Hand #380: I raise AQ from early position and steal teh blinds.

Hand #382: folded to me in the blinds

Hand #385: I raise 44 and win the blinds.

We haven't seen a flop yet at the final table.

Hand #387: I raise AA and win the blinds, I was hoping since this was my 3rd raise in one orbit that someone would challenge me.

Hand #389: Our first flop as AA and TT go all in pre-flop, but no one is eliminated.

Hand #390: I fold KQo UTG. there's a raise and an all-in later on. A folda fter the all in though, no flop.


Hand #391: Monemaker raises to 90K UTG. I call out of the blind(only 50K more for me to call) with Q9o. Flop comes all hearts, and I fold to his bet.

Hand #393: I raise with KQo and win the blinds


Hand #394: I raise with A8o in the cutoff. saw003 calls me out of the small blind. flop comes K83(2nd pair for me). He checks, I bet 160K into the 300K pot and win it there.


Hand #397: saw003 and BuckyBadger end up all in, A8 vs AA. AA holds up and saw is eliminated 9th.

At this point I am guarenteed $1,194.

Hand #398: Moneymaker raises PF and ends up all in vs a short stack. He has T9o, short stack has KK. short stack holds up.

For a brief moment I am the chipleader:

Seat 1: El Perrito (578496 in chips)
Seat 2: LURPED (768483 in chips)
Seat 3: scott tuna (617638 in chips)
Seat 4: radii (2098124 in chips)
Seat 5: Money800 (1902529 in chips)
Seat 7: BuckyBadger (1057307 in chips)
Seat 8: cooolK (549280 in chips)
Seat 9: DaKidCapone (607643 in chips)


Hand #400: Radii is a big giant pussy.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t40000 (8 handed) converter

saw flop|saw showdown

CO (t652496)
Button (t746483)
SB (t575638)
Hero (t2096124)
UTG =#A500AF(Money800)/ (t1900529)
UTG+1 (t1055307)
MP1 (t547280)
MP2 (t605643)

Preflop: Hero is BB with Ad, Kh.
UTG =#A500AF(Money800)/ raises to t90000, 6 folds, Hero calls t50000.

Flop: (t154000) 2c, Qc, 8c (2 players)
Hero checks, Money800 bets t120000, Hero folds.

Final Pot: t274000
Main Pot: t154000 (t154000), won by Money800.
Pot 2: t120000 (t120000), returned to Money800.

Results in white below:
No showdown. Money800 wins t274000.



I have no idea why I didn't re-raise him pre-flop.


Hand #402: Radii is once again a giant pussy.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t40000 (8 handed) converter

saw flop|saw showdown

MP1 (t648496)
MP2 (t818483)
CO (t551638)
Hero (t1982124)
SB =#A500AF(Money800)/ (t1982529)
BB (t1051307)
UTG (t543280)
UTG+1 (t601643)

Preflop: Hero is Button with As, Td.
5 folds, Hero raises to t120000, SB =#A500AF(Money800)/ calls t100000, 1 fold.

Flop: (t234000) 4d, 6c, 7s (2 players)
Money800 bets t140000, Hero folds.

Final Pot: t374000
Main Pot: t234000 (t234000), won by Money800.
Pot 2: t140000 (t140000), returned to Money800.

Results in white below:
No showdown. Money800 wins t374000.

Hand #405: I steal the blinds with 65 suited.

Hand #411: I'm not involved, but we see a flop for the first time in awhile.

Hand #413: DaKidCapone and El Perrito are SB/BB and end up all in pre-flop with J9 vs A7. A jack hits the river and El Perrito is eliminated.

With 7 left I am guarenteed $1,713. The blinds go up to 30K/60K with 3000 antes, meaning that there is over 100K in the pot before any action now.


