The evening started with a slight chill in the air, but this tournament, the start of the underground, began jovially. We weren't warriors on this night, we were pals. Buddies getting together for a night of drunken revelry, celebrating a weeks end as only we few know how. I arrived early and was greeted by Motown (our host for the evening) and DoctorLove, who was getting his pre-tourney nicotine fix on. Soon to arrive, were the remaining DDR folks who played in this underground event. StillNotFat, Coopzilla, TheCanuck, and CMoney all showed up, expecting a friendly victory.
Our newbs for the evening were "Smilin' Jack" brought by TheCanuck, and "HumpinHorses" brought by CMoney (names hidden to protect the innocent). Our special guest (not a newb, although he plays like one) was our old pal Manwhore. Special particularly, because he drew the Ace, and therefore was our bounty for the evening.
The chips were stacked up, and, expecting a late entrance by SunshinesBitch, we split into two groups of 5. The DDR Elite table, populated by Motown, Coopzilla, CMoney, Manwhore and "Smilin' Jack." The DDR Champions table was populated by myself, StillNotFat, TheCanuck, DoctorLove, and "HumpinHorses."
Without getting too detailed, I present some of the highlights:
The 22 bonus was paid quickly to "HumpinHorses" on a four-handed flop came down all diamonds and TheCanuck quickly bet. HumpinHorses called, and the turn brought down the two of diamonds. Horses immediately bet, and TheCanuck woefully laid it down. HumpinHorses shows the 22, actually thinking he had blown his chance of winning the bonus (figuring he had to show it down after a river), but happily, he took his $20 buyin back. Props to the newb taking down the bonus.
Our first rebuy came away through a brutal suckout. I'd been dicking around, and donking chips off left and right, and was down to 1100 chips in the 50/100 round, and I was in the Big Blind with 99. The table called, and I jammed it up. "HumpinHorses" called me with 77, and proving that horses are somehow related to donkeys, the flop contained JT7. The turn gave me a diamond draw, as well as the gutshot straight and (least likely) a 9 draw, but the river was not friendly to me. Rebuy!
The Elite table was a hotbed of cursing and activity, but I know nothing of it, so one of them will have to comment here. All I know, is that CMoney was their first rebuy, but quickly became a dominating stack leader, with a "tower of power" that seemed destined for victory.
At the end of the hour, we'd ended our rebuy period with 10 rebuys and 10 addons. With the deuce deuce bonus taken so quickly, we had a prize pool of $580 to shoot for.
We joined the tables, and first to go down was Coopzilla. After tangling with Motown, and dropping nearly 60% of his chips, he walked into a wall. Manwhore was in the small blind, and I was in the big. He limped in preflop, and CMoney with his monster stack raised it up. All folded to my KK, and I raised all in, figuring that Coopzilla would immediately fold, and CMoney would call with a LOT of hands that would give me a huge chance to double up. He'd seen me pull a bullshit all in on more than a few occasions, so I have to figure he was ready to call. However, it was Coopzilla that pulled the trigger, calling off his stack with QQ. The Flop Turn and River gave him no help, and the monster Coopzilla was the first one ready to play the cash game.
Second down was StillNotFat, and nearly two full rounds went by before DoctorLove followed him out the door. We shrunk the table, and immediately afterwords, the Canuck walked away in 7th, almost immediately followed by "Smilin Jack." Jack did well, and looked to be making a decent comeback after surviving a miracle against CMoney (his Q6 caught a 6 against CMoney's AK), yet he was our first newb out the door.
After a woeful "second half" of the tournament, it seemed that CMoney couldn't win a hand. The forementioned AK debacle seemed to rattle his confidence, and it was damn near desperation that he got 99 (or 66, I can't remember due to a large quantity of Goldschlager) on the button, and jammed it all in on the 500/1000 round. Motown looked down, wild-eyed. He saw KJo. It could have been the booze. It could have been the chance to take down "the man." It could have been Manwhore's hand steadily going up his leg, but Motown took the chance to call.
The flop was not kind. A high, but no K and no J. The turn brought a Q... giving yet another card to Motown's "out count." But the river left Motown a single $100 chip remaining.
Motown survived one miricle domination all in against Mojo, (when Manwhore, like a total pussy, folded the small blind) having K4 against Mojo's blind K9. Motown's stack tripled up to $300, when he decided to give it another try. This time, there were 3 others in the pot, and Mojo took him out, flopping an A with AK, and rivering a third.
Down to final four, it was two newbs (kind of, if you count Manwhore), CMoney, and myself. I was the larger stack with probably 35% of the chips... but CMoney had new life with the Motown beat, and the newbs had some decent money between them. Definitely anyone (except CMoney's) game.
After two easy ticky-tack rounds, Manwhore decided to sneak under Mojo's big blind, limping the small blind with a tricky AQ. Mojo looked down at 88. Immediately raising, Manwhore came roaring back, pushing all in over top Mojo's raise. With Manwhore being the bounty, and sensing the possibility of getting into the money, Mojo instantly called, happy to see himself on the slighty favored side of the coin.
The flop came 44Q. Manwhore smiled, relieved, and Mojo looked down at his stack, cursing fortune. The turn came King, and Mojo was on the 5% side of the odds. Literally, a 19-1 dog. But then, the River. That beautiful f-ing river. A bright shiny 8 of diamonds brought the hammer on Manwhore, and the bounty was Mojo's.
While Manwhore stormed off, tossing his chair, I heard Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger" play in the back of my head. I felt that final confidence boost necessary to finish the tournamnet. I was like Rocky in the movies. I was unbeatable. HumpinHorses ended off his night in third place and I don't really remember how exactly, because that's how bleeding pumped I was (it also could have been the beer and Goldschlager.) A special congrats to a newb ending his run in third place. He seemed like a good guy, and was a tough player.
CMoney was (as he always is) a tough guy to beat, but I caught a run of cards that only can be explained by luck and divine grace. I'd call raises and hit flops, and CMoney'd call raises and miss them. The last hand was a virtual lock. CMoney saw his first playable hand, 33, and had a small stack, and needed to make a stand. It was just plain fate that I happened to have 88 again, and stood happily on a 10-1 chip advantage, as a 4-1 favorite. CMoney had his chance, but missed the flop, and I stood atop the underground, victorious.
Our next league tournament is Thursday this week. Will CMoney still be stinging from a brutal beatdown in the tournament (and then the resulting cash game?) Will he be able to back up his prior tourney win, even the bounty on his head? Will Coopzilla awaken, to come back into prominence? Will Mojo further his points lead? Will SunshinesBitch show up?
We make history again, Thursday night. Be there.
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