FTOPS $2K

I started things off with a solid cold decking, and within minutes I was 3rd overall:

Full Tilt No-Limit Hold’em Tournament, 10/20 Blinds 3 Ante (9 handed) – Full-Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

UTG (t6043)
UTG+1 (t6006)
MP1 (t6253)
MP2 (t5929)
MP3 (t5889)
CO (t5949)
Button (t5949)
SB (t6133)
Hero (BB) (t5849)

Hero’s M: 102.61

Preflop: Hero is BB with 5, 6
1 fold, UTG+1 bets t50, 6 folds, Hero calls t30

Flop: (t137) 2, 3, 4 (2 players)
Hero checks, UTG+1 bets t80, Hero raises to t299, UTG+1 raises to t660, Hero raises to t1442, UTG+1 calls t782

Turn: (t3021) 6 (2 players)
Hero bets t1444, UTG+1 raises to t4511 (All-In), Hero calls t2910 (All-In)

River: (t11729) 6 (2 players, 2 all-in)

Total pot: t11729

Results:
Hero had 5, 6 (straight flush, six high).
UTG+1 had A, J (flush, Ace high).
Outcome: Hero won t11729

The next few hours were brutal, and I never got much about 13K. I was getting 3- and 4-bet mercilessly, but no action when I had hands. Then finally I got some action when I had QQ, and, well, you can guess how that ended.

It’s actually an interesting hand. Villain is 24/20 and an aggressive tournament regular who probably views me in much the same way. I’d open folded to him once from my SB, then there was this:

Full Tilt No-Limit Hold’em Tournament, 80/160 Blinds 20 Ante (9 handed) – Full-Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

Hero (SB) (t5553)
BB (t14497)
UTG (t8860)
UTG+1 (t14413)
MP1 (t3645)
MP2 (t31129)
MP3 (t2679)
CO (t5511)
Button (t15529)

Hero’s M: 13.22

Preflop: Hero is SB with Q, Q
7 folds, Hero bets t480, BB calls t320

Flop: (t1140) 7, K, 8 (2 players)
Hero bets t777, BB calls t777

Turn: (t2694) 10 (2 players)
Hero bets t4276 (All-In), BB calls t4276

River: (t11246) 3 (2 players, 1 all-in)

Total pot: t11246

Results:
Hero had Q, Q (one pair, Queens).
BB had J, 9 (straight, Jack high).
Outcome: BB won t11246

Villain’s range for getting to the turn is clearly quite wide, and with the Qd in my hand, I think folding is out of the question. I could check to induce a bluff, but I think that enables him to check behind all the hands against which I have the biggest edge (76, A8, etc.). He’ll sometimes bet-fold, but when he bet-calls, I think I can expect to be behind. I chose instead to rep a big draw myself, giving him the opportunity to hero-call me with 6d7 or A8. Even after he drills the gutterball, I’ve still got 15-20% equity.