A Hollywood Ending

"Shuffle Up & Deal" - After playing Cash for a couple of hours, I bought in to the 8:15 tournament at Hollywood Casino down by Cincinnati. We ended up with 57 players, with six getting paid. We start with 5000 chips and 20 minute levels.

End of Level 1 (25/50) 4625 - Fairly tight table. Only one potential Action Guy, and he's two seats to my Right. In one hand, I ended up hitting Two Pair on the River in a multi-way pot. Even though that brought a Flush, I still made a value bet of 500 when it checked around to me. A Old Guy in the Blinds instantly check-raised to 1000. I quickly folded my Two Pair face up, and he showed a Q-high Flush. It was a dumb bet by me, but the Cash game player in me wanted to get some Value.

Level 2 (50/100) 4900 - I called a raise with AQ, and won it on the Flop. I tried a Semi-Bluff with an Open-Ender (96c on a Qc Jd Td Flop). I was called by a Young Player on the Flop and Turn. I missed the River, and gave up because he only had 1300 chips left. The Board was Q J T J Q, and I was playing the Board. As it turns out, he had 87d for a gutshot Straigh Flush draw, and we chopped the pot.

Level 3 (75/150) 4500 - I raised with AQc, and everyone folded. I raised with 65o, and three players called. Typical of my tourney luck these days.

Level 4 (100/200) 4500 - I'm card dead, as usual. I'm slowly starting to "Step on the Gas" with mixed results.

Level 5 (200/400) 4100 - I played only one hand. I shoved with JTs, and everyone folded.

Level 6 (300/600) 7500 - Very first hand of the Level, there were a few limpers. I'm in the Small Blind, and shoved with KJc. Everyone folded. Next hand, I get TT on the Button, and raised to 1700. One player called, and I won it on the Flop. A few hands later the table broke.

Level 7 (500/1000) 6500 - We are down to two tables now. I'm doing some stealing, but I still haven't gotten a double up. I lost 4500 in a A9 vs KQd, and he hit the Flush.

Level 8 (1000/2000) 52000 - I finally picked up a hand, QQ, and more than doubled up to 28500 against KQ and J8. I won more big pots with AK and AQ and eliminated players. We got to the Final Table just before the end of the Level. I had 52000, and was in 2nd place. Chip Leader has 73000. We eliminate two players before the end of the Level, and go on Break with eight players left.

Level 9 (2000/4000) 135K - I popped the Bubble in a Blind vs Blind hand. I'm the SB with Q3x, and I flopped top pair. I check & call on the Flop. A second Q hit the Turn, and we both checked. The River was brick, and I lead out for 15k, hoping it looked like I missed the Flush draw. She thinks for a while, and goes All-In for 18k with second pair. We all agreed to give the Bubble $20, except for the former Chip Leader. So I eliminated him next by raising to 10k with AA, and he shoved in the SB with A9. Karma is a bitch.

We are now five handed.

Level 10 (3000/6000) 165K - While five handed, there was two extremely short stacks  (under 10k). Because there was a $110 difference in prize money, they were trying to out-fold each other. Since they had so few chips, I started limping in to help eliminate the players. It took about two full orbits to finally eliminate them.

When it got to three handed, the short stack started the "Monty Hall" and was trying to chop. Since I had half the chips in play, I held out for a few hands, but we finally came to an agreement. They got $1000 each, and I got $1295 (minus $20 for Bubble Save, and $20 for dealer tip).

I normally hate chopping, especially when I'm the best player at the table and I've got half the chips. But I've never been in a daily casino tournament that didn't chop. Even though I'm the dominate player, the blinds are high. It only takes one silly River card, and a lost coin flip to screw me over.