Just wanted to show a couple of key hands from the final table. I got 2nd place and thought I played extremley well. I got KK 2 times on the final table which made my life a lot easier. This was $25 buyin with 180 people on Empire.

The converter didn't work very well..so I edited some parts. Let me know your thoughts on some of these hands.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t800 (10 handed)

UTG+1 (t14970)
UTG+2 (t7387)
MP1 (t28469)
MP2 (t18597)
MP3 (t8848)
CO (t13637)
Button (t8180)
SB (t54844)
BB (t12101)
Hero (t12967)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with , .
Hero calls t800, 7 folds, SB completes, BB checks.

Flop: (t2400) , , (3 players)
SB bets t1200, BB folds, Hero raises to t4000, SB calls t2800.

Turn: (t10400) (2 players)
SB checks, Hero moves all-in, SB folds.

Final Pot: t10400

I was very nervous on this one. The big stack was a little crazy. I was lucky he didnt flop two pair in the blind here.


Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t1000 (8 handed)

BB (t16023)
UTG (t28469)
UTG+1 (t17397)
MP1 (t19296)
MP2 (t12437)
CO (t7780)
Button (t62231)
Hero (t16367)

Preflop: Hero is SB with , .
UTG calls t1000, 1 fold, MP1 calls t1000, MP2 calls t1000, 4 folds, MP2 folds. CO moves all-in for $t7780, Hero reraises and moves allin for t16367. Everyone folds except CO who is already all in.

Flop: , , (2 players)

Turn: (2 players)

River: (2 players)

Final Pot: t4500



I was talking to one of my pro friends about this hand during play. He said to maximize EV I should have just called the all-in and let someone else come in. I disagree. In a tournment...maximzing EV (IMO) isn't as important as survival. If I let someone come in that flop and they beat me...I would never stop kicking myself. Thoughts?







Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t1000 (7 handed)

UTG (t13523)
MP1 (t17369)
MP2 (t24247)
CO (t6046)
Button (t11437)
SB (t80231)
Hero (t27147)

Preflop: Hero is BB with , .
1 fold, MP1 raises to t7200, 5 folds.

Final Pot: t8700

I folded this AQ pretty easily. I didn't want to get in a race on the final table unless I had a significant chip advantage. The player was also very tight. My friend said he would have gone with it...but I think letting it go was correct.



Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t1500 (7 handed)

SB (t18773)
BB (t9869)
UTG (t24247)
MP1 (t10546)
MP2 (t6937)
CO (t84731)
Hero (t24897)

Preflop: Hero is Button with , .
UTG raises to t3000, 3 folds, Hero calls t3000, 1 fold, BB calls t1500.

Flop: (t9750) , , (3 players)
BB checks, UTG bets t1800, Hero raises to t4500, BB folds, UTG folds.

Final Pot: t16050






Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t1500 (6 handed)

SB (t24023)
BB (t9238)
UTG (t14828)
MP (t187)
CO (t87731)
Hero (t43993)

Preflop: Hero is Button with , .
2 folds, CO raises to t4500, Hero calls t4500, 2 folds.

Flop: (t11250) , , (2 players)
CO bets t8000, Hero raises to t20000, CO calls t12000.

Turn: (t51250) (2 players)
CO checks, Hero checks.

River: (t51250) (2 players)
CO checks, Hero checks.

Final Pot: t51250

This was obviously a monster hand. I did not like going after the big stack like this...but AK couldn't be let down. The big stack was making a lot of raises preflop...but I still couldn't will myself to reraise preflop. I did not want to risk all my money preflop.
My friend told me to value bet this river. I told him he was insane. AJ, AQ, any set were all beating me.


I ended up losing the tourney with AQ to 99. Only my second race of the day. And the only time I was covered. i stole a ton of blinds this tourney and I was very proud of taht.

Looks like you played well here kenny. I agree with you 100% on the KK hand, you dont want to just call here and get called from a player behind you. You are going to win a nice amount of chips anyways, there is no need for the extra risk here. What kills you is if you just call and the flop contains an A, or the flop comes out cooridinated and you are now up against someone who can put you to the decesion.

The AK hand vs the other big stack, if the river had been a better card I would have agreed with your friend to value bet it, but the Q makes a likely 2 pair card in a lot of ways, QJ, AQ,Q9, plus it completes a gut shot str8. I think its pretty clear that he does not have AJ, there is no way he checks the turn and river with AJ, but there arent to many hands you now have beat. Other than A10 or a small PP or JJ.

The only time you would want to just call there would be in the middle-early stages of the tourney. At that time you're playing for a big stack... in the situation you were just in, you're playing for money so fuck that.

I came in second on a bodog 10k tourney this weekend as well. Grats Kenny.

I dont like limping in a tourney at that late a stage (hand #1)

No way in hell Im just calling that all in with KK.

Your friend IS insane. Is this the same guy who aid to just call with the KK?

na.. the limping idea with KK was mine. The table had been aggressive..i figured why not. It ended up working out for my thank God. Big stack had me scared shitless that hand.

You know who that guy is....pm coming.