Tigercub Finishes 2nd in Ferndale Charity Tourney

Back to the wars for Faldo after the tough battle at Herbavor's. Doesn't my life suck when I am forced to play poker on back to back nights? But somebody has to do it.

I was skepical before I got there, but guys, this was a pretty nice set-up for the 60$ entry ($50 tourney and $10 fee). Oval holdem tables seating nine, casino quality chips, two decks per table, "Tournament Director" software for auto seating and player moves, tourney clock, players left and blinds projected on the entire front wall, open beer tap, pepperoni pizza and that first class "Garden Fresh Gourmet" salsa and chips. There were 10 different varieties of salsa to choose from, and two types of chips. And cigar smoking allowed!

You got $4500 in tourney chips and for another $10 - which went directly to the charity, you got another $500. Who was going to say no to that? Blinds started at $25 - $50 and changed every 15 minutes. Payoffs were five places - $500, $250, $150, $100 and $50. Plus $50 for biggest hand of the night, $25 back to the first one out, and $100 if you hit a royal flush.

Thirty-seven players entered, but there was a poker league going in the back with two more tables of ten players and other tables already set up for ring play as players got eliminated. And the ring tables filled up too - getting fed by the main tourney and the poker league.

Onto the action. Tigercub (table #1) got off to a great start hitting a couple straights and I (table #3) took a ton of chips off of two players who called all my bets with next to nothing. I also called a guy down who bluffed a flush at me, so my ESP was working early. However, it failed me late.

Thai Food stopped by for a gander at the set up on his way back from getting - what else? - Thai food at Pi's Thai in Hazel Park.

I made the final table also, but I got eliminated at 6th. And yes, of course they were paying 5 spots! Here is where my ESP failed me - and where it usually does. I was the short stack and did not call a raise with (55) when I maybe should have and the 9-8-7-6 hit the board and a pair of 8's won the hand.

I folded an A9 to a good size raise and an [A] came on the flop, and a pair of kings won the pot. But the next hand, I did go all-in with (As 9s) and ran into (Ah Kd). The flop and turn was [Ad Kh 8d 3s] and it was time to hit the salsa.

Heads-up Tigercub got down to $6000 in chips of the $185,000 in play, but fought all the way back to only a 3 to 1 deficit! But the comeback was halted when his (A5) lost to a (Kh 3h) when a [3] hit the turn.

Great job Bro! Once again NPP represents with two final table finishes, and if I knew how to play, it would have been two cashes!