A good bit has happened since my last proper post. One of those things that has happened since is that I had a long post wrote on the satellite to the EPM but of course blogspot decided to crash and become unavailable when I tried to publish it. Always keep a backup, people.
As mentioned, I won a ticket to play in the European Poker Masters and I was looking forward to this. The day arrived and I had taken Friday off to ensure I had a good sleep in before it. When I got to the SE to register at around 2pm I seen Eric Seidel at a table reading a book, Howard Lederer standing at the bar talking, and Mike Matusow doing an interview on camera. I was getting excited at this point. Reading the media waivers and T's & C's amused me somewhat, especially the part that said some thing like 'The Poker Channel has all rights to this broadcast throughout the Universe on all current and yet to be devised forms of media'. I can just imagine the interplanetery lawsuit that might erupt is the denizens of Persius 5 broadcast this over Christmas.
Anyways, on to the tourney. There were 75 runners I think and the following were some of the names in this.
Mike Matusow
Eric Seidel
Howard Lederer
Allen Cunningham
Chris Ferguson
Clonie Gowan
Gavin Smith
Dave Colclough
Andy Black
Liam Flood
John McGill
Peter Roche
A few other notables that I can't think of the names of, as well as a good few other pros of the lesser well known variety.
My first table though consisted of entirely Irish palyers, most of which I had played with before, so it was a strange start. I didn't get too involved in the first level and then our table broke and I got moved into the seat Peter Roche had been occupying at a table that included Howard Lederer, Eric Seidel and Alan Smurfit (of the K Club clan). I think during my first hour at the table I didn't play a hand. In the following 2 before the dinner break I think I played about 5 hands, all of which I won and took me to a stack of about 15k at the first break. We started with 10k and 60 minute levels.
The second hand back after the break was when I got involved in my first big pot. Blinds are 100/200 and I am in the BB. Two EP limpers, SB calls and I check my option with K9 spades. The flop comes a beautiful As8s5s which is checked around. The turn comes 3s and I bet 400 which is raised to 2k by the SB (he check raised me!!). I think and flat call it. River is 6s, so there are 2 unlikely straight flush draws out there (2s4s or 4s7s), but I was not unduly worried about this. SB bets 4k into me, I raise it to 10k (which I thought put him all in but as it turned out he had me covered. I had only about 12k in total behind) and he shoves all in which I call. He shows the QsJd and says 'oh you have the king'. Nice donation.
That put me in good shape and the other key hand of the day for me came when I was in the BB (600) also with about 30k. It was folded to the SB (300 - he covers me), and before I looked I told him there was no shame in folding. He calls anyhow and I look at 66. With the blinds and antes (75) there is 1500 in the pot, so I make it 1800 more to play which is called. Flop comes a lovely 568r. He checks, I lead for 2500, he calls. Turn is another 8. He leads for 3k, I make it 8k. I meant to raise to about 10k, but jsut took an arbitrary amount of chips. He calls. River is a 10. He leads for 5k into about a 27k pot which is very strange I think. I have only about 17k behind at this point and did contemplate pushing, but quickly decided a call was the sensible course of action. He showed 84 soooted and my sixes full take down a nice put. I was in cruise control after that, winning small pots, getting to a high of about 50k. I finish the day though on 45k which put me second in chips overnight, albeit in a very bunched field.
The most embarrassing incident of the day happened only a short time before play ended. I raised from the CO with AKs and it got round to the BB. I was seating in seat 8 (8 handed, so beside the dealer) and started talking to the BB about a hand earlier when he thought he dogged me when I had fuck all in fact. He folded anyhow and I said to him "OK, I'll show you just this once", and proceeded to show my AK. What I only realised when the others at the table started looking and acting shocked is that Howard Lederer had called from the small blind. Oops. A ruling was given that I was not allowed to bet at any point in the hand, only call. Flop comes T high with 3 hearts. Howard bets he turn which is a J and I of course can't call. It was an embarrassing incident, but these things happen occasionally. It just goes to prove that you should always be alert. The most comical aspect of it is that this incident, at 12.30am, on the 7th level of the day, is the first hand I have shown all day when not required to.........
I was in good shape starting day 2, but I got a horrendous run of cards and got blinded down somewhat, and losing a 30k with ATs vs shorties KJo all in preflop didn't help either. When it got down to about 18 players or so I was in trouble and hanging in. Some how though I managed to survive without ever being all in and knocked Andy Black (shortstack) out along the way. I only surpassed my initial chip total for the day in the last 15 mins of play, so that shows what a struggle it was.
