The "Fantasy" weekend

I guess it was a fantasy...making it to the WSOP main event this year. This weekend was really fun, but a little heartbreaking to say the least (as far as poker goes). Saturday night was basically my last "shot" at winning a satelite into the main event. Pokerstars even had it on its "popup" that this was the last weekend for double shootouts. So, since I had the house to myself, and since I had a spare $160 left for my foray into satelites, I figured what the hell! I said to myself, "this is your last chance to do it, and you took $200 out of your bankroll just for this night, so make it happen!!"
Match #1: You have to get lucky sometimes right?
I didn't realize that these things had 15 minute levels. Now thats some poker. Most of the tourneys I play in online have 10-12 minute blind levels, and 'stars has 10 minute levels for the majority of their regular tourneys. I was quite pleased, since this structure seems to reward tight/aggressive play. Through the first 3-4 levels I played good, solid poker and worked my starting stack of 1500 up to about 2100. Nothing special really. We actually had a break after the 4th level and I think there were only 2-3 people busted. After the break came and went I was on cruise control, only I had no hands...so it was a cruise control folding lesson. Q2, J4, 72, etc. Finally I looked up and I was down to about 1500 in chips blinds 100/200 and I am 3rd out of 3 left...yes, shortstack. Then this hand:
PokerStars Game #5647959959: Tournament #28557498, $150+$10 Hold'em No Limit - Match Round I, Level VI (100/200) - 2006/07/22 - 21:40:52 (ET)
Table '28557498 4' 9-max Seat #4 is the button
Seat 4: pp06 (4405 in chips)
Seat 5: jamfreek (1590 in chips)
Seat 7: killerdeb (7505 in chips)
jamfreek: posts small blind 100
killerdeb: posts big blind 200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to jamfreek [Tc Kd]
pp06: folds
jamfreek: raises 1390 to 1590 and is all-in
killerdeb: calls 1390
*** FLOP *** [6s Qd Kh]
jamfreek said, "nh"
*** TURN *** [6s Qd Kh] [As]
*** RIVER *** [6s Qd Kh As] [Jd]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
jamfreek: shows [Tc Kd] (a straight, Ten to Ace)
killerdeb: shows [Ks Ah] (two pair, Aces and Kings)
jamfreek collected 3180 from pot
pp06 said, "wow"
jamfreek said, "eww"
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 3180 | Rake 0
Board [6s Qd Kh As Jd]
Seat 4: pp06 (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: jamfreek (small blind) showed [Tc Kd] and won (3180) with a straight, Ten to Ace
Seat 7: killerdeb (big blind) showed [Ks Ah] and lost with two pair, Aces and Kings

Yes!!! Runner Runner Suckout!!

I then went on to tear it up. I played PERFECT. The last hand was seriously a work of art if I don't say so myself. Basically I had AQ, flopped a Q and slowplayed it, knowing that my opponent would push anything that was mid-pair or top pair, plus I had him outchipped 3.5-1.

Match 2: Get all worked up over nothing..
At this point I couldn't believe that I had made it this far, and that I was soooo lucky to get there. I told myself, I can't be the first one out, not that the $160 meant that much to me, I mean it was good money that I worked hard for, but this is what it was all about! I took a look at the prize pool and obviously, first place got the seat plus $1000, and 2nd through 8th got there $160 back, and poor old 9th gets $30. Well, this table was playing TIIIIIGHHHHHHTTTT! And I got absolute shit for cards. The best hand I could find was QTs and I played it badly, losing about 200 or so. I stuck around middle of the pack until this hand:

I have AKs UTG +1...UTG player has been shortstacked since early in the tourney, but for the last 3-4 hands has been pushing all-in picking up blinds, and growing his stack from about 500 to about 900 or so. I have a little over 1100 in chips, and of course, he pushes again, I call, figuring i'm dominating him, and of course I am, but this is Pokerstars, where worst hand always seems to come out on top. Sure enough he turns over KQs. He ends up turning a Q and I am down to about 250 or so in chips. Of course I am in the blinds after my next hand (which I had to fold), and of course the blinds go up to 50/100, my blinds are of course raised, and by the time the button rolls around I have exactly 85 in chips, and I end up pushing with K7s, it gets called by AQ, I flop a K and he rivers an A and I get my poor ass handed $30 from "River"stars.

More to come later...