Top 10 Tourney

When people talk about poker being a game of skill vs luck, all they need to do is look at free poker point systems and you will get your answer. If poker were a game of luck then the same people wouldn't make it to the finals of my top ten tournaments. On Tuesday, it was the last of my buy in winning tournaments. I am changing to a casino run finals starting next week. It was maybe the best final 10 that I have ever seen in all my years running poker. For those that don't know, I have been running 12 week sessions for a few years now with the top 10 in points playing for a Casino buy in to a major event. The top 10's chips are based on their point accumulation over the weeks. This top 10 had I think 7 very solid players and 3 wild cards. The 3 wild cards were the 1st 3 knocked out and made for some great poker down the stretch. Almost every hand was raised preflop and most raises had a small amount of callers. In fact it was so you actually could raise and not get over half the table to call. One of the big early hands had me in BB and Dustin in small blind. I had K-6 of clubs and was able to check. Flop came 5-7-8 two clubs. !st player bets 125, Dustin raises to 625. I put him on a set and decide to call and see one more card as I can tell that one of the wild cards is going to call and I assume that 1st bettor will call. I was right except first bettor folds. Turn is a K. I now have top pair with a open ended straight and flush draws. Dustin bets 1200. I decide to call and wild card folds. River is a club that doesn't pair board. Dustin checks. I bet 1600 and he calls and turns over 4-6. He had flopped a straight. After this hand I went on a nice card rush and was close to chip leader most of the tournament. Got to heads up with Fitzwell and we decided to chop the prize, so I paid him $150 and I will go and play the buy in. It was nice to be able play poker for a whole night and make the right raises and folds and not have to guess all the time what the other players may have. I am sure that between all of us that there was some bluffing going on, but I say to all "well played" and thanks for a fun evening. Even though, I ended up with the big prize. I still would have been saying the same if I lost! I can't wait to be able to test my skills at a big event!