Tournament #1 of Season 4

The first tournament of the new season took place Saturday and it was another good one.  We had 22 players including a few first time players.  I lasted a mere 28 minutes when my full house of kings over queens was rivered by Bob D's aces full.  Ominous start to my season.  Mark L was next to go when another first timer Karl M sent him packing.  After a few more bust outs Tom J was taken out in 15th by Linda K collecting her first hit of the evening.  When Adam B took out Janine R in 11th place the final table was now set.  Don G went out on the bubble in sixth place at the hands of Adam B.  With everyone left in the money it the became the Linda K show.  She proceeded to run the table dispatching of Adam in 5th, Bob D in fourth, Greg E in third.  After a great heads up battle with Karl M, Linda's A,5 held up against the Q,J and we had our first winner of the season.

We do still have a couple of open seats for full league membership if anyone is interested.  We will also have a few open seats available each week for non-league members.  These will be available on a fist come first served basis.  I think I have my invitation software all figured out for this season so things should be back to normal starting next time.

Changes for Season 4

I have posted the schedule and rules for the 2011-2012 season.  There are a few changes.  First off, if you do not arrive by the start of the third blind level your chips will be removed from the table.  This gives you 50 minutes to arrive after the start of the tournament.  There will be NO exceptions to this rule.  The weekly buyin will be $25 with $20 going into the weekly pot and $5 going into the year end pot.  ALL league members that play in a minimum of eight regular season tournaments will be eligible for the final tournament.  The top 20 in points will be eligible for the final tournament regardless of how many regulars season tournaments they play in.  The 20th place finisher in points will start with 1500 in chips and each position above this will receive an additional 100 chips.  21st place and below will be penalized 500 chips and have a starting stack of 1000 chips.  I have had alot of interest from some new players this year.  I am going to add a fourth table this year so we can accommodate the additional players.

I look forward to seeing everyone in a few weeks.

Season 3 Championship

First off, sorry to Jeff J and everyone else for not posting this right after the championship tournament.  Summer got in the way and I never got it done.  The night didn't last too long for Kevin C who was first to go when Matt F took him out.  Karen D then took out Mark L.  The next bust out didn't happen for almost an hour when Jeff J took me out.  It has been too long to remember but I am sure I had the best hand and he just sucked out.  Karen D continued her rampage taking out the next three players in a row, Tom J, Adam B and Paul V.  The final table was seated when Greg E was knocked out in eleventh by Karen D.  Christina M was the first to leave the final table when Will M took her out.  Jerry T was next to go, eliminated by Dom D.  With eight players left Jeff J went on the most amazing run we've ever had in the league by running the table and knocking out the other seven players to win the final tourney.  He started with Mat K and then got Gary R next.  Karen D was next to go in sixth place and unfortunately for her on the bubble.  Matt F was next going out in fifth and securing the last paying spot.  Will M was next to go followed soon after by Dom D.  That left Steve N and Jeff J heads up.  If I recall the heads up battle only lasted a hand or two and Jeff J was our new champion.  Congratulations to Jeff who had an amazing overall season.  Also thanks to everyone that plays each week and makes this league so much fun.

Tournament #12

Well tournament #12 is over and we had some big moves in the standings.  In this week's invitation I said you better bring your game if you had one.  Greg E definitely brought his.  Everyone was playing fairly tight and it took an hour and twenty minutes for the first bust out.  Mark L got taken out by Jeff J, the first of his two hits, halfway through the third round.  It only took six more minutes and Kevin H was sent packing by Mat K.  Five minutes after that Scott C was knocked out by Jerry T.  This was one of the biggest bust outs of the night with Scott entering the night in 20th place, the last spot to make the final tournament.  This left the door wide open for Greg E, Joy C and Bob L who started the night in 21st, 22nd and 24th respectively.  Kelly M went out early in the 9th round at the hands of Steve N.  Two minutes later Kevin C was taken out by me in 14th place.  That one spot earned him an additional 0.97 points. 

The final table was made when I managed to take Will M out in 11th place.  Within 9 minutes of seating the final table Linda K, Matt F and Joy C managed to get busted out.  Jeff J was next to go when I got my 7th kill of the night.  Unfortunately it was my last.  The next to go was Bob L, this weeks bubble boy.  I took down the last money spot, fifth, when Greg E took me out.  Next to go was Gigi G, taken out in fourth also by Greg E.  Greg E, Mat K and Steve N played an amazing 22 minutes three handed before Greg was finally able to dispose of Mat K, who at one point was down to only 1K in chips with the blinds at 500/1000.  Getting to third place was one of the best comebacks this year.  After nine minutes heads up Steve N was taken out by Greg, who took out the final four players of the night.

With his win Greg vaulted from 21st to 10th in points.  Oh and if you were wondering whether that one extra spot that Kevin picked up really mattered, he beat out Bob L for the twentieth and final spot in the big tournament by 0.75 points.  Amazing that an entire 12 game season can come down to 0.75 points. 

Great job to everyone who won this year.  I managed to hang on and win the overall points total.  Mat K, who finished 7th overall was the highest ranking player without a win this season.  Jeff J, Gary R and myself were all two time winners this season.  I had the most hits with 24 followed by Jeff J with 20, Will M with 18, Mat K with 17 and Tom J and Christina M with 15 each. 

