Aciddrop wins $2,000!

On Sunday our moderator aciddrop won the country Top10 PokerStrategy freeroll. After his success we asked him some questions.

PokerStrategy: Congratulations aciddrop for winning the country Top10 PokerStrategy freeroll! Could you please introduce yourself?
aciddrop: Hi. I am Steve, from Melbourne, Australia. I work in IT, play chess, am separated and have 2 kids.

PokerStrategy: How long have you been a member of PokerStrategy?
aciddrop: I joined PokerStrategy in October 2006.

PokerStrategy: You won $2,000. How does it feel to win this tournament?
aciddrop: Surreal.

PokerStrategy: How did you do throughout the tournament. Can you describe some decisive hands?
aciddrop: I played tightly. I resisted the impulse to fool around with a lot of speculative hands and played the strong ones as best I could. Luck went with me. I doubled up at the 10/20 level with JJ UTG, CO called my raise, the flop was an awkward looking T,J,8 rainbow, which gave me my set, but was drawy as well. CO called my small bet, Ace on the turn, we ended up all in, and he showed AJ. First lucky hand at 150/300: I'm in the BB, UTG calls, SB (small stack) goes all in, I call for 1k with QJ (not speculative?!), UTG calls and board shows Q65 rainbow, giving me top pair. I bet that, UTG puts in his last 900, and they show AJ and AK! Turn and river changed nothing. For a change, I'm the luckbox.
That helped set me up, I was always playing with one of the larger stacks from then on. I gave some back to a short stack with AQ against 99, limped AA from UTG and got raised all in by a short stack with 55, which held up for me, and suddenly we were on the final table.

PokerStrategy: What was your plan when you reached the final table?
aciddrop: Being the equal big stack, I let the short stacks play each other out as much as possible. Where I could, I grabbed the blinds, but nothing outrageous. Without having to do much, it seemed fairly quickly that we were only 5, which was already good. The next good fortune came when we were down to the last three. Blinds 500/1000, I was UTG with AJ, raise 4000, and called all in by the next stack. It's all or nothing, and after a flop of K66, he shows 55. Turn J, hallelujah! As big stack after that, I pressured every blind, and there were only 5 more hands.

PokerStrategy: Could you please describe the final hand and your thoughts?
aciddrop: I didn't really have time to think anything. I guess my opponent was feeling the pressure I was exerting, because I only had time to see my AK, and he was all in. The flop was AAQ, and he showed K4. I'd won, and didn't really believe it. Thanks again to all at PokerStrategy for the encouragement, support and opportunities like this. I've gone from someone who was wondering if to someone who knows I can. Bless you. Luck is a hag, if you don't ride her, she will ride you.

PokerStrategy: Thank you very much aciddrop and congratulations again for winning our Top10 country freeroll and $2,000!

 

-> "Freeroll 1st place " - thread by aciddrop about his success