I hit some hands tonight!

First hand of tourney. I've got 4s6c on the button after 2 limpers. I figure what the hell and limp in position.

The flop comes nothing spectacular - 2d 3c Jh. I've got a gutshot. It checks around - 4 players.

Then the turn, a 5! I've got the nuts right now, and I pray someone has just hit a set. One guy bets out (minbet), another calls, I put in a big raise, and everyone runs away. Damn!

Then I raised it up with AJ, and the worst player at the table calls me. I figure I've already got him outkicked, but then the flop comes JJ4, with two diamonds. He bets the minimum - this is the "please, I've got a little something or a draw, just call". I respond with a big raise. He calls.

Turn is the 9d. He minbets again. It didn't work the first time, it doesn't work this time - I raise to 400. He calls again. Now, can we just avoid a diamond on the river, please?

River is the 9h, and I've got the one card boat (I would have welcomed the 9d, he probably would have gone broke with a flush, even with a 2 paired board). He checks, I figure he doesn't have anything, but I want to see if I can sucker him a bit more, so I bet half his stack. He folds. Oh well, I took about 600 from him.

Finish second in that tourney.

Next tourney I play really well, go up to 2225 early, but then get stuck there and then get it all in with AQ vs villain's AK. Oops. My M was 6 and I was in "shove and don't look" mode anyway, nothing I could do there. (why couldn't he have AJ?)

The play is definitely more ragged at the $20 - I feel like I'll do well in the long-term. Need a few first place finishes, though, these 2nd place coupled with a bomb out net me $10 for a night's work.