I just busted from the $1100 NL tournament, 2 hours and 15 minutes in, in 148th. 256 players started. I sat down just before the tournament started and had the misfortunate of having last year's Main Event champion, Jamil Dia, seated immediately to my right.
I'll talk about my table for a bit. Our table was absolutely nuts or the first 90 minutes or so. There was an extremely drunk, fat, troll-looking guy in the 7 seat, an extremely attractive blonde woman (who we later learned is a model in Australia), and players of about 4 other nationalities. The drunk guy was a complete nut. He raised virtually every pot and would fold to the reraises. He all-in reraised with about 1000 total and Dia instantly called 800 more with 99. The drunk showed A3 offsuit. The ace got there so this guy stuck around for a while longer. Finally he busted when he called an all in raise (for like his last 1400) with 29 of diamonds on a board of AJA with 2 diamonds. While all this was going on he took about 7 shots of tequilla. It was absolutely hysterical. He was hitting on the woman at the table, and she was playfully acting like she was interested. I actually did not take a flop for the first 45 minutes (all of level 1). Of course I was playing tight, but I think my best hand was like ATo and I wasn't playing that against a raise. Finally I got to take a flop when I completed from the small blind in level 2 (blinds 50/100) with A7o behind like 6 limpers. I missed completely and folded to a bet. About 2 minutes later I picked up 2 red sixes on the button and it was folded to me. I made it 300 and both blinds folded quickly (I had a really tight image). I folded the next 9 hands until I was in the cutoff in an unopened pot with Ah-5s. I made it 300 and much to my chagrin the button called. The flop came down Q95 and I led for 400 and the button quickly called. I had about 1800 in chips as we took the turn card. The turn was a Ten and I liked it. I felt he was very weak, so I led for 700 more. The button pondered for, literally, 5 minutes until someone called the clock on him. He used the entire clock and finally folded QJ faceup. I wanted to show my cards very badly, but obviously didn't want to lose my tight image, so I didn't. This put me at about 3300 and I finished level 2 and took 3175 chips to the first break. I didn't play many pots (I literally entered the pot only about 7 times in 2.25 hours) in level 3 until the last minutes of it. A young, nerdy looking player, who eventually knocked me out, opened from middle position for 400 and I put all 2400 remaining in with AQhh. This was a very big bet relative to the pot, but he had a monster stack. I didn't want to take a flop. He'd also just shown down Q7o on a raise, so I was pretty sure I was ahead. He folded. Soon after in middle position I found 99 and made it 600 (level 4 now). Tony Dunst, the player from UWM that I talked about yesterday moved all in over the top from the cutoff and had me covered. I'm almost 100% sure he had jacks. He certainly didn't have 22 through 88, so I tossed the 9s in the muck facedown. He'd just been moved to the table. I was down to about 1900 when I found AKo under the gun and made it 700. It was folded around to Jamil in the big blind and he folded. 2 hands later I was in the small blind. 3 players limped in for 200. Jamil, on the button made it 1500. I was certain Jamil was making a play at the pot from the button. I felt he was trying to use his celebrity status to move everyone off of their hand. I peaked at my cards and squeezed out 2 black tens. I took about 45 seconds and then decided this was a good spot to move them in. I was at about half the average in chips with 2425 total. I felt that Jamil didn't even have AJ-AK, so I felt I had him dominated. I pushed in 2425 total, knowing Dia has to call because he's committed. From here things take an unbelievable turn. The first limper folds and I nearly tip my chair over when the 2nd limper, the nerdy kid with probably 20,000 in chips announced that he was all-in over the top. Dia laughed and folded his J9 of spades faceup. I was spot on with my read on Dia. I was absolutely sick though when the 2nd limper turned over KK. Players just don't limp with KK behind limpers at this level, so it was pretty shocking. The board blanked out so I was done :( On another sad note, I played some $2/5 NL this morning and lost $271. I was + about $500 until a donkeyfish took about $400of my chips. He made it $75 bucks behind 2 limpers and I pondered and made it $275 from the small blind with AKo. This schmuck just flat called off $200 of his last $300. Of course I'm not folding the hand now for his last $100 so I announce to the dealer that I'm all-in in the dark. The flop comes J x x and this guy calls instantly and turns up AJ. It comes blank-blank and I lose this $750 pot. I verbally berate this Australian player for about 30 seconds. I was probably out of line, but it was just a painful beat.
Sidenote: While playing $2/5 NL this morning I met a really cool kid from Kansas Univ. who actually qualified for the main event on partypoker as well. We told each other our screen names on party and he recognized mine. That was pretty cool. I'm sure we'll hang out a bit for the remainder of the trip. Also, a phenomenal online player and friend of mine, "Neil_Trahey", arrives in town tomorrow, so I'll know someone else. The $1600 speed tournament is tomorrow and I haven't decided if I'm going to play it or not. I'm going to play online for a couple hours and then play some $20/40 in the casino and will decide based on my results. Only 10% of tournament players are getting paid in the 2 that I've played so far, so assuming all players are even in talent (which obviously isn't true), I should cash 1 out of 10 times, and I've only tried twice ;) I'm still thinking positive.
