Well, I finally did it!!!!!

[Tralfaz]

Hey all:

I couldn't wait to tell y'all the news. I finally won a big tourney. I just finished 1st out of 294 in a $50 NL on PS. What a rush, particularly considering that I was down to like $500 at one point.

Man am I stoked - what a rush. When we got down to the final 2 the blinds were 4k/8k I had about 190k and the other guy had about 200k. I offered to chop (about $3,300 each) and he said "whats that". I explained and he said "no way, lets play". I knocked him off of a couple of blinds and was up to about 220K. I pulled 10 10 in the big blind. I raised to 16k and he went over the top all-in. I called and he was playing 33 - sweet.

Just wanted to share the good news. :D :D

Tralfaz

Now if I could just win a spot in the WPT I'd be set. LOL.

Tralfaz goes to the WPT "Dead Money Walking"

[Tralfaz]

Oh yeah:

It is always amazing to me that people think that with over 400k on the table a 10k lead means they will win (thats why he refused to chop). That guy clearly had no idea how to play heads up. He folded to almost every raise. I was raising out of the small blind with almost anything and re-raising from the big blind because he would just call. he he.

Also, how do you make it to the final table of a tourney like that and not be familiar with the concept of chopping??? Weird!

Gotta go spend my money see ya later.

[HalfSugar]

Sweet, well played sir. Did u take about $5,000 then? I have never had the balls to ante up $50 online, seems like an awful lot to lose to be honest but I guess not if u win

Get urself into a few WPT satellites and u never know do u.....

[Tralfaz]

Hey:

Thanks. Actually it was 27.5% of the prize pool for first so I took aroun $4,000. Its the most I've ever won in a single tourney so I'm excited.

Don't worry, I will keep on trying to winn a seat in the WPT and will keep you updated.

Here are the results for the final table

PokerStars Tournament #597973, No Limit Hold'em
Buy-In: $50.00/$5.00
294 players
Total Prize Pool: $14700.00
Tournament started - 2003/11/29 - 15:00:00 (ET)
Tournament finished - 2003/11/29 - 19:14:23 (ET)
1: Tralfaz (jk), $4042.50 (27.50%)
2: f2fun&fun (Delfzijl), $2572.50 (17.50%)
3: FntLnWnr (San Ramon), $1705.20 (11.60%)
4: shaneamx2 (Port Orchard), $1176.00 (8%)
5: coltranedog (Montreal), $882.00 (6%)
6: Jensen (Aalborg), $661.50 (4.50%)
7: IImjb (Sugar Pine), $514.50 (3.50%)
8: HynC (Boston), $382.20 (2.60%)
9: S500 (GALLOWAY), $249.90 (1.70%)

and my stats for the tourney.

You finished in 1st place (eliminated at hand #192588764).

329 hands played and saw flop:
- 11 times out of 54 while in small blind (20%)
- 20 times out of 54 while in big blind (37%)
- 35 times out of 221 in other positions (15%)
- a total of 66 times out of 329 (20%)

Pots won at showdown - 17 out of 20 (85%)
Pots won without showdown - 57

I'd rather win em without a showdown any day!!

Tralfaz

[Poker_Vendetta]

Oh ho ho. Good job, I was really rooting for you to win one of those things. Unless he was simply trying to make a move you can tell he is not THAT great of a player if he comes over the top of you with 33. From your stats you sound like a solid player so you must have switched gears and started pounding him. He really should have adjusted and not been SO greedy.

[Tralfaz]

Thanks Poker:

Honestly, I consider heads up to be the weakest part of my game. I am becoming better at knowing when to change gears.

I have no problem heads up against peolpe who don't know how to be more agressive but I seem to have some problems with those that get hyper-aggressive. Its so much easier to make someone else play your game then to respond to theirs. I play heads up against a friend of mine all the time on PS for practice. He is super aggressive and nearly impossible to put on a hand (particularly when you can't see him). I've found that being just as aggressive can backfire but if you play too tight you will get steamrolled. I think that I still need work in this area finding the right balance. Any advice appreciated. Thanks.

Tralfaz