The Jets will Win. I Guarantee it.

I'm gonna spoil a few things from the Vegas report to help explain why my bravado about making the cruise was so strong.

My former-ex-now-back-girlfriend Kori (Yeah, big spoiler there, heh) lives in Tampa, FL... not exactly next door to Hollywood. The next time it was looking like we would see each other was the first week of May, and my mind started to think hard...

...hey, that cruise was for *two*, right?

New motivation? You bet. Now I pretty much had to make it. No choices left.

Time to put up or shut up!

Pre-game: I set up my iTunes to have a music setlist made just for the tourney. Some highlights:

30 Seconds to Mars - Mission
Requiem for a Dream - Lux Aeterna (Two Towers remix)
Ben Folds - The Ascent of Stan
The entire Kill Bill Vol. 1 soundtrack
Cowboy Bebop - OST

There was also some assorted U2, VAST, Blind Guardian... all stuff to get me pumped up and playing fearless.

6PM rolls around... and we begin. I give my "gl" to the table and sit in for what's going to be a long tourney if I go far...1519 people have signed up. A few bloggers are already sweating the rails (complete list below) and now I have a new goal: Not to embarass myself.

I have the maximum bonus chips allowed for the qualifier, so i start at T3000, as do a couple other players at the table. It ends up being a huge advantage, as the added ability to be aggressive pays huge dividends. I play super super tight and knock people over the head with chips when I find the right cards. I chip up slowly, little by little.

Break #1 greets us and I find myself extremely nervous, despite friends and well-wishers expressing their confidence in my play. I joke "gotta go throw up, brb" in the chat window, and someone consoles me for my obvious lack of tournament experience.

"1st time, huh?"
"Uh, something like that."
"You're doing fine."
"Oh... thank you"

I make the note "This guy thinks he's hot stuff" or something else that probably wasn't warranted, and the break is over.

I give Pauly and other bloggers a bit of a heartattack when in the BB, i get to see the flop for free, and it comes K72. I check and the only other player bets 150, and I end up being distracted by an IM. Meanwhile, it looks like i'm really thinking about calling. After I fold, more than one person comments that they thought i had the almighty Hammer. I have to laugh... no, no way that's coming out here.

Little did i know... but that's for later.

A few hands later we're moved. I remain one of the bigger stacks at the table. 3 of the players to my left are solid, and are constantly stealing blinds. I'm staying out of that for now, but i'm shocked when i'm in the BB and flop 2 pair with 45 since nobody raised me up. I decide to stab at it with full force, betting 200 and praying someone caught something else on the flop. Nobody calls though, and I just am left feeling thankful for the blind special.

I inch up again over T5000 with a blind steal, but get knocked back down with an all-in against my raise with 5's. I fold and sit at T4290, and the chip average has caught up with me, as is my usual style. Get ahead early, get timid, lose on a dumb play.

But I've got the Poker Blogging Community (and Destiny) in my corner.

Pauly: Remember, when the blinds get up, it's time to switch gears. Turn on the aggression. But it's ALL ABOUT POSITION!

I pushed on the gas with a hand in Level 7, 2 hours into the tournament. This was, for some, "The Hand". I'm sitting with just over T4000 in the CO. I get Jacks, and it's folded to me, and I raise to 450. The button promptly re-raises me to 1000.

I use up my time bank trying to decide to call. All the questions are going through my head. Finally, something Hank had said triggers my decision.

Hank: Notes on players. Has this person been playing aggressive? Can you put them on a hand?
Yeah, this person's been aggressive. I think I got a coin flip on my hands. Maybe even AJ or AT. I call.

The flop is three undercards, rainbow. I check to the raiser, and he bets out 1000. Again, i go into the tank. And when i come out, I push all in.

30 agonizing seconds later, he folds. Chipstack: T6290... which is about equal to my heart rate.

The last hand of the level, I steal from UTG with pocket 4's, and we take a breather.

