So Nick told me about this $50-$200 buy in no limit holdem tourney during a cash game the night before and I figured a $50 buy in to get the experience of a real structured tourney would be worth it + free food and drinks. I ended up buying in for $75 when I noticed that some people were buying in for quite a bit more than me. Someone at my table told me the original head count was near 45 but not sure exactly.
I started out with 6k in chips out of the possible 16k chip buy in. Blinds started at 50/100 I think, doubling every 20 min. First big hand early in the tourney I got pocket 10's. Flop was Q X 10. Turn and River were blanks but three hearts were out there. Two people ended up going all in on the river, I called. One had KQ and the other had 9 10. I found out they came together and everyone at the table thought there was something fishy going on with one trying to "lose" all her chips to the other by acting like she'd never played before. They were the first two out of the tourney and this got me up to near 20k in chips. With some pot stealing and small pots I was at 21k after 4 rounds of blinds.
I went card dead for a while then had a raise infront of me with AhJc in my hand. I called the raise in middle position. Got 1 more caller behind me. After the flop it was checked around, turn brought three hearts to the board. Checked around. River was a blank. There was a K or Q on the board but it was checked around on the river. Original raiser had AJ also and the other caller won the pot with pp 4's. I almost went on tilt having put both players on little to nothing and should have taken a stab at that pot. I then immediately went super card dead for a while and rode my remaining stack to the final table of 10.
Final table was CrAzY- Another person and I were short stacked by quite a bit. I had overwhelming chip leader directly to my right. Chip leader quickly knocked out 3 people holding 6's, KJ, and AJ I think. His Q's held up. I somehow made it to 3 handed with a few all ins/ stolen blinds. 3 handed was full of us 3 hitting the river like no other. I hit it several times, but I was the favorite pre flop on all of those. I also flopped a straight with my BB 2 6. I slow played it, and the original chip leader hit trips on the river and called my all in. I then called his all in with AK against his K8. Flop came 8xA. He never caught up.
Heads Up- Through some more all ins and blind stealing I got just over even. My BB, the other player went all in, I looked down at AA's and instacalled. He had pp 4's and rivered a str8. That left me with 2 chips. I then somehow built my stack back up a little bit but eventually almost blinded out and pushed all in hitting a straight of my own on the river to stay in it. Eventually I built up the chip lead and called an all in with 56 suited. I hit the five on the flop, he rivered a 7. I then built up a chip lead again and called his all in with K7 against his K5. I turned the 7 & the river came 5 and that was it.
I'm still trying to take it all in that I won a $1000 poker tourney considering that I've never won more than $70-$80 before. I just tried to pay a lot of attention to other peoples styles and act according to my read, while using my tight aggressive table image to my advantage. In the end it was mentally exhausting, but damn worth it.
Anyways I thought I'd share as per Nick's suggestion I do so. Thanks!
reraised calls(sorry Nick!) but there were a few calling stations to start out. I fixed that quickly after my trip 10's & a small take down soon after. As we got within 20 people play tightened up and then there were a few "questionable" all ins at the final table. 
