My Cake Poker Monthly $100,000 Guarantee

Well, played the $100,000 guarantee on Saturday, January 5th by winning one of the 100 freeroll entries they give away. First of all, let me say that this tourney is extremely top heavy and has a ridiculous structure. What can I say, I played for free and had a chance at $75k.

Starting chips are 1500 and blinds increase every 10 minutes and after an hour it's 100/200 with a 25 ante. Yes very aggressive! There were just over 1400 entries and only top 30 get paid! That's like just over 2%. If you make the final table, your guaranteed at least $500, that's right people $500!! Here is the top payouts:

1st:$75,000
2nd:$10,000
3rd:$ 5,000
4th: $2,500
5th $1000
6th - 10th: $500

Well, needless to say I didn't make the money. I played well, but the structure was so aggressive that I only made it to the 9th level and pushed with pocket 4's to get taken down by 95o. Can't blame the guy as I only raised to $1200 when he had in excess of $75k. Busted with just over 300 people left. I did have an interesting hand that I should have lost all my money on.

Blinds are 50-100, I have $4500
Dealt AA in 5th position.
UTG raises to $450
This was good enough for me to just call hoping to get a little action, UTG has about $6000.
Everyone folds and it's heads up.
Flop comes 389 all hearts.
UTG checks (alarm triggers in my head, raises before flop, checks flop, hmmmmmm.)
I decide to bet half the pot to see where he is.
UTG hesitintly calls (DANGER WILL ROBINSON....DANGER)
Turn brings a balck 2.
UTG checks, I check.
River comes a black 3.
UTG bets out $900.
There's a good amount of money in the pot and I can't get away from my aces, I don't put him on a flopped set or a decent hand, the only thing I can think of is AKh.
I make the call and sure enough AKh for the nut flush.

I analyze the hand and I believe I make all the right moves and lose the minimum amount possible. If I push preflop, we would have surely gotten all the money in and I would have lost. By betting the flop and checking the turn, I get to see his hand for just a value bet on the river. Oh well, at least this hand didn't break me. Guess I'll have to wait another time for that $75,000 payday!

WOW! Only 30/1400 getr paid!!! That is as top heavy as I have seen! Better luck next time man...

Wow, that is a horrendous payout structure. Top 3 of 1300 get 90% of the prize pool? Eeshk.

Still, congrats on your deep run -- wish you could have gotten paid off, but sounds as if you played it well.