running ok...

Cards and luck continue to be in my favor. Got into a $20 9-man tonight - started off by folding the first 20 hands. The guy to my left, who had accumulated about 2200 chips, got into an all-in hand with better cards but lost and knocked his stack in half to 1100. Next hand, I'm the small blind, with him in the big. I've got AKo and it folds around to me.

Should I limp for some deception or make the normal play - a raise with the probable best hand?

Arguments for limping include the fact that I haven't played a hand yet, so a raise (to an observant opponent) might look pretty strong, and chances are I would just win the blinds.

Arguments for raising, however, include the fact that this guy just lost half his stack, and he might tilt off the rest like a broken ATM machine with a much worse hand than AKo.

I go for the raise, and decide to make it a bit larger than normal - 4 times the blind. He shoves over me instantly.

Well, my read was that would do this with a weaker range than normal because of the last hand. I can't chicken out now. I call. He flips over AJo, and I dominate him out of the tourney. From 2200 to 0 in 2 hands for this villain. Fun times.

Went on to win the tourney, as well.