I get moved to a new table again, and I survey the situation. I've been bumped all the way up to #22, so i know i'm probably not going anywhere for awhile. I have the #3 stack at the table, with lots of people sitting around 3000. The table is really aggressive though. For the first 15 hands, not a single one goes unraised.

I get a good taste of the agression when I try to blindsteal with JQo in the CO, raising to 500. and the BB re-raises all-in with 1805 chips. I concede he has me beat and fold.

The player, who I will call Machismo, begins to talk about how good he is, after a female player at the table showers him with so much attention, i expect her avatar to crawl under the table and start blowing him. And he won't shut up. He's going to Vegas next week. His groupie wants to know what casinos... he talks about how he's won eight tournaments this week. Yeah, keep talking, hot shot, keep talking. Put yourself up on that pedastal, so everyone will take a shot at you.

Meanwhile, while he plays the diversion, I steal over and over. My discipline has taken on a whole new form, too. I surprise myself when i let A8s go UTG. Normally, A-x suited is my mortal weakness, wanting to limp and see a flop, and pray for a flush or even a draw. But i let it go.

Another huge hand: ATo in the big blind, and three people *limp*, a huge anamoly for this table. I raise to 900, and 2 out of the 3 call.

The flop is Q73 rainbow. I check, kissing my chips goodbye, but everyone else does too and we get a turn card.

Turn: 2 of hearts.

I PUSH.

I've never seen 2 people fold so quickly in my life. Chip count: T9065.

The next hand, Hiltons again, in the SB. 1 limper, and I raise to 900, hoping to keep him around. I do, and the flop is J98. I bet 2100, and gulp when he calls. Either he's made top pair (good for me) or he has a ten and is fishing for that straight...

Turn is a 3 and I check. Dumb move. You have to be ahead, make him pay for his draw! He bets another 2200, and I call, not realizing just how much of my chipstack is sitting in the middle.

The river is another Jack, and my jaw almost dislocates. I'm beat. I check.

He... checks?!

The chips are pushed to me as he shows AT and a missed draw. Destiny, apparently, has decided it needs to intercede on my behalf at this point. Chip Count - T14565, and easily the leader at my table.

Blindstealing... yeah. I've never done this so much. It's like a part of the game that just doesn't work nearly as well at the 25NL tables. It was almost refreshing to play with decent people at the table.

My weakness in my game is becoming apparent, though - checking the river out of nerves. A great example is having AJo in LP, I min-raised to 800 and got a caller.

Flop: AAQ, 2 diamonds.

I bet the minimum, and the player calls. The turn is an 8, and I bet 1000, and he still stays in. The river is the 3rd diamond.

Right here, my problem is obvious. By checking the river, I say it flat out: "I don't have the flush. Feel free to represent it." If he bets big against me, do i fold? Does he have a full house? He's called this far.

Again, the other player checks and lets me off the hook. He shows 55 and I drag another 5000 chips in my direction. Chip count: T16965

People start going all-in every other hand, like lemmings off the cliff. I'm high enough of a chipstack that I can start calling, too. I call an all-in with AKo, and i'm up against queens. Ace on the flop. My IM window is lighting up like Christmas.

The aggression almost becomes automatic. I min-raise UTG with 9's and Machismo, who I haven't been up against in awhile, calls. I bet 1000 on a ten-high flop and he folds. I now have double his chipstack, and he's the second biggest stack at the table.

AJo in the BB. The button tries to steal by min-raising, I call. The flop totally misses me but i bet the minimum and he folds.

Tight table + Pointed agression = +EV

I call another 3000 chip all-in with 10's, and he shows AQ. Nobody improves, and I've knocked out another player. I think Pauly is rubbing himself, he's going so nuts.

In Level 10 I knock out the poker groupie when I flop a set with 8's and she pushes with AK. We're down to 300 people, and we've been here for 3 and a half hours. Ugh.

