THE Comeback - A Chip-and-a-Chair Drama

Blinds were 80,000/160,000 and I was hanging on with just 20,000 chips — less than an ante. I had just lost an all-in flip when my 7♦ 7♠ ran into K♠ Q♠, and the king on the flop sealed my fate. Or so I thought.

The very next hand I was in the big blind, all-in automatically for my last 20K. Michael Bueza and Revo David both called and checked it down as the board ran 3♣ 9♠ 9♦ 4♦ A♦. Neither connected. I hadn’t even looked at my hand until the end. I turned over A♠ 7♠, and the ace on the river gave me the pot. Somehow, I was still alive with 60,000.

Sixty thousand wasn’t even close to a blind, so the next hand I was forced all-in again from the small blind. Two players limped, then Benjamin Perez shoved from the big blind to push them off. He took the side pot, but the main pot of more than 540,000 was still in play. Perez showed 8♠ 8♥. I peeled and revealed Q♣ T♣.

The flop landed Q♣ 4♥ T♥ — two pair, queens and tens. The turn and river were blanks, and just like that I scooped the pot. From less than an ante to half a million.

On the very next hand, I was on the button. Action folded to me, and I shoved my entire 540,000, just trying to steal the blinds. Perez snapped me off again, this time with 6♦ 6♥. I sheepishly turned over J♠ 9♣. Overcards at least.

The flop came 5♠ J♥ 4♥, pairing my jack right away. The turn 5♦ and river A♥ changed nothing. Another double. Suddenly, I was stacking over a million. 

Back-to-back-to-back. But wait, there's more...

By now the rail was absolutely losing it. A few minutes earlier I’d been ready to bow out in 5th place with crumbs. Now strangers I didn’t even know were cheering me on like I was one of their own.

Then came the hand that sealed the comeback. Perez opened under the gun and I shoved all-in for 1,480,000, hoping he’d back off. Instead, he called and put his last 1,260,000 at risk. Again, I sheepishly turned over my cards — J♠ 7♠ — caught bluffing, just trying to apply pressure. At that point I honestly had nothing to lose.

Perez revealed K♥ J♥, and I was dominated. The flop came 9♦ T♠ A♠, giving me both a flush draw and a gut-shot. The 8♣ landed on the turn and the straight was there. The river A♥ changed nothing. Perez was suddenly out in 5th, and I was stacking 2.5 million. 

Back-to-Back-to-Back-to-Back. A four-peat. WOW! 

Fist bump to Perez, who just sadly couldn't win a flip against me. High five to the strangers. Snickering laughs with Revo David while stacking my chips. Even he couldn't believe how luck I was.

Four handed and still buzzing, I shoved under the gun with A♥ 5♦, and Bueza called from the small blind with K♠ Q♦. The flop came Q♣ 8♠ A♣, putting me ahead. The board ran out 8♦ 9♠, and my paired ace held. Bueza was gone in 4th, and I had 3.4 million in front of me.

Five-peat. Fist bump and hugs to Bueza - who is such a gentleman on and off the felt.

Shaking Hands With Michael Bueza

I had second largest stack when we hit three-handed. And the only stack that could end my miracle run was Liu, the nemesis who had reduced me to 20,000.

I warned him "I'm getting those back" pointing to his chip stack.

However... 

I opened to 400K, Liu three-bet to 850K, and I shoved. He tanked, used up a couple of time banks, wondered if dragons really once flew the Earth, wasn't dissuaded when I said "You only have king high. I'm ahead." and still braved the call with K♥ J♥.

True enough, I was ahead with A♥ 6♦ and he had king-high. But the board came K♣ Q♠ 3♠ 9♥ 2♦, giving him the king he needed. His stack barely covered mine, and I was out in 3rd.

GG To Li Ming Liu

At 20,000, I’d already surrendered. I told myself 5th place was fine, and my body felt heavy with the weight of it. Then the ace on the river gave me new life. The next hands came like lightning strikes — two pair against eights, a jack on the flop with nines, the straight against Perez, the ace to bust Bueza. My heart raced, my hands shook, and the room went from silence to chaos.

The wildest part was the rail. I didn’t know a single soul in the room, but as the pots stacked, strangers became my chorus. They clapped, cheered, and shouted with every all-in. Who doesn’t love a comeback? From 20K to 3.4 million, from dead-last to the podium, from nothing to knocking out two more players for a pay jump. I didn’t win the trophy, but I walked away with the best story in the room - and one of the most fun runs of my life.

I texted John Matsuda - who staked me this series and who I was updating every now and then from making the bubble, final 24, final 16 and final table - and I told him the story. I remember John telling me - don't worry about the stake, just have fun.

First thing I said - I HAD SOOOO MUCH FUN!

Oh... and Revo David eventually won!