The SBP Archives - Your less than frequent dose of SBP!

Towards the end of the OL SBP Invitational, the grinding out nature the game turned into started pounding my head. With the blinds as high as they were, every decision was huge. You were pretty much all-in or folding. Danny B., Dan P. and myself were the last three remaining from the original 10, all now in the money, fighting it out for that sweet bracelet and $100 top prize. Here are the key hands that led me down the path of glory!

With 900 chips left, 150-300 blinds, I moved all-in. Danny was quick to call with his A-K which had my A-Q suited dominated. But the flop had two queens in it giving me three of a kind, and I dodged a huge bullet. Luck was shining my way.

A turn for the worst came when I pushed 3000 of my chips into the blinds of 300-600. Danny called my pockets 4s with A-9. I thought he was going to be busted out after the first four cards were dealt until he hit a 9 on the river. I had less than a big blind left and thought I was done. The next hand I had J-3, not much to work with. Both Daniels called pre-flop. A Jack hit the flop and I had top pair, Danny bet out and Dan #2 decided to fold. Lucky for me, Danny was betting an outide straight draw and missed. I managed to triple up and still had a chance.

I moved in with A-8 and Dan P. called with K-10. Dan didn't improve and I had about a 1/3 of the chips on the table and was in contention again.

When the blinds moved to 500-1000 which was the cap, I pushed pre-flop withe Ace-Jack spades and Dan B. called with K-2 diamonds, a loose call but with the blinds as high as they were not the worst call, either. He didn't pair up and I also hit an ace on the river, knocking Dan B. out and making me virtually even with Dan P. playing heads-up.

The key hand not too long into heads-up action was PRESTO! pockets 5s. I pushed all-in and Dan quickly called with A-10. Two spades came on the flop with a five, giving me a set and putting me in great shape. The turn was the Queen of spades: Dan had to hit a Jack to make a straight to win. The turn was a Jack....of spades. We all thought Dan had won the tournament but it occured to me there were four spades on the board. Dan wasn't holding that suit, but luckily for me I was holding a 5 of spades, making my flush a better hand than his straight and leaving him crippled.

With few chips remaining in Dan's stack, we blind called the next hand which Dan doubled up, then the next hand I was dealt pocket 5s one more time. Dan called the few chips he had remaining holding Q-2, and he managed to flop two pair. The turn was a blank, but, you guessed it, another 5 came on the river giving me a set and winning the 2006 OL SBP Poker Invitational. Some crazy hands at the end, but lucky for me I was on the winning end.

Thanks so much to Kim for hosting, thanks to Marc for bringing his poker table, thanks to Alex & Kerri for bringing the healthy snacks, thanks to Holly & Danny for cutting their Calabogie trip short so they can make my tournament, and thanks to the other participants: Dan P, Jason and Susan (no cracked Aces with Ace-Ten this year!!!) for coming out, it was a lot of fun and we'll do it again!