Red Hot Poker Tour Victory #2 of Season 9

3 hours and 20 minute marthon today, but I hung in there and took down the winner with J-10 hearts calling an allin about 10 hands into the headsup play. I was well behind the AK, but flopped top pair with the J and it held up.

Today, the best hole cards I saw were JJ, and funny enough it was at the final table and I folded them preflop to a 24,000 raise on a 6,000 BB making it 30,000 to go. But since I had nothing in the pot at that time, and with 4 callers behind me I had to think this one through a bit more. I picked up a huge tell and I was right. A player pushed allin to make the call. Prior to having read that well, I figured I just might be too far behind to risk such a huge dent into my 40,000 stack should the JJ not be out front. One of the two of them had to have QQ, KK AA or possibly AK (even AQ threatened me, rather intimidated me). Having laid it down, the raiser threw pocket 10's on the table to be met with the caller's AK. I was right on the read. The 10's held up, and wouldn't you know it, my JJ would have won a monster. Funny how things work out in this crazy game. I still think it was the right move at that time of the game. I still felt well in control and in strong contention to continue advancing even with 4 playes left to go.

I followed that lay down with AQ suited, min raised and stole the blinds. After that it was scratch and claw (and lotsa luck) to the finish line.

I admit I should well have busted out much earlier however. Here's what happened:

I raised with A3 spades into the blinds, from the button, thnking I might be OK or just to steal was fine as well. The SB folded, but the BB re-raised my 600 up to 1,200 and I re-raised pushing allin for 5,400 more. He called with his 3,900 and rolled over QQ. Uh-oh, I got caught. and then I got lucky, making a set by catching a 3 on the flop, another 3 on the turn and then filling up the boat with an Ace on the river. It happens sometimes. I wasn't proud of it, but this game, someone once said, is 90% luck 50% math. Today it was 90% math, 50% luck! Hey wait sec, that doesn't add up to 100 does it? It's all about pressure.