I ask Pauly and Hank how much longer I'm in for this... both are pessimistic. It's gonna start slowing down soon. WAY DOWN.

I start blind stealing with anything. If i had the hammer, i'd push from the button, at this point, though thank god I didn't get the chance.

4 hours into the tournament, i lose my first hand at showdown. Pocket 9's with 3 undercards on the flop, and i bet big, and the guy calls with Ace-rag, catching his Ace on the turn. I played it right, and once the ace came out, i slowed up and didn't lose as much money as i could have. My stack is still above 25k and I can't help but feel great.

The hours drag on, people start to play slow. My stack stalls, not hitting any cards and making steals to stay right where I am. The average starts to catch up again, and I start thinking about having to write a report on getting THIS close.

How many people did Otis have to beat, 200? Damn him. :) Of course, i won't have to contend with a final table, so i suppose it balances out...

I don't know if it's all the railbirds, or that i've made this far, or that i've guanteed victory, but the fearlessness is getting scary. I get AQ and raise in MP, gaining 1 caller. The flop is TJ7 and he bets into me. I call, looking for an Ace or King, but instead a 5 falls. He bets into me again, but the bet doesn't increase. I think he's bluffing and raise to 2400, and he drops out.

BadBlood IMs me, cheering on the play. "Perfect bet amount!", he cries.

My ears are buzzing. I've never felt that sensation before.

"The Hand" Candidate Number Two: My stack is just under 40k with the blinds at 500/1000, and in the BB I get Pocket Queens for what feels like the 87th time. I scream "HILTONS!" in Pauly's IM window, which always sends him into a tizzy of glee. One person limps, the SB calls, and I min-raise. The limper immediately raises all-in with 10k.

Wow. I've spent the last 2 hours building up what i'd be calling with. A limp re-raise usually means a monster.

But then the raiser speaks up.

"ur losing jedi"
"stay with ur stack and fold"
"ur CRUISIN"

I message Pauly: "screw that noise, I'm calling."

It ends up being a beautiful call, he shows AJo and even pairs his Jack, but it's a moot point. Another 11k in chips and i'd be lying if i said I was worried anymore at this point.

Chip count: T51k

Then, the worst hand of the night: Pocket Queens *again*, against an all in (15k) with A8. He makes a jack-high straight on the river. OUCH. I get knocked down to 35k, and a few people console my luck.

I spend the next 30 minutes stealing my way back to 40k, and for the rest of the tournament I don't limp a single hand.... which i don't think I had much before, but I distinctly remember from this point on barring myself from doing so.

I'm just getting back into the rhythm after nursing my wounds, when a short stack goes in with about 5k in chips. I'm holding pocket 3's, which I would normally fold, but I decide that now's a good time to make a play, as it doesn't kill me to lose, but it would do a LOT to help me if i win.

He shows a weird hand to go all-in with.... T7 spades. It's still a coin flip. He pairs his seven on the flop, but i catch a 3 on the turn and take it down. Hank chided me for the call but i reminded him.... I'm *meant* to go on this cruise. We're speaking over IM, but I still think I hear something in his voice that he's worried I've gone insane.

2 hands in a row i see AQo. The first i collect 10k in chips, and then lose it all over again on the second when QQ pushes and an Ace and a Queen are on the flop. The board pairs on the river and he takes my chips with his boat.

It's level 12, and I get moved to Table 3, meaning i won't get moved again, thank god. Gloom sets in, as 2 seats to my left is a player with over 100k in chips and nobody else even close. The tournament is entering hour five.

It would end up it would be another 4 to go.

The Big Stack is picking off people like mad, building his stack up to 150k. We're down to 100 and I am in no mood to tangle with someone that's bullying everyone and in a hot streak. He totally screws up any real good feeling about stealing his blind. But I stick with the game plan as best I can.

