Anthony Martino
Royal Flush
Hit up the 20K guaranteed $150 deepstack tourney at Derby Lane in St Pete FL yesterday. There was a $10 add-on plus bring in 4 cans of food for additional chips.
So starting stack was 45K with blinds beginning at 50/100 and lasting 30 minutes each. Previously I had played the same tournament where you got 40K chips and came in 28th out of 203 entrants (top 20 paid) when my KK was cracked by AJ
Anyhoozen, last night it seemed I could do no wrong. I was crushing in spots I was crushed:
MP big stack that's been active raises to 25K and I'm in the blinds with
and shove, he insta-calls and flips over 
but the flop brings two diamonds and I river the flush to double through him.
Same table, same opponent, he raises
and I shove 
and the flop is all clubs so that doesn't help, but I magically river the 
and double up again!
Then I have
flop a set against a short stacks top pair and send him home and when the average stack is 200K I'm sitting on over 400K and feeling pretty good.
Eventually we reach the money bubble and we're playing hand for hand. Blinds are enormous, 10/20K with a 3K ante and I'm down to 200K. There were 227 entrants and we're down to 24, but only 23 get paid. Fortunately I've already made an arrangement with a tablemate that I've been playing with the whole tourney. If one of us busts on the bubble the other guy will pay them their buyin back from their winnings, so we're both freerolling.
Folds to a big stack on the button who raises and I shove from the SB with
and he instacalls with 
I spike a 7 on the flop to double through and stay alive.
My high point I hit half a million in chips, but with blinds at 20/40K with an ante it's little solace. The bubble burst and we make the money and now I'm trying to win. There's a LOT of chips in the pot preflop given the antes so it's necessary to win at least one pot a rotation if you hope to survive.
Eventually it's a big stack in LP that raises and I'm in the BB for 50K now with the blinds at 25/50K with a 5K ante and I make my stand with
but his 
flops a board of 
and I'm in rough shape and don't get there.
Out 15th of 227 for a cash of $520. Had swapped 10% with a buddy who was also playing the tourney but he didn't cash. First was north of 7K which would've been nice, but I was happy to break out of my slump.
Plus, given the ridiculous luck I had in a number of all-in spots where I was 20% to win I can't really complain. I hit like 5 sets all night AND got paid on them each time.
So starting stack was 45K with blinds beginning at 50/100 and lasting 30 minutes each. Previously I had played the same tournament where you got 40K chips and came in 28th out of 203 entrants (top 20 paid) when my KK was cracked by AJ
Anyhoozen, last night it seemed I could do no wrong. I was crushing in spots I was crushed:
MP big stack that's been active raises to 25K and I'm in the blinds with
and shove, he insta-calls and flips over but the flop brings two diamonds and I river the flush to double through him.Same table, same opponent, he raises
and I shove and the flop is all clubs so that doesn't help, but I magically river the and double up again!Then I have
flop a set against a short stacks top pair and send him home and when the average stack is 200K I'm sitting on over 400K and feeling pretty good.Eventually we reach the money bubble and we're playing hand for hand. Blinds are enormous, 10/20K with a 3K ante and I'm down to 200K. There were 227 entrants and we're down to 24, but only 23 get paid. Fortunately I've already made an arrangement with a tablemate that I've been playing with the whole tourney. If one of us busts on the bubble the other guy will pay them their buyin back from their winnings, so we're both freerolling.
Folds to a big stack on the button who raises and I shove from the SB with
and he instacalls with I spike a 7 on the flop to double through and stay alive.My high point I hit half a million in chips, but with blinds at 20/40K with an ante it's little solace. The bubble burst and we make the money and now I'm trying to win. There's a LOT of chips in the pot preflop given the antes so it's necessary to win at least one pot a rotation if you hope to survive.
Eventually it's a big stack in LP that raises and I'm in the BB for 50K now with the blinds at 25/50K with a 5K ante and I make my stand with
but his flops a board of and I'm in rough shape and don't get there.Out 15th of 227 for a cash of $520. Had swapped 10% with a buddy who was also playing the tourney but he didn't cash. First was north of 7K which would've been nice, but I was happy to break out of my slump.
Plus, given the ridiculous luck I had in a number of all-in spots where I was 20% to win I can't really complain. I hit like 5 sets all night AND got paid on them each time.
