A good start for the New Year!

I took most of December off from both posting about and playing poker. Sure I still played in a couple home games and enough to qualify for Iron Man Gold on Full Tilt, but I had not been to Foxwoods since late November.

Four of us made the trip down to Foxwoods yesterday morning in order to play in the 10am $100 tourney. Myself and wwonka have played in enough of these things to know that we need to ask to be placed at separate tables when we register or risk being seated next to each other. Full Tilt seems to have the knack of seating me and wwonka next to one another, even in large fields. Thankfully the staff complied and we were all spread out. Only 111 players had registered, much less than the 220 players they were getting last week. The top 20 would get paid.

Early on I played fairly tight, and watched my position. I held a few suited connectors, and some small pairs. A flopped set of 8s vs an aggressors c-bet yielded a nice pot when he hit runner runner Ace Jack to make top 2 pair. At the first break I was doubled up to about T10,000. During the second session I raised from the button with 78s, both blinds came along. Check, check to me with an Ace on the flop I c-bet about half the pot. The small blind folded and the big blind flat called. I do pick up a backdoor flush draw on the turn, again he checks to me and I check behind. The big blind puts all his chips in the middle before the river is flipped, which conveniently completes my flush, and the table says goodbye to Mr. All-in In the Dark.

With 24 players left, I look around and 2 of my friends are still in the game. I am not exactly sure where wwonka went out, but we definitely gave him a hard time for not making the money like the rest of us. After a long bubble period, it finally popped with 3 of us making it. Nicely done I have to admit. The short stacks disappeared quickly, and we were soon at the final table with me and my friend BC still in the game.

I had the unfortunate experience of witnessing some rude behavior at the final table. The big stack whom had been bullying on the other tables finally lost large pot. He raised with T8o from MP, and the big blind called with A7s. Action back and forth on the flop and all the money goes in with the bully showing a top pair 8s with T kicker, and the other guy showing second pair 7s with A kicker and the flush draw. This was a monster pot dropping the bully to an average stack when the flush hit on the river. The bully screamed "Mother Fucker" loud enough to turn heads several tables away -- he could have been warned or penalized but nobody complained. While matching up stacks he intentionally toppled over the stacks sending chips rolling around. Again there were no complaints or warnings.

Several hands later the ex-bully raises to 10k from UTG, I was in the small blind for 2k and my buddy BC was in the big blind for 4k. Not exactly a large raise, and BC was very short stacked with T9500 total. He will be all in for sure, and with pocket deuces I make the call. A deuce on the flop goes check - checked to the turn. The ex-bully looks frustrated, so I decide to make a side pot on the turn and bet 10k when it is checked to me again. He instantly goes all in and I of course call with my set. The ex-bully has A7o, no pair, no draw and I knock out 2 players, sorry BC. Everyone at the table congratulates me for knocking out the immature punk with a foul mouth.

I eventually get knocked out when I open push from UTG with KK and get called by TT and AA, with the pocket Aces holding up. We all had about the same stacks, but TT had 2k more than me so I am out in 6th.

I am pleased with my play, it is nice to be off to a good start for the New Year!