Meanwhile, the lemmings are back... a mini-spurt of all ins that cause me to fold Jacks and ATs two hands in a row, both times I'm sure i'm dominated. A quiet feeling of desperation is setting in, as the blinds are now 750/1500 and I'm treading water at 35k.

Then I decide to change it up and go after Big Stack when he reaches 200k. My reasoning is at this point, he can fold his way to the cruise if he wanted. He's the chip leader of the entire tournament, and the chip average with 25 people left will be 139k. Unless he has the nuts, he's gonna drop whatever he has.

In MP I get AK and raise 4x the BB. Big Stack calls and the flop is an Ace and 2 rags. I bet 10k and he drops it without a thought.

Then he raises under the gun while i'm holding... yep, you guessed it. Hiltons. Another player pushes with 10k, and instead of calling, *I* go all in. The Big Stack even uses his time bank before folding the hand, and the shortstack shows JQs. A queen comes and I'm up to 60k again.

I start blindstealing from Big Stack... i think i've got him psyched out. He's back down to 165k... still solid, but not nearly as invincible as he looked before. Once I raise with 86o against the blinds without a second thought, and successfully steal.

The Nail in the Coffin: This hand needs analyzing. A8o on the button with the blinds at 1000/2000. 2 players limp, and I raise to 6k. Both call.

The flop is A94 rainbow, and it's checked to me, which shocks me to no end. I bet out 15k and I almost choke on my tongue when one calls.

The turn... a 6, making 2 clubs on the board.

And he checks again.

I go into the tank reserved specifically for tournament deciding hands like this one.

He limped. He called my raise. He called my huge bet with an ace on the board. He has a pair. He's gotta hate his kicker though. Or did he make 2 pair? Did he catch trips?

The only answer is to put him to the test.

I put him all in with 20k in chips. If i lose, I'm pretty much done.

He calls and shows.... A5!!!! The river does nothing and I jump out of my chair, screaming like a girl about my fortunes. I'm up to 108k...

Holy shit, i'm in 4th with 72 people to go.

The rest... well... it took 3 more hours and I made it without much worry, just super super tight play and the occasional... well... cute play.

Yeah. Mr. Big Stack didn't make the trip. And part of it was this... well, MEMORABLE play.

I'm sad Pauly missed it, he had to head to bed.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t4000 (8 handed) converter

MP2 (Player4) (t155623)
CO (Player 1) (t89338)
Button (Stalling Bastard) (t27906)
JediMyndTrik (t99954)
BB (Player 3) (t187436)
UTG (Mr. Big Stack) (t62978)
UTG+1 (Player 2) (t75157)
MP1 (SuperLAG) (t85154)

Preflop: JediMyndTrik is SB with 2d, 7h.
UTG (Mr. Big Stack) calls t4000, 5 folds, JediMyndTrik raises to t12000, 1 fold, UTG (Mr. Big Stack) calls t8000.

Flop: (t28000) Js, 5c, Qc (2 players)
JediMyndTrik checks, Mr. Big Stack checks.

Turn: (t28000) Jc (2 players)
JediMyndTrik bets t8000, Mr. Big Stack folds.

Final Pot: t36000

JediMyndTrik shows [ 2d, 7h ] a pair of jacks.
JediMyndTrik wins 36000 chips from the main pot with a pair of jacks.

BLOGGERS NEVER SAY DIE!!!

What can I say. I got HEAPS AND HEAPS of quality cards throughout the tournament and had some of the people who taught me poker sweating the rail. I'm glad I made them proud. It's ironic that I'm going into this tourney, and I don't have a cent to my name on my bankroll.

So, to all you guys that sweated, I salute you. If your name isn't here, I apologize...

April H.
Pauly
AlCantHang
BadBlood
HDouble
Poker Chronicles
TroubleCat
Derek
StudioGlyphic
whoever "So_Money" is, i know they write a blog...

ON TO THE CRUISE!!!!

-Chris