I had made the final table!!!!!!
The final table took place not in the SE, where the rest of the event took place, but in the Royal Colelge of Physicians. It was a mad experience, what with filling out a questionairre, doing a pre tournament interview, 2 post tournament interviews, and wearing a heart monitor and a microphone during play. Everything was different. The cards were bigger, the chips were much bigger, there was a glass sheet to put your cards on so the camera could see. There was a dude with a microphone announcing when someone raised (Mel Judah or else Barry who had done the first 2 days), and we were sitting at one of those semi circular tables. We had to do a walk on for the cameras one by one to audience applause.
I actually thought it would be more nerve wracking than it was, but to be honest it was little different when we got down to it. There were a few teething difficulties along the wy, such as starting an hour late, stopping for 10 mins after 3 hands and having to get the cameras looked at a couple of other times, but after the initial hiccups it went smoothly enough.
The final table lineup and approx chip counts were as follows.
1: Dave Colclough 222k
2: Thomas Trings 22.5k
3: Me 58k
4: Tony Baitson 108k
5: Adrian Walshe 120k
6: Alan Smurfit 51k
7: Vera Duffy 6.5k
8: Thomas Wahlroos 169k
The blinds were reset to 1k/2k/200 for the first 30 mins, instead of the 2k/4k/500 we ended at the night before. I made my usual folding start, and it was about a round of the table in when I won my first hand, stealing the blinds. I did this a few times, getting called prefop twice, both times winning with a flop bet, once with an overpair, once with a missed K high on an A high board. The highest I got in the entire tournament was about 70k I believe.
Th crucial hand came for me when I raised with AQd on the button to 10k (1500/3k/300) and Tony on the SB goes all in straight away. Tony had just lost a big pot a few hands ago so I knew a few things.
1. He had a fairly wide range. Any pair, and decent A, possible even decent suited connectors.
2. He knew I wouldn't call unless I had a genuine hand.
3. I was in good shape against his range.
4. He might have thought it was just a button raise.
It was an easy enough call getting nearly 2/1 on the rest of my chips based on the above and he flipped 44 over. I missed and am on life support at this point with only 10k left. We go on a break at this point which I wasn't overjoyed about, as I knew I only had 3 hands at most left so I wanted to get it over with one way or another. When we came back, on the 2nd hand I pick up TT which is loads good enough, so I ship my small stack in. Thomas W reraises to keep Dave Colclough out, and after a think Dave does fold.
Thomas shows KQo and we are in another race. The fop comes all low - lovely - but with 3 hearts and he has the K of hearts, so nasty. The turn is another low red cards, but a diamond and the river is the killer A hearts to give him the nuts, and I am out. Ah well.
In a way I was happy enough because I didn't do anything wrong, I just didn't win a race. Mostly I was gutted though. Very gutted. With 85.5k for first it was disappointing to come away with 6,750. I know that is a nice sum of money and a nice profit on 315 etc etc, but I am sure that most of the readers of this know where I am coming from, as opposed to a load of other people who interpret me saying I was gutted as the same thing as saying "I don't want 6750 at all".
I am on a good run lately, and am feeling confident in my game. I also promised myself that if I cashed in the EPM I would play in the GJP festival main event which is a hefty €1000+75 entry, so I am going to play in that. By way of preparation I play my first Fitz tournie in 2 weeks last night, the €150 freezeout, and for good measure split it 3 ways with Ray and Dennis for 1100 each, so that is Drogheda taken care of :)
I'll report on my Drogheda game at some point too.
Bye now.
Friday, November 24, 2006
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Quick Update
This is just a quick note to say that I have qualified for the Full Tilt European Poker Masters event in the Sporting Emporium starting on Nov 17th. I won my ticket last night in a 150 with 1 rebuy event, and boy am I looking forward to it. Loads of the big Full Tilt branded players such as Phil Ivey, Chris Ferguson, Carlos Mortenson, Mike Matusow, Howard Lederer, Jennifer Harmon, Ram Vaswani and the rest of the mob are slated to be playing in this.
It's been a good week for me, hope next week is better :)
It's been a good week for me, hope next week is better :)
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
SE 200 game
I had been somewhat looking forward to playing in the Sporting Emporium 200+20 deepstack game since the last one, which I could not play in, so I arrive early and I am actually the first person registered for the tournament proper, although there are 3 satellites going on altogether for this when I go in. I don't bother playing one as I was going to pay in anyhow, so don't really like overpaying for a tournament of this size.
