Tonight, two players cruised. One was myself, who won a few big hands and easily made it to heads up. The other was Jason, who folded hand after hand, almost frightened to get involved, and ended up finishing third. When I did get heads up, my massive chip lead disappeared so that good play - and a little luck, took me to a huge victory.

8. Charlie (rebuy)
7. John (rebuy)
6. Jim (rebuy)
5. Ryan (rebuy)
- Charlie (rebuy)
- Jim
- John
- Ryan
4. Nishan
- Charlie
3. Jason
2. Dave
1. Me

As always, the fireworks started early when Charlie picked up AA on the first hand, moved all in on the turn and Dave - with a tempting flush draw, folded. That discipline lay down paid off on the next hand when he won a big hand off of Ryan right after.

With AK I make it 200 to got and get four callers. Flop comes K410. Two checks and with 800 in the pot and a flush draw on the board, I move all in for 3000. Charlie goes into the tank and decides to gamble, calling with Q6 spades for a flush draw. It doesn’t come, I cripple him and double up.

Dave gets ultra, super duper lucky with Charlie moves his last 700 into the pot, Dave calls, John moves all in for 3000 or so and Dave, holding an A7 off suit, knowing hes crushed - knowing he’s up against a bigger ace or a bigger pair - some how calls for all his chips. He’s up against Charlie’s AK and John’s AJ. He has 3 outs in the deck and has to hope six others DON’T come. A 7 comes immediately and then another on the river busts Charlie and John in one hand.

I then bust Jim when he makes the bet 800 preflop on the 50-100 blind level. I have some chips so I decide to call with AQ. Flop comes xxQ, he moves all in and I call. He has 77, doesn’t improve, and I win another big pot. Ryan and Charlie bust out soon after, each getting rare late round rebuys (cause we felt generous).

With 63 suited, John raises to 600 before the flop an myself and Dave call. I dark check my AJ as does Dave. Flop comes 67A and the action is to John. He bets 1200 and I reraise another 1500. Dave folds. John looks at me hard and finally decides to fold. The turn brought a 3, making him two pair, so I’m lucky I raises. He did end up getting most of that money back though through Ryan.

I bust Jim again, again with AQ, then Nishan doubles up and Jason plays what feels like his first hand of the night, tripling up to 4200 total with pocket Kings.

Ryan hits a big blind special two pair for a huge pot, but then loses most of it to Charlie. I ten bust out John when he reraises my 1500 bet all in. I call. He has KQ, I have AJ and doesn’t improve. Dave then doubles through Ryan, busting him out. I bust Nishan when I limp with QJ, hit top two pair, and play it very slow with him moving all in on me on the river. Jason doubles up through Dave, Dave cripples Charlie when Charlie moves all in with 33 and Dave has KK. Charlie goes bust, Jason goes bust and it’s me versus Dave. John has now started cheering for me to stop Dave from winning belt numbe 21 (see last week.)

Once it got heads up, the blinds had ran their way through me (because I was getting terrible cards and folding 1500 chips each round) and Dave and I were about even. On the rare occasion that I get heads up, with anyone, the blog goes out the window and I play to win. So that’s what I did. Raising here, calling there, and I ended up taking the lead when I had 77 and raised preflop, Dave called and the flop comes KQx. We checked all the way to the river, which was a 7. I bet, Dave raises, I reraised and he called. I hit my set on the river whicih crushed his top pair of Kings he had been slow playing. Fifteen minutes later, Dave moves all in with 94, I have A5, hit two more 5’s and win the tournament.

As a group, my friends and I have probably been playing poker for almost 3 years. I honestly don’t remember how long its been. In that time, John has kept track of how many wins each person has. These are first tournament wins, no matter if you rebuy or not. If you scoop the pot at the end of the night, you get a notch on the ol’ Excel sheet. Even if we’ve only played for 2 years, thats about 100 games. I’ve only won 10. Tonight, the tie at the top of the mountain was broken and our first player reached 20. Oddly enough, its the guy who has been playing the shortest time.

9. Jason
8. John
7. Leara
6. Me
5. Paul
4. Ryan
3. Jim
2. Charlie
1. Dave

Yes, crazy guy Dave is the first player to twenty wins. Here’s how he got there.

