Full Tilt Round 1 Freeroll (1,500 chips)
Another run at a freeroll. Doubled up on the second hand with T♥ A♦ in SB. UTG2 was all-in for 1,605. I called with 1,470. He showed Q♦ K♥, the flop had A♥ in the middle, and it was over by the river.
Fifth hand grabbed me even more chips. Q♣ 3♣ in CO. Five of us limped in, A♠ 2♣ K♣ gave me second nut flush draw, I called HJ’s bet of 30, the blinds folded, and UTG1 called. 8♣ made my flush, UTG1 checked, HJ bet 30 again and I raised to 100. Both UTG1 and HJ came along. A scary K♠ hit the river, making several full house possibilities, but I didn’t think either of them had it. UTG1 checked, HJ was all-in for 1,325, I went all-in (UTG1 only had 15 more than HJ), UTG1 folded. HJ had a set of kings, but that didn’t touch my flush. That popped me over 4,700.
My 3♠ 3♣ that made twos full of threes by the river was bested by T♥ T♣ a few hands later, though, costing me 1,200, and on the very next hand an ill-advised all-in call with A♣ J♠ burned me for nearly 3,000 chips when K♦ K♥ showed up for the showdown. I was down to 910 after that.
I managed to briefly recover two hands later with something similar to what had gotten me started: T♠ A♥. I had 1,000 even on BTN, we were still at 15/30. HJ raised all-in to 935. I went all-in. BB—who’d taken me down with the kings a minute earlier, called. We flipped the cards over, BB had kings again: K♥ K♠. HJ was in bad shape with K♦ Q♥. The flop showed some promise: 2♦ 3♥ 5♥. Any ace, any four, a couple more hearts…I could even still get a straight flush. The turn 7♠ didn’t do me any good but I got my A♣ on the river (h/t Barry Greenstein). The pot netted me nearly 2,000 chips.
All of which I lost three hands later with A♣ K♣. Blinds were 20/40. I raised to 100 from UTG1. The guy with kings was CO and re-raised to 360, getting a call from BTN. I re-raised to 1,020; CO and BTN were in. The flop looked good: A♥ Q♣ A♦. At least so long as he didn’t have a QX. I bet my last 1,900 and got a call. He had the Mutant Jack: A♠ J♠. Nearly 7K in the pot, I was a 4:1 favorite to win. 8♦ for the turn. J♦ for the river. Nobody named their book for that.
18 minutes, 14 hands. Placed 4,564 of 6,983 players.
Full Tilt $1 Main Event Satellite (1,500 chips)
BAM! Out of the gate, picked up steam with a win holding K♦ 8♦ on BTN. Four of us to the flop after a raise to 80 from UTG. K♠ 6♣ T♠ and everyone checked to me. I bet 180, getting a call from only BB. 9♣ on turn and I bet another 700 (with only 540 behind), driving off BB and netting me 440.
K♠ 8♠ was mine again in CO, five hands later. Action folded to me, I raised to 100. BTN and SB called. I made top pair on the 6♠ 8♦ 2♥ flop, SB bet 200, I called, BTN folded. An 8♥ for the turn made a set but SB (who had me covered by thousands) bet 550. I raised all-in for 1,515 and he called, showing a weaker kicker: 8♣ 5♣. harmless 7♠ on the river and I was up to 3,780.
That was my apex, though. I raised a limp by UTG1 to 200 as UTG2 at 40/80. 4 callers. Low cards on the flop: 9♠ 3♣ 6♠. UTG bet 700 and I raised to 1,500, putting him on a pair to the board, which I could beat. Three folds, then a call from UTG. 2♣ for the turn and UTG checked. I bet 1,960 all-in. UTG called with just 130 behind, then dropped 9♣ 8♠. I was just about there, but then 8♦ showed up, giving him two pair and knocking me out.
18 minutes, 21 hands. 85th of 201 players.