drneau.com

[rastapete]

I have only ever played in a couple that I got entries into via some promotion. I kinda always felt like you have to devote so much time and then you get busted by some dumb beat on the bubble and it's like you'd have been better off collecting thrown away pennies, knowaddamean?

So anyway couple days ago my home game buddy calls me up, he's in a tourney starting that night but has to go out, can I play for him until he gets back. I'm all, sure, so I go install the software and log in as my buddy (names withheld to protect the guilty). It's a freeroll for a seat to a tourney for WSOP Main Event seats. And it's a rebuy & add-on tourney. He has $13 in his account there, so I call him back and say can I R&A, and he's leaving that up to my judgement. I always figure I should rebuy a.s.a.p, I'd rather be doubled up with 3k than with 1.5k, but I don't do so immediately and then I win a pot that takes me over the starting chip count so can't after that.

I managed to hit some nice flops, playing AK I raised pre, got 2 callers, flop has a K and 2 clubs. I bet pot, one caller. Turn blanks, I bet 2/3 to 3/4 pot, he calls. River is a blank, non-club, I push, he calls he has Jx of clubs, no pair. WTF?!! He rebuys.

Later I limp 22 and hit a set, nice payoff there. Then I play A7 off from the BB, flop 2 pair, turn is a 7 to boat me up, get paid off by an A.

So I'm amongst the chip leaders with 5 minutes to the break, and I pick up AA in the BB. UTG raises, one caller, I re-raise, she pushes (she started the hand with about 3k total, I have 7500 or so). We're heads up AA vs KK. Flops a K. Rivers a K. Nice.

I go to the break with 3000-odd, and there's a $5 add-on for 2k chips, and you can take two add-ons. I take two, back to 7k or so.

Shortly after resuming, I get 77 and call a 3BB raise. Just as I'm doing so, my buddy calls, he's back home, how's it going, yada yada. Flop comes down with a 7. Yippee! I say hold on a sec I just flopped a set. I'm late position, 3 players in hand, UTG bets, player 2 raises (Hallelujah!), I reraise, he ends up all-in with AA, and I hand over the reins with 19k and the chip lead.

I stay away for a while but can't take the suspense, so I create my own account and log on to sweat my buddy. He's built the stack into the 40k region, and there are two tables left. When they're on the bubble he goes on a great run of cards and gets the chip lead. He's playing pretty good - on a hand with the blinds at 100/200 he raised to 600 with QQ, got reraised to 1200, flat called. Flop comes 9-6-4 rainbow. He bets, opponent (a strong player, according to my buddy) pushes (with half buddy's stack). He tanks, and folds. Opp shows 99. Nice laydown, I thought.

His stack gets attritted somewhat, then he builds it back up. Player to his right has pushed in from the SB three times in the last five rounds, shown small to mid pocket pairs each time (even though not called). Three-handed, she pushes again, buddy calls with QQ, she has 66. Flop J-9-8, turn 5, river 6. Boom, buddy's stack is down to 4 or 5 BBs. How the f*** is that right? After laying down QQ to a set of nines, how do the poker gods do that to you? I was pissed for him. He gets his stack back up to around 10BBs, then flops 2 pair from the BB with T-8, min raises the flop ("Oh no! PUSH!!!", I scream to myself, there are 2 hearts on the flop). Turn is a heart, Opp pushes, he calls (knowing she just made the flush, but he can't fold now). And he finishes third, for a seat to a guaranteed $80k tourney on Sunday.

I don't know how you MTT-ers can stand it.