So I was fortunate enough to catch the local tourney here with the North Jersey Poker Tour.  18 player field with some really good players.  I started off rough, losing some chips early on, and found myself with about 1/2 stack after the first two rounds (1 rebuy allowed before the end of the third).  I get AJ, and another shortstack pushes all in.  I call, and he has A7.   Mine holds, and I have some chips.  A few hands later, two bigstacks are betting on a hand.  I am in with KQ of clubs and the flop coms A 9 4 with two clubs.  Raise, call before me.  I push all in on just a draw, but hope it’s enough to scare them away.  It is.  I am now in good standing.

We get to the final table, and there are 7 left.  I am probably in 3rd in chips or so.  Top 4 get paid (some nice money up top too!)  I get dealt pocket tens.  Scott (aggressive player pre-flop) puts down 1000 bet (blinds 150/300)  I only have 3800 chips.  Calling is weak, because anything above a 10 on the flop scares me.  I could push all in (he has about the same amount of chips I have) but I’m worried he might have Js or Qs.  I could fold, but with tens?  Tough to do.  I push.  After a long deliberation, he calls with big slick.

Blanks on the flop.  Blank on the turn. King on the river.  I’m out.

I felt bad about it for a while, but I stayed and watched probably the next 8 all-ins, and only ONCE did the statistically better hand win.  Either way, good times.

edit: I just finished playing an online game.  I lost to a guy who had a 1.41% chance to win the hand after the flop (when I went all in).  I can’t stand this game sometimes.