Unanderra - Monday

Mondays tournament at Unanderra was a crazy one. With around 30-35 runners the chances of making final table were a lot better than usual. The tournament was underway when I was announced dealer :). I did not really play the first few hands which made me eager to play my big blind. I made up my mind that I would call any 3 times the blind and under raise before cards were dealt. Sure enough there was a raise from someone in late position of 275 (50/100) blinds... I announced "I call dark." and that is exactly what I did. After this he announced he had almost the same hand he had in the last one... K J. I saw a flop of 2 5 9... I checked... Still not having looked at my cards. He pushed all in for 400 (He was short stacked: one of the reasons I called him without looking at my cards). I looked at my whole cards... 2 3... A pair of 2's... Probably good if he has 2 high cards... "I call". He turned up K J... My pair held up and I took down the pot.
A few hands later I limped in with pocket 2's and saw a flop of 4 2 J (Rainbow)... Beautiful a set. Weapon led out with a bet of 400... I flat called and so did another player. The turn was another J. Weapon let out with another 400 bet which i quickly raised to 800. The other player called (this put him all in) and Weapon folded. He turned up A J and I turned up my 2's. He had 6 outs in the deck. An A or 4 for him to win the pot. The river... A. YUCK! Down to 1400 :(.
A few hands later I have pocket 10's UTG... Bad spot to have em... I decide to min raise the 100/200 blinds (making it 400)... Representing strength but not wanting to commit myself entirely. I get 4 callers... I semi-regretted min raising until I saw the flop... 4 5 10 (Rainbow)... I Check! The button bet 500 and I reraised all in... She called and turned up J 10... Running Jacks did not come and I took down the pot.
I got a further 2000 chips a few hands later when I had pocket Aces after someone pushed all in second to act. He turned up Jacks and I hit yet another set on the flop of 6 9 A (Running Jacks did not come :P).
I then saw a lot of crazy hands... Ben pushed all in preflop for 900 and was called by 4 others. After a board of Q Q 9 there the rest of the people in the hand pushed all in. Ben turned up J J... One player turned up 8 8... Another player turned up K Q... The last player turned up 9 9. Pocket 9's flopped a full house and K Q flopped a set. A nothing card hit the turn and river was an 8 putting another full house in the mix. Ben pushed with the best hand and ended up with the worst.
3-4 Hands later I was on the button and looked down at A K and everyone had folded to me. Both players on my right were short stacked so I pushed all in... I was quickly called by the small blind and the big blind folded. The small blind turned up a Q Q and I turned up my A K. The flop was 4 Q 10... Ouch he hit a set!... I could still hit a J for a straight... The turn... J!! Sweet! Just don't pair the boa... 10! Full house! :( I lose a pot of around 7k :(.
We were down to 13 runners at 200/400 blinds which was insane... I was short stacked at around 4000 but i figured i could grind it out... Final table was about 20 mins later and the blinds were 500/1000... I chose seat 4... UTG :(... at least I will get blinds cheap early. I only had 4500 however... I lost my blind hands but being patient paid off because we were soon on the bubble for cash. In an early position I pushed with an A J and was called and then someone shoved over the top in a later position... The initial caller folded. The person who shoved turned up pocket 10's... Beautiful 2 overs! After an A on the flop I tripled up to around 10k.
I sat on 10k chips for a while... it seemed we were 7 handed for ages... But finally someone was knocked out and we were in the money... The very next hand I picked up a K 10 in early position. I announced "We are in the money" and then shoved. I was called by the small blind who turned up an A Q... Awesome two live cards... Window card... K! My pair held up and I was at around 25k.
A few more players got out and I got a few more chips... we were 3 handed. I was in the small blind for 3k and looked down at a K 3... I had been folding a few of my small blinds but I figured I could afford to call this time. I did... The big blind announced "Lets see a flop... I have not even looked at my cards." The flop was Q 10 7... I checked and he made a min bet of 6k... I looked at his cards and they were in the very same position as before... "I call". The turn was a 4... I checked... He bet again... 6000... "I call"... The river was another 4... I checked and so did he. I turned up my cards and said "I have king high". He turned up a 9... and 5. I took down a 36k pot with K high.
A few hands later a player reluctantly called the small blind and looked like he just wanted to see a flop... I announced "all in". I had not seen my cards... He folded and the game continued.
I was then on the button and had a dominant chip lead over the other two... GSV suggested that I push and I did. I was instantly called by both players before they got their cards. I got a Q 8... Small blind got a J 6... Big blind got A K... Everyone missed the board and each played our high cards. The smallest stack won the main pot and i took the side pot of 12k... The hand had only cost me about 6k and I managed to knock out a player.
Heads up only lasted a few hands... I could tell he wanted to make a deal but I had a 3 to 1 chip advantage and was not ready to make one. The first hand I picket up pocket Queens in the big blind... Just before this however I noticed heavy reluctance in his call. It was the same player from before and this time I wanted action from my Queens. I checked... The flop was J 10 7 (all clubs)... I bet 20k and he got out of the pot.
The next hand he wanted to go all in but he was in the big blind and I told him to take his chips back and wait till I get my cards. I got a K 7 and announced "Ok... all in". He turned up a 8 5 and my K high was good. I won the tournament! :) Also won the first of the New Satellite Poker Hats :)!