Seat 2: LURPED (734483 in chips)
Seat 3: scott tuna (739638 in chips)
Seat 4: radii (1854124 in chips)
Seat 5: Money800 (2150529 in chips)
Seat 7: BuckyBadger (863307 in chips)
Seat 8: cooolK (435280 in chips)
Seat 9: DaKidCapone (1402139 in chips)

Hand #416: LURPED raises to 123456 pre-flop. I have Ah Qh and re-raise him to 420K, which would essentially pot commit him(he has about 700K total). He folds and I take a nice pot. Stacks after that:

Seat 2: LURPED (572027 in chips)
Seat 3: scott tuna (580638 in chips)
Seat 4: radii (1989580 in chips)
Seat 5: Money800 (2252529 in chips)
Seat 7: BuckyBadger (734307 in chips)
Seat 8: cooolK (426280 in chips)
Seat 9: DaKidCapone (1624139 in chips)


Hand #417: Moneymaker and short stack cooolK get all in pre-flop. AK holds up over AK and cooolK is out 7th. We are down to 6. Now I am guarenteed $2200.

Chips when we get to 6 left:

Seat 2: LURPED (569027 in chips)
Seat 3: scott tuna (577638 in chips)
Seat 4: radii (1986580 in chips)
Seat 5: Money800 (2753809 in chips)
Seat 7: BuckyBadger (671307 in chips)
Seat 9: DaKidCapone (1621139 in chips)


Moneymaker begins to pull away. Honestly I don't remember how he got such a huge chiplead after this so I am curious to review the next 10-20 hands to see if i personally could have done anything different.

Hand #418: I steal the blinds with A2 suited.

Oh yea.

Hand #419: After letting moneymaker bully me any time i'd raised pre-flop I decided to look him up, at least on the turn. A scare card on the river got me a free showdown.


PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t60000 (6 handed) converter

saw flop|saw showdown

BB (t566027)
UTG (t574638)
Hero (t2091580)
CO =#A500AF(Money800)/ (t2750809)
Button (t638307)
SB (t1558139)

Preflop: Hero is MP with 6s, 6d.
1 fold, Hero raises to t180000, CO =#A500AF(Money800)/ calls t180000, 3 folds.

Flop: (t375000) Tc, 7d, Qd (2 players)
Hero bets t240000, Money800 calls t240000.

Turn: (t855000) Qh (2 players)
Hero checks, Money800 bets t360000, Hero calls t360000.

River: (t1575000) Jd (2 players)
Hero checks, Money800 checks.

Final Pot: t1575000
Main Pot: t1575000 (t1575000), between Hero and Money800. > Pot won by Money800 (t1575000).

Results in white below:
Hero has 6s 6d (two pair, queens and sixes).
Money800 has Qs Ks (three of a kind, queens).
Outcome: Money800 wins t1575000.


He certainly had a read on me as being weak by that point so I felt he could have been trying to push me around. I believe this is going to be one of the few times moneymaker pushed me around when I had as much as a pair, which proved to be a big problem for me later on.

Seat 2: LURPED (503027 in chips)
Seat 3: scott tuna (571638 in chips)
Seat 4: radii (1308580 in chips)
Seat 5: Money800 (3635809 in chips)
Seat 7: BuckyBadger (635307 in chips)
Seat 9: DaKidCapone (1525139 in chips)


Hand #420: Lurped doubles up off KidCapone and I am in second again but not by much:

Seat 2: LURPED (1078054 in chips)
Seat 3: scott tuna (508638 in chips)
Seat 4: radii (1305580 in chips)
Seat 5: Money800 (3632809 in chips)
Seat 7: BuckyBadger (632307 in chips)
Seat 9: DaKidCapone (1022112 in chips)


Hand #421: folded to me, I win the blinds.

Hand #422: I have K2o in the SB. I fold tomoneymaker instead of challenging him again.


Hand #428: The trend of me giving moneymaker my chips continues. But, what could I have done differently here?

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t60000 (6 handed) converter

saw flop|saw showdown

CO (t967054)
Button (t367638)
Hero (t1350580)
BB =#A500AF(Money800)/ (t4073809)
UTG (t401307)
MP (t1019112)

Preflop: Hero is SB with Qh, 4h.
4 folds, Hero completes, BB =#A500AF(Money800)/ checks.

