Well, that was a good start.

A smaller field than I expected as 363 started in Wednesday's $340.
Brandon gets a courtesy double up on the fourth hand of the tourney when a donk/bozo thought his 10-10 would hold up against B.J.'s AK AFTER an ACE hit the flop. Interesting....and a gift.

I played the first two levels on two different tables. Won a bunch of small pots to stay around 12k to 17k early on. I got AA twice and never got much for it. From level 4-6 I managed to pick up enough to stay at or around average. But now average was getting around 23K.

On level 7 I got my standard 'courtesy double up.' Well sort of a courtesy. I sort of made a loose call preflop with A10d. The flop came Jh-9d-2d. Initial raiser bet out 3000. (blinds 300/600) He had 20K behind. I had 15K behind. I made a decision to commit myself to the hand by raising to 10K. He tanks forever and finally moves in. I call....and am looking at AJ. Hmmm...okay....so I pretty much HAVE to hit a diamond, and I do...and now have 35K.

A while later at 400/800 dude who would become my Red Snapper buddy later on raises to 2100. Weird number. Button calls him. Hell I have 800 up in the big blind and am looking at A9c. Sure, I guess I will take a look. Flop comes Ah-3d-9h. Yahtzeee! Decide to check raise. First guy bets out 8K. Nice. Second guy tanks.....then SMOOTH calls!!!?? WTF!?? What are y'all putting that guy on? Flush draw? Has to be. Not dicking around here. Was going to raise the first guy to 20K...but with both of them in there...and the pot at 23K...and me sitting on 32K behind....I felt like the right thing to do there was to hammer them with my whole stack and see what happens. First guy thought for about 3 minutes and folded. Next guy tanked for about 4 minutes...which wasn't unusual for him. I was calling him the Human Rain Delay after about his third tank job. He finally folds, and I was up to 60K.

OH! This day marked my debut of ADEROL XR! XR stands for extended release. And it was AS ADVERTISED! WOW! Great stuff! One pill lasted ALL DAY! I was totally dialed in and focused as hell! I think I just discovered the answer to my antsy-ness. Maybe. Whatever.....I vote YES for Pedro, and I vote YES for Aderol!

Hung at around 60K to 85K for the next three levels.....couldn't ever get to 100K. The last three levels I just couldn't get ANY cards. One dude at my table got aces 6 times. SIX! He ended up being the bubble boy. Sort of. Jimmy Sommerfeld has this very strange rule in play. When we get down to 37 (paying 36)...they first go hand for hand...which is normal. But then when one person loses...they COMPLETE THE ROUND...to the button...so like, 8 more hands...and if ANYONE else loses/busts.....they figure out who had the smallest stack, and that person is the bubble. HUH? So AA boy ends up cashing! Very strange. I really got pretty lucky to finish 22nd. I think the last 6 times I moved in I got walks. ANYONE calls and I am probably out. I finally get it in with 77. Funny story here.

Once we made the money, I started (of course) drinking Red Snappers. When we were down to 27 Cub shows up. Sporting a new hairdo, a new hat and looking very metro sexual! He spends some time chatting it up with Tyler Smith and Brandon before he graces me with his presence. I announce that I am about to turn 60K into 180k. Me and Cub make a side bet...for $100, with me getting 2-1 odds...that I can get to 180 by the end of the current blind level. He accepts...and starts hounding me. I pick up 77 at cutoff...and announce to CUB...."Here we go CUB!" I move in 54K. The guy in the BB starts scratching his head and chin. I basically goad the guy into calling. I NEED A CALL! And if he's thinking that means he has like Q10, K10 maybe....and I tell him that. Finally he calls with QJ. Yep, pretty close. He flops two pair. FUCK! I don't hit a 7. And its over. I give Cub his $100. Dammit. Cub wins again! Peckerhead! I go collect my $1320 and find a sit n go.

In this $230 SNG...on the FIRST HAND.....5 limpers...I pick up 77....yeah......77! First hand. I raise from 25 to 125. Three callers. Flop comes 4-5-8. Gut shot. But still most likely the best hand. First guy (donkey) checks. Second guy bets 200. Whatever. I raise to 575. The first guy (donkey) CALLS! Just freaking calls! Second guy folds. Next card is a 2. Donkey checks. I MOVE ALL IN for 875. HE CALLS! I figure he has A8 and I'm fucked. He turns over....ya ready? Drum roll please.........QUEEN FOUR! Are you kidding me!?? River? FOUR! C'monnnnnnnnnn! I get up laughing...everyone comes over and looks, and are laughing too! WHAT THE HELL!???

I take a steam walk. Get Brandon some cigarettes....and come back to give them to him and discover that he has busted out. Oh. Shit. Me, him and Tyler had made a deal earlier...where we would all put 15% into a pot from what we won....and then divide what's in there by three. Well, I won $1300. Tyler won $1300 and Brandon won $1500. So it was a wash. Pretty good though that we all cashed. Tyler...Mr. Stack Variance himself...had 300K in his stack at one point and looked like the favorite to steamroll the thing. But as he typically does, he aggressively tries to destroy his table and gets butchered up. I cant tell people how to play....but dammit, when you have 6x the average stack....TAKE IT DOWN A NOTCH...and find places to pick people off, don't try to FORCE the action all the time.

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