank and I cripple him. Tough call, but sticking with my initial feeling was the right move. Even tougher luck for him as he’s auto-all-in a few hands later in the BB…I look down at QQ UTG and that’s all she wrote for him…
After that some small pots won and lost and we’re finally down to the final table. I try to sit back and relax as I don’t get any hands and the other players are more than willing to gamble – no surprise with blinds approaching 1.5/3k…I can’t catch anything and once I’m in the BB the button decides to pop it….I’ve got 3k invested…only 5k behind so I can’t fold…69o against his A3o…alright…at least I’m live…an ace on the turn seals my exit in 6th…the meaningless 6 on the river comes to rub it in…*lol*…so…in the end no prize for me (top 3 get payed), but still a good one…I had fun, didn’t think about my diploma thesis for once and got some time at the felt…good stuff…off to catch some sleep now…
I’m UTG again and the BB is auto-allin with less than the blind…I look down at QQ and push…no callers except the BB…my queens hold up.