So from 15th to 19th I was in Sunny Beach, one of the nicest resorts in Bulgaria. The reason was the Bulgarian leg of ParadisePoker Tour. I took part in the warm-up event (€100+10) and the main event (€500+50). I have sold 70% of my action, so I was not worried that it will hurt my bankroll.
I enjoyed my time from the very beginning. ShpokA and his friends from RakeRacer.NeT picked me up from Plovdiv, but we got the wrong way to Burgas. Instead of getting to the highway we were passing some villages like Plodovitovo(I don't have an idea how to translate it, but if you are from my country, you'll definitely understand me ;D). It was a dream come true... ahaha Finally, we arrived and found our hotel Sapphire. It turned out to be really nice and the food at the restaurant was just awesome. When we arrived we met our roommates - silver from grinders and kluivert99. They were really cool and we were having a lot of fun each other. We all went to the casino and registered for the first tourney. It was from 6 p.m. so we had little time for a rest.
At the appointed time we were at the tables ready to own the field. The tourney was with 5k starting stack and 45-min levels. Kinda deep structure for such a tourney, so we had a lot to play. I started really well. Just calling my AQ, AJ from position pre-flop and taking the value post-flop. I was building my stack step-by-step - ez game =). Then at some point I had to make some folds. Firstly, I opened AK utg for 300 (blinds 50/100) and utg+1 reised do 900. I didn't want to make some stupid mistake with such a deep stacks and just folded. Soon after that on 75/150 I opened QJ for 425 in the CO position, one of the blinds called and we saw a J57 flop with 2 hearts. He checked, I put 625 and he reised to ~1400. I was 'wtf' - i didn't expect a check/reise took a little time to think. I was wondering to shove or fold at that time since I didn't want to see a lot of cards on the turn. He could easily have some set or top pair better kicker, but I was playing a lot of pots, so jacks, some pocket pairs and any draws were also possible. In the end I decided that I'm almost 50/50 in this spot and folded with >30 blinds behind. He showed A9o for a bluff, nice hand. Then I don't know what happened, there weren't any remarkable hands, I was moved to a new table, where only one guy seemed to make me problems. I build a nice stack and then I was moved again.
Then I was very surprised to see that I was the shortstack at the new table since I was with the average(~12k) and one of the big stacks at the last one. And after the first hands I already wanted for a new table lol. Everyone was 3betting, 4betting, floating etc... Blinds were already 400/800 with ante 100 and I was still at 11k. Then I won my first super lucky hand: LP minreised for 1600 which he was doing a lot, I saw J9s from BTN and shipped. SB insta called with KK and LP folded. I was already standing and picking up my stuff when I saw Axx on flop with 2 clubs for a flush draw. Turn x, river 5 of clubs and I was back in the game. Then the same guy, who min-reised the previous hand pushed with low pair, I reshipped with AQ, everyone folded and the shorty held. I was again down to ~10k. Then everyone folded to SB who minreised to 2k, I decided that I need some chips and tried to float him with 36o. Flop came 25Qhh bingooo hit the gutshot. He bet 1500, I call. Turn is another 5: check/bet 2500/call, river 6 of hearts. The flush draw was filled and I got a pair and some showdown value. From the beginning I was intending to push my last 4500 on the river but at this moment I decided to check. He showed Q4o and took the pot. I was down to 4bbs, looking to double up but everything I got was s.th. like 83o, 96o, 42s etc. Then I posted to bb leaving only 2k+ behind and saw 7 of spades. MP reised, SB called and I called for my last chips. Flop came something like 458dd which gave my gutshot, other guys were just checking and the cards came very fast: some diamond ott and 4th one otr. I look down for the other card J of diamonds. Both players showed QTo to split the side pot with Q high. I was back in the game again. I took down the blinds once and build up to 13k. Then some guy from utg+1 reised to 2400 and I pushed from bb with A3o. We were 7-handed, so I think it's pretty standard here. He thought a lot and folded A9s, nice for me =). I make only one steal from bb 3betting the utg's minreise.
And then the best thing in the tournament happened - the so much desired new table. And it was reeeaaaally soft - I quickly build to above the average with 4 or 5 3bets and one flopped set with no action. A that point we were 4-5 places from the money and I slowed for a bit because I didn't want to spew other people's invested money. I tightened and 2 with places from the money I was little behind the average. We were 7-handed, I reised with AJo from utg+1 for 3400 on 800/1600 and BB rereised to 11k, I was with 18 more and totally not knowing what to do. On the one hand I was very strong with AJ here, on the other I tightened a lot in the last 30-40 mins, so I didn't expect light 3bets vs me. I was thinking a lot, he requested time and I decided to push. He wasn't willing to call but he had the odds and when showed T3s I was wtf. The funny thing was when I showed AJ here and everyone was "what, and u were thinking so much???" yeah, i didn't have a clue where am I at the moment. I held and then started to press the table again. I broke the bubble after I won a flip vs one of the shortstacks and then just waited for the ft.
30 mins later and already 12 hours after the tourney started we were down to 9 players. And from there started the fireworks. Everyone was mad to put there chips in as faster as they can. When the blinds changed (the director made them on 30mins because of the length of the tourney) we were only 4 people left. I was dividing the 2nd place in chips after AA>AJ and JJ with no action. There was a greek guy with something like 75% of the whole chips and one shortstack I busted right after with Ax>Kx. We wanted to split the prizes equally but the greek just laughted and continue playing. "Така лииии?? Аре ела ся да те видим!" I started to 3bet and float him every second hand and it usually worked. Occasionally, the other Bulgarian pushed over my reises but I was still going up. And then after more than an hour trying to outwit each other happened the next hand: btn folded with 100k+, greek reised to 30k (with 4/8k blinds and 300k+), I saw J2s and called with ~150k in chips. Flop came 23Q rainbow, he fired 25-30k and I insta pushed over. Then he started to talk something with the other greek men around the table. The other Bulgarian left told him that he cannot talk during the hand and told me that the greek thinks I have set 3s. I was thinking "LOL is that guy normal" but stayed seriously. After some seconds I called him "TIME" and he folded QJ face-up!!! ahahahhahahahaha I insta show him and he's already in mega-tilt. The next hand I was the bb btn shipped and the greek insta called. btn tells me he saw only one of his cards and both players show. A for the our guy and A for the greek, 6 for the our guy and ... 4!!! for the greek. Flop come x3x and everyone in the casino start screaming for a 2 or 5. River 5! And the greek guy is with only 7bbs left. Right on the next hand I mireise his blind with AJhh he calls, flop 9JQhh. All-in! Call! He show Tx, I held and on the next hand the greek is out and we split the prize pool. I had little over in chips, but there wasn't any point in playing 2 hours more on HU for 200€, so we made a deal. After 14 hours and a half I took 1870€.
That turned out to be very long and I'm going out soon so I'll continue the story tomorrow. =)
