This was an odd format. If you lost all 5000 of your starting chips in the first two hours, you got a free T5000 rebuy. However, if you reached the end of those two hours with chips, even if you had less than 5000, you got nothing. Essentially, it was a use-it-or-lose-it insurance policy.
I entered the tournament with the expectation that I would play mostly normally for the first hour but push hard with draws or in spots that I thought were very slightly -EV and not make any big folds. I also reminded myself not to make any big bluffs, since theoretically others should be more willing to call down as a result of the Second Chance.
As the end of the two hours approached, if I was still in the neighborhood of 5000 chips, then I’d start getting crazier, eventually just open shoving in the hopes of either doubling up or using the free rebuy that was about to disappear.
With about half an hour left to go, I had over 8000 chips when I ran into this psychopath:
Full Tilt Poker, NL Hold’em Tournament, 60/120 Blinds, 8 Players
LeggoPoker.com – Hand History Converter
SB: 6,390
Hero (BB): 8,690
UTG: 9,080
UTG+1: 14,775
MP1: 5,756
MP2: 11,176
CO: 9,055
BTN: 6,018
Pre-Flop: (180) A
2 dealt to Hero (BB)
6 folds, SB raises to 480, Hero calls 360
Flop: (960) 4 5 9
(2 Players)
SB bets 840, Hero raises to 2,222, SB raises to 5,910 and is All-In, Hero calls 3,688
Turn: (12,780) T
(2 Players – 1 is All-In)
River: (12,780) 8 (2 Players – 1 is All-In)
Results: 12,780 Pot
SB showed T A (a pair of Tens) and WON 12,780 (+6,390 NET)
Hero showed A 2 (Ace Ten high) and LOST (-6,390 NET)
Maybe I should have just shoved the flop. I thought this would look stronger, but the worst case scenario occurred where he shoved a dominating Ace that almost certainly would not have called all in.
Two hands later, I found a great spot where I would have gambooooooooool shoved any two cards. Shockingly, the two Villains, both of whom were decent tournament regulars, folded.
Full Tilt Poker, NL Hold’em Tournament, 60/120 Blinds, 9 Players
LeggoPoker.com – Hand History Converter
CO: 12,780
Hero (BTN): 2,240
SB: 8,960
BB: 13,805
UTG: 5,756
UTG+1: 11,176
UTG+2: 9,055
MP1: 13,186
MP2: 10,287
Pre-Flop: (180) J A dealt to Hero (BTN)
3 folds, MP1 raises to 300, MP2 calls 300, CO folds, Hero raises to 2,240 and is All-In, 4 folds
Results: 1,080 Pot
Hero mucked J A and WON 1,080 (+780 NET)
The next time I shoved over a raise, my K2 ran into AA and I got to rebuy up to 5000, which is where I ended the “rebuy period”. I never got anything going afterwards, though, and within an hour I lost a flip for the rest of my chips.