Final Nightly Donk-a-ment @ Harrah's New Orleans Bayou Poker Challange

So far 2010 has been a rather dismal year, but not much different from 2009. I decided to make my way on down to Harrah’s New Orleans for their last nightly event of the Bayou Poker Challenge. The buy-in was $ 235 with 7k in starting chips & 20 minute levels.

After late registration ended, we now have a whopping fifteen (15) players show up for the tournament & we are playing for a total prize pool of $ 2,970 which will pay the top 3 places. We began the tournament playing three 5-handed tables with dead stacks of money posting blinds, until we got down to 12 handed play. The first significant hand that I get involved in is in level 3 where the blinds are 75/150, I am under the gun (utg) & look down at JJ. I raise to 375 & pick up 4 callers. The flop comes out K-4-8 rainbow. I immediately decide to make a continuation bet of about 2/3 the pot which was about 1,000, not only for value, but to see where I am at with one over on the board. Two players fold around to the villain in late position who has been getting hit in the face with the deck & he decides to flat my C-bet. The turn is a harmless 9 & once again I bet about 2/3 of the pot. The villain decides to tank for a few minutes but then eventually folds.

A few orbits later we make it down to the final 9 players & the tournament director has us redraw for seat positions to begin play after the break 9 handed. The first hand back from the break the blinds are at 150/300 & I have about 15k out of a 7k starting stack remaining behind. I look down at JJ & from under the gun I decide to raise to about 1200. I make a slightly larger raise since I have an ulta-aggressive donkey to my immediate left with a healthy stack. The donkey inst-calls & the rest of the action folds to the small blind who also decides to flat my pre-flop raise so we see a flop of K-J-3 three handed. What a gin flop! I flopped middle set & I know by change in my opponents posture & physical mannerisms that he had definitely caught a piece of that flop. So instead of trying to trap, I decide to lead out for about 2/3 the pot which is instantly re-raised by the villain to my left which forces the sb out of the pot. I decide to flat, keep him pot committed on the turn, & shove the river. The turn comes out a blank & I do decide to make another C-bet. My opponent doesn’t blink. At this point I am putting him on top pair with a good kicker. I can’t remember what the river came, but I did shove, the villain snap called, I announced that I had a set, turned over my JJ & the villain angrily threw his cards at the dealer then went on life tilt. It was a great feeling to get the money in with the best hand & not be out drawn.

I was now the chip leader & throughout the rest of the tournament it was not a lead I would ever relinquish. Several orbits later in level 8 the blinds were 300/600/75. From middle position facing at least two limpers I look down at QQ. I take my time before announcing raise, which I did to 2,150. The same guy who I had crushed several orbits later immediately announces “All In”. I ask the dealer for a count. The dealer lets me know that he has approximately 10k left & I have about 35k behind. I announce “I call”. The villain sheepishly turns over 55 & is in complete disgust when I turn over QQ. The board bricks, neither of us improve & he is eliminated in 9th place. Several eliminations later we were down to 4 handed play. This was the first time I had actually gotten my money in bad during the entire tournament. I had about 60k behind & it was going to cost me 12k at blind levels of 600/1200/200. After I had raised from the small blind the gentlemen who had shoved has been falling asleep in between hands. We were AIPF. My opponent tables A6x vs my A4x. The flop comes 4-2-2 with a brick on the turn & the river. I congratulate him & decided to do a $100 save for fourth place.

We are now down to 3 handed play & after so graciously putting the save in we decide to chop. At this point if we play it out I only win 100 more than if we end it right there. So I did, even though I had about 65% of the chips in play. The win was good for $ 1,330 & I did tip the staff $ 130 which was 10% of my winnings. It felt good to win & I am sure this won’t be my last.