Flop: (t105000) Kd, Js, 6c (2 players)
Hero bets t120000, Money800 calls t120000.

Turn: (t345000) 7d (2 players)
Hero checks, Money800 bets t180000, Hero folds.

Final Pot: t525000
Main Pot: t345000 (t345000), won by Money800.
Pot 2: t180000 (t180000), returned to Money800.

Results in white below:
No showdown. Money800 wins t525000.

Beginning hand #430 here are the chip counts. At this point I believe we all started to give up and play for 2nd place.

Seat 2: LURPED (961054 in chips)
Seat 3: scott tuna (361638 in chips)
Seat 4: radii (1164580 in chips)
Seat 5: Money800 (4235809 in chips)
Seat 7: BuckyBadger (838614 in chips)
Seat 9: DaKidCapone (617805 in chips)


Hand #431: I steal the blinds with ATo.

going into hand #441 moneymaker had won 6 of the last 7 pots.

Hand #441 could have hurt me. a very short stack goes all in for 145K. I have AJo with two to act after me including moneymaker. I could have(should have?) pushed all in but instead decided to just call. Moneymaker goes all in behind me and I fold, giving up my 150K. Moneymaker has TT, the short stack all in has AJ just like I had and goes home unimproved.

So we are down to 5 and the distance between moneymaker and the rest of us grows:

Seat 2: LURPED (961054 in chips)
Seat 4: radii (910942 in chips)
Seat 5: Money800 (5487085 in chips)
Seat 7: BuckyBadger (202614 in chips)
Seat 9: DaKidCapone (617805 in chips)


With 5 left I am guarenteed $2,751.

Hand #445: LURPED and BuckyBadger get all in, AQ vs A5. Bucky is the short stack and hits a flush with his A5 to stay alive. I remember being very unhappy at that.

Hand #446: two hands in a row, this time BuckyBadger all in against Moneymaker. AT vs 66, Bucky wins the coin flip with his AT. After those two hands:

Seat 2: LURPED (695440 in chips)
Seat 4: radii (910942 in chips)
Seat 5: Money800 (5093857 in chips)
Seat 7: BuckyBadger (861456 in chips)
Seat 9: DaKidCapone (617805 in chips)


Hands #447 and #448. I fold A4 and A6 UTG+1 and UTG. I am clearly playing scared at this point. The difference between 5th and 2nd is thousands. I should be playing to win but obviously I'm not.

Hand #452: Moneyamker gets all in vs DaKidCapone. JT vs AK. JT hits a straight and moneymaker knocks out yet another. We are down to 4.

Seat 2: LURPED (692440 in chips)
Seat 4: radii (802942 in chips)
Seat 5: Money800 (5960662 in chips)
Seat 7: BuckyBadger (723456 in chips)

I am now guarenteed $3374


Hand #453: Bucky and Moneymaker are all in, KK vs 88. Bucky holds up.

Seat 2: LURPED (659440 in chips)
Seat 4: radii (739942 in chips)
Seat 5: Money800 (5237206 in chips)
Seat 7: BuckyBadger (1542912 in chips)

I am briefly not in 2nd anymore.

Hand #455: I steal the blinds with KQ.

Hand #459: I steal the blinds with JJ

Hand #461: Moneymaker's AK knocks out LURPED's 77. We are down to 3.

Seat 4: radii (739942 in chips)
Seat 5: Money800 (6100646 in chips)
Seat 7: BuckyBadger (1338912 in chips)


At this point I am guarenteed $4569


Hand #462: I fold KTo 3 handed??? all in, you dope.

Hand #463: Moneymaker raises, I go all in over him with KQo. He folds.

Seat 4: radii (952942 in chips)
Seat 5: Money800 (5884646 in chips)
Seat 7: BuckyBadger (1341912 in chips)

Hand #464: I raise with QJ suited. Moneymaker calls. I flop top pair, J54. I bet and he folds.

