All night, Ryan wasn’t getting any cards. He showed me. Nothing. J4 was a raising hand for him. Usually, this means that Ryan is going to get sick cards later in the night and crush everyone. Nothing changed tonight, except for the second week in a row the winner of the tournament was hovering around the middle, then busted me, and went on a meteoric soar towards the title. So basically, it’s been bust me, and you’re good.

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

Before we get to that debacle, let me just say that Jason was getting CRUSHED tonight. He’s been getting crushed regularly this Fall but tonight seemed much worse. Here’s an example, raise preflop with AA. Called by John. Flop comes 8, 10, 7. Series of betting, they’re both all in. John has J’s and is crushed. A 9 on the turn gives John a straight. That took alot of his chips.

He was then involved in one of the biggest hands of the night. Paul raises in middle position to 300. Three people call around to John, in the small blind, who makes it 1000. Four people call. In the second blind level 4000 in the pot before the flop is pretty monsterous. Flop comes 893. John bets 2500. Fold fold, Jason calls all in fold. He flips pocket 2’s and John has AK. Jason is ahead! Turn is a King, and he’s out.

Some double ups, knock outs and rebuys later I’ve won about 3 hands and have about 2000 more chips then we started with. I’m doing fine. Not great, with 55000 on the table, but fine. Like I said above, Ryan has been getting nothing and the one pot he raised, he had J4 because he got bored. So when he makes the bet 1800 before the flop, and I’m on the button with pocket 10’s, I’m thinking he has a medium pocket pair or AK. In those neighborhoods. I definitely don’t put him on a monster just because he hasn’t been getting the cards, and it was a standard 3x raise. I move all in. He calls. And has Kings. Oof. A baby flop at least reassures me that, if I had just called, I would have lost then. I’m out and since the extended rebuys just ended, I’m forced to sit and ponder my loss. A Bud Light was consumed to put out the flames.

Jason’s night ended a second time when, he raises big before the flop, John (who had just hit a miracle gutshot straight draw to survive) calls. John has A10, Jason QQ. He’s way ahead as usual. Flop brings the Ace, however, and Jason can’t believe he awful fortune.

It’s probably because he didn’t bust me like Ryan did. In a limped pot between the now chip rich John and the chip leader Ryan, flop comes 253 with two spades. John bets 2000, Ryan makes it 4000, John moves all in for another 4000 and Ryan, after some thinking, calls. He has 58 for top pair and John has 68s for a straight draw, flush draw, and an over pair of 6’s. Ryan avoids them all though for the monster bust out. Soon after, Paul mistakenly sees one of Dave’s cards and Dave gets the burn instead. Good think, it matched up his first Q and now he’s got ladies. He makes the bet 3500 preflop and Ryan, already in for a thousand and ridiculously hot at the moment calls. He has K5. For 3500 preflop. Apparently, he knew the poker gods would bring him a King, Dave would move all in on the flop, Ryan would call and bust Dave out.

Ryan then busted Paul when Paul moved all in with A8 and Ryan had, predictably, A9. Heads up, Charlie is going to need a miracle. He thinks he might have it when he sees a pocket pair of 2’s, moves all in and Ryan calls. With Jacks. No two for Charlie meant a tournament win for Ryan.

Being as the Wednesday before Thanksgiving is always a big party night, poker was moved to Tuesday. It was an almost full house that was ultimately won by the last man who showed up who, at the end, said he was thankful for playing it slow, with patience, and then getting cards at the end. However, I’ll certainly take an assist for being the catalyst to Paul’s run to first place.

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

After winning the first hand, it started to look like the evening was going to go really well for me. The same couldn’t be said for Jason who, on the second hand, was nearly crippled by Dave. He won a lot of it back on the ensuing hand, however, when his flush draw panned out against bottom set and top pair then lost it back when his Q high flush lost to a K high flush.

Greg, one of Jason’s teaching friends, won a good amount of chips when he flopped a flush and checked it all the way down and Dave caught a set of 2’s on the river. That good win helped me out, because dealt pocket Q’s I raised to 800 preflop and he called. Flop came 356. He bet 600, I reraised all in for 3000 and he thought and called. He had A3 for bottom pair. He didn’t improved and I was cruising.

Thankfully, I wasn’t involved in this hand. With three people limped in, the flop comes K62 of spades. It ends up that Jim, Jason and Dave all ended up all in. Dave had a bottom set of 2’s, Jason had top two pair (K6) and Jim flopped a flush. The flush held up for the main pot, the set held up for the side pot and Jason was out. Chips began shifting after that. Johnny tripled up through Ryan and myself. Ryan doubled up through Charlie and then Charlie doubles up through Jim.