I look forward to seeing everyone on June 11th for the final tournament.  If anyone else wants to come and use the third table for a cash game or to route for, or against, anyone let me know.

Tournament number 11 is in the books and we have another first time winner.  We had 29 players this time.  The points standings are getting extremely interesting.  Basically if you win you are almost guaranteed a seat in the final tournament.  As a matter of fact, except for the bottom few points places a second place finish should get you in.  As for this tournament Blake M was first out when he flopped trips but Tom J flopped a better set.  Scott C was next to go when Christina M got her first of 6 hits on the evening.  As players continued to exit Will M continued to accumulate an impressive chip stack.

When Matt F took out Darlene J in 11th we got down to the final table.  Kevin H was the first to leave the final table when Mat K sent him packing.  Next to go was Mat F, taken out by Jerry T.  Eighth place went to Greg E as Christina M took him out.  Mark L became this weeks bubble boy getting busted out in seventh by Mat K.  Josh G home from college for the weekend and playing for the first time this season took down the last money spot getting ousted in sixth by Mat K.  Jerry T was next out in fifth when Will M took him out.  Fourth place belonged to Christina M as Mike S got his second hit of the night. 

When we got three handed Will M had a pretty substantial chip lead.  Over thirty minutes of three way play saw the chips move there way around the table before Mike S was finally taken out by Mat K.  The heads up match lasted about 25 hands when Will M finally managed to take Mat K out.  Will got his first win and solidified his spot in the final tournament.

Sorry for the slow update for tournament #10.  When I'm the second one on the night to bust out I have a tendency to not want to post the results.  This was a big turnout with 29 players this week and was by far the longest one of the season.  Steve N saved me the embarrassment of being first out yet again by taking out Bob L first.  I was next to go to the rail after a patented Jeff J suck out (just kidding Jeff).  The players dropped slowly, we only had four players out by the first break.  Everyone was trying to play tight and survive now that the points are really starting to count. 

Greg E was this weeks bubble boy going out in sixth place when first timer Scott W sent him to the rail.  Scott then took out Kevin C who had been playing extremely tight (and "un-Kevinlike"), Kevin took the final money spot in fifth.  Dave D got in on the action and decided he'd had enough of the new guy and knocked out Scott W in fourth.  Dave took Karen D out next in third to get heads up with Jeff J.  They decided to split the money but play out the tournament for the points.  After a 10 minute heads up battle Dave's A,7 held up and Dave got his first win.  Dave's win gave him 128.42 points for the night and guaranteed his spot in the final tournament.

We are down to the final two tournaments to set a spot in the year end tournament.  A win or even second place finish almost guarantees everyone but a couple players a seat at the final table.  Even if your near the bottom don't count yourself out.

Tournament number 9 is in the books and it was another good one.  We had 27 players this week with a few late cancellations.  Will M was the first to leave when Jerry T sent him packing early in round 3.  Jerry must have had it out for the family because he then took out Christina M in second to last place in the 4th round.  Jeff J, Mat K and Blake M started accumulating chips in bunches by taking out 6 of the next ten.  We made it down to the final table late in the 8th round when Mat K eliminated Joy C in 11th place.  When the final table started Blake and Mat seemed to have about half the chips at the table.  They continued to add to their stacks by eliminating the first 3 players at the final table.  Blake took out Kelly M in 10th, Mat got Bob L in 9th and Blake then took out Scott C in 8th.  I manged to get a huge triple up from Mat and Blake when they both called my all in and I caught the nut flush taking me from about 3300 in chips to about 10,000.  Early in round 10 Mark L wast taken out in 7th by Karen D.  I took Mat K out in 6th making him this weeks bubble boy (no new golf driver for him this week).  Next out was Karen who was happy to have lasted into the first money spot after being short stacked for much of the final table.  Last weeks winner Steve N made another great showing this week holding on for a fourth place finish.  Darlene J had another great finish managing to hold out for a third place finish without having a single knockout all night.

When Blake and I got heads up he had a fairly significant chip lead and it looked like I was done, barring some very lucky cards.  They eventually came and I was able to even things up maybe even take a chip lead.  We had a great heads up battle trading the chip lead and momentum back and forth for quite awhile.  Blake did a great job whittling away at my chips when I went through a long period of terrible cards.  Just about the time I thought it was over I managed to get all in with my A,J and got a call from Blake with his A,10.  This put me in the chip lead for good.  I was able to finish it off when Blake moved all in with K,10 and I happened to look down and find aces.  Blake caught a king on the flop but nothing else.  Our heads up battle lasted almost 45 minutes and what seemed like at least 100 hands (thanks to Tom and Darlene for shuffling and dealing).  I become the third person, along with Gary and Jeff, to have two wins in a single season which had never even happened once in the prior seasons.

I'll have both the bounties on me next time as both the previous winner and points leader.  It looks like there is going to be a very tight race for the last couple of spots in the final tournament.  There is only about 40 points separating 17th and 23rd places and only 12 between 20th and 21st.  We play again on April 9th and it will be the last one before your lowest scores can start dropping if you have made every one.