Early on in this morning’s freeroll (level 3, BB is 30), I find myself UTG with rockets. I raise to 60, MP2 raises to 90, and MP3 goes over the top. I call and MP2 calls. MP2 had KQo, MP3 had nines, and I swept the pot (2760). I was in good shape.

Then I got moved to another table where I met the luckiest guy in the world. It’s level 4, BB is 50, and lucky guy’s the chip leader with 260 times the big blind. He’s UTG. The next biggest stack is UTG+1, with 65 times the big blind. Lucky guy decides to call, UTG+1 raises to 425, MP1 re-raises to 870 (all-In), Lucky guy calls, UTG+1 re-raises all-in (3275), and Lucky guy calls. Lucky guy has 92o, UTG+1 has KK, and MP1 has JJ. Here’s the board: 7 A 9 2 5. Unbelievable. Lucky guy now has 340 times the big blind.

Over the course of several hands, I notice that lucky guy plays almost every hand (at least four of the ten people at our table were away) and either uses his stack to push people around, or pairs a rag for a win. I stay out of his way and resolve to only play the premium hands.

A few levels later, I get a premium hand. I’m in the CO with cowboys. Two people limp (BB is 150) and I raise to 500. Lucky guy is in the big blind and calls. One of the limpers calls and the other folds. Flop is 2 2 J. Lucky guy checks, limper bets 375, and I raise all-in. Was this a mistake? I don’t know, I think I was pretty safe with my pre-flop raise. Lucky guy has 9x the chips I have and calls. Limper folds. Lucky guy has pocket fives and I figure I’m good. There are only two cards out there that can help him. He doesn’t have any runner-runner flush or straight draws whatsoever. Predictably, the turn flips up a 5 and I bounce in 98th. Lucky guy eventually finishes in the money in 20th place.

Now, I’m sure I could have folded into the money (people get desperate), but who the hell folds cowboys?