Showboat - Final Table!

Just got home from AC...its late...

Anyway, after coming home from Goodfellas game Saturday Night, I wanted to catch up with everyone in AC...Called around, even tried to rent my sisters car to head up to AC Saturday night...Had to wait till mornin when the Greyhound leaves...so get up early, text Keenan and Jay to make sure I'll have a ride home...It all worked out till Jay texts me and says he's busted broke, I told him im on the way up, to just go sit in the $1-$2 NL table and get that money back and I would buy him in for the Tourney at the Showboat...I didn't have that much money going up cause I was only takin the money I won from Goodfellas place...So the plan was to sit in on the $1-$2 NL game then whatever I make or break, I would play the $50 Tourney at the Showboat...Why? Cause its fun, its been a while since I played a tourney in the casino and over-all, I just had a good feeling bout going up to AC...so I stayed on my game plan...

Stopped by the Trop to see Travis and all them, Noelle and Keenan were sleep in the room and Travis was sittin in on the $2-$5 NL table...soon as I walked in there and see a hand he was involved in, it was straight Donkeyness...Guy re-raised all in when Travis bet $50 bucks when 5 players check to him...Board I believe was 7J4 rainbow, somethin stupid like that...but for Travis to call was only $38 bucks and he was betting on his 79...somethin around that area....Guy had AKo to hit runner-runner broadway...sick...So I go grab lunch and hook up with Jay at Caesars...Wow at the Boardwalk...Its changed so much since last I've seen the boardwalk...Whenever we go to AC, We never walk the Boardwalk, just either taxi it casino to casino or just drive....Normally I would've taxi'ed it to Caesars from the Trop, but decided to walk the boardwalk to enjoy the sunny day...Seen a Putt-Putt golf on the boardwalk, the shopping mall that used to be the ship has been renovated...there is a Rainforest Cafe and alot of new Bars/Restaurant on the boardwalk...It was nice!

Anyway, I end up sittin at Caesars on a different table from Jay..I sit with $200 and run it up close to $500 when Jay comes in and says, its 5:15, lets head to Showboat...that is what time I said to get me...Now normally I would've just stayed there and kept playin till I'm broke, but I have been gettin better and setting myself a time and getting up when I say I will to avoid going broke..I know how I am when it comes to playing...I need more discipline...and its proving to be working especially when I can walk away with profit! So I get to freeroll the tourney at the Showboat!

Head to the Showboat and come to find out the tourney don't start till 7PM...damn...Buffet time! I hadn't eatin since the evening before, no breakfast, just went straigt up to AC...Buffet hit the spot...Tourney time....

I played real well through out the tourney...early in the tourney, I run my stack to about 14K and get KJo in late position Blinds are at 100-200, 2 limpers, I end up callin and folds around the rest of the table, SB and BB both call and check...5 players...im last to act...Flop is KJ7 rainbow...I bet out $850 folds to Big Girl...She looks at me, thinks, calls....

Pot: $1850

Turn: [KJ7] T still rainbow

I bet out $1600
Big Girl calls...

Pot: $5050

River: [KJ7T]A

so gay...she goes all in...I muck...flip over the KJ, she shows me QQ

OK..whatever....

I somehow get my stack back up and become Table Captain after someone raised, I went all in, 2 callers with another All in...I have JJ

The 2 guys that called me were A4d and TT

My JJ holds up and im sittin pretty...

Make it past the 2 breaks, we get down to 11 and decide to cut the bubble in for the buy in back, we all put up $5 bucks for whoever bubbles...Next think ya know, I get to the Final Table with about $40K with blinds at $2000-$4000...one guys has way over $150K and he couldn't manage his chip stack...he doubled up almost everyone at the table...I end up pushing with a "Sooted-Scooter" after the blinds ate me up a lil bit to double up and brought me back to about $40K again...guy called me with TT and I sucked out a K on the river....

I end up having $38K left and look down to 66....I kinda beat myself up cause I think I could've played it different to move up a couple spots, but a normal raise would be more than 3/4 of my stack at blinds at $2000-$4000 so I just push...AKo calls me and he spikes an A on the turn to put me out in 7th place...

Yeah, the tourney was a small one...93 players with a $50 Buy in...actually $40+$10 with 1st place payin $1300 bucks....

7th place was only $186 bucks..but hey, it was fun as shit gettin there....it felt good to make a final table and have folx watchin the play from the side lines...and I get to add it to my resume...so it had more value than just the $186! Seriously...makin the final table felt good!

I'm not used to playing with blinds that big especially in home games..having that many chips...but it throws me off cause they color up the chips and it seems like you have NO CHIPS...especially watchin TV and they have HUGE stacks in front of them...Guess it can't get like that with about 100 players anyway...I definately need more experience with late tournament play, but I think I played pretty well the whole day! Played well in the tourney also...So I don't really think it was a waste of time to play that long to only win $186..I can win that in 1-3 hands in a $1-$2 NL game, but the accomplishment factor definately is worth the time and its good practice!

If you can't tell, its my first Final Table in a live tournament...and on the ride home and thinkin about those pocket 6's and only gettin 7th place...its a disappointment also..I could've played hands alot differently throught the tourney which would've had me sittin a little more pretty with chips at the final table....but hey, trial and error is the key...Final table is fine and dandy...feels good, but I bet 1st place would've felt better....so next time, I'm not just gonna shoot for the Final table, cause that was my mind set, make the final table at the very least...this time, It's a must to take it down!

It sure is alot different than when I play online and winning those Multi Table Tourneys or even makin all those final tables...Live is WAY BETTER!!!!!!