On January 13th, 2002, Lucky Chances Casino held a 2002 World Series
of poker $10,000 Freeroll Tournament.  I qualified by winning a
limit hold-em tournament.  Every time you won a tournament during
the qualifying period (in this case, August 1st, 2001 through
January 12, 2002), you increased the amount of chips you started
with ($500 for your first win, $300 for every subsequent win).

One $50 rebuy was allowed, which would give you an extra $1000 in
chips.  The top five players would each get a $2000 receipt for
any World Series event, plus $200 in cash.  The next five spots
(final table), would split up the rebuy money.

This freeroll was originally designed to be for the Tournament of
Champions, so the structure was set up the same: alternating rounds
of limit Omaha Eight-or-Better, limit holdem, and limit seven-card
stud, then a switch to no-limit holdem.  However, with the demise
of the ToC, the event's prize was switched to the WSOP.

Of the three games, I play holdem the most, followed distantly by
both Omaha/8 and stud.  My goal was to make it to the no-limit
holdem, which I feel is my best tournament game.  To do that, I
knew I'd have to play tightly, but aggressively when I did play,
so I'd have enough chips to make it to the switch to no-limit.  I
pretty much counted on having to rebuy.

My starting table only had one player who had won more than one
qualifier, so the starting stacks were pretty even.  Floorman
Richard was on my right, and chip-runner Cliff (now a dealer/floorman)
was two to my left.

The rotation was Omaha, Holdem, and Stud, with the initial limits
at 50-100, very high compared to a $500 starting stack.  There were
two rebuys in the very first Omaha round, as the high limits made
for some "gamb00ling".  Fortunately, I caught nothing during the
Omaha and holdem rounds.

In the first stud round, I was able to bet a flush board on 5th
street and picked up a medium-sized pot.  Then two busted draws
dropped me down and I rebought.  Just before the break, I got
rolled-up deuces, and they held.  I ended the first rotation with
$1450, from a $1500 starting stack (including the rebuy).

Back in Omaha, I picked up red aces and a suited Q-9.  I raised
from middle position, got a few callers, then picked up the pot on
a ragged middle flop.  In the holdem round, I again got nothing.

In the second stud round, I again was able to bluff with a flush
board, and I pushed Richard off his winning hand and showed down
kings-up (he'd played his aces up very passively and I was being
very aggressive).  This would pay off again for me in the next stud
rotation.  I ended the second rotation with $2425, a medium stack.

In the final Omaha round, I had A(AJ4) and was heads-up with a
third player all-in.  We checked the board down, and although I
got rivered when my heads-up opponent made two-pair, the damage
was minimal.  In holdem, I again got garbage.

The third stud round had a memorable hand.  I started with split
jacks and an ace kicker.  I raised on third street and after hitting
my ace on fourth street, bet all the way.  I rivered an ace to
make the boat, beating a rivered straight and a rivered flush.
At the switch to no-limit holdem, I had about $4500.

Down to two tables (18 players), it was time to start being careful
about the tournament strategy.  Since the top five places were all
equal, it wasn't necessary to accumulate chips quite as single-mindedly
as in a regular tournament.  Some of the players clearly didn't
know or believe in this.

I doubled up Patti Beadles when her KK beat my KQ, and had to switch
to survival poker.  The antes were at 75, the blinds at 300-600,
I was in the big blind with only $600 left after posting.  The
small blind raised to $1200, and I had a K2 off-suit.  I called
all-in, and hit a king to triple up.

Still with a short stack, and getting closer to the money, I had
to hope that others would make mistakes and let me sneak into the
final table. With antes at 100 and blinds at 700-1500, and all-in
for less than the big blind, the mistakes I'd hoped for happened.
Some early players limped, trying to eliminate me.  Then a late
position raise and the small blind went all-in, folding the limpers.
and the late raiser called the all-in (he covered the small blind).
My 84 suited looked pretty weak, though I did flop an 8.  I needed
an 8 on the river, or I would be eliminated.  The two-outer came
through: an 8 on the river gave me the enriched main pot (due to
the limpers), and the big stack eliminated the small blind, sending
me to the final table with $5000, a very short stack.

Unfortunately, when we redrew for the button at the final table,
I ended up having to take the big blind again.  Folding that, plus
the small blind left me with $2800 on the button.  Amazingly,
it was folded to me and I picked up pocket three's.  I went all-in
for slightly less than a full raise.  Both blinds called and checked
down the board, 4-6-7-X-X (I don't remember what they were).  Turns
out the big blind had called with 53 off-suit and flopped the nuts.

That sent me to the rail, but I picked up a modest amount for my
tenth place finish.

Lucky Chances is having two more freerolls for the World Series of
Poker: one giving away seats for the $5,000 buyin limit holdem
event on May 11th, 2002, and another for the Championship Event:
the $10,000 buyin no-limit holdem tournament from May 20th to May
24th, 2002.  You can e-mail or call to find out how to qualify.

Even better, Lucky Chances' Tournament Director, Matt Savage, will
be co-directing the entire World Series (with Steve Morrow).
Congratulations, Matt!