Small-Tournament Roundup

What does it take to win a poker tournament? Does it take many years of experience, great knowledge of the game, and a very aggressive nature? The answer is, not necessarily. Anyone can win a poker tournament. Tournaments are a very democratic institution. Players of all shapes, sizes, ages, races, and genders have the capabilities to win a poker tournament. A little luck, a basic knowledge of the game, and a good deal of heart will allow you to capture a tournament win.

This is the story of a remarkable tournament victory by a most unlikely winner. The event was described to me by Brock Bourne. Bourne plays the Friday night no-limit hold'em tournaments at the Plaza in Downtown Las Vegas. He has been a very proficient player at these tournaments, with many wins and numerous in-the-money finishes. In this recent tournament, there were 50 players.

Bourne described the scenario as follows: "After several hours of play, I found myself playing heads up with a nice lady from Idaho. She was a tourist, and approximately 85 years old. This was her first time playing in a poker tournament, and only her fifth time playing hold'em. At the beginning of our heads-up match, I had 60 percent of the chips. With my tournament expertise and chip lead, I thought I had a pretty good chance of winning this tournament. Well, I sure was wrong.

"After playing for a while, she gained the chip lead. Then came the inevitable final hand. I had the small blind on the button. I brought it in for a small raise with pocket fives. She called. The flop was 5-3-3. I had flopped a full house. I shoved in all of my chips. She called with A-K. Naturally, I was happy with her call. I thought that there was very little chance that I would lose this pot. Little did I know. The turn and river came K-K. She made kings full and won the tournament, and was extremely excited about it. She won $700 and had all of those tournament chips stacked up in front of her."

This is a perfect example of what I stated earlier. Anyone can win a poker tournament. The excitement of a win can be exhilarating, and I am sure that this lady told all of her friends back home about her wonderful poker tournament adventure in Las Vegas. You too can win a poker tournament with limited experience. If you have not done so already, give it a try. You may well become intoxicated by the excitement of playing in poker tournaments and winning them.

If you would like to E-mail me concerning any questions, comments, or experiences, please address it to my attention (Rick Young) at [email protected].