Marathon Monday Night Tournament

So about that Monday night tournament. I told you that it was a first for me in the history of the Monday night tournament (well except for when it was 120 people playing at Big Mike's bar). Notorious open shover of the first hand RB showed up after a long long long hiatus so in the spirit of the return to the felt decided to ............. show up late and miss a few hands. Thats not the first time for that. I had to play one half of a league basketball game. I told them to let me play the first half and I would leave for the second. I didnt open shove and I didnt lose on the first hand which incidentally did also happen to me at Big Mike's once and it was to RB who was making his triumphant return. Ahh the circle of poker life. Actually a guy I played basketball with for years before we ever played tournament poker got second place in this very tournament. And the circle continues. I was really very active in this tournament. I made some good hands and I made some good bluffs. Unfortunately I also made some bad bluffs and made the second best hand quite a few times. I remember once after I had chipped up and had about 40% of the chips with 2 tables still playing I boldly asked what 1st was paying. It took less than 10 minutes to go down to about 20 big blinds for that peak. To get that chip stack I basically coolered Jack almost back to back and he still wasnt out. He musta had 50% in play before that. I think I also slow played AA against UTG raiser the nut ball of all tournament players who we shall call the White Rick Ross. The WRR hung in there a long time and even asked what first was paying a coupla times when I was short and he was stacked. So we got down to 6 and the chop talk started from the short stacks. I never said no but I knew it wasnt gonna happen. I doubled up a short stack and got down to 15k when blinds were 500/1000. I opened with 4s for 3500 and got a caller from the blind. The flop is an Ace and I get checked to. I bet another 5000 effectively risking my tournament and the other guy went into the tank. God please dont call. He folded and I showed like an idiot but it did ssend him on tilt and he was out soon. Now I really cant remember much after that. We talked about chopping at 4 handed when everyone was pretty even but there was a hold out. The same guy who won it last week. When we got down to three I tightened up a lot. The dealer gave me a wtf look at one point but I knew I was going to get heads up. The two guys left were gonna clash for sure. We talked about a save but decided to just keep playing. One of them raised every pot basically untill the other finally caught a hand. I had raised a few times in there but only with good hands. So I end up heads up with the non-chopper. This guy will definitely call with marginal hands and push back against raises real light. The last time we played heads up he demolished me. Well this one didnt start off too good. He had way more chips. About 70% of them I think. I was down to 21k in the 6k big blind and he pushed. I had 15k left in my stack and had 8,4. I figured I was live and if I folded I would have to push and gauranteed to get called the next round. I thought a while and opted to push the next hand. I picked up a K and pushed. I got called by an Ace. 30k in the pot and a King hits in the door and holds up. I think I push all-in again with a small pair and he folds. We get allin again and I have an Ace I think and he has Q4 suited. He atually called the allin with that and I win. I dont think he had to call there. I think he wouldve had about 40% of the chips left. Now Im chip leader. At some point he pushes and I call with an Ace. He flops a pair but I river an Ace and its over. 1st payed $400. The thing that had never happened was wining that tournament straight up with no save. I had only played the whole thing out one other time and it was against the same guy. It was 11:45 at that point and I didnt see getting to play cash since I would only really be able to play for 45 minutes (justifiably since I do have a job the next morning). Not that Ive never played until i had to go or be late to work. That really makes for a miserable Tuesday though.