After capturing second in the Golden Nugget charity tournament a couple of days ago, I also received a seat into the $1,080 Golden Nugget Grand Poker Series Grand Finale.

The last two years have seen pretty terrible numbers, and on a day when the Venetian is having a $1,070 NLH event I was very surprised to see 108 players take to the felt.

Starting with a 25,000-chip starting bank and blinds at 25-50 with hour-long levels , I took down a few pots to chip up, before losing a few near the end of the level to finish just below my starting stack.

My first real notable hand didn’t come to the 100-200-25 level where I re-raised to 1,600 over a 600 open from a fairly tight player holding A♦ K♣. He made the call before checking the 2♠ 4♦ 5♠ flop to see me fire 2,100 at him. He however check-raised to 6,200 to put me to a real decision. I felt that I definitely had two over’s or we were chopping to go along with my gut-shot straight-draw, but I could most likely make him fold a small overpair. Consequently I moved all in for 18,275 more to force an eventual fold and a new 28,100 stack for myself.

I then dropped a lot of chips before running a bluff from the button during the 150-300-25 level when I opened to 750 holding Q♣ J♥ with only the big blind coming along for the ride. He checked-called 1,000 on the 3♠ 3♣ 5♣ board before donk-leading for 2,000 when the 7♣ landed on the turn. I re-raised to 7,000, and when he made the call I had given up on the hand. However when the A♣ peeled on the river he check-called my 8,000 all in and I was back to over 33,800 in chips. I ended up finishing the level on over 40,000 after taking down some decent pots with Ace-Jack, Kings and Ace-King.

During the 200-400-50 level I opened to 1,000 from the cutoff with 7♠ 7♦ and had a Norwegian cash game LAG defend his big blind with J♥ 4♥ . He check-raised to 3,300 over my 1,300 flop bet on the 10♥ 7♥ 5♥ board, and after I called, I also called 10,000 when the turn dropped the 2♠. The 3♥ was checked down on the river, and just like that I was back to 21,500 in chips.

Later in the level, I would chip back up to over 47,000 when I opened to 1,000 with J♥ J♠ and managed to find three callers, with two of them coming along for 1,600 on the J♣ 6♥ 2♠ flop. The turn landed the A♣ and after firing 5,500, I was raised to 15,000. I moved in for 19,050, and after being called by an underset of sixes, I was back ahead of average and finished the level on 55,550.

I couldn’t catch a break during the next two levels, and just kept slipping and slipping until I managed to steal twice in a row to recover back to 37,200 in chips. Coming into the 500-1,000-100 level there was 62 players left and my 38,500 stack would finish the level on just over 34,000 before doubling with Jacks against Ace-King at the end of the next level to recover to 47,200 as we headed into the 800-1,600-200 level with 43 remaining.

That would be the last level of the night as I folded my way down to bagging 44,200 in chips with only 39 players left to fight it our for the $36,660 first prize or $1,840 for the min-cash in 12th.

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Returning the following day, play would start fast with people falling quickly as our table broke. I raised a limper with Aces, and then three-bet another with Aces again to push to 60,000 as I finished the level on just over 50,000 after having to fold Ace-King following my open, a re-raise, and then another re-raise.

With 31 left we began the 1,500-3,000-400 level and my stack just kept slipping and slipping until my final hand where I looked down at K♦ 7♦ in the cutoff.

I had previously folded in many spots when it was folded to me, and consequently thought I had a fairly tight image. The button and small blind were very tight, and the Skandi in the big blind was my only worry; but he had just taken a pot down to gather most of the chips he had lost earlier. I therefore think that moving all in for my last 38,200 in this spot is definitely the right move, but when the small blind in Shawn Rice woke up with 10♣ 10♥ I was unable to improve on the A♥ Q♦ 3♦ 5♠ 7♣ board and I was out the door in 25th place.

Golden Nugget Main Event Chip Stack Graph
Golden Nugget Grand Series Grand Finale – $1,080 Main Event Chip Stack Graph

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Looking back at my tournament, I thought I played as well as I could have apart from donking round too much in the earlier levels.

There were a few spots where I should have accumulated more chips, but yet again it was those middle levels were I was unable to build my stack.

Just like my other three main tournaments I’ve played since touching down, I ran deep again, but was unable to bring home the goods!