A number or near misses and then....

The past 3 weeks weeks ive predominantly been playing mtts. I was playing well and getting myself into decent positions and faltering with 2 tables left through no real fault of my own...although thats no real consolation when you have just worked your ass off for 5hours and barely doubling your buyin. I needed to start converting my decent positions into wins as much for my own sanity as anything else.

I'd started playing on the Betfair software last week and whilst it is far from perfect it is playable and there was some value kicking about. The first tournament I played was the Online BAPT3 and I finished 6th and got a 17" LCD TV, bit pissed off as I was hoping for the holidays for 1st or 2nd but never mind. I also played the $15k the same night and finished a poxy 8th...another near miss.

I entered the $15k again on Friday (plenty of value with only 96 runners) and first couple of hours were pretty uneventful but I had got myself into a decent position with 20 left when I won a huge pot with a set of 7's v AA. That made me big chip leader and from that point on there was only one winner :-). I steamrollered the final table, although I did hit some nice hands..which always helps. I had half the chips in play 6handed and then lost a pot with KK v AQ which would have given me 80% of the chips 3-handed, but I was undeterred and got HU with my good old cheating Italian buddy assocunt.

I had a 2 to 1 chip lead (140k v 70k) but I that was reversed after a few hands. I raised to 9k on the button with KhJs which he calls. He then leads for 9k on a Kc9h4h board. I'm 100% sure im in front here and having played him HU before I know that if he fires on flop he will keep firing so I just call. Turn is Ad and he fires out 20k and I jam, he calls with A9 for two pair. Not a good start. We then play for what seems an eternity with chips going back and forth when I eventually get it all in pre with QQ v AK and I hold to give me the chip lead again. I then cripple him when I raise to 10k on the button with Q2o which he calls. I like the look of the QQQ flop. Flop goes check check, turn is a J and he leads for 12k which I just call as I know he will fire again on river. He duly leads for 32k on river and I jam and he quickly passes. I finally put him to sleep when my QJ holds against his T9. Happy days.

Sunday was a bit of a disaster as I got outdrawn in the £40k on Crypto, had set over set in the Stars million and the Betfair $35k never got going. Did pick up pennies for 20th in the $4k added on Crypto, losing a race for a proper stack.

As for tonight, well I'm not sure what to make of it. I blew a big chip lead on the FT in the Betfair $15k to only finish 7th but took 3rd in the Crypto £12k for £1200. My performance on the $15k final table was deplorable but I rode my luck on umpteen occasions in the £12k (twice I was down to 1xBB after losing a race) so I guess I cant really complain. Although if I ever produce another FT performance like I did in the $15k I'll never play again.