My First Real-Money Final Table

On a lark, I decided to enter a $1 UB tourney, at limit holdem. I am not good at limit. In fact, I'm pretty much a break even player at the micro-limits on UB. I have spent maybe 5% of my poker time playing limit holdem. I also haven't played many real-money tourneys, since I didn't seem to be in the money often enough. I have played in perhaps a dozen or so.

102 entrants generated a massive $102 prize pool, where the top 20 would get paid. At my first table, I quickly realized that my opponents were playing any two cards, and betting when they had roughly king-high or better. That's all it took. I played tight, and I won each of the first half dozen hands I played, with at least one player calling me down to the river. Good times. It wasn't until about the 50/100 blind mark that I started thinking, "Hey, the absolute morons are gone, and I'm still above average in chips. Maybe I can do something here."

I kept my play pretty tight, bet smart, and showed one bluff late when the blinds were getting high and everybody else was showing AK soooted and the like after others folded. I laid down pocket jacks to an ace-high flop when the other guy capped it pre-flop (showing Big Slick afterwards). Got myself into the money, then the final table. Frankly, I was amazed. The tight guys made it into the final 30 or so, and I had a healthy stack, so I bluffed and was aggressive a bit more than I normally would have. Picking up those chips along the way helped a lot. In fact, I took a huge hit when #11 busted out, when I called a river bet I shouldn't have, holding TT with overcards, when my flush/straight draws didn't come. I went from third place with 11 left, to 6th at the final table.

I busted out in 8th, for a smooth-daddy prize of $2.55 with the following hand (I know I could've folded into 6th place, but where's the fun in that? And I think I should've folded earlier in the hand, but there was just too much in the pot and it was too tempting):

Hand #4268545-21 at Thu5amA-Final (1500/3000 tournament Hold'em)
Powered by UltimateBet Started at 03/Feb/05 07:55:53
ericthegreat1 is at seat 0 with 13990.
Swishahouse is at seat 1 with 1660.
Feltonzap is at seat 2 with 51260.
elfdog21 is at seat 3 with 21065.
Lucky 7s is at seat 4 with 11430.
Plaxus22 is at seat 5 with 8755.
High Plains Drifter is at seat 7 with 9120.
slpndntz is at seat 8 with 35720.
The button is at seat 0. Swishahouse posts the small blind of 750. Feltonzap posts the big blind of 1500.
High Plains Drifter: Ah Jh
Pre-flop: elfdog21 folds. Lucky 7s folds. Plaxus22 folds. High Plains Drifter raises to 3000. slpndntz folds. ericthegreat1 folds. Swishahouse folds. Feltonzap calls.

Flop (board: 6c Ts Kc): Feltonzap checks. High Plains Drifter bets 1500. Feltonzap raises to 3000. High Plains Drifter calls.

Turn (board: 6c Ts Kc Kd): Feltonzap bets 3000. High Plains Drifter calls.

River (board: 6c Ts Kc Kd Qd): Feltonzap bets 3000. High Plains Drifter goes all-in for 120. Feltonzap is returned 2880 (uncalled).

Tournament all-in showdown -- players show: Feltonzap shows Qc Qs.
Showdown: Feltonzap has Qc Qs Kc Kd Qd: full house, queens full of kings.
High Plains Drifter has Ah Jh Ts Kc Qd: straight, ace high.

I think I might enter a slightly higher limit tourney to see if the competition is crummy enough for me to do well. And I've read and heard good things about UB's limit Omaha-high games. I've had consistent success at the penny pot-limit games, so I think I'll give the $.10/.25 limit game a try soon.

UB Summary: $330.05 real, $299.37 bonus, 3193.40 pts.