Peppermill $1000 main event

119 players, 10,000 starting chips, 40 min levels, blinds started at 25-50. Decent structure. Paying 13 spots, first placde $41K

I have Susie Issacs at my table in the 2 seat. Another woman in the 8, a aggro bluffer (as i will see) named Fred in the 1, and two weak players in the 3 and 5. I'm in the 9.

I get 4c5c second hand, check my BB to a few limpers and then flop a flush with the 2c-3c-Qc. I bet out and everyone folds. Meh.

Next hand I have red KK in the SB. Player in seat 7 limps. I decide to get tricky and complete and the BB checks. Flop comes 3 babies and I bet half the pot. 1 seat calls. Turn an ugly Ace and I check-fold. Meh again.

I'm playing more hands than I planned on, but no junk, and I'm chipping up a bit. Fred likes to make big bets on the river, and he's done so with nothing more than ace high at least once (another player called him with 4th pair). Eventually I get JJ UTG and raise the 100-200 blinds to 625. Fred calls. Flop comes Q-3-7 rainbow and I want to check raise but he checks behind. Turn is a duece and I bet 1200. He calls. River is an offsuit 9. I bet 2000. He immediately makes it 6000. Wow. Didn't see that coming. Well, its a pretty big bet, and if I call and lose I'm down to about 3-4000 chips. Then, after only tanking a short time he calls a clock on me. I dunno if he expected me to fold at that point but it must have pushed me to call. He has A7 for no pair and I win a big pot and have about 20K in chips now.

I end up playing some pots I shouldn't-- I get suited connectors a bit and actually flop draws but have to pay to see them. At one point I have 74o in the BB and see a free flop of 5-6-T. Hmm. It costs me a bet to see the turn which is another 5. There is also a spade draw out. The river brings the 3s, completing a flush draw, giving me a straight, and of course the board is paired. I bet out 1500 and woman #2 in the 8 seat pushes. Meh meh meh. I can't call, although it occured to me she might have just had trip fives.

At the 150-300/25 level this hand comes up:

I am in the BB with 9To. Two people limp and 3 to the flop of 9c-Tc-2d Nice. I bet out 600. First limper raises to 1800. Second limper calls 1800. Now, there is a possibility that I am behind to a set of deuces here, but that is about it. The other hands out there are like AT, a flush draw, and maybe JQ, but I doubt it. I think I'm good and I raise another 3000, leaving me about 10,000 behind. First limper folds, but the next guy calls. Hmmm.. Turn is an offsuit Jack. I don't really like this card, but unless he has exactly 78 or 22, I'm still good. I can't see that he called my 3-bet on the flop with JT. The pot has over 10K in it so my options are pretty limited. I'm not going to fold to his bet, so I just push. I'm pretty sure this is correct. He tanks. Damn. I really want to just take this down now-- its a big pot. He calls and flips over J9o. Ugh. The horror. I'm drawing pretty thin and he busts me when another 9 hits the river, filling us both up.

Now, how does this guy call me on the flop with J9? I don't really understand what just happened. I think I played it right and the guy was just a donkey. He had middle pair, no draw and I was showing lots of strength.