SurrenderMan has won the 10th Qualifier of the LVH MDBIII !!! The final round was the luckiest I've ever experienced in a tournament. Going into the final 5 hands I was the leader (as documented in the play-by-play section on this web-site) only because I had probably won 18 or 19 of the 23 hands. The play-by-play captures the only large bets I made in the round. About the only deviations from basic strategy I made throughout the tournament were some unjustified surrenders; and, as in hand 27 of the final round, they worked out well. (If I hadn't surrendered there and if Mr. Fortin had hit to 19: (1) I'd've saved the table, thereby tightening things up and (2) I'd've started with a 9,4 on hand 28 instead of the pat 10,9.) As I said, I was lucky in this round. In the interest of educating tournament newbies that it is better to be lucky than smart I present the last hands of my 3 earlier rounds. I was not lucky in the early rounds except on the final hands. Here's my recollection; any errors in chip count or hands caused by my insufficient memory are minor and would not affect the decision-making or outcome of the hand: RD1: 3 players left. 1st-place is already decided; 2 players competing for one spot. I am in 3rd-place with $2000; 2nd-place has $2750. I bet first! (Looks bad for SurrenderMan, no?) There is no room for subtlety; I bet $2000. 2nd-place bets $1500 to cover both high and low. (I opine a $1300 bet would've been a mite better to allow 2nd-place to split if necessary to cover a natural by me.) We both get 16's; the dealer shows a 7. (It is really looking bad for SurrenderMan now.) I hit, because I have to, and I get a 3 for a 19 total. 2nd-place hits and busts. I still need to win or push to advance; I don't recall if the dealer had a pat 7,10 or hit and busted; I do recall I moved from 3rd to 2nd. RD2: 4 players left. 1st-place is already decided; 3 players competing for 1 spot. 2nd-place has $3300 and bets first. I am in 3rd-place with $3000, bet second. 4th-place has $2100 and bets last; but she places her all-in-bet first, out-of-turn. 2nd-place decides to go for low and bets $300. I bet $1300 to cover a win by 4th-place. I stand on my stiff against a dealer low-card, maybe a 3 or a 6. The dealer busts; we all win. I take 2nd by $100. RD3: 4 players left; top 3 players in contention for 2 spots (Actually I think the first bettor was also in contention but he busted out first; pardon my memory-lapse). 1st-place has $6800 and bets second; he bets $1000. 3rd-place has $3900 and bets third; he bets $2500 (He'd've liked to bet $1950 but must bet in $100-increments.); I am in 2nd-place with $6750 and bet $1100. 1st-place gets an 18; 3rd-place gets a pair of 6's; I get a 13 (or maybe 14); the dealer shows an 8. 1st-place stands; 3rd-place doubles-for-less his 6,6 and gets a 7; I hit my stiff to 18. If I win, I'm in! The dealer busts. I take first by $50 over 2 players tied for second with $7800. The significance of the above three final hands for me was that the cards and other players bets determined my action. I had only one obvious choice of, in some cases, very-low-probability-of-success options. And I got lucky. FINAL NOTE: At the conclusion of the final hand of the tournament JoeP inquired loudly if this win or my faux pas of surrendering a blackjack in an earlier MDBIII Qualifier was more memorable. And throughout the tournament FredL would remind me that a blackjack was a good thing and express his bewilderment at my earlier faux pas to all within earshot. ("faux pas" looks so much better than, say "bonehead play" or "screw-up", don't you think?) Anyway, this reminded me of the best line in the first episode of the new ESPN series "TILT": "These guys are terrible. You sh*t your pants one time, . . . and they never let you forget it." 2ND FINAL NOTE: Why? Why? Why? Why is the only tournament I can win being cancelled?
Name change Changed you handle I see, I love it...LOL, if we can't laugh at are selves we are in big trouble. I tell you what if surrendering a BJ will help me win two $20,000 first prizes I'd do it to. Congrat's on # 2. Hope to see you in the finals (if I can get pass round II...LOL). By the way, you're the only two time monthly winner and Joep is the only three time finalist (in the monthly's).
You Are My Hero Surrender Man I admire you abilty to laugh at yourself.We all make mistakes but you did step up and take the heat.What you failed to mention is that I did say loudly congrats on your win which before I asked you about your BJ Surrender.Even though some people would have tried some how to justify that surrender move you just came out and said my computer shut down and I screwed up.Again congrats on a job well done and welcome to a very elite club that you and I are members of. Your 2 first place finishes and my 3 final table showings 1st place - 4th place & 6th.place.See you in May. p.s. if you decide to shit your pants again i hope im not sitting next to you.I want to be at the table just not next to you :laugh:
