Won my 2nd straight Monday night at the Bit, and in the last three weeks, have finished 2nd, 1st, and 1st. Keep shipping those gift certificates, I tells ya. And to Cory, yes, we can definitely make it bigger.
Anyway, the game itself was fairly routine -- doubled up in the first hour, and pretty much doubled up in hour two, but things got interesting when the 50-runner field was narrowed down to the final three. Of the trio, I was short stack, was slightly covered by middle stack, and the big stack had at least 55% or so of the chips at the table.
As most of you already know, aggression is the key in short-handed tournament poker, and last night was going to be no exception. The first hand of three-handed saw me on the button, where I found a suited A. So I shoved, and got two folds. And that continued for a bit, where I'd shove any A, any pair, and any suited paint. Obviously, any of those three hands could have been vulnerable, but keeping the pressure up was vital, and successful. Of course, I gave a few chips back, and had to make a few folds, and eventually, the chips stacks were almost right back where they were when 3-handed begun. Nevertheless, the tone was set.
A couple hands later, and I'm heads up with the chipleader, who has me about 5:3 in chips, and we're playing for the not-so-mad-mobnies. And then comes the fun.
Second hand of heads-up, and I look down to see the glorious, wondrous Hammer. Given my earlier agression, there was only one thing to do. Shove into the big stack. When he calls and turns up AK, I'm really liking my chances, and the flop 7 and river deuce give me the chip lead. The very next hand? AA in the big blind. Nevermind the fact that he folds to my min-raise after a call...the fun part is getting 72o followed immediately by AA, from worst to first. How often does that happen? Like once in every 220x220 hands? The fact I won far more chips with the Hammer was only more sweet, and espeically against a nemesis who has more than once knocked me out by calling my top two pair with a naked gutshot or flush draw that hits on the river.
Anyway, it felt good to take down another tourney, and yes, I just wish I could translate final table success there to my online endeavors, where going out 6th or 7th seems to be the standard. That said, a win is a win is a win, and the main reason I prefer tournament poker to cash games is, I like to win tournaments, titles, and championships. Winning a bar game sometimes just feels better than taking 7th in a Stars 4/180, even if it's far less profitable.
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