So heres the story:

Orginally I built up a bankroll using pokerowned freerolls and got my account up to about $50 after having some success at the $1.06 6 man turbos. I then unfortunately had a bit of an implosion. chart.jpg

After it was all said and done, I had .87 cents in my carbon account and around 6600 pokerowned points. After being so discouraged after the major tilt, I had not though about poker in my life for around the last 4 months or so. About a week ago I saw how many points i had accumulated and redeemed a $10 card (again only something you can do on this amazing website) thinking that was the last chance for me in the world of online poker until it becomes legal again in the US. I entered the same tourney for 4 days straight ($2.20 r/1a at 9:00 eastern) with no success. My aim was to get 4th place to get around the same amount as the most I ever had in my account. But I knew it was a long shot.

Staring me down in the face was the last tourney I might ever play online. This was depressing because I feel, as many of you do as well, a knack for the great game and the inability to play online in our country is terrible. I consider myself a player who can move up in stakes and get away from the idiot players in lower stakes and into situations which test my skill rather than ability to deal with morons.

With one buy in and no add on I caught fire at about 40/107 people left. Became chip leader. After playing my normal tight aggressive style I got blinded down because of being card dead. On the bubble with 16 players left, i was 15 of 16 just hoping to cash. Then AA double up. Then AK v. A10. Then 1010 v. 55. Next thing i knew i was chip leader going into the money. But again being card dead I found myself in 9/9, but at the same time reaching a goal of final table. I played tight hopefully as I waited for others to bust out. Then two quick double ups. There I am in 2nd place. The players drop like flies then on until there is 5 left with one more player to bust until I reached by goal. Credit to the five players at the table then because that was probably the most fun and best class I have ever played against. I play my usual TAG until I have around 26000 and the next shortest stack was 90000. The poker gods were smiling on me today because I went in K9 v. A10 and hit a 9. After another double up (AK v. A10) I sat in 2nd out of 5. My goal staring me in the face. Then I realized how amazing it was that I was there.

One hand I get dealt A8 vs. a LAG opponent (they all were) who shoved often looking for fold equity. I was in small blind and i minraised. He came over the top for all his chips. They were going in. He turns over QJ. I hold. 250000 in chips. Chip leader by far. After other two players got eliminated, it was me vs. my rival. He had about 20000 chip lead. First hand of heads up i get dealt 55. I was going with that any day of the week and twice on sunday. He shoves I call. He turns over K4. With virtually all the chips in the middle. Hits a 4 on the flop and a 4 on the river. What you gonna do. Normally I would have been about to break something but then I thought about how lucky I was to be there.

In total, I cashed for $92.15 missing out on the $134 cash prize. I can't thank poker owned enough for giving me a second live on online poker.

Mets

P>S. the tourney id was 71384834 for anyone who is interested.