8 Chip and A Chair

8 Chip and A Chair

Everybody who's ever played poker knows the expression, 'A chip and a chair.' Which comes from the story of Jack "Treetop" Strauss and the most unbelievable World Series of Poker comeback.

Well I have never had just one chip and cameback, and this story has nothing on that story, but this is the least amount of chips I ever had, and still made a comeback to finish In the Money.


I was playing a Multi Entry Super Turbo Satellite to the BLT. About a third of the way into it, I'm doing pretty good. I have about 500 in chips, which is enough to almost comfortably wait for a great hand. I get dealt 99. I'm Under the Gun Plus Two, and normally this is an easy fold for me. The blinds are at 25/50. I had played several of these tournaments already that night, and they had really dragged out. So I thought I'd play this hand, and try to steal some blinds.
Well, I took a bit of time to come to that decision. I don't know if my clock running down made it seem like I was indecisive over a weak hand or what, but I eventually shoved All In. I get one call. A guy two seats to my left. While the other players are deciding whether to fold or not, I'm trying to figure out what he has, or what I want him to have. My first thought is, 'Please have something stupid like Q9 or K9.' Then I decide that that is highly unlikely, so I settle on hoping to see 88 or 77.
I turn over 99. He turns over A9. Pretty much a dream call. 88 or 77 would have been a little better, but what the heck. I start chanting my go to mantra in this situation, 'C'mon best hand. C'mon best h- What the f***!?! Holy s***! Jeez. Gotta be an Ace. Just has to be a freakin' Ace. Three outer. Jeez, what the f***.'
The flop was 3A3, and the Queen and Jack that came next, were no help to me. I was drawing to a one outer, if I was so lucky that no one had folded a Nine. Of course, he can hit a 3 outer on me, but there's no justice for me to one outer him. I pretty much write it off as I am out of this tournament. I have 8 chips left.

http://img839.imageshack.us/img839/8...andachair1.png

Next hand. Under the Gun Plus One. Nine Nine. Imagine that. Ha ha. Instant shove. No thoughts about it. Then I chuckle to myself as I think, 'Well this is the bastard hand that got me into this.'
One caller. Small Blind limps and Big Blind checks. 2 3 Queen flops. Everybody checks it down. 4 on the turn. Same thing. 6 on the river. Once again checked down. Small Blind shows Jack Nine off. BB shows A8o. I show 99. The limper shows T7o. I win the main pot. I now have 32 chips.

http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/528...andachair2.png

Next hand. I'm Big Blind. I am forced All In. I have Q3h. One caller. Small Blind limps. 74A flop. The caller bets out, Small Blind folds. I show Q3h, caller shows A5h. I'm destroyed. It's over. He already has paired his Ace. Once again I mentally check myself out of this tournament. Turn 5, river 2. The chips come to me. I do a double take, and realize I runner runnered the wheel. Holy Crap. I'm still in this. I now have 96 chips.

http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/734...andachair3.png

Next hand. Four Four. I am Small Blind. One third of my chips are already in the pot, 30 for that SB, leaving me with 66 chips left. I'm pretty much convinced I'm shoving here. UTG limps. UTG +1 shoves. The table folds around to me. I'm not sure what to do. If I shove my remaining 66 chips, I could easily be up against 3 other hands. 44 is garbage in that situation. 44 is pretty much garbage all the time, but its really garbage then. I think, 'What if I don't get a better hand? F*** it, I'm all in.'
Big Blind folds, and UTG +1 calls. I show 44. UTG +1 shows T9d. UTG +2, AQo. I'm screwed. There's 12 outs in just over cards. Flop goes Q2Q. I laugh. Screw pocket Fours, I knew I shoulda folded. Turn 5. Wow, so close, but no cigar. River 4. Oh my god. A Four. I won. Ha ha ha. The main pot ships to me. I have 348 chips.

http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/7...andachair4.png

Next hand. King Five of Spades. I'm on the button. Everybody folds to me. I seriously consider folding. But once again I think, 'What if I don't get a better hand before the blinds come? F*** it.' I shove. Small Blind folds. Big Blind folds. I steal. I now have 438 chips.

http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/320...andachair5.png

Next hand. Four Eight Off. That's a folder for sure. Next hand. KQ of Hearts. I highly consider shoving here, but I just survived a lot of crazy All In hands, my luck has to end sooner or later. The seat to my left bets out more than half my stack. I go, thanks for making this easy, and I fold. Thank god I did. I would have been up against AKs, JJ and 99, and I would have got eliminated.

http://img837.imageshack.us/img837/2...andachair6.png

I fold the next 2 hands. Then I get dealt Pocket Aces. I instantly shove All In. I don't have the patience to slow play these right now, and I can't bear the risk of slow playing into a suck out. My nerves are shot as it is. I hold my breath. Everybody folds. Free blinds. I now have 588 chips.

http://img713.imageshack.us/img713/7...andachair7.png

I fold the next 19 hands. All pretty much crap. Except one of those hands was AK. I folded it. I had been ante'd down to a hair above a Big Blind. We were on the bubble. I was watchin' all the other tables closely, and there was a player about to be forced All In that very hand. I decided to fold, and take my chances that he goes out. I fold, and watch that hand. Its a battle of the blinds, with the SB being the guy forced All In. He has some garbage like 74, but hes only up against 83. The board flops an 8, but Small Blind ends up catching a 9 High Straight. He's still alive. Dammit.

Three hands later. 75 Off Suit. I'm the Big Blind, and I'm forced All In. Small Blind calls. 75o v A3o. A3 holds. I'm done. I cant believe it. I got this far, and now I'm bubble boy. God! I cant believe it. I should have shoved that Ace King. Why didn't I!?!. Wait. A screen pops up. It is telling me I have been eliminated and I have received money. Some other poor chap was All In that hand too, and had less chips to start the hand than me. I cashed. Once again, I can't believe it.

http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/4...andachair8.png

Though, it very well may have been my own fault, I was down to only 8 chips, but I shoved and I shoved and I shoved my way back. Then folded and folded all the way into the money.

http://img849.imageshack.us/img849/3...andachair9.png

what the fuck??

http://img812.imageshack.us/img812/1807/published.png

lucky bastard:D was the tournament freeroll? how much profit did you have?

LOL. That is awesome. I think I got down to 34 chips in a BRM tourney and made a come back...all the way into the top 10, then I got knocked out before the money lol. Can't keep consistent play for that long. :S

Not bad at all you hunk.

The Dead lives longer, nice Comeback. But 7 5 allin? Where the Blinds so high?

lol that's funny... nice

one time i had 1 chip left in a 300 chip tourny 123 people left when 117 place survived and place lol :)

lol,good job coming back with that amount of chips,I couldn't do that because every time I go under 100 I'm loosing control and go all in with any crappy hands even if I dont have to pay nothing for that hand