How to lose and still win

The Loser's Tourney (or 'Second Chance tourney') went off with only a small hitch. After announcing that I would make it 6000 chips with the regular blind schedule, I instead switched to 10,000 chips with blinds starting at 100/200 and 20 minute blinds. Stupid poker clock and it's stupid suggested blinds. People (read: W) griped early on about how aggressive the blinds were, especially when someone (read: W) ran top two into quads and lost half her stack. All of a sudden it was all "Gosh, these blinds are fast". Ok, so we all agreed to play 3 levels of the same blinds (100/200) to even things out.

Matty Ebs, after playing stuff like T3o against AK, was knocked out first, followed by W and then myself. I had pocket 4's which I was able to limp with and the flop was A23 rainbow with a few players. Michael B. bet out about 2/3 the pot and I came along for the miracle card, which hit on the turn. It was a 5. We both checked and the river was a 2, pairing the board. This time, I bet 1800 and Michael went all in on top of me. I put him on A5 or A3 or, possibly A2. But it was too hard to fold and I called. He had 46! He had led out on the flop with the gutshot and hit the miracle card to get him paid off. I was short stacked and though I hung on for a while, I eventually called all in with my 9dTd vs. Darko's TT and got busted.

Dawn busted out Matty earlier on a ridonkulous suckout. Matty was all in with the board of A88x and Dawn called with AK. Matty had 89 and Dawn called out for the miracle Ace, which naturally fell on the river. She rode her ill-gotten chips to the finish line and Michael B., Dawn and Darko all chopped for the $627 main prize in order to get a cash game going.

Kearns and Bacini Mary joined us for the cash game, which lasted until 9PM. I was able to flop some monsters and get paid on them to build the big stack at the table. I had AK UTG and flopped AKK against Cheryl's AQ and got paid on every street. Dawn was livid. "How can you flop the nuts and get paid on every street?!? FUUUCK YOOOUUUU!". Hahahah!

I felted Darko as well, by flopping another boat with T8o in the small blind. The flop was T88 and I checked. The turn brought a third club and I assumed someone would bet but it checked again. The river brought another club but there was a problem. The clubs were all in a row! 789T of clubs on the board. I bet out 10 and Darko Hollywooded, showing me the 6d for the bottom end of the str8, like I thought he would call with that! He eventually moved all in for $45 total and I really did have a dilemma. Two cards in the deck crushed me and I thought he might have had 66 with the 6 of clubs. But I was too big stacked and he was too small stacked for me to fold so I did, and he folded the Ace of clubs. Weeeee!

So by the end of the night, I had turned $100 into $371.50. I didn't cash in the loser's tourney, but I ended up making more money than anyone else had the whole day! Yay poker! Suck it Dawn! :-p