[Buckeye22]

Tournament at a local bar, $30 buy-in, 38 players - first place is $600. Six players remain, and I've got the second biggest stack with 75k. I've got incredible reads on all the remaining players, and I feel like there's no reason I won't win (but then again, I always feel that way.) My reputation is incredibly solid - compared to me, Harrington looks like Gus Hansen.

Twice in the last ten minutes, I've picked up a pocket pair, and raised to 3 1/2 times the big blind against Joe, who limped.

Both times, I hit a set on the flop. Both times an ace hits, I check to Joe, he bets out the pot, and I raise him 3x his bet.

He calls, and I then lead out with bets of 3/4 of the pot on both fourth and fifth street both hands, and he calls both times with two pair, aces and jacks, and aces and queens. I rake in big pots with sets of nines and tens.

Present hand: I'm in the big blind, and Joe limps, as does the small blind. I wake up to 8c4c. I decide this is a good time to make a move, as the small blind has just enough to not be desperate, and I've cleaned Joe's clock twice recently. I raise 3 1/2 times the big blind. Joe calls, the small blind folds.

The flop comes K-J-5 rainbow. I check, and Joe bets into me again. I reraise him 3x his bet. He calls.

The turn comes an 8, and I bet out 3/4 of the pot. The river's a K, and I bet 3/4 of the pot, which put me all-in. Joe doesn't hesitate for a second, and calls.

He shows 3-3!!!! And I'm out in 6th place. Crazy. All five community cards are above his hand, I've completely destroyed his once huge chip lead in the last ten minutes, and he calls me with 3's!!

Sixth place prize - $30. Whoo-hoo...