My First MTT Final Table!

I finally did it. Made a final table. I haven't played too many MTT in the past, as I never had the patience to wait, so I would bust out early. Until recently, I've finally been able to get past that and wait for good cards and not try to force the action. The downside is that I've often finished just before the final table. I even have 3 recent 10th place finishes.

Last night I finally broke the curse. Not only did I make it to the final table, but I did so with the chip lead.

The tournament was a $6.00 +$.60 Satellite to the $200k Guaranteed Event on Sunday Evening. I was able to keep patient by Multi-tabling a cash game on FTP and a cash game on Titan Poker. I was able to play stupid hands there, and not feel the urge to force action in the tournament.

I hit a strong hand early and tripled up to about 4500 chips and just waited for cards. I was in the BB with QJ. A coule of limpers and I check to see the flop. T-8-K. SB bets 150 (pot size), me and everyone else calls.
The Turn is the 9 giving me a the straight.
One guy bets 750, I reraise all-in for 1290, and two people call.

SB had K9, and the other guy had 67 for the idiots straight. I knocked out two players, and never looked back. I continued to build my chip stack, and pick my spots well. The only times I got chips in with the worst of it was if I was up against someone who couldn't hurt me.

As I said, in the end I made the final table, but that's it. The amount of players were the perfect amount to allow 4 positions to win entry into the 200k ($216.00) and no cash prize.

With 6 people left and I'm the short stack, I get dealt A8 of hearts, end up heads up with one player (2nd shortest stack).
The flop, 8-2-5, no hearts (2 spades)

I bet, he re-raises, I re-raise.... and this is where I just didn't think. he re-raised again, I finally push all-in. He hesitates a second. Then calls. Now If I thought his first re-raise was maybe a steal, or he hit part of that flop (2 or a 5), that would be one thing. But with his 2nd re-raise, I should have known something was up. Here clearly wasn't worried about a single card out there. Sure enough, he flips over Pocket 8s. And I"m drawing dead to anything but runner-runner Aces.

Was I flabbergasted when they came!!! No.. just kidding. a 2 came and I was now drawing dead. Out in 6th place.

A bitter sweet ending to a good performance by me.