81 player live tournament

I had a good time at the tournament last night. There were 81 players.

I played super-tight. I was active in two hands up until the first break. In the first hand I was the big blind, it was checked to me, and I hit top pair on the flop (9's) so I bet and everyone folded.
Then, I raised with 6/6 just as they announced the break. (This is my favorite hand by the way.) I raised.
Some of people called me.
The flop had my third 6. The other two cards were a rainbow, I think maybe a Jack or Queen high, with a rag.
Anyway, I bet again and everyone called.
The flop was the fourth suite/rag.
I bet again and only the newbie at the table called. (An old lady who had never played a tournament before).

Now, this lady had made a comment a few minutes earlier, something along the lines of, "It seems like all you have to do in this game is bet at the end and everybody folds to you." So, I checked the river. I was pretty certain he just had something like Ace high, and was pretty sure she'd follow her own advice.

She did.
She put me all in, and I raked in the chips. I went from 720 or so chips to 2,400 that hand.

During that hand the guy across from me said (in front of everybody). "I've been watching you. That's the first hand you've played all night, huh?"

I smiled and told him it was the second. I smiled because, that comment of his was going to beat "don't mess with this guy" into even the thickest of heads.

the icing on the cake was that my two friends were on break so they were there to witness me rake in the large pot.

When we got back from break I went on a bluffing streak that tripled me up. (At one point I literally paused and thought to myself, "I'm robbing these people blind.") On the second hand after the break I was able to isolate the newbie old lady, firing away each time. I was bluffing all the way, firing a shot each time. When the fourth diamond hit I could tell she missed it (as did I) so I bet on the river and raked in another big pot.
She asked, "Did you have it?" and I just shrugged. I worked hard to get to the point where I could steal, so I wasn't going to admit to any bluff.

The crucial hand of the game was maybe 10 or 15 minutes before I got knocked out. I was dealt King/King and only called (I know... bad move. I threw the wrong number of chips out.)

The I-watch-too-much-TV-poker guy on my left thought my call was weakness, and moved all in for an additional 2,200. Everyone else folded.
(I'd like to note that Mr. I-watch-too-much-TV-poker had a poker ball-cap and sunglasses, but they did nothing to disguise his tells)

I always lose with "Ace Magnets." Whenever I have A/A or K/K I always lose to a straight. Not trips, not two-pair, but a straight.
Thinking about it logically I knew I had to call. He wouldn't have bet like that if he wanted to be called, so I was guessing A/Q or A/J.

I called.

When he showed his King/Ten I was relieved. I was 90% to win!

The flop was a 2/9/Q.
On the turn he shouted, "Jack!" but it was another 9.
On the river he shouted, "Jack!" and it was the %$#! Jack, giving him the straight and the $6,200 (or whatever) pot.

If I would have won that hand I'd have gotten to the final table (barring any other bad beats).

Shortly after that the blinds went up to 400/800 and I couldn't catch any cards. I was down to 1,500 when I was the big blind. Normally I'd go all-in but I had 8/3 off suite. Bleh!
When I was small blind I had 10/4 off suite, so I went all-in. A few people called, but I didn't hit anything and was out in 18th (or so) place.

We were down to two tables at that point and people were dropping like flies. Pretty much if you were in, you were all-in.

Again, if I had that additional 6,200 in chips I could have stolen, easily, another 2,000 chips and it would have been a different story.

I'll get'em next time.

I am impressed with my ability to read though. Only one player, an old black guy named Charlie, had me stumped. Everyone else I could put on a hand, or not.
Well, the guy to Charlie's right I misread once (in a big way), but I wasn't involved in the pot at the time so it didn't burn me. I just filed his tell under "iffy."