Fear the Junkgrabber: Change does the WWdN Invitational

I have a terrible record in blogger tournaments. I came thisclose to taking the boobie prize in the "Saturdays with Dr. Pauly" series, only I was in a drooling, hungover slumber at the last tourney's 10 AM PST start time, so I had to unforturnately relinquish THAT honor. Then there was my infamous AA vs. KK knockout hand at the WPBT Imperial Palace tournament two weeks ago, only 6 hands after they called "shuffle up & deal." Out in the first fucking orbit to a runner runner straight!! I'm still not over that one.

This afternoon, I got what was coming to me. A final table. And in the WWdN Invitational, no less, which boasts a crafty, hammer-weilding field of fellow bloggers and degenerates.

I'd like to thank the Academy... and a certain luckbox.

With 20-odd minutes to go before the start time, Wil had yet to register for his own tournament. Pauly bet me a dollar that he wouldn't show and I jumped on that action. Wil signed up with 8 minutes to go and I booked my first win for the session. I knew he'd never let Lee Jones down. To keep the action going, Pauly and I made a last-longer for double or nothing.

60 players bought in. I had a slow start and a pretty tight first table. Russ Fox was there, as was Alan. I couldn't really get anything going except to chop out a few small pots to stay alive. My raises got almost too much respect. Pauly was cruising in the top 5 with 3500 or so and I knew I'd be giving back my hard-earned dollar if I didn't pick up something soon.

Then, there were the two hands that turned everything around. Tanya raised in LP and I called from the SB with 99. The flop was ten high with a nine in there to make my set. I checked and let her come at me, which she did with a bet around 3/4 of the pot. I called. Turn was a blank diamond, putting 2 diamonds on the board. Still, I checked and let her fire another shell, before check-raising all in. She called with 8T-- top pair and a flush draw. The river was a blank and I picked up a nice pot. Maybe 3 hands later, I limped into a multiway pot with 55. I flopped middle set. Boobie Lover pushed in on the turn with his OESD, but didn't get there, and I'm suddenly the chip leader with around T7800.

Pauly busted in 17th and I won our last longer and $2. Down to two tables, I was sandwiched between Iggy on my left and Tanya on my right. I don't know what was worse, being pummelled by Tanya's late position raises or Iggy's re-raises from the blinds. He played back at me a couple of times, popping my ass all-in from the BB and I laid down a couple of decent hands around bubble time. "I will not be bubble girl," I typed into the chat box to Pauly. Tanya busted in 10th and I squeaked onto the final table and into the money with a very short stack.

With about T3400 left and 300-600 blinds, I was looking for a "push & pray" hand. Jesus must have been feeling benevolent (must have been that whole church on Christmas thing) because I picked up AA in the CO. Instead of pushing, I just raised it to 1800 into Iggy's big blind. He pushed with 88 and I called, having him slightly covered. I survived the flop and I had T6500 to work with. That was the turning point in the whole tournament for me. CJ and Pauly had been telling me to win it and now I actually felt like I could.

By now, I had attracted a flock of funny little railbirds. I checkraised all-in with AA on a J T 2 flop, crippling eventual 5th place finisher Gilain, who had A8. Then I lost a big hand trying to bust SeedyV with A4 vs. his QJo. The K T 2 flop gave him an open-ended straight draw and he filled it with the Ac on the turn. I'm back to push & pray mode and I do so with 77, winning a coinflip against another QJ. But I'm still pretty short with T10600 and 400-800 blinds.

CJ keeps telling me to hang in there. I joke that I need to channel the powers of the luckbox. Down to five-handed, I get A4 in the BB. It's folded to the SB, who makes a standard raise to 2400. He's loose and I think I have the best hand, so I pop his ass all-in, and he calls showing AQ. Shit.

The flop comes 7 5 K. The turn, an 8. The river... a 4.

And the room exploded.

peacecorn [observer] said, "wowee change100!"
AlCantHang [observer] said, "come from behind!"
ScottMcMilla [observer] said, "wow"
DrPauly [observer] said, "riverstars"
HermWarfare [observer] said, "wow"
yestbay1 [observer] said, "aiyah, as Wil might say"
HermWarfare [observer] said, "nh"
Up4Poker [observer] said, "she's my luckbox tonight"
AlCantHang [observer] said, "that's my girl!"

One suckout? Hardly enough. To win a tournament, you need at least two of significant quality.

7d 7c UTG and I make it 3600. Gilain raises to 9600, I push and he calls, showing AQ. Flop is Q high, but all diamonds. No diamond for Gilain. The turn, a black ten. The river... the three of diamonds!!!

And the room exploded again!!! Poor Gilain, twice my victim. Though I did have the best hand both times when the $$ went in against him. So I don't feel TOO bad.

Down to 4-handed, I'm chipleader with 38K. I busted SeedyV with AJ vs his A4 for a huge pot. I got my money in with the best of it again when the SB pushed for around 8K and I was up to 51K. A8 vs. QTd, but he got his Queen on the turn. I picked up the Jackhammer on the button an orbit later and raised 3X BB to 6000. The BB pushed, and I called 3000 more. "You're gonna laugh at this one," I wrote to CJ as the cards turned over. My opponent had... 56 offsuit? I got money in ahead with the JACKHAMMER? Well, the flop brought a 6, so that was the end of that.

I'd go in one more time with the best hand and lose. Three handed, I get 88 in the BB. The button folds, JeffSmith raises to 6000, I push, and he calls with K3h. Flop is 2 5 6, but he turns a King and I'm out in 3rd place for a $72.00 cash. Not bad!!

PokerStars Tournament #16809136,
No Limit Hold'emBuy-In: $10.00/$1.00
60 players
Total Prize Pool: $600.00
Tournament started - 2005/12/27 - 19:00:00 (ET)

Dear change1OO,

You finished the tournament in 3rd place.
A $72.00 award has been credited to your Real Money account.

Congratulations!

I was pretty happy with my play overall, especially at the final table. Can't do anything more than get in with the best of it, though it also helps to be sweated by a luckbox.

Hugs to everyone who railed me-- Gracie, Derek, AlCan'tHang, Spaceman, Drizz, Heather, Facty, Scott, Pauly, and CJ. I hope I'm not forgetting anyone. And congrats to Scott, StB, Iggy and sweeeet sweet Pablo who cashed in 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th respectively!

(P.S. - I have a screen grab of the final standings, but I'm so web-tarded that I can't figure out how to get it into the freakin' post. Fear the junkgrabber. But not her technological skills.)