running bad turns into running good

MTTs are an interesting animal. The luck involved in a single MTT is ridiculous, especially those with weaker structures. One may be a long term winner but over 500 MTTs be a loser and quit them for good. The opposite can also happen, where a long term loser can crush the game over a couple hundred even 1-2,000 MTTs.....With that said, this past week was brutal. I got killed in really everything I played - I ended up the week only -2k or so, but the process of losing that 2k was excruciating. MTTs are really a kick in the gut compared to SNGs and cash. With SNGs and cash, you can always reload, while in MTTs a bad beat or two at a major final table can be so tough to bear mentally and financially. Luckily I think I take bad runs pretty well - I understand variance real well and how expectation can deviate in both directions dramatically, especially in bigger tournaments. I came into today with an open mind - I was looking forward to playing a long session of 20-22 MTTs, so I sat down at 3 PM EST and began my schedule. Throughout the day I took the worst beats imaginable - I lost pair to under pair 3-4 times, ran into AA a ton, and just got raped every way possible. I registed all the way up to the AP 30r, and with 5 to go on the day and zero cashes, I was thinking it would be a wash.

In the end I had the 20k,30k, and 15k 30r left all on AP as my final three. First came the 20k where a shorty shoved, a big stack flatted, and I reshoved AQ with like 18 bbs. Me and the shorty had AQ, big stack 10s, gg me. Then came the 30r - I had about 35 bbs when I 3 bet a UTG raiser with AKo. He flatted and the flop came all rags - I wasn't too happy 3 betting pre looking back on things, but I ended up throwing out another bet to see where I was - he min raised me and I had to fold. Eventually I got it all in and busted. The 30k was my final hope - the funniest part of the tournament was I had gotten KK/AA with about 10 bbs and gotten no action. I thought to myself there's no way Im doing anything in this tourny if I cant atleast get action with the big hands and being so short. At this point luck came my way - 44 cracked 99 for a double. Some donk slowplayed KQ and let me get there with a weak hand to pick up another 15k, and slowly I was gaining some chips. I doubled later on with A6 vs A3 in a blind battle, and later on got some value out of AA(finally). I came into the FT in 2nd, and worked my way to 3 handed. This hand was pretty big

Stage #1772396594 Tourney ID 4446726 Holdem Multi Normal Tournament No Limit 6,000 - 2009-07-14 02:48:05 (ET)
Table: 22 (Real Money) Seat #6 is the dealer
Seat 5 - JWC64 (334,050 in chips)
Seat 6 - ETHANSKY1234 (298,942 in chips)
Seat 8 - Z06FANATIC (210,008 in chips)
JWC64 - Ante 600
ETHANSKY1234 - Ante 600
Z06FANATIC - Ante 600
Z06FANATIC - Posts small blind 3,000
JWC64 - Posts big blind 6,000
*** POCKET CARDS ***
Dealt to Z06FANATIC [10d 10c]
ETHANSKY1234 - Raises 18,000 to 18,000
Z06FANATIC - Raises 54,200 to 57,200
JWC64 - Calls 51,200
ETHANSKY1234 - Folds
*** FLOP *** [Jh 5d 4h]
Z06FANATIC - Bets 134,200
JWC64 - All-In(Raise) 276,250 to 276,250
Z06FANATIC - All-In 18,008
JWC64 - returned (124,042) : not called
*** TURN *** [Jh 5d 4h] [9d]
*** RIVER *** [Jh 5d 4h 9d] [6d]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
JWC64 - Shows [Ad Qs] (ace high)
Z06FANATIC - Shows [10d 10c] (One pair, tens)
Z06FANATIC Collects 438,616 from main pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total Pot(438,616)
Board [Jh 5d 4h 9d 6d]
Seat 5: JWC64 (big blind) HI:lost with ace high [Ad Qs - P:Ad,P:Qs,B:Jh,B:9d,B:6d]
Seat 6: ETHANSKY1234 (dealer) Folded on the POCKET CARDS
Seat 8: Z06FANATIC (small blind) won Total (438,616) All-In HI438,616) with One pair, tens [10d 10c - P:10d,P:10c,B:Jh,B:9d,B:6d]


We got HU and just chopped it. yes im a pussy when it comes to these situations, but the guy played semi well and whats really my long term edge here? Even so, this was a short term situation and we both had equal stacks, 80 bbs deep, and I figured what the hell let me chop it. I got 6600 for the ordeal, and turned my day from in the gutter to a very good day. Its funny how quick things can change in MTTs, and how a little bit of luck can turn things in a whole new direction. Anywyas back to the grind tomorrow - my only real goal lately is to win the 75k on tilt, so lets hope that happens tomorrow.