Jason was out first when he reraised Charlie’s initial raise all in with JJ, got called with AK and a K came on the flop. That doubled up Charlie. Dave wins a similarly big hand when he calls Leara’s betting the whole way with pocket 10s and a K on the board. Dave said, “Leara, when you take me up the ladder, I know you don’t have it.” His read was right. Soon after, John (the man who at the beginning of the night also had 19 wins) busted also to his nemesis Dave.

Leara then busts out when her pocket Aces run into the open ended straight draw of Jim, which comes. I had lost a big hand earlier in the night to Jim, when I figured he had nothing, kept betting with bottom pair, but when I got reraised on the river, I knew I had been wamboozeled. Anyway, I was short on chips and moved all in with KQ. Everyone folds but Charlie, who had a ton of chips, calls me with a pair of 4s. Flop comes K9A and I’m ahead! Turn brings a terrible two outer 4 for his set and then on the river, I make trips and he makes a boat with a K. Bbye Germain.

The pot of the night went as follows. Charlie, Dave and Ryan all limp into the pot. Flop comes 24Q with two clubs. Charlie checks. Ryan shows me A5 for the gutshot and is about to bet, but checks too. Dave bets about the pot - 2000. Charlie then reraises to 5000. Ryan is glad he checked, folds, Dave moves all in and Charlie calls. Charlie had QJ for top pair and dave has 65c for a gutshot straight, flush and straight flush draw. A ton of outs. He makes his flush on the turn and doubles up BIG. Charlie did end up getting a sizable chunk of it back when his A10 beat Dave’s A7, but the momentum was there.

Dave busted out Ryan, Charlie busted out Jim and it was heads up time. First hand Charlie raises to 3000 with A3, Dave moves all in and Charlie quickly calls. Dave has 88. The board bricks out and Charlie is crushed. He admititely overplayed his weak Ace, even heads up. The game ended on the next hand when they were both all in on the flop, Charlie with two pair, Dave open ended as usual and boom - makes the straight.

Much to the dismay of John, one of the two remaining original players (myself included), Dave had beat him to 20. “It’s all about first one to 30, now,” Dave said. And one of them will get there very soon.

Maybe it’s because summer is coming to an end. Maybe it’s the heat. Or maybe we are just punch drunk from years of poker but for some reason, tonight was tension filled at the Lussier household. The first four hands were fireworks galore but with only one rebuy, everyone was playing the best they could at a high level. And in the end, Jason H, who had been getting murdered week after week, took home a title on a rebuy.

9. Jason H (rebuy)
8. John
7. Charlie
6. Dave
5. Paul
4. Jason C
3. Me
2. Mike
1. Jim
- Jason H

It wasn’t looking good for me on the first hand. A limped pot and I’m on the button, I have K5. Flop comes 93K. We all check. A J comes on the turn. Mike bets 500, I’m thinking about it and Dave says something to the effect of, “Call it to let me draw.” So I do. He then moves all in. Damn him. Mike calls and I fold my top pair. Mike has KQ for top pair as well and Dave has Q10 for the straight. The only card Mike can stay alive with is one of the three remaining 10s for a chop. And it comes. Very lucky.

The next few hands were all monsters, one of which crippled Dave. Preflop I made a medium raise with A8 and Dave and Jason C called. Flop comes Ax6 with two hearts. Jason C bets, I raise becuase I feel like my Ace is good (plus I’m representing a better hand because I raised pre) but then Dave reraises all in and Jason C calls. Uh oh. I fold. Dave has an Ace too, but with the nut flush draw. Jason C has middle set. When the Heart doesn’t come, Dave is crippled. He would double up through Charlie to stay alive though after Jason H busted out the first time.

I set myself up when I make it 800 preflop with JJ. John call. Flop comes 68J rainbow. I have a monster, but with a few straight possibilites I decide to bet a small amount to see where I stand. John then reraises me all in! I call quicker than humanly possible and scream “Top Set!” His face drops when he reveals QJ. He hits his Q but it doesnt matter. He’s busted.