Seat 4: radii (1138942 in chips)
Seat 5: Money800 (5701646 in chips)
Seat 7: BuckyBadger (1338912 in chips)


Hand #472: an interesting hand. I should have probably gone all in over moneymaker pre-flop, and I don't know why I didn't.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t60000 (3 handed) converter

saw flop|saw showdown

Hero (t1036942)
Button =#A500AF(Money800)/ (t5866646)
SB (t1275912)

Preflop: Hero is BB with Qd, Kc.
Button =#A500AF(Money800)/ raises to t180000, 1 fold, Hero calls t120000.

Flop: (t306000) 2c, Ts, Ac (2 players)
Hero checks, Money800 checks.

Turn: (t306000) Qh (2 players)
Hero bets t180000, Money800 calls t180000.

River: (t666000) 5s (2 players)
Hero checks, Money800 checks.

Final Pot: t666000
Main Pot: t666000 (t666000), between Hero and Money800. > Pot won by Hero (t666000).

Results in white below:
Hero has Qd Kc (one pair, queens).
Money800 has 5h Kd (one pair, fives).
Outcome: Hero wins t666000.


Seat 4: radii (1432942 in chips)
Seat 5: Money800 (5503646 in chips)
Seat 7: BuckyBadger (1242912 in chips)

I am back in 2nd after that win.

Hand #477: I raise with AJ and win the blinds.


Hand #483: this is the hand that secured me second place:

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t80000 (3 handed) converter

saw flop|saw showdown

Hero (t1136942)
SB =#A500AF(Money800)/ (t5502646)
BB (t1539912)

Preflop: Hero is Button with Kd, As.
Hero raises to t240000, 1 fold, BB raises to t1535912, Hero calls t892942 (All-In).

Flop: (t2672854) 7c, 5c, Tc (2 players, 1 all-in)

Turn: (t2672854) 7h (2 players, 1 all-in)

River: (t2672854) 9d (2 players, 1 all-in)

Final Pot: t2672854
Main Pot: t2269884 (t2269884), between Hero and BB. > Pot won by Hero (t2269884).
Pot 2: t402970 (t402970), returned to BB.

Results in white below:
Hero has Kd As (one pair, sevens).
BB has Jd Ah (one pair, sevens).
Outcome: Hero wins t2269884. BB wins t402970.


Bucky is crippled after that.

Seat 4: radii (2317884 in chips)
Seat 5: Money800 (5458646 in chips)
Seat 7: BuckyBadger (402970 in chips)

At some point recently the blinds had gone up to 40K/80K with 4000 antes.


Hand #485: Bucky and Moneymaker are all in, A5 vs 99. 99 holds up and BuckyBadger is eliminated.

Moneymaker and I are heads up now. I am guarenteed $7,009. First is $11,9xx I believe.


Moneymaker and I play about 70 hands heads up. I'll get back to this later to finish it up.

Early in the final table I was ready to play, I tried to challenge moneymaker, I picked my spots to steal... once we got down to about 5 players left and moneymaker had such a huge lead, I, and everyone else, tightened up. I cannot believe I folded KT 3 handed. I can't believe I just called a raise with KQ instead of pushing it. Honestly, I think the difference in money at that point overwhelmed me. If I was trying to win, I certainly should have played it differently. But I was able to steal enough pots to work my way into second, and I am not going to complain about that, but I do feel my play in the 2nd half of the final table was extremely timid. I had played multiple hands against moneymaker already where he was just flat calilng me and I had no idea what he had, and I was giving up pots against him. He was inside my head for sure.

Wow this is some really great stuff Radii. Thanks a bunch for doing this. I'm just reading through for the first time but I'll post a couple of comments/questions later. Just wanted to reply to this to say that this screams squeeze play to me. Minraise call then overbet which leaves the reraiser somewhat pot committed. I think folding was the right thing to do with KQ here but I would be surprised if the reraiser had a less than great hand. I can't think of a hand I would flat call the min raise then call a reraise like this though.