It finally happened.  After 500+ attempts across a handful of sites, I finally finished 1st in a poker tournament.  I won the 22.5k on Tilt for 15,000ish.  Although I’m still stuck a couple thousand since September [in online tournaments], I’m elated to have crossed the finish line in 1st.  I made a really nice play inside the money to chip up after I raised the button with AQss that really got me going.  The sb called and lead for 6,000 which was a little more than half pot on an 842 board with two clubs.  I had a little more than 20,000 left and shipped it ai after a little thought.  I decided that he had sized up my stack and was just taking a stab at it.  Thankfully, I was correct.  The first really big spot came up after I made a really nice comeback after having been crippled with three tables remaining.  I had just been moved and decided to flat a raise with KK from UTG+2 after the player to my right had opened.  We were both among the chip leaders with two tables remaining.  The flop came KQx.  He checked and I checked it back.  He bet the turn (A), I small raised and he shipped it ai.  I called, he showed JT for the straight but I got a Q on the river for a full house.  Phew!  I cruised into the final table and was amongst the chip leaders.  I couldn’t get much going early and pretty much sat back for a while and let the others fight it out.  I was low man with a bit less than 250,000 with the blinds at 10/20k with 3 players remaining.  The other two players had about 1.25 million each.  It all went so fast from there.  I doubled with AK v. KT.  Against the same player a few orbits later, I completed from the sb with TT after he had shipped ai for a massive amount a few orbits before.  He raised ai for 600,000ish, I called and held against his AT.  He was knocked out a couple orbits later.  HU didn’t last long.  I raised K8hh to 72k at 12/24k and villain called.  The flop was J7x with 2 hearts.  He checked, I bet small, he raised and I just stuck it ai for a million+ more.  He snapped, showed AJ and I caught a K on the river to cripple him.  I finished him off a few hands later with K3ss v. ??.

With 2 tables remaining, I was called an “Idiot” twice once being after the KK hand and one obviously after the K8hh by said villains in those hands.  I could really care less.  I’m ecstatic and finally something to show for in tournaments on Stars/Tilt.  I’m still a little stuck since I sold half my action in September, but I’m actually a small winner if you include the time that I accidentally played in the 100 R on Stars.  I don’t plan on playing any tournaments until next Sunday.  I have a huge paper due tomorrow that I obv haven’t started writing, class all day on Tuesday, going golfing on Wednesday and hanging out with Tom and watching March Madness (obv).

I’m very bummed for St. Mary’s who didn’t make the tournament.  I don’t feel that the selection committee made a mistake in doing so.  Unfortunately for them, there were too many upsets in the conference tournaments and they haven’t to get squeezed out.  Other than that, Sunday was a great day.  I won another prop bet!  After losing 2,000 to SpaceGravy over a year ago, I won 4,000 against SG last month and 2,000 v. Hodge05 after he threw in the towel late last night.  I promised myself that I wouldn’t make any more of these bets a few days ago but that was when I thought I was a near lock to lose 6,000 in the one I ended up winning somehow.  Therefore, I’m probably going try to parlay those winnings.  I’m not going to just bet against anyone.  I decided to pass on a prop bet that a player couldn’t turn 100 into 10,000 in 15 days playing only SNGs as high as 16s.  It seemed sooo impossibled I decided to not bet.  Good decision on my part!