Happy happy, joy joy!

Me and my poker buddy Pär had decided to play in a 500+100kr Texas Hold'Em No Limit tournament down at the casino. I've played there 4 times before and felt like a noob each time; mostly because I didn't have that much No Limit (or poker in general for that matter) experience so I viewed it as learning to play live poker.

The very first tournament I was in was extremely lucky for me and I somehow managed to finish fifth, earning me a place in the Swedish Open Poker Challenge in which I finished 142 out of 150 :)

Tonight was different. I've played a lot of no limit (admittedly only online); but I didn't feel like a complete idiot like the first times. I mean I didn't even know how much a standard bet was in the first tournament!

I've read alot of Mike Caro's Pro Poker Tells and watched the videos and the goal for tonight was to try and pick up tells on people and use that to supplement what I already had learned online.

So, the tournament began, 43 people entered with rebuy under the bar for the first 90 minutes. Me and Pär ended up at the same table with $1000 chips to start with. Blinds started at $25/$50

I didn't get much the first few hands but then I picked up 99 under the gun. I limped in, everyone folded to the button that raised 3 times the big blind (i.e 150). The blinds folded and I cold called.

The flop came 7c9cKd. During the flop I took Caro's tip to heart. Don't watch the flop, watch the opponent watch the flop. - so I did. From what I could tell he hadn't hit and I didn't like the two clubs so I bet 300. He called and the turn came 2c. Now I was watching him when the turn hit and I was sure he wasn't on a flush draw so I quickly went all in.

He folded about as quickly as I had gone all in - victory was mine! :)

I spent the rest of the 45 first minutes studying the other players, trying to pick up tells that I had learned from Caro - and did pretty well on some of them.

The table got split up and I was moved just to the left of a HUGE stack. Apparently he had busted out quite a few people before we got there. I was just happy I got position on him. This guy was very agressive and played alot of hands.

Fast forward to about 1h20m into the game. I'm on the button with TT. Blinds at 50/100. The player opposite me makes it 400 to go. I think about it for a while, then called. The big blind also called.

The flop comes 742 and since I had studied the opponent I was pretty sure he didn't hold a higher pair.

The aggressor bets a standard size bet and I go all in.

Both call me, the agressor with AJo and the blind with A7o. The tens hold up and I gain some chips. I was now up to about 2500 in chips. Not much happened until the rebuy period ended and I decided to add on 1500 chips for 500kr putting me up to 4000 even.

After the short break I'm sitting under the gun and look down at two kings.
Knowing that Mr Huge Stack was in the big blind I chose to limp in. Everyone folded to him so he makes it 600 to go. I just call him and prepare to study him on the flop.

The flop was a nondescript rainbow; and more importantly Ace free.

This guy tried to push everyone out of pots and got away with it most of the time.
So he bets 600 again and I reraise him 1500. He calls me and the turn comes up a blank. He checks and I go all in. He calls me and I win the hand :D

I was now up to 12500 in chips when the big blind gives me AdTd. Everyone folds to Mr Huge Stack that raises it. I cold call. The flop comes 868 and I was watching him and not the flop when I noticed him quickly glancing at his chips and then quickly checked. I check as well and the turn comes T. This time he stares a bit at the flop, then bets.
The first tell gave me the confidence to lay down that hand. I was pretty sure I was beat and even if I wasn't he probably had a straight draw or a flush draw. So I fold and he shows me 68o.

Thank you Mike Caro :)

Suddenly there were only 20 players left and we broke the tables once again.

Now the play got tighter and I managed to steal two pots. Then comes the monster hand. I look down at JJ in late position. A tight but agressive player infront of me makes a 3XBB bet. I call and the short stacked button goes all in for about 5XBB. Easy call for me; but the original bettor then reraises that to 12XBB.

I curse my bad luck; knowing that the bettor had previously had KK twice that i knew of. So I was pretty sure i was beat and folded the hand but managed to fumble the muck and showed everyone the jacks...

The flop was a bust, nothing special and the agressor had pocket nines. The turn came .... a jack. And the river ... a jack. :)
Boy did that hurt.

I'm convinced laying those jacks down was the correct play but it still stung. Now I was down to about 5000 in chips and the blinds went up to 500/1000. I got crap the next few hands until I got the big blind and looked down at pocket queens.

Everyone folds to the small blind that raises me. I go all in and hope for the best.
He shows pocket fours and my hand is good.

Fast forward another round; I'm in the big blind and look down at the aces! History repeats itself and he raises my blind and I go all in with the speed of lightning. Once again he shows pocket fours.

The aces hold up and I'm back in the game with 15000 in chips.

I continued to play my game and suddenly there were only 10 of us left.
At the final table I was unlucky enough to sit to the right of Mr Huge Stack; who now had 5 times more chips than me. No bluffing for Coldshark tonight it seems.

I was blinded down while some of the other players got busted out.
The money started at fifth place and I didn't really feel like I had a chance of reaching that - but lady luck smiled at me and suddenly we were 6 players left. I was the short stack on the table; but the next player after me got busted out! I was in the money! Now I was sure I wouldn't go beyond fifth place. But then Mr Huge Stack got in an all in battle with Mr Huge Stack 2 (incidentally the same guy with the pocket nines). HS1 had ATs and HS2 had pocket kings (again!).

HS2 hit the third king on the flop and I was suddenly fourth with 7500 in chips with 1500/3000 blinds. HS2 now had 80% of the chips on the table. I was again the short stack, followed by another guy with about 11K.

Eventually I got the big blind; put in my 3K and prepared to put in the rest. My hand was A4 (which is as good a hand as any in a 4 man game with 3000 chips left) :)

Huge Stack calls me with K6. The flop hits a K and I'm out of the tournament in fourth place; bringing in 4950kr and a warm fuzzy feeling. New record for me in live winnings and a new record in finishing fourth.

I got lucky of course but I feel I did some good plays and reads and managed to stick with my game plan.