Ryan raises to 1200 preflop and being in the big blind, I call with K9 of clubs. Flop comes K78 with two clubs. I have top pair and a flush draw. Perfect. I check, he bets 1600 and I move all in. He calls. He has a set of 8’s and I don’t improve. There goes about half my chips. But I’m still okay. I’m writing that information down for the blog and I get AQ. There are a few calls and in the small blind I just move all in. Time to get some chips back. Paul, who hasn’t played many hands and has seen less good cards, calls with K10. I’m way ahead. Flop comes 10Jx all clubs. Paul has a pair, I have a gutshot straight draw and his flush draw is better (holding the Kc while I have the Qc). The turn brings a King, and I have Broadway while he has two pair. I have to avoid a 10, K, or any club. The Ace of Clubs comes on the river and I’m crushed. Paul came from behind twice to take the majority of my chips.

I was now on the button though and decided I needed to calm down and not throw my chips in the middle all whilly nilly. I folded two hands that would have been winners if we ran them to the river (K8 and 34) and then finally my patience paid off. Pocket Kings. The Cowboys. Brokeback Mountain. Perfect. I move all in and get two callers and I’m loving it. We flip the cards up and Dave has 98d, Charlie has Q6s and I’m so far ahead its ridiculous. On the flop, I was good but there were two spades. The turn brought and 8, giving Dave a pair and the river brought the 8 of spades giving Charlie his flush, Dave three of a kind, and me a nice view from the loser’s lounge.

On the next hand, Charlie was dealt pocket 10s but ran into Dave’s pocket Aces. He was gone. Paul doubles up through Jim and then Jim doubles through Dave. We go all in alot, huh? Anyway, Ryan’s A10 got beat by Jim’s pocket 5’s and he was out. Jim then doubled through Dave again, crippling him and he was out after. It was then heads up Jim vs. Paul and on the final hand, Jim’s J5 was beat by Paul’s 39 and that was that.

Though there were no rebuys tonight, it felt like a fairly normal night. That was, until, a strange thing occurred that sped up the game to light speed. A really awkward moment that Ryan called “The Big Baby.” Here’s how it went down.

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

All night, it looked like it was Charlie’s time to shine. From the moment he showed up late, thanks to his thankless job, he made an amazing call on the river with only middle pair against Shawn. He then hit a set of 4’s in a pot that I almost went broke in too and within minutes, he had double the chips of everyone on the page.

Jim went out on a particularly evil suck out which was pretty much the norm for the night. With a set of threes he moves all in and John calls with top pair. John is murdered. But runner runner makes John a straight with his weak kicker for the bust out. John did the same thing to Dave when he moved all in preflop with KQ and John called with 56. Flop brought a K but the turn and river BOTH brought 5’s and Dave was gone.

My night was quiet compared to last week. I call a preflop raise with KJ and the flop comes Kxx with three hearts. Not the best thing for me, but I decide to move all in with not that many chips left. Shawn calls with the A of hearts. A fourth heart came on the river for the third straight suck out bust out of the night.

John played a particularly good hand when he, Charlie and Ryan all limped into a pot. The flop come 9510. John has pocket 7s, Charlie 69 and Ryan Q9. Ryan checks, Charlie bets 600 and John raises to 1200. Ryan folds his pair, and Charlie, after much deliberation, does too. With the worst hand by far, John used some solid aggression.

A similar hand occurred later after Shawn, Paul and Jason slowly made it to the rail. The same three are the final three and they all limp into the pot. Flop comes J410. Ryan checks, Charlie checks and John, holding 68 of spades (a flush draw with two spades on the board) bets 4000. He’s using the knowledge from the above hand. Not this time though. Ryan moves all in as does Charlie and John folds. Ryan has a J but Charlie has J10 and he wins a monster pot.

Ryan is all but crushed, but he picks up KK, limps with it, and doubles up through John in a very sneaky fashion. John is crippled. Down to the felt, and so distraught by it as he blindly moves in his last few chips he gets up, puts his coat on and grabs his bag. He might as well, his QJ is MURDERED by Ryan’s KJ. Runner runner, John makes a flush and he doubles up. On the following hand, Charlie moves all in with 22, John calls with 66 and doubles up again. The hand after that, John sees a flop with 23c and turns a flush. Ryan has top pair, moves all in and John busts him. It’s heads up. Charlie looks down, moves all in and John calls flipping AK. Charlie has K4, doesn’t improve and in dramatic four hand fashion, John just won the tournament.

“The Big Baby” was Ryan’s way of describing John when he got up and pretty much admitted defeat before winning four hands in a row. Maybe next week, John will play from outside or something. Being a big baby seemed to work.

