Decent cash finally

Today is Tuesday, i have just busted out of the Pokestars/Greg Raymer - living the dream freeroll. If you don't know about these; Pokerstars are running freerolls for UK residents in association with Poker Player Magazine. Basically you have to win a freeroll (first place only) to advance to another freeroll which you also have to place first in. Should you achieve this near impossible task (hey, someone has to win) you will be rewarded with a $10000 bankroll plus expert tuition from a Pokerstars pro, supposedly Raymer. I think there are several live tourney entries provided but even if there are not its still a kick ass prize. I just busted out 87(ish) of 800+. Gutted. Pocket 9's into pocket Jacks with no improvements. To be honest I'd just spunked off too many chips and made a move in good position and got unlucky. What wasn't unlucky was getting to a low chip point to begin with. With 120 left i was between 5th and 19th , back and forth. I cant remember hand specifics but my demise basically involved unnecessary aggression, respecting idiots and folding decent hands, and generally dripping off chips at a point where the blinds were high enough for it to have too big an effect on my stack. I shouldn't have got involved. LEARN THAT

As for the cash. On Sunday night i missed my more regular tourneys and so entered a $10 + $1, 180 sng/tourney on Stars. I did great at the start, dropped a bit in the middle where i was on a bit of a drip but then got the cards i needed to pull it back.

One hand pre final table was an all in pre flop with me in a dominating chip position, but only just, i got it all in w AKos against Jacks and I turned a straight flush. This put me in a great situation for the tourney end.

The final table came about and I was in good shape but not in first place, nor was my stack much different from 4 others at the table. Gradually a couple dropped and i was up to about $90,000 when the following hand occurred.

Me on the button with 10 10
18k stack to my right moves all in when its folded to him.
I look to the blinds and the sb has 60k and i just have this feeling not to move in as he could really mess me up should he have a stronger hand. Also by me calling I would be able to assess his strength as more than likely he will fold.
I call and the sb moves all in.
It is something like 40k to call. At that point i see the 8 people left and just picture the sb on AK or A something big. Looking at this against my stack and how I've been playing, i honestly see the following. I could call and lose this pot and still win this tournament. This is like a breakthrough moment for me. I have often played too tight at these moments but now i wasn't even playing for any other position than first. The other thing now is that it is about 40k to win 100k so i call.
smaller stack shows A5 off suit and the sb shows AK. I LOVE THAT.
Another weird thing happened now. Normally i would just expect to get skanked here. Ace on the flop etc. But i didn't even entertain the thought . The only thing i didn't want to see was a K. It didn't come and all of a sudden i had a massive stack with 5 or 6 left.
I played loose aggressive until 4 left when i also double busted 4th and 3rd place and we were heads up.

I believe that the stacks stood at - Me 210k Opp 60k. Now here is and interesting situation normally people may say to be aggressive here, put him to the test etc. But, i have bad experiences playing this way so i let him take the lead convinced that i could trap him for all his chips. He got up to 70 by chipping away against all my 93's and Q4's. I honestly didn't catch a hand and he had started pushing pre flop. I got him back in a proper pot, played like grown ups and took him back to 50k when the following hand occurred.

Me BB- AA
He sb - ?
he raises all in pre flop
There it is ladies and gentlemen - i win with Aces - i call and he shows Q8 off suit - ha! caught you- this is what he was taking advantage of me with -
flop - 767
I see that flop and know I'm going to lose
turn - 9
river - 5

making his absolutely impossible - yet all too true straight - Why here? Why now??

SCUM

I didn't say anything at first - we played a few hands - until i had to say something like "i waited for days folding semi decent hands and that's what i get" he said "I know unlucky" or something

I was angry, I'll admit, and perhaps that's what led me to play badly in the next hand

He puts in a big raise pre flop i have A7 and move all in - he calls with AK

Arrrgh

flop low....... xx ...............7!
turn A
river x
and its over

he had the dirty cahones to make some remark like "disgusting" in the chat box.

Yes it was. It was disgusting. It was a bad beat. He had the best of it and lost.

Just like my aces

Mwah ha haaaaaaa

Now actually I made an error here and probably should have finished second and i will learn from my tilted impulsiveness, but I won and was over the moon.

540 dollars for first -that's 270 quid that's over half a months rent - that's more time before i have to work a proper job.

I immediately loaded up a 6 dollar and a 12 dollar turbo (6 handed) - and won them both for another 60 or 70 dollars.

More of this please.

In other news - i have just been cast in a short film - there is no money involved as is often the case but it will be good material to shop about as a show reel for myself.
And...
I have just today been offered a weeks work in Dubai. I am being hired with 2 friends to work a trade show for a mobile phone company. We are being hired as mimes. We have to react and improvise as they show their 8 minute promo video. These gigs are good cos you only work in 45 minute stints usually 3 or 4 a day. So that's flights to Dubai+accommodation+ food whilst at work+ a thousand pounds for 4x 45 minutes a day for 5 days.

Fannytastic.

Good night and good luck