10th Place in the WBPT

Yes I made it past the bubble unlike last time. I actually was starting to get a little cocky because I think I held the chip lead in the tourney for about 15 minutes.

Here's a brief summary. I started out trying to be aggressive preflop since I remembered the last time was a total fold fest. It worked a couple of times and I got reraised a couple of times and had to fold. I flopped a set of 8's and won a few hundred. I got caught bluffing and lost a few hundred.

I folded pocket 7's to a preflop raise and flop contained a 7. I was a little pissed. Then the turn brought the 4th 7. The preflop raiser had pocket Kings and won a huge pot. It should've been mine!!!

Later I had Ace Queen in the small blind. It was folded to the button who raised. This looks like an obvious steal, but I am below my starting 1500 in chips so I just call instead of reraise out of position. The flop is A-K-7 rainbow. I bet about 1/2 the pot. The button pushes all in. I think to myself, do I really want to go out in 75th place? Then I think this doesn't make a lot of sense, because if he had 2 pair or a set, he would only call. I decide to call the all in with the rest of my chips. He has me covered easily. He turns over Ace-4 so I am very happy. The turn is a 4. Ugh! Poker Stars likes to stall the cards on the all in's which I like when I am not in the hand so I can follow the action. I hate it, when I am sweating the result for me. The river was a beautiful King which paired the board and counterfited his pair of 4's. I double up and go on a roll.

The deck starts to hit me in the head and I double up a couple more times with full houses. With 21 players left and 18 players getting paid, I am in 5 th place. I spent an hour at the table with the big chip leader on my left so I didn't get to steal any blinds and the deck was turning cold again. Finally I get moved and I have the Blogfather "Iggy" on my right. He starts to hit some cards and goes from a medium stack to a big stack. Now on the bubble it's becoming a fold fest again. I have slipped down to the middle of the pack because the blinds and antes are piling up. Here's a critical hand: I am on the Big Blind and Iggy is the small blind. It's folded around to Iggy and he puts in a standard raise. I have Ace-9 suited. Well I could reraise and take the chance. I could play safe and fold. I could call and see if I flop an Ace or some of my suit. I don't want to bust out on the bubble again so I just call. The flop is Ace-X-X rainbow. Iggy pushes all in. I immediately think he is pulling the stop-n-go. If I call, and win I have a shot at winning this tournament. If I fold, I still have enough chips to do some damage. I fold. Looking back, I think I should have called. I don't know what Iggy had, but I could have lived with myself by busting out with top pair. Instead I made the money and folded my way to 10th when I got absolutely no starting hands and no chances to steal.

My total net profit was a whopping $6.