Double points, double cash, double prestige. Tonight for the first time in weeks we had a full house, all of the regulars, and according to the rules set forth that meant that we would make the tournament for double player of the years points.

I showed up a little early and began talking strategy with Dave. He is higher on the leaderboard than me and winning this tournament meant a lot to him. He decided, “I’m gonna double up early and then just cruise all the way.” Good idea, I thought. Too bad I had to do it at his expense.

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

The whole crazy thing started a few hands in. Dave raised to 250 preflop. John called, I called and Ryan called. I’m holding pocket 10s and this early in the tournament, I don’t feel too confident reraising preflop with them. Flop comes 356 rainbow. Dave checks, John checks and I bet the pot, 1000. Ryan folds, Dave calls, John folds. Turn comes a 10 (BING!) We both check. River comes a Jack. Dave bets 1000, I reraise all in (about another thousand) and he calls. I quickly flip my set of 10’s and he mucks pocket Queens. He had me the whole way, and I just took his strategy and flipped it on him.

At this point, I have chips and nothing to lose. Jason raises 350. Dave calls, Charlie calls and holding 89, I decide, lets do it. Flop comes 692. Checks around to Jason, who bets 300. Both Charlie and I call. Turn comes a 10. Check, check, Jason bets 600. Charlie folds and I go into the tank. Jason raised preflop and has fired on both streets. Does he have a big overpair? No, I don’t think so. He could have over cards….yeah, he has over cards, I surmise. “All in,” I say, putting him to the test. He folds and I scoop a huge pot.

With AKs I raise to 400 preflop. Four people call. Flop comes Jxx. Jim moves all in for about 1500. Charlie thinks then folds a Jack and I don’t feel like gambling so I fold as well. Jim wins and flips 82 for a huge bluff. And the beginning of a destruction. A few hands later he raises to 500 preflop. Only Ryan calls. Flop comes 9,4,10. Jim bets 400, Ryan raises to 800 and Jim moves all in. At this point, Ryan’s tournament life is at risk and being the Player of the Year point leader, he call ill afford to be eliminated first. He thinks for a long time. Jim says, “I’ll show you one” and flips a 9. Ryan obliges and shows a 10. He’s ahead, or so it seems. I lean over to Johnny and say, “I think Jim has A9.” He shakes his head and says, “Nope. Set of 9’s. Write it down.” So I do. Ryan then folds K10 and Jim flips 99 for a set of 9s. Great laydown by Ryan and he’s still in the game. However, Jim now is slowly becoming the chip leader.

Especially when Mike moves all in with pocket 7’s, Jim calls with pocket Aces and the flop comes AKA. He flopped quads and is still rolling. Dave and Ryan are slowly but surely surviving with minor double ups here and there. Dave, however gets crushed when Paul slyly limped with pocket Kings and rivered a flush against Dave’s Ace. Finally, Dave is eliminated to John, who goes on his own mini rush to gain some chips.

Jim then eliminates Jason with AQ against pocket Kings, first card out being an Ace. Jim is simply en fuego and looking his growing chip stack is looking more and more intimidating. Meanwhile, my cards have gone cold and I’m just cruising. Jim adds to his stack, though, when there’s a board of J,9, x, 10. A complicated series of betting ends up with Jim, Charlie and Johnny all in. Charlie has K8 for gutshot straight draw, Jim has K10 for the same draw, plus middle pair and Johnny has A10 for the better pair. He is ahead. However, a Q on the river eliminates Johnny and chops a monster between Charlie and Jim.

That was the last big pot for a while and thank god, right? You must be sick of reading by now. Anyway, Charlie and Paul are both eliminated and we get four handed. Play remains slow. I win a pot on a semi bluff and finally, Ryan is eliminated when he moves all in for 3500 with K10 and Jim calls with Q3. Jim, obviously, hits his Q for the win. He’s way ahead and John and I are about equal.

Finally I start picking up some hands. Decent aces, small pocket pairs, and I begin to apply pressure. All in, all in, I rise to second in chips. John is forced all in with K3, Jim calls with 57 and - predictably, hits two fives for the elimination.

Heads up it’s the early chip leader, me, versus the unstoppable juggernaut of the night, Jim. Now I respect Jim for various reasons: He’s a good guy, a good father, a huge mammoth who could kill me, etc. But when it comes to flat out poker skills, I think I’m better. No offense. So I again, apply pressure. Moving all in, making reraises, and slowly but surely - playing mid pairs and draws like they are bigger and regain the lead. Finally, I have K4 and he has 10,9. He raises, I call. Flop comes with three spades, including a 10. He moves all in and with a K of spades, I call. He has me beat but I need a King or a spade. The spade comes on the turn. I win arguably the biggest tournament of the year, to date.