Weekend Wrap-Up Cont'd.

Later on I entered my first Bugsy-Points poker tournament in a decent while, and the Bugsy guys were in stellar form. I built up my stack getting called by an ace high while holding trip queens; then by raising all in with JJ from the small blind, with everyone in front of me out, and having the big blind (who had about half as many chips as me) call with Axs. Luck was working both for an against me. I called a short stack's all in holding AK; he turned over a T9s, and flopped TT9; early on in the tournament, I could have been sent packing, when my all-in with 77 was called by somebody with TT---but I riverred a third 7 (a 25 to 1 shot) and stayed alive.

Finally, with about 270 of the original four hundred players gone, I was up to ~55,000 chips (the average stack size at that point was between 35 and 40), and found I was holding 88. With a couple of guys limping in from middle-late position, and myself the dealer and blinds still to act. I went all-in, knowing that the antes and blinds had already created a large pot, and that no-one could call without a premium hand. The dealer and blinds folded, so did the first limper, but the second limper thought for a while, and finally called (he had around 30,000 chips), turning over JJ. I was in trouble, and was left wondering why he didn't raise with a hand as good as JJ with only one player involved in front of him. I didn't get to wonder too long. Two hands later, I was holding 44, and moved in. Everyone folded but the big blind, who was also the tournament chip leader with more than 200,000; he called, and turned over AQs. I didn't even get a chance to enjoy being a favorite in the hand. He got an A and a Q on the flop, and I was gone a few seconds later.