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WPT Doyle Brunson Classic

12*18*10

If there is one area in my poker career that I feel I have underachieved in coming into this year, it would be in Big Live tournaments.  I had around $500,000 in winnings this year which is impressive until you consider I had at least $700,000 in buy-ins, if not more.

It seems I turned the corner going on a recent tourney super heater.  I got 3rd in the NAPT high-roller for 310k and just finished 2nd in the WPT for 550k.

The final table was sick with over 25,000,000 in lifetime tournament cashes between the group (I was responsible for 1/50th of this).  Vannesa Russo started the final table with a commanding chip lead, but I doubled through her (Getting it in with Ad8d vs 99 on Td6d2c) and then stacked Kirk Morrision with a set to take the chip lead.  After that my heater continued and it was down to 3 handed with me having a commanding chip lead. It has always been my dream to get HU in a major tournament with one of my best friends with me (crushing them of course)… and with Antonio and I still in it with most of the chips 3 handed it looked like that was going to happen! Then Vannesa shoved 10BB from the SB with AQ and I snap called with AK from the big blind and it looked like my dream was going to come true.  I stood up (along with Antonio) to sweat a QT3 flop, and we were both slightly demoralized.  The turn was a king – and I thought it really must be density.  Antonio covered my eyes and I felt him buckle and knew that the river had come either a Q or a Jack.  It was a queen and it looked like there was a lot of poker to play.

Vannessa ended up getting a commanding chip lead – then lost it back so Antonio and I did indeed finish heads-up.  He ended up winning with a lot of mutual Friends of ours conflicted on who to root for (for those of you who went over to his side: your dead to me).  He played by far the best at the final table and deserved the win.  He was able to chip up without picking up any real hands (before it got heads up), and I was on a pretty big card rack.  So mad props to him.

Getting 2nd sucked.  But waking up and going and picking up 550k the next day didn’t suck.  I’m going to be taking some of the winnings and moving into a new condo – it’s pretty nice and I’ll put up pictures when I move in.

On Wednesday of this week i played on the newest season of High Stakes Poker.  High Stakes Poker is one of the only TV shows I watch – and by far my favorite poker tv show.  I’m not sure what I’m allowed to say about what happened but on my day there  were some MONSTER sick pots.  Should make for some real good TV.

Overall I feel very blessed about my recent hot-streak and going to take some time to smell the roses and spend some time with my amazing friends and family and appreciate all that I have been blessed with.


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