WE DID IT!!!

Maximum result. In the main event, the 7stud tournament we finished 1th and 2nd! The prelimiery afternoon NLHE 18 player 200+10eur two table tournament was won by - KATJA !!! Wow, this was really our weekend. We are still shocked how well this weekend turned out for us and how lucky we got to book these scores.

Now, the whole story: we had a nice saturday, Katja sleeping 'till noon and me getting summ stuff done since 8 a.m. when Katja drove to our horses to do some quick horseback riding and me meanwhile getting a one hour nap where she woke me up when she returned. My son was there putting attention to our beagle, Paula, so we had no worries and went there in a refreshed and motivated matter. The prelimery nolimit holdem tournament was scheduled for 4 p.m. and there were 14 players so it was decided to run two tables and make a combined placement. When 4 more players showed up shortly after the thing started there were allowed to play making for 18 player event with a 200eur buyin and top 5 spots paid (we objected and tried to have only top 4 paid but no chance). There is a nice shopping center in the same building as the casino and the stores were still open (this may sound strange to my american readers) and even upon arriving my thought went to some stuff I could need. In the tourney we got 1,500 in chips and 15 minutes levels. I played the first five hands and was down to about 1k (I layed down a 67 of clubs on 89K-K flop/turn with the 89 in clubs against a very tight player going all-in) when I got AQs in MP and raised to 300, the BB moving in for about my stack size. I called, he showed TT which held up and I was out in 18th spot out of 18. I even jokingly asked about the shopping center before I called so I guess I had different priorities there, lol. I went over to Katja playing the other table and wished her luck, then went out to the mall. I was in the mall for about 90 minutes, browsing and buying things when I returned to the casino and thought to myself "if she is still playing she must be very close to money now". It was already so full in the poker area (all the people for the main event starting at 6 p.m.) that I had trouble seeing who was still seated but to my delight there only four players left, including Katja, and she had a monster stack! I huged her and sat down to watch the tourney coming down. It took another 20 minutes to finish and Katja made not one mistake at all. One player ("Weinschorle" Nack) was whining not getting any money in adjacent hands with JJ and QQ (I would have to). Our two asian pros Minh and Tang got 3rd and 4th and heads up Mr. Nack was no competion for Katja holding 90% of the chips. She won the tournament and I was really happy for her (and me, as we split all and everything which we have).

It was time for the main event. Still all players left, Katja was "short stacked" but had two rebuys left and I had a lot of chips and also two rebuys left. There were two levels before dinner break and nothing much important happened there. The dinner itself was good, asian food and nice dessert and I almost forgot my weightbet. As a sidenote I had a flue for 14 days and could not do any running for 10 days and went out on friday morning for a 6 mile run - since then I am always hungry like a wolf, I did not had this experience in the whole time so far. After dinner we took the rebuys as add-on's, getting 8k chips for each one and I was close to the chiplead there. Now the tournament really started, 36 of 37 players still in the tournament and most of them still holding decent chips. Not to far into play I lost a big hand with pocket kings against pocket aces which were played to passive by the player I identified yesterday as "weak-tight" (and I think I got confirmed) and when we both did not improve it was checked on the river (I had pushed it all the way). Upps. Two or three hand later I had TT in the hole and an open ace and raised it right away. The player to my left called, the ultra-tight asian "Bin Long" (his nickname for terrorizing the game showing down nothing less than trips). All other folded (can you guess why with the maniac 50outs and the super-rock BinLong playing???) and I improved on 5th street to a straight draw. I still led the way but he raised me. I thought for a long time but he had 47J with two diamonds showing and I had him on that big pair (most likely kings) so I called. He led then all the way, showing down full-house 7's with 4's (no pair open) and I improved to trip tens but still lost the hand. I was nearly broke with about 8k in chips left and the limit already 600 ante, 1,200 bring in and limits 2,400 to 8,000 or something. That pot was about 60k and the pot before with the KK against AA was 36k also. I survived my next all-in hand and started to put preassure to everyone, raising the next 8 hands and getting away with it (some may call this tilting but it defintly was not) so I was back around 20k and went back to my normal -still very aggressive- game. Not to long after I won a decent sized pot and was back in good shape. Katja was on move meanwhile, getting moved to each of the remaining four tables twice. And she really hates that. She was swearing and rumbling and getting dealt the high card to be moved each and every time, it was a running joke. When I visited her one time she won a nice pot against our friend Kai (who played that hand very badly) and she keept on moving up. Players were droping now faster and soon it was only 3 tables left. I never looked back until we were down to two tables and I got moved to balance the tables (12 players left, 8 in the money). Katja was there with about 100k in chips, one guy with about 200k, Dirk with about 80k and two others including my friend Peymen "Chappi" with small stacks. Sure enough Chappi doubled up against me hitting a gutshot against my aces up and I was down to 40k. I stealed here and there but being very carefull back to 60k when Chappi hit me again, raising with nothing to steal and getting caught by me but hitting a A on 5th and 6th street so he won again and was over 100k I was agaion down to the felt with about 20k. Katja went unhurt and won one lucky pot holding 77-x against A3-A when she caught a flush to throw out Dirk. I made my way back to 100k with only one showdown when I had aces up in five and getting called all-in by kings-up on 6th. When Minh went out in 9th spot we the final table was set and Katja and I made it! We huges each other, high-fived us and went over to the designated final table which was going right away without any break.

Right the very first hand I got pocket nines and the chip leader raised. I popped it up and when he called we went heads up. I betted out on 4th street when I hit a K (he had a K showing so I got very lucky by catching that card) and he called me. I had not much left which I fired out on 5th and he surly called. 9's were good as he had no pair and no decent draw. He improved to an inside straight draw on 6th along with his 4 over cards but got no help on the river so my unimproved nines were good and I doubled up. The final table went for 90 minutes and there was ainteresting hand that made everybody wonder: I was in the last seat and had to open with the low card I brought it in for a full bet holding A3-3. Katja was on my left sitting in the first seat and she raised all-in about annother bet. Everybody folded to me and I surly had to call (and if only for us not looking like we are "playing together" which we surly do but not in a cheating way). She had 55-J. Everybody made jokes about us throwing out each other and the catched a third 5 to win this hand by far. I wondered why she did that as there were still 3 or 4 players behind her who could easly wake up with a big hand, busting us both. She insists -still- that she thought this well out and figured my stack and hers and everything. Had we been hit in that hand I am sure we would still discuss but it turned out for good so I happily taking it the way it was. Then we were only 3 players left, Katja, Achmed and I. Achmed is the player I have the most respect for as he is fearless, thoughtfull and has patience as the devil. Besides this we consider us very close friends for years and stay out of each others way as often as possible in any game we play together (which is not often the case as he lives in Berlin) and we even kind of softplay each other as if we have a unspoken rule "however really has something, bets, otherswise we just check it down". Anyway, I had the chip lead and Achmed and Katja had about the same but we were very close together and I was not surprised when he said "I really don't like to play that out with you, what about a deal?". We quickly agreed on a even split for the about 24,500eur paid in the first three spots and play just for the honor. I then went on to win the tourney with a pair of aces, Katja was next and Achmed got third. We did as agreed and splitted the money even between us, 8k for each and the rest as tip for the dealers. Nice was very nice!

Overview: there were 4 events this weekend:

We did not play any cashgame this weekend although there was a "dream table" playing pot-limit holdem but we were tired and exhausted (and there was no open seat ;) so we drove home.