6/29 Dino's Victory recap

After being forced to take last week off, I go to Dino's ready for another week of tournament action. While the last 2 weeks after my last win were mediocre finishes (12th and 14th), I felt like I was playing well, so I was pretty confident going into last night's action.

Changed my normal non-drinking routine, and did a "just because" celebratory shot of Dikkel with Bernie - damn him for turning me on to that, but it's damn smooth stuff. Sat at my first table with (my left to right) Some New Guy, Gal Pal of Fred, Scott, and Ronnie. Lost 25% of my stack on the first couple of hands, then on last hand of first blind level (25/50) got J-J - raised to 5x BB out of the BB when everyone tried to limp in, won a nice $1000 after flopping a set...might have tried to get more out of it, but not slow-playing hands with flush and straight draws out there.

At start of 75/150 level, moved to another table, and was officially card-dead for a couple of orbits...at 100/200, jammed 1650 into the pot with A-10, and was called by Pat and Some Other Gal - they were holding 9-9 and 7-7. 10 on flop gave me the lead, and it held up, and we're in business, knocking out SOG and crippling Pat. Took the last hand of the table before we got down to final table of 10 on a total bluff, and off to the final table with 5500 I went.

Nothing playable for the first 7-8 hands of action (nothing even worth stealing at 200/400 level), then picked up K-K while UTG - raise to 2000 chased out all but Big Bald Brad, who promptly insta-folded when a 7-6-2 flop hit and I pushed all-in after he checked.

Down to 7, and a couple of orbits later I knocked out Big Bald Brad after my 8-8 hit a set to pwn his Q-J...down to 6. Doubled up Don (not Baker) when my A-J couldn't beat his A-Q, and back to being card-dead for a little while.

After Don and another guy were eliminated by Texas Tim, Tim continued to run over the table for a few hands, then my hand of the tournament came up. Tim open raised to 3200 (400/800 blinds now) UTG, I look and see 2-2, and decided to make my stand here. Tim insta-calls with 10-10, and I'm in bad shape...until a deuce hits on the flop, and my set holds up. At this point I am thinking that if I play it smart, Tim and I should be able to get to HU - hyper aggressive player vs. TAG, could be interesting.

Tim doubles up Glen a couple of hands later on a real goofy hand where Glen played calling station and just happened to have the better kicker...and which I think put Tim on tilt. I get the chance to knock Tim out the next hand when I come over the top of him with 7-7 - no help to his A-Q, and I've got a huge chip lead at this moment.

My A-K knocks out another opponent soon after, and it's Glen and me HU for the title this week. I have a more than 2-1 chip lead here, and I'm thinking that I'm either going to grind him down, or get it over quickly. Next few hands I take more chips from him than he gets from me, when the final hand hits us.

I look at A-A (500/1000 blinds) min-raise to 2000...hoping to induce action. Glen re-raises 3K, and after Hollywooding for a few seconds, push to put him all-in - he calls with K-10 off. No help on flop, and if I can avoid runner-runner, it's over...black 8 on turn misses him, and river doesn't matter - Win #9 at Dino's for me this week!!!

Frankly, not my best-played tournament, but one where patience was rewarded...and luck was on my side. Lookin' REAL good to clinch my spot for the final tournament in a few weeks - next few weeks may be good time to experiment with some more LAG play and see where this goes.