Jim’s night was made when he flopped a flush, Charlie flopped a straight and Mike flopped top pair with the nut flush draw. They were all all in by the turn and Jim’s baby straight holds up for the triple up and Charlie’s bust out. Dave was out soon after and Mike’s dwinding stack doubles up when his 22 holds up against Jason’s over cards.

For the next 25 minutes or so, my cards went cold as the chips began to evenly distrubte themselves across the table. I knew we were in for a long night. However, I got lucky when old man Paul (let’s see if you really read this, buddy!) made a mistake. With QJ I made a small preflop raise and got a few callers. Flop comes 6,9,10 and I’m open ended. We both check. A King comes on the turn making my nut straight. He bets 600, I call. River is another 6 making a boat a possibility, however when he bets 1200 I reraise all in. It’s make or break time. He quickly calls and I flip my straight. He thought he had 78, but he had 58 for 8 high. Even the other straight loses to me and I double up. Paul was out next hand.

Jason C, who always plays quietly, moved all in with AK and got called by Mike with AA. That was the end for Jason C. It was almost the end for Jason H four handed when he moved all in with 77, I folded but both Mike and Jim called with big overcards. They missed completely though and Jason tripled up.

In that previous hand, Mike was way behind Jason’s 7s and Jim’s AK so he was fuming at his call. So on the next hand, when I raised 2000 pre with A8 and he moved all in, I took it as desperation. I was hoping for like K10 or something. It was another 6000 to me and I had him covered so I called. Unfortunately, the AJ returned to him and I was crushed. I ended up sticking around for a few more rounds, even doubling up once, but when I was in the big blind and Mike raised, I figured K8 was going to be live. It was, against A9. A King comes on the flop, but an Ace on the turn and I’m out.

However, Mike, with a commanding chip lead, then made a brutal mistake. Jason raises with A7 and Mike moves all in over the top. Jason is priced in to call and does. Mike’s big reraise was a huge overbet and his hand didn’t improve. Soon after that, his A7 ran into a real hand - pocket 10s and he was out.

Heads up it was Jason and Jim with even chip stacks. They were both all in, however, Jason with A4 and Jim with A3. Domination. Predictably for bad beat Jason H, a three comes on the turn and he’s down to 3000 in chips against about 30000. Not good position. But he doubled up with A3. And he doubled up again with 69. And then Jim decided that was enough and started moving all in in the dark, basically giving up. Jason isnt stupid so he folded the bad cards, called with the good and two more wins made him the victor.

A ten on the river changed everything.

And one would never think that the results below would be possible after the first hand of the night, but one crazy, miracle, 6 outer 10 of spades on the river turned my luck from all out to big winner.

8. Dave (rebuy)
7. Jason (rebuy)
- Dave
6. Jim
5. John
4. Joe
- Jason
3. Ryan
2. Mike
1. Me

First hand of the night, I raised to 200 in mid position with AJ. Three people called. Flop comes 96K. Three checks and I bet 700. Folds around to Jason, who calls. The second he calls, I know my AJ is no good. Luckily, his K has a weak kicker and we checked the turn and river and I was only down one thousand. But on the first hand, that was quite a blow.

On the fourth hand, John cripples Dave when he sneakily played a flopped set, and turned a full house while Dave held a flush. A similar situation to his brother Joe would bust Dave again soon later. Second best hand all night was Dave’s motto. Flushes to boats.

Jason was busted twice, also on similar circumstances, but further apart. He and Joe find themselves all in before the flop after some reraising and it’s Joe’s QQ to Jason’s JJ. Sorry.

After John called a huge preflop raise with 10,4 and then really going into the tank thinking about a call when he had absolutely nothing, he took a horrific beat from me and my luck took a swing. I’m in the big blind with 5, 10 off suit and I see a free flop. I hit a 5, but check as does the rest of the table. Turn is a 10, giving me two pair but also putting three diamonds on the board. John checks, I bet, everyone folds and John reraises basically putting me all in. He hasn’t bet at this pot yet so I think my two pair could be good. Or he could have been drawing to the flush and hit it with some garbage cards. I’m not really sure, I have no information. But for another few hundred I push in to find out. My two pair is dominated by a King high flush with K2. I’m done unless a 5 or 10 comes on the river. And wouldn’t you know it, the dime hits and I took a huge chunk from John’s stack.

