Back to Square One

Usually going back to square one is considered a bad thing, but this time it's actually positive. After trying really hard to lose my initial online poker investment, I have managed to claw my way back to just over my initial deposit amount by winning a $10 sit and go tonight.

The tournament started out pretty good. I got an four Aces in my first three hands. I had [A 2] and [A-7] in the first two hands, and those didn't amount to anything. I got pocket rockets on the third hand though and that worked out perfectly. Blinds were 10/20, and I raised to 40 preflop in first position. The guy in third position raises to $100 and I call. Flop is [5d Ac 8d]. One of my aces is diamond. I made trips and make a moderate bet which he calls. Turn is another diamond. I don't remember which. Now I'm a little worried about a flush. I put him all in. I guess this may not have been the best play, since if he had the flush, I probably would have been screwed, but oh well. He calls with what end up being a medium pocket pair, and the river is another five to give me a full house.

So I'm doubled up, and take it easy for a while. This tourny is odd in that no one really seams to make a move. Everyone except me hovers within $300 of the $1500 we start with. Finally people start dropping, and we get down to six people. I'm in second with around $3000. The leader has $6000, and there are two players under $1000.

The blinds are at the point where short stacks start going all in with almost anything, and everyone starts to smell the money, so they tighten up and let the small stacks steal some blinds. Nothing really interesting happens until I get dealt pocket kings in the big blind. The larger of the two short stacks goes all in, and the other short stack calls. Everyone else folds, and I of course call. The first guy had pocket sevens, and the other guy K-Q, so I'm pretty happy. Looks like I'm going to eliminate two players and move into a much more comfortable second place. That is until the third seven comes on the turn, which does eliminate one player, but puts all the rest of us in a virtual tie for second.

Somehow I manage to stay out of trouble, and people slowly get eliminated. I let the big stack eliminate everyone else and pretty soon its just the two of us. He has about $12000 to my $3000, but I'm pretty confident in my heads up play at this point so I'm not too worried. Plus I'm already in second, so worst case, I win $30. We go back and forth for ever, and eventually I'm able to beat him. I flopped trip threes in one hand and slow played it well enough to take all but 1000 of his chips. I put him all in on the next hand with a 3-9 off suit, and he calls with a 6-7. Blinds were at 500-1000, so he didn't have much choice. I end up getting a 9 high straight to seal my victory.

So anyway, now I'm back to where I started. Maybe this time I can turn it into some profit and not screw it up completely.