How to turn 1 dollar into 109 in under 3 hours.

Hello Everyone,

I was playing in the dollar rebuy on Sunday night and played four hours. I was ten spots from the money with enough chips to fold to the money if I wanted to and get dealt AA. The button, who is the huge chip leader, raises me a quarter of my stack and I push. He shows me Kc10c and hits a K and 10 on the river to break me. I very rarely leave a tourney unbelievably pissed, but I left that one cussing like Phil Helmuth. I left that tourney unbelievably frustrated and disheartened. I felt (no pun intended) I played well, bid my time and waited for my spot, got my money in good and still lost. Not much you can say after busting in a tourney, basically on the bubble with the best hand, playing the best you possibly can.

I went to bed pretty down but woke up with Chumbawumba's "Tub Thumping" in my head. My family had invited me over to play some poker with them and I gladly accepted. I forgot my wallet and they kindly staked me and my wife for our game under the condition that I would pay them back if I won immediately, if not later etc. When we were finished my wife and I had paid back our collective ten dollar stake and busted all but one person at the table leaving with over 40 dollars in complete profit. I managed to get completely toasted as I did not respect the pre mixed mojitos I was drinking. I think me chanting MOJITO!!! while playing my family caused them to portray me as the drunken idiot, failing to repsect aces, kings, and a set of sixes.

The ride home was embarrassing for me. I got sick three times during the ride home and at one point I had (wow this is embarrassing) to urinate and I threw up while urinating... UGLY I rarely drink for a reason and I was painfully reminded of it. Would I do it all over again? OBVIOUSLY....

So that brings us to today. The meat of this quasi drunken epic/feel good story of the morning. I decided to join a satellite to the 100+9 satellite to Full Tilt's Million Dollar Garuntee. Golly gee wiz that was a mouthfull Anyways, I decided since this was a rebuy and I anticipated some exceptionally bad play, that I was going to neglect to rebuy or add-on. I did this because I feel that due to the low buy-in and the basically winner take all format of this tourney, the real profit would be in winning without paying 3-5 dollars in a tournament where I could easily bust and it would all be a complete loss. The plan was to let my opponents basically pay my rebuys and I would capitalize on their bad play. Normally, in a rebuy, I would rebuy immediately and add on at break. It's sound strategy for a rebuy and I recommend it to anyone who plays in them.

To make a way too long story short, I had aces under the gun and limped with them. The button, chip leader at the time raised all in... OH NO... NOT AGAIN. Did we come this far, play this well, to relive the horrible car crash of Sunday night again??? Obviously... NOT! I double up, cripple the chip leader and put myself in position to eventually win it all. Another key hand is where my tens held up to two all-ins of AJ and A9. Putting your money in with tens is never comfortable, but they held up and after that I had such a huge chip lead I was able to be patient and wait out my opponent head up. I was now a 109 dollars richer and standing taller than I have in a long time.

Playing in huge MTT's can be a mixed bag. The real money in them is getting to the top 5 money spots. If you can win one, it's very rewarding financially and gratifying personally. Nothing feels better than making a bunch of cash and outlasting hundreds while doing it. Often times though, you spend two to four hours just to finish in the money and get a little more than your buyin back. If you bust late or on the bubble, it can be devestating, on your ego and over time on your bankroll. It can be upsetting to spend four hours getting to the final table and busting just a few places from the real cash. You have to play and be optimistic and believe you can win but also be realistic and know that even your best effort can go unrewarded.

I wanted to thank Seraphi for always being there as a mentor. He is very knowledgeable, patient and great at keeping me in perspective with my head up. He has shown me so much and never asked for anything in return. I also wanted to thank my clansmate (that just sounds wrong), tryboness, for playing in the event and railing me as he busted right before the final table. He always is positive and cheers me up daily with his never give up and never say die attitude.

So In summary: Aces cracked, got drunk, took all my family's money, turned 1 dollar into 109. Not bad for a few days work. Thanks for reading and all your daily support. Keep on keeping on. Be real and be the bird that catches the worm!


BJJ