Sooooo close

So I played the $50+5 qualifier at UltimateBet that gives a $2,000 WSOP seat and $1,000 in cash. I took some sleep before to be fresh for the 2:45am start.

I must say this is definitely the best tournament (especially for a qualifier) that I ever saw. Fifteen minutes blinds and the blinds increase very slowly. During the first hour the 1,200 starting stack is worth 20BB's or more and even in level 5 it would still be around 15 BB.
That's one of the reasons this tournament took 3,5h with 79 participants.

I haven't played at UB for some time and I was really surprised. In my memory the majority there played very tight. But this tournament had lots of calling stations. No bluffing possible and I was lucky that my bluffs yielded results due to the fact that I hit at least something. Three clubs on the board or an ace on the board means nothing to them. What the hell is a "scary board" ;-))
The upside of getting caught bluffing was that I could take advantage of my loose "luckbox" image and got paid of with obvious full houses and straights several times as nobody could believe that I changed my style very fast. And I got really good cards for some time. It was like everytime I bet I hit at least something. In the whole tournament I got AA for three times(!) and they never got cracked and paid off big everytime.

Until shortly before we reached the final table I was usually Top5. Then I got a bad hit and went back to average stack but manged to reach the final 10 and pumped up my stack again and was chipleader for some time. The FT was awful tight and it took ages to eliminate the first players.
Then this hand came across: I was in the big blind with 3,4 and it was folded around and the SB just called. The flop came 5,6,7 ... yeah! He bet, I called. Two blanks on the turn and the river. SB bet every round and I called it. Can you imagine: two people flopping a straight in the same round? Unfortunately he was holding 8,9 ... ouch!
This left me super-short-stacked with 5 players and 4 got paid. Gee, should I become the bubble-boy after such a great tournament? The very next hand I got AJ and decided that it was time for a decision. Went all-in, got callers, flop was AJx and I was back in the game. Finally the bubble bursts and I will get at least $195 but it comes better: I bust the next player and one more is busted by the chipleader.

We're heads-up and I will get at least $475 and now have a shot to the big prize. Unfortunately my opponent has about 70,000 while I have around 24,000. I manage to reach 36,000 but finally I got busted: In the SB I check with 85 and the flop comes 85x with two clubs and a heart. We bet and raise. The turn brings another club and my opponent raises. That's bad, really bad ... if I fold here I have barely 16,000 left so I'm pot-commited here. I am not sure if if he made his flush but I have to call anyway (with 4 outs left for a full house). No help on the river and he has the flush with the AK of clubs. I think I should have gone all-in after the flop but I am sure he would have called anyway.

Now I know how it feels to win money and feel like a loser. I never was that close! Looking back at the nine satellites I played I was ITM two times (the other was a 4th from 89 at FullTilt). Due to todays win I am up in winnings trying to qualify for the WSOP which is a good thing. Therefore I allow myself another shot at UB next week (because I still will be up even if I don't cash there).

So to answer the question: After I slept for another two hours (before I went to work) I decided to feel like a winner. I had a good tournament and I made money. That's all that counts at the moment.