FTOPS # 28

It all started as a dream. I played in my first FTOPS event today on Full Tilt Poker. For some reason there is a psychological difference in respect toward money when you play online compared to live. But this all started off of a 150 FTP point 24 man sit-n-go that lead to the 3500 FTP point with 43 seats guaranteed. It was a turbo format with starting chip stacks @ 1500. This satellite started with 643 runners & I managed to finish in the top 43 earning me a seat in the 240+16 FTOPS Event # 28. 6-max no-limit hold-em, $1,000,000 guaranteed, final table guaranteed $ 12,500 with $ 191,000 to ship it. 4997 runners & pays top 492 with a $ 40 KO bounty.

First break @ 30/60 85 hands the first hour. First key mistake came in hand number 51 where I pick up KQss in the hijack position 6 max. UTG leads out for a 3x raise blinds @ 20/40 for 120. I re-raise in position to limit the completion and I get flatted by the original raiser. Flop comes 8-7-K with 2 hearts. He checks & I decide to bet 375 which is a little more than half of the pot of 620. Once again I think either he is flatting with at-least one heart in his hand looking to make some fireworks on the turn. I’m pretty comfortable that he has at-least a big Ace (A) like AQ or AJ, or a small pair that missed. Turn comes 6 hearts, which obviously slows down the action & he decides to check. To continue to maintain pot control in position I decide to check behind with the intention of making a value bet on the river if checked to me. Instead my opponent fails to check & leads out for 1000 which was approximately a pot size bet which should have set off the warning signs. The cash game mentality cost me some valuable chips early. I tank & eventually call . My opponent tables AK for top pair top kicker with the Ace of hearts.

This hand will not leave my memory for a while. In the cut-off I pick up 66, 166 hands deep into the tournament blinds @ 140/280/50. I bet the pot roughly 730. Button folds, SB & BB immediately shove. I have no choice but to fold. I watch the small blind table A9x vs AKx in the BB. I observe as the board of Q-6-4-9-9 is laid out. I feel so sick to my stomach, even-though I made the correct long-term play.

I have about 4400 behind, blinds at 170/340/25 in the BB I pick up A10x. It folds around to the CO that decides to raise me all-in. I snap call & he tables A3x. Looks like a good spot for a double up? Worse case a chop? Not even close when the board ran out 4-K-9-J-3. You have got to be fucking kidding me, out in 1634/4997. I played roughly for 2 hours & 45 minutes; booked 1 KO for $ 40; saw about 9% of my flops, took down about 85% of my pots won either pre or post flop. I played about as well as I could, just a little unfortunate for the deck to bail out my opponent with the ungodly 3 outer to unceremoniously end my run at greatness.