A few nights ago they happened to have been having the big Texas holdém tournament at the only place in town that has holdém...at the Radison Hotel/Casino...this is the WSOP of Costa Rica, except done several times a year....it was No Limit, but rebuy ins...ugh...everyone threw in their $20 entry, and you could buy in unlimited times up to a $200 buy in...practically everyone did, and almost ALL did at half time, buy the $200 buy in...i decided only my meager $20 would be enuf for me, when gone, i was gone...so it was shove and pray early in the tournament, everyone hoping to double up quickly, or buy in again and try it again...i caught a couple lucky hands early...QQ on the button, all in! ugh, the big blind had AA and called...flop came xxA, double ugh w/ 2 hearts... one of my Q's was the Q of hearts, and i was getting ready to pack it home....runner runner hearts gave me the flush and the pot...
a few hands later, saw pocket 7's...flop came xx7 and i slowplayed it, all in on the turn and took another nice pot down...Dewey Tompko was there, as was his son (Dewey is the pro who says never show your emotions while playing, don't showém ANYthing...i didn't know this, but he's Costa Rican, and a down to earth guy...i introduced myself and talked a minute, he wished me good luck) His son, David, was at my table, i had A2 suited and raised it up 3x, Tomko Jr, called, flop, A72, i bet pot, he called after a small hesitation... i figured him for weak Ace, so on the turn i went all in...he called, and flipped up his A7 for 2 of a kind bigger than my 2 of a kind...ugh... river came another 2, for the boat and a lucky win for me...putting him out. This tourny started at 8 p.m. Jan. 2nd...it would end the next day at 1 a.m.
After 3 grueling hours about 40 people still left...then we went on break...last chance to buy in...i decided no...top 10 were paying out in the tournament...we went at it again after the last buy in and after another hour about 22 were left, and i had a medium stack...seemed like forever to get down to 13 people...play was hand by hand...suddenly guy to my left goes all in, another across all in, and i look down to see JJ,... i throw them away...on the other table, 3 go all in and it's down to 10 now...yeah, made it to the final 10!! Was glad to just be here...
They combined tables and and we were in the final stretch. I was going to open up and get aggressive... guy across from me, bet 4 x the big blind, i looked down and saw 10 10, so all in...my nemesis, across from me, (we'd been going at it all night, getting good hands at the same time) he pondered for quite a while, he hadn't laid down a hand all night, but reluctantly turn over his 9 9 and got away from the hand.
But EVERYone it seemed was real aggressive here...i decided to get real tight then and let some knock each other out...that's exactly what happened...9 left, 8 left...
... moving up in the payoffs was looking good...
i'd say 75 % in the tourny were C Ricans and regulars, 25% Americans...at this point it was almost all in or go home for everyone, as we were already in the money and everyone was gunning for 1st or 2nd place, with a huge difference in payoff between 8th and 1st, so i stayed TIGHT...most everyone had $200 to $300 invested...i was tickled to be there having 15 folded my $20 buy in even if i went out next...
Next hand, everyone checked around to me on the button, i looked and had those JJ again...all in...small blind called...he had AA and got me, luckily i had him covered but my stack was cut half... few hands later, some ole boy all in...i looked and had AA this time...CALL...they held up and i doulbled back up...20 minutes hands later, 3 more went out...5 of us left now... we 5 lasted quite awhile... FINALLY, 2 more out and just 3 of us left, i caught AK, and all in, other guy had AQ and called, he had ME covered, so i became chip leader...i decided to switch gears and get REAL tight, as these 2 were all in'ing every time...let one of them knock the other out...but i found an AJ suited on the button so all in, he had a lousy pair of 4's, and you know what happened, they held up...back to low stack for me...but then the guy with the 4's, who incidentallly thought he was the greatest of all time, went all in again w/A6,... i looked down and incredibly for the 3rd time in the tourny, heh, saw AA...CALL. He went baliistic, cursing, ''how could this happen to ME!?!" Açes held up, i was in 2nd in chips, him 3rd...
He was still steaming, and couple hands later, he and chip leader both got it all in...yeah! Chip leader put him out...Couple hands later, i was out in 2nd.
The 1st place guy was also an American...they said it was the first time ever that 2 Americans came in 1st and 2nd...how do they know? They always put the photos of 1st and 2nd up in the casino for posterity...like they do at the WSOP in Vegas at HorseShoe.... couldn't believe it...take a look at early January 2005, if you're ever at the Raddison Casino in CR for photos of the 2 American winners.
Vive Costa Rica!!