Once that happened, I couldn’t lose a hand. Q6 made two pair. Pocket 9s holds up against a board of overcards. And I called preflop with 69 out of position and turned a straight against Jim’s top pair of Aces and busted him. Pocket Jacks then bust Joe, who had AJ.

Earlier Jason’s JJ ran into QQ. Well, he raises preflop and I look down and see KK. I reraise, putting him all in. Everyone folds and he calls confidently flipping QQ. He’s dominated to two outs. Flop comes 6, Q!, then King. Set over set and I busted him again.

Ryan has 1925 to my extra large and Mike’s large stacks. He survived for a few mintues but eventually I got him and then it was me vs. Mike. From the button Mike just calls and I check with J6. Flop comes Jxx. I check, and he moves all in. I quickly call with my top pair and he flips AQ. He doesn’t improve and his not raising with a premium hand heads up costs him a huge amount of chips. No matter though, that 10 on the river set me up for the victory long before.

Before the tournament started Jason figured we’d give each player a few extra chips as not too many people were scheduled to show up. But they did. And they brought their money. Seven rebuys later, there was almost 100,000 on the table and it was anyone’s tournament.

8. John (rebuy)
7. Jason (rebuy)
6. Jim (rebuy x2)
- Jim
5. Dave (rebuy)
4. Chris (rebuy)
3. Rob (rebuy)
- Jim
- John
- Chris
- Jason
2. Me
- Dave
- Rob
1. Ryan

Wow.

All right, as I missed last week, the odds of John being busted on the first hand two weeks in a row was slim, but it happened when he had a top pair of Aces and Dave flopped a straight with 56. On the third hand, Jason doesn’t believe Ryan’s raise on the flop and re-raises all in with a bottom pair of 4’s. The board is 4, 5, 10. John folds J10 and Ryan calls with Queens, busting Jason.

Jason was upset as his play but when Ryan made a second raise preflop, Jason sniffed out pocket Aces and folds. With those Aces, Ryan then flopped top set and preceded to slow play them, sucking Jim in and finally getting him to fold for a very big pot.

I lost my first big pot of the night when Rob walked in late and simply outplayed me. With pocket 9’s I raise to 400 and he calls. Flop comes 10, 4, K. Rob checks, I bet 700 and he calls. Turn is a 10. Rob moves all in and I’m at a loss for words as to what he has. He called my preflop raise and raise on flop, but never reraised me. Because of his meek play, I figure he might have a bigger pair, or either of the two overs and at this point it’s not worth all my chips to find out. I fold my 9s up and he shows down 89 for a stone cold.

After that, play just got silly and yes, silly is the word for it. Jim got busted, reloaded, moved all in and got busted again on the next hand. Then, with only 1500 in chips left and large stacks building all around me, when Jason re-raises preflop to 1000, I get all my money in with J9c, figuring it’s beat but live. Dave also calls and when two Jacks flop, I beat Jason’s Queens and scoop 4500. Dave then busts to Ryan, Chris busts while simultanioulsy tripling Dave up on his first hand back. Rob then busted, reloaded and moved all in on the next hand - but won. Jim then was busted for the first official elimination.

But with the stacks so big, the players started dropping bird crap on your windshield. John was gone, Chris was gone, Jason gone and then short stacked I moved all in with Q8 suited from the big blind, Dave had K7 and called. I flopped a Queen but he flushed me on the river and I was gone.

Then the flying of the chips began in the three handed battle that lasted about 45 minutes. Dave doubled up through Ryan, Rob through Dave, Dave through Ryan, Ryan through Dave (and that was the big one because Ryan hit a 3-outer gutshot that would have busted him), Ryan through Dave again, then Rob through Ryan, then Dave was busted getting his money in with the best of it.

Heads up went for a long time and while it was not ultimately decided on this hand, the important one as the chips stayed very even was when Rob made a big bluff on the river with King high and Ryan called with middle pair, weak kicker. After that Rob was all in with over cards against Ryans pair of 7s on the flop. A 10 on the turn gave Rob a better pair, but another 7 on the river minted Ryan with a very nice purse and back to back victories.