No-Limit Poker Event: $50-$50,000 guarantee event

I entered an $8 satellite to the Fifty fifty on Full tilt. Won a seat...with 30 minutes to go.

984 players
Ended up 45th
Net winnings of $150 or so...6 hours (including the satellite)...for $150...good grief.

I made all the right plays...

At the start, I built chips quickly on two hands:

1. I had 10-10..A player under the gun raised the $30 BB to $270...a huge raise. I called. The flop was Q-4-2. He bet $385 into the $585 pot. I figured he either had top pair with A-Q, J-J, or A-K. I called to see what would happen on the turn. On the turn, the 6 hit. He bet the pot or $1,170...but, the bet was too fast. I called.
The turn was a 5. He moved in. Again, it was too fast. You have to at least think that the card may have helped me. I called. He had A-K and was gone.

2. A-A....A player limped in, so I raised 4 times the BB. I got 7 callers! Oh no...too many opponents. I was ready to fold. The flop came 9-7-4 with no flush draw. I bet the pot which was $300. One player raised me to $600. I just called. The pot was the size of both of our chip stacks. The turn paired the 7. He moved in. I called. He had 9-8 and got knocked out.

So, after the first hour I was up to $7,000...that's where I stayed for almost the next two hours. I finally got a couple of good wins...which put me in a good chip position with $27,000...I was at the lead at my table.

But, one hand cost me...I raised in middle position with A-5 of hearts. SB called.

Flop was 6-7-2 with one heart. Both of us checked.

Turn was the 4 of hearts. He checked. He had $6,000 left. I had an inside straight and a flush draw. I figured he was weak since he checked twice...I bet $3,000...and he moved all-in. I had to call, of course. He slowplayed pocket Q's--talk about playing backwards.

If I hit on the river--I'd have $41,000 and be in the top 10. However, I got no help...oh well. Went down to $13,000.

I built it back up to $18,000...and with 90 players left, I got moved to a new table.

The seat was card dead...and slowly but surely the chips bled with no opportunity to steal or make a play.

With $8,000 and the BB at $1,200..I moved all in with 3-3 and ran into 7-7. That's poker.