$400K -- A connected fate

We're about a hundred people from the money in today's $400K guarantee at Full Tilt and I'm already in the move-in zone.

I pass up A4o in early to mid. Now here comes a "good" hand -- 78s. I stare at it for a little while, a few seconds, and then I push all-in.

Like I expected, the tight table starts to fold around to the small blind. The guy thinks about it for a while and then shows AKo. What's there to think about?

I wasn't sure I'd be ready for this tournament -- I was pretty tired when I came home from work and when it started I really wasn't faring too well. Gnome got a good lead early, doubling up while cat was just puttering around, down about 300 during the first break.

It's sort of strange when it isn't your money -- I felt responsible to try to do well but a little carefree that it was basically a $400K freeroll. The old me would have gone into a fit when I was raised on the flop when I had TPTK with AK and a pair of aces. But I reraised the toaster all-in. Turned out we both had the same hand.

In the 78s hand, the flop came with an A, of course, but two spades. The turn was a 3. The river was the six of spades, allowing me to double up.

I doubled up again when I limped on the button with ATo in a four-way pot with two huge stacks. I had thought about going all-in but the huge stacks made me a little wary. The flop was a xxT, two diamonds and it was checked around to me. I bet 1/2 pot, using a tip that Gnome had told me, and was reraised all-in. I couldn't see what the small blind could have, so I called. He had T5o, for a worse pair of tens.

I was starting to be in pretty good shape.

Then, with about 50 people to the bubble, I had to push again. I was fortunate to get AQs. But the guy right behind me reraised all-in and had KK. Of course, I made two pair and was off to the races!

With 13-14 people left before the money, I had TT. I was close to the move-in zone, not quite, but I wasn't sure if I'd see this kind of hand again. So I pushed. And everyone folded.

People were dropping like flies and we only went hand-to-hand for a single hand before we got into the money. After that I had hopes of really loosening up my play but really saw horrible cards until my final AQ. Would have been cool to have doubled up and continued on.

Even though the tourney was over, my luck continued on -- I was nearly hit by a dude in a Lexus as I was waiting for a light to change while on my bike on my way to get some post-tourney pizza. I'm happy I didn't take another bad beat this evening!