Full Tilt’s $100k Double Deuce Tournament
by Chad Holloway of Predictem.com
Every Sunday, Full Tilt Poker hosts the $100k Double Deuce No Limit Hold’em tournament. It is called “Double Deuce” because it only costs $22 to enter for a chance at the $100,000 prize pool. The tournament is limited to 10,000 entrants, but on the date I decided to play (January 11, 2009) there were only 9,002 participants. This meant that 1,080 players would be paid, with first place receiving $28,788.40. A number of famous poker players were also attracted to the tournament as $20 bounties. They included: Andrew Black, Chip and Karina Jett, Lee Watkinson, Michael Craig, Paul Sexton, and Marco Liesy.
The tournament started with each player receiving 3,220 in chips on nine-handed tables with 10-20 blinds. My strategy was to play super tight while the blinds were relatively small compared to the stacks, but also to play my quality hands aggressive while using position to my advantage. I started off pretty well managing to chip up to just over 4,000 in levels one and two by taking down a few pots with well-placed bets. In level four I lost about 400 by slow playing pocket queens from early position. It was limped around and five players went to the flop, and even though the board was all undercards, I got away on the turn after a big bet and a call (one of them had a straight). After a steal attempt from late position into a full house (I did wisely slow down on the river), I was down to a measly 1,700 in chips. This made me the second short stack at the table. A little later on I saw a flop with the Jc Qs and the board came Jd 2d 8c. I led out for 150 and it was folded around to the short stack on the button who made it 350 to go. I assumed it was a steal and rerasied another 585 to put him all-in.
After thinking it over my opponent called and revealed the Qd 9d for a flush draw. The run was a non-threatening 4c, but the 8d hit on the river and I was left with 860 in chips. The end came a few hands later when I moved all-in from the cut-off with the Jc 10s and was called by a pocket pair of threes. The board blanked and I was sent home in 6094th place.
The tournament was about what I expected. With such a large field, plays started off lose which put the pressure on my tight, small-ball approach. The biggest mistakes that I made were calling too many raises out of position and not raising enough pre-flop when I elected to raise, which can be easily remedied.
The first place prize was very lucrative and a chance at it was well worth the $22 buy-in. Full Tilt’s $100k Double Deuce Tournament was a well structured tournament that I highly enjoyed (even though my success was limited). I will certainly play in this tournament again, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a decently priced tournament with high payout potential!
