30th December

I played in 3 tournaments today all on Pokerstars- is there anywhere else to play really? The first tourney i played was $11 HORSE, i didn't really get much going in this as i'm still adapting to playing all these games at limit and i still am very poor at the Stud games. All in all i played pretty standard, but couldn't find a cash. The second tourney i played was $5.50 NLHE 6 MAX, now this tourney is one i regularly cash in as i like the way 6 handed games play. I can be aggressive and push the play, but still small ball at the same time. I did take a few beats in this tourney, but despite this i made the last 3 tables and a finish of 15th out out over 1,500 runners earned me a $70 reward. I was a bit dissapponted not to final table, but the cards went dry when we were down to 20 so i was pretty with 15th. The last tourney of the day i played was $11 NLHE. I played this at the same time as the 6 handed tourney and found it pretty easy to make it to the money. I got hands when i needed them and i made some of the best calls i've ever made- I limped with A9 off UTG with the blinds at $4000/8000 with around $160,000 and play a pot with the SB and BB. The flop comes down QJQ with 2 spades, SB checks and the BB shoves for $68,000, i thought through it and i think he's pushing pre with any paint really so i make the call and he tables 42 of hearts, he didn't suck out and i took a nice pot. Deeper in i picked up AA and was fortunate enough 2 of my opponents had QQ and 99 respectively, we were all in pre and my bullets held up for a $700,000 pot. I floated around the 1m mark for a while and the next big hand i played was at the final table. With 1.3m the only female on the table shoves pre with QJ for $400,000 and i call with 66, i win the flip and am upto around 1.7m. A lot of to and fro play and we were down to 3 players, i did nothing special in this time and just stole where i thought i could, but kept pretty quiet apart from that. The first hand 3 handed i pick up KK on the button and put in a two and half times the blind raise(still small balling) and the BB shoves for 1.2m, i have around 2m and make the call, he has A9 off with the ace of clubs, the board brings three clubs on the flop, but no help for him on turn or river and we are heads up. The first hand heads up i called a min raise with 10 6 off- not a play i recommend, but i wanted to see as many flops as possible as i felt i had the edge, the flop brings 10 9 10, he check raises me all in and i call- he tables AK and i double up to take the chip lead. We got back to even with 5.3 and 6m when i call another min raise with 52 off, the flop brings 3 K 6 rainbow and we both check. I know if i hit my 4 i can break him (i put him on a hand with the min raise as he raised more with air) the turn brought an 8 and i check-called $300,000. The river hits me in the gut and i make my straight with the 4, i check raise to 1.6m and he goes all in, i think for like 3 seconds and make the call- no way he's min raising me with 75 in that spot, he tabled KK for the set and i break him. 1st place and a $5,600 payday, not bad for a $11 investment!! This was the easiest tournament i have ever won, i was never all in from 100 players down and climbed chips pretty easily, small ball is the way forward people i tell you!!!