First Casino Poker Tournament

So Tuesday I ventured over to Canada to play in a NLHE Tourney. I have played hundreds of tourneys but never played in a Casino. I have logged many hours playing online and then there is my Monthly Home Game that is only 10-14 people. This was a $55 6 table tourney, top 10 paid. The structure was a little less than stellar but I could handle it. 2000 starting chips and blinds started at 25/50 and increase every 20 minutes. So it was accumulate chips fast and hope to have a decent stack by the 4th level when the blinds were 200/400.

So I sit down at my table. Table 6 seat 6. Seems like a friendly group of guys. First hand is dealt and I am in MP and it is folded to me. I look down at Ks Qc. First mistake in this hand was I limped. I generally HATE playing the first hand because I have no info on the players at my table yet. Button called, SB completed, BB checked. Flop comes Q J 9 (suits unimportant). SB and BB check. I bet 150. Button fold, SB calls, BB folds. Turn comes a K. SB bets 300 and I call. River brings a 6. SB bets 600. Second mistake on this hand. For some stupid reason I missed the straight possiblility. Totally missed it. Never in my entire time, even when I was new to the game did I ever miss anything so freaking obvious. I called and he showed T2 for the K high straight. I just fell apart. I couldn't believe how utterly donkish I was in that hand. 1. If I raised like I should have then he would not have called with that hand even in the SB. If I paid any attention I could have not paid him off at the end. I might have put him on a straight on the turn and paid the 300 to hit a K or Q for a boat, maybe, but I sure as hell would have held on to that 600 on the river.

So I am now in bad shape and need to find a good hand to double up. When down to 325 in chips UTG raises to 300. MP reraises to 800. Folded to me on the button. I look, already pissed that two players have shown some serious strength, and see two Kings. Sweet! I push in my 325. SB, BB, and UTG fold and it is me and the reraiser. He shows two 7's and my hand holds up and I more than triple up.

Cards go dead cold. In the span of 6 hands I have 84o three times,94o, and 83o. I finally get down to 600 when I am moved to a new table. 3 hands in I get dealt 99 and push all in UTG. I get two callers. QJ when he flopped the straight. Bah! Finished 42nd out of 60. Eh, that was all my fault. Better luck next time.