I Came 2nd !!

Spoilt the ending a bit haven't I - but I wasn't even looking to play a MTT, to be honest. I was sat on a 1/2$ limit table at CD Poker, and running about 70$ up. Cards were hitting, and when I had the nuts, an opponent had the second best had possible, so I got re-raised several times when I knew I couldn't be beaten. It was that kind of night.

I was browsing through the MTT section and saw a 5$ rebuy with $3500 added to the prize pool and there was only 88 people in it with 20 mins to go. That sounds good, I'll have a bit of that - 1 in a 5 chance of winning money I thought, and registered. Over 300 more joined in the next 20mins and about 475 started the tourny.

I came second and won $650, my biggest single win since I started playing poker. Not once did I rebuy, the only person on the final table able to say this. And you know something, I played pretty well, but luck got me to the final table.

Not many hands stand out before heads up, apart from my A 10 taking out AA when I hit a set (he slow played them), but I think the turning point was this one. Sat at 6k in chips and getting close to the bubble, way off the leaders, and got deal AJs on the button. It was folded to me and I moved all in, which I think with my stack was the right thing to do with only 2 players left to play. Both called and one had pocket 10's and the other AQ. Flop was no help to anyone, nor the turn and then a J hit the river. I got lucky and trebled up and never looked back. I folded hands I'd normally play, and played with such patience, knowning that the cards would come eventually. And they did.
Acorn, Rosie and The Edge were around - so thanks for the tips and support guys, especially Acorn who stayed almost to the end. I'd never got this far in tourny of this size (got 2nd in a 100 player MTT once for 50$) and there was some good experience for me to draw on in these 3 players. Even Cathy stayed up with me till just gone 2.30am when it finished. The most excited she's ever been with my poker career. I had $ signs in my eyes, I think she had shopping bags in hers.

Got to the last 3 and the blinds stopped at 10k (didn't know they did this) and we were at each other for over an hour, just the 3 of us. It was a matter of who would make the first big mistake, and one player did by moving all in with KQs. Player 2 called with AKs and I had AQ on the BB, but decided to fold as they were pretty even in chips and knew that one would be out so why risk it. Ironically, my hand would have taken one out and fatally crippled the other, but hey, I made the right decision.
The payout from 3rd to 2nd was doubled, but I was the short stack. Then two hands later it was all over. Firstly my A4 on a 10 4 2 flop lost to his pocket 6's and then my K6 on a flop of K62 saw me lose to his K7 when a 7 hit the river. A tiny bit of dissappointment prevails, but only a tiny bit mind - I'm chuffed to bits that I turned 5$ into 650$.

Ironically, Rosie and Acorn were having a debate the previous night about the more profitable type of play, MTT v cash game - but I'm not sure my body would stand 9pm to 2.30pm every night, it was pretty intense!!

I actually had a really funny story of something that happened yesterday, but I'll save this for tomorrow. For now, I'm basking in the glory of this wonderful game.