I had feared there would be a low turnout as it seemed it was going to be that was at the appointed start time, but when the numbers eventually settled down there were 61 runners, which was a decent turnout considering this is the second time only that this ran.
I sat down to my table and wasn't too impressed with this table as there were too many good players, such as Laim Flood, Eoin Olin, Dave Masters and Sikes (from boards, don't know his real name) as well some other guys I didn't know. I was assigned to seat 2 and proceeded to play like a donkey for the first 5x30 minute levels. It didn't help that I was card dead, and the few hands that I chose to play I played terribly.
At one point just before the break my first key hand hapopens. I have 3600 in total, with blinds at 150-300, and with 1 limper I make it 1300 to play with 22 from one off the cutoff. Part of the reason I make this play is because I have been palying so tight and think it unlikely I will get a caller unless there is a monster out there, and part of it is because I have to do something to accumulate chips at this point. It is folded to the BB who thinks and pushes all in. I am well covered and when it is folded back to me I think for a minute and decide that I am pot committed, so I make the call, and he flips over AK for a race situation. The board pairs on the flop to give him extra outs, but I survive and double up. A couple of blind takes in the next couple of hansd take me to just over starting stack at the first break. Things can only really get better.
After the break I had resolved to try to make better decisions and not play in the weak tight manner I had been playing in to that point. Easier said than done, but a few small pot wins soon after the break gave me a bit more confidence and I was gradually building some chips. Just when I was feeling comfortable with my table I was moved, and found myself at a table where I was fairly familiar with a lot of the players sucha s Ehsan (Gholimoli) to my right, Tony (Flushdraw) to my left, and Willow and Eamonn Connolly at the table also. I think I raised the first hand I played at this table, and continued to raise and take blinds far more often than I would have normally. I was feeling myself playing confidently, and getting reasonable, but still not premium hands. However, the button on my BB kept raising every time, and I came close to playing back a couple of times, but it seemed that he was just being a card rack as he showed hand after hand of premium pairs. through some decent play including the following against Tony, I got to a reasonable stack.
I have 88 (not sure of position, probably MP) and make a relatively standard open raise to approx 2100 with blinds at 300/600 with an ante of 50. Tony calls to my left. Flop comes TT4 (or similiar), and I check. Tony Bets 5k, and I go into the tank for a few minutes. I have around 18k back and Tony covers by maybe 7/8k. I cannot see Tony flat calling here and betting with a hand that beats me so I push and he folds after a dwell up and says he had 55, so good fold Tony. Another key hand here is where I flat call a raise preflop with AQ against a serial raiser and intend to bet out at any flop, which I do and he duly folds.
I knock out a shortstack (Deadparrot from boards) and I am motoring and around average stack (40k), but a big stack on the table. We are down to 2 tables at this stage and playing 6 handed.
Then I get moved to the other table and this is where most of the chips are residing, so opportunity and danger lurk in equal measure here. I get a raise reraised in short order and let it go, then I call a raise from UTG when I am BB with ATo. I flat call the raise, intending to bet out at any flop again. I do so with a 6k bet (about 7.5k in the pot) on a K97r board, which after a dwell up and a request for a count of my chips gets slightly worryingly called. A blank rag hits the turn and this changes nothing in my head, and even though I am well covered I have enough left to not get called by anything other than a strong holding. I push for 25k approx, and after a dwell up it is folded to me. I found out later he had J9 for second pair, but this was a holding he found it hard to call a push thankfully for half his chips.
When we break for the final table I still have around 40k with the average at around 54k, but with the blinds at the start of the 1k/2k level I am not under immediate pressure. the final table consists of a few faces I am somewhat familiar with and a few I am not. Eamonn Connolly, Ollie Boyce, Sikes, Mickste, Phil (the Hammers fan), Eoin, an American guy from Full Tilt and 1 other guy whose name I don't know make up the final table along with myself.
Ollie is the first causualty in one of the first few hands, and not too long after I take out the Full Tilt guy when my AKs hit to take out his 88. Flops and post flop play is at a premium which reduces what I firmly believe to be an edge I have over a lot of the remaining players. Most hands are of the fold, fold, fold, big raise, everyone fold type. I plug away and when Eamonn gets knocked out in 5th place we are near the end of the days play. The SE closes at 6am, which is most inconvenient as I want to get this played to a finish, but it is not going to happen. When John announces last hand of the night I am in the BB (4k), and when Eoin completes I decide to chekc with KT hoping to either lose a small pot if I miss or win a big one since my hand strength is farily disguised, and I know Eoin is an aggressive player who has a tendency on occasion to overplay hands and overbet them.
The flop come K87 (with 2 clubs) and is perfect for my purposes. Eoin comes out betting 12k and I flat call. Turn comes an offsuit 9 giving me an openended straight draw as well as top pair. To my surpriseEoin announces all in for around 65k, and it takes me a few seconds only to call. Eoin tables T4 and is drawing dead to a split pot, and a 2 on the river is no help to him and he is the 4th place finisher, pushing me into the slightest of chipleads. we talk deal but none happens so we are to come back on Sunday at 8pm to finish this off.
When we restart the chipcounts are as follows:
Me 201k
Mick 199k
Phil 89k
The first hand I am small blind, complete and fold to a flop bet. The second hand, I fold, Phil completes, Mick raises and Phil immediately pushes all in. Mick thinks for a minute or two and makes the correct call with 66 to see Phil tabling K2, but Phil hits 2 pair to double himself up, and put Mick under pressure. A few hands later I open raise (3k/6k/500) to 21k with AJo, and after Phil folds, Mick announces all in for around 105k. Mick has been the most aggressive palyer I have encountered over the course of the tournament, so this helped me reach a relatively quick decision and I called to see Mick table KTo. The flop brought a T and no more help for me to see him double up. This wasn't going to plan for me. Another lost pot and a few blinds later meant that I was down to under 50 and in serious danger. A couple of uncalled pushes plus some reraises when I was fairly sure Mick was weak, including the following hand helped me up to a stack of around 180k again.
Mick completes SB and I check BB holding J6. Flop comes QJT, and I am fairly sure I am ahead here and call a flop bet of around 15k. Turn is a T and goes check, check. River is another T and it is a funky dangerous board but even aftrer Mick bets 40k I don't believe him and push for my total of 80k which he folds to fairly quickly.
I am still stacking this when the next hand is dealt and I am SB with 56. Mick calls from the button, I complete, and Phil checks for a flop which comes a gorgeous 554. I pause from my chip stacking to check, Phil bets 17k, and Mick folds after a think. I flat call. Turn is a magnificant 6 which I check. Phil bets 30k, and knowing that I can't flat call this without totally giving away my hand I move in, which surprisingly is called instantly. Phil has the misfortune to be holding Q5 and misses the river, so he exits in 3rd place, giving me around 360k of the chips in play.
A couple of hands into heads up play I raise with A4o to 25k (4k/8k) and Mick moves in instantly. I call quite quickly given his known aggression in this situation, and am delighted when he tables Q4o to leave himself very much dominated. The dreaded Q hits the flop though to give him a slight chip lead. Another crucial hand happens with I check to see a flop when he complees the SB from the button. I have Q8 and am fairly happy with the TJQ flop. We had been discussing a deal at this pint, but it was decided to play on, at which point I bet 20k on that flop. Mick called and the 9 on the turn gave me a straight which was checked by both parties. The river was another T and I bet out 30k which Mick raised to 75k. I didn't like it too much but I called andways to see him table K9 for the flopped straight, and I was in dire straights now.
His aggression level increased again and I couldn't do anything about it as I did not want to play for all my chips with 62,52,72 etc which I got about 4 or 5 hands in a row. I eventually make a stand for about 85k with QJ and get called by K9. An 894 flop gave me 10 outs twice but neither happened so I had to be content with 2nd place.
I feel happy with my play after the first break, and the fact that I didn't dog anyone the whole tournament and was always either ahead or at worst in a race situation whne the money went in (including the unfortunate hand for Phil when 3 handed - I had made my house when the money went in, even though it would have went in regardless) made me feel good. The fact that I wsan't dogged until the last 3 either at any point was positive variance working in my favour, but I feel I played as well as I could and enjoyed the tourney as a whole. Well done to Mick too, his aggressive game played off in the end, and although I presonally feel I had the edge in experience and skill, his aggression sufficiently dulled that (if it even existed, but I have to believe it did).
I anyone reading this hasn't played in this before and enjoys a good structure tourney then this is one for you. It will be on the first Saturday of every month I believe in the SE and is excellent value for money given the structure.
See you at the tables.
I had feared there would be a low turnout as it seemed it was going to be that was at the appointed start time, but when the numbers eventually settled down there were 61 runners, which was a decent turnout considering this is the second time only that this ran.
I sat down to my table and wasn't too impressed with this table as there were too many good players, such as Laim Flood, Eoin Olin, Dave Masters and Sikes (from boards, don't know his real name) as well some other guys I didn't know. I was assigned to seat 2 and proceeded to play like a donkey for the first 5x30 minute levels. It didn't help that I was card dead, and the few hands that I chose to play I played terribly.
At one point just before the break my first key hand hapopens. I have 3600 in total, with blinds at 150-300, and with 1 limper I make it 1300 to play with 22 from one off the cutoff. Part of the reason I make this play is because I have been palying so tight and think it unlikely I will get a caller unless there is a monster out there, and part of it is because I have to do something to accumulate chips at this point. It is folded to the BB who thinks and pushes all in. I am well covered and when it is folded back to me I think for a minute and decide that I am pot committed, so I make the call, and he flips over AK for a race situation. The board pairs on the flop to give him extra outs, but I survive and double up. A couple of blind takes in the next couple of hansd take me to just over starting stack at the first break. Things can only really get better.
After the break I had resolved to try to make better decisions and not play in the weak tight manner I had been playing in to that point. Easier said than done, but a few small pot wins soon after the break gave me a bit more confidence and I was gradually building some chips. Just when I was feeling comfortable with my table I was moved, and found myself at a table where I was fairly familiar with a lot of the players sucha s Ehsan (Gholimoli) to my right, Tony (Flushdraw) to my left, and Willow and Eamonn Connolly at the table also. I think I raised the first hand I played at this table, and continued to raise and take blinds far more often than I would have normally. I was feeling myself playing confidently, and getting reasonable, but still not premium hands. However, the button on my BB kept raising every time, and I came close to playing back a couple of times, but it seemed that he was just being a card rack as he showed hand after hand of premium pairs. through some decent play including the following against Tony, I got to a reasonable stack.
I have 88 (not sure of position, probably MP) and make a relatively standard open raise to approx 2100 with blinds at 300/600 with an ante of 50. Tony calls to my left. Flop comes TT4 (or similiar), and I check. Tony Bets 5k, and I go into the tank for a few minutes. I have around 18k back and Tony covers by maybe 7/8k. I cannot see Tony flat calling here and betting with a hand that beats me so I push and he folds after a dwell up and says he had 55, so good fold Tony. Another key hand here is where I flat call a raise preflop with AQ against a serial raiser and intend to bet out at any flop, which I do and he duly folds.
I knock out a shortstack (Deadparrot from boards) and I am motoring and around average stack (40k), but a big stack on the table. We are down to 2 tables at this stage and playing 6 handed.
Then I get moved to the other table and this is where most of the chips are residing, so opportunity and danger lurk in equal measure here. I get a raise reraised in short order and let it go, then I call a raise from UTG when I am BB with ATo. I flat call the raise, intending to bet out at any flop again. I do so with a 6k bet (about 7.5k in the pot) on a K97r board, which after a dwell up and a request for a count of my chips gets slightly worryingly called. A blank rag hits the turn and this changes nothing in my head, and even though I am well covered I have enough left to not get called by anything other than a strong holding. I push for 25k approx, and after a dwell up it is folded to me. I found out later he had J9 for second pair, but this was a holding he found it hard to call a push thankfully for half his chips.
When we break for the final table I still have around 40k with the average at around 54k, but with the blinds at the start of the 1k/2k level I am not under immediate pressure. the final table consists of a few faces I am somewhat familiar with and a few I am not. Eamonn Connolly, Ollie Boyce, Sikes, Mickste, Phil (the Hammers fan), Eoin, an American guy from Full Tilt and 1 other guy whose name I don't know make up the final table along with myself.
Ollie is the first causualty in one of the first few hands, and not too long after I take out the Full Tilt guy when my AKs hit to take out his 88. Flops and post flop play is at a premium which reduces what I firmly believe to be an edge I have over a lot of the remaining players. Most hands are of the fold, fold, fold, big raise, everyone fold type. I plug away and when Eamonn gets knocked out in 5th place we are near the end of the days play. The SE closes at 6am, which is most inconvenient as I want to get this played to a finish, but it is not going to happen. When John announces last hand of the night I am in the BB (4k), and when Eoin completes I decide to chekc with KT hoping to either lose a small pot if I miss or win a big one since my hand strength is farily disguised, and I know Eoin is an aggressive player who has a tendency on occasion to overplay hands and overbet them.
The flop come K87 (with 2 clubs) and is perfect for my purposes. Eoin comes out betting 12k and I flat call. Turn comes an offsuit 9 giving me an openended straight draw as well as top pair. To my surpriseEoin announces all in for around 65k, and it takes me a few seconds only to call. Eoin tables T4 and is drawing dead to a split pot, and a 2 on the river is no help to him and he is the 4th place finisher, pushing me into the slightest of chipleads. we talk deal but none happens so we are to come back on Sunday at 8pm to finish this off.
When we restart the chipcounts are as follows:
Me 201k
Mick 199k
Phil 89k
The first hand I am small blind, complete and fold to a flop bet. The second hand, I fold, Phil completes, Mick raises and Phil immediately pushes all in. Mick thinks for a minute or two and makes the correct call with 66 to see Phil tabling K2, but Phil hits 2 pair to double himself up, and put Mick under pressure. A few hands later I open raise (3k/6k/500) to 21k with AJo, and after Phil folds, Mick announces all in for around 105k. Mick has been the most aggressive palyer I have encountered over the course of the tournament, so this helped me reach a relatively quick decision and I called to see Mick table KTo. The flop brought a T and no more help for me to see him double up. This wasn't going to plan for me. Another lost pot and a few blinds later meant that I was down to under 50 and in serious danger. A couple of uncalled pushes plus some reraises when I was fairly sure Mick was weak, including the following hand helped me up to a stack of around 180k again.
Mick completes SB and I check BB holding J6. Flop comes QJT, and I am fairly sure I am ahead here and call a flop bet of around 15k. Turn is a T and goes check, check. River is another T and it is a funky dangerous board but even aftrer Mick bets 40k I don't believe him and push for my total of 80k which he folds to fairly quickly.
I am still stacking this when the next hand is dealt and I am SB with 56. Mick calls from the button, I complete, and Phil checks for a flop which comes a gorgeous 554. I pause from my chip stacking to check, Phil bets 17k, and Mick folds after a think. I flat call. Turn is a magnificant 6 which I check. Phil bets 30k, and knowing that I can't flat call this without totally giving away my hand I move in, which surprisingly is called instantly. Phil has the misfortune to be holding Q5 and misses the river, so he exits in 3rd place, giving me around 360k of the chips in play.
A couple of hands into heads up play I raise with A4o to 25k (4k/8k) and Mick moves in instantly. I call quite quickly given his known aggression in this situation, and am delighted when he tables Q4o to leave himself very much dominated. The dreaded Q hits the flop though to give him a slight chip lead. Another crucial hand happens with I check to see a flop when he complees the SB from the button. I have Q8 and am fairly happy with the TJQ flop. We had been discussing a deal at this pint, but it was decided to play on, at which point I bet 20k on that flop. Mick called and the 9 on the turn gave me a straight which was checked by both parties. The river was another T and I bet out 30k which Mick raised to 75k. I didn't like it too much but I called andways to see him table K9 for the flopped straight, and I was in dire straights now.
His aggression level increased again and I couldn't do anything about it as I did not want to play for all my chips with 62,52,72 etc which I got about 4 or 5 hands in a row. I eventually make a stand for about 85k with QJ and get called by K9. An 894 flop gave me 10 outs twice but neither happened so I had to be content with 2nd place.
I feel happy with my play after the first break, and the fact that I didn't dog anyone the whole tournament and was always either ahead or at worst in a race situation whne the money went in (including the unfortunate hand for Phil when 3 handed - I had made my house when the money went in, even though it would have went in regardless) made me feel good. The fact that I wsan't dogged until the last 3 either at any point was positive variance working in my favour, but I feel I played as well as I could and enjoyed the tourney as a whole. Well done to Mick too, his aggressive game played off in the end, and although I presonally feel I had the edge in experience and skill, his aggression sufficiently dulled that (if it even existed, but I have to believe it did).
I anyone reading this hasn't played in this before and enjoys a good structure tourney then this is one for you. It will be on the first Saturday of every month I believe in the SE and is excellent value for money given the structure.
See you at the tables.
Friday, November 03, 2006
Festival Time
The Fitz PokerFest took place last week and I was aiming to play as many of the tournies as I could, so to that end I took Thursday and Friday off work.
Wednesday
This was a €40 multi rebuy game that attracted 76 runners, and a 30 minute clock most of the way I think. By the break I had not won that many hands, but managed to win a multiway pot just before to stand in decent shape with the topup. To be honest I can't recall an awful lot about this tournie u pto the point where we got to the last 2 tables. I was playing fairly well and not getting in any big confrontations really when a guy who has jsut lost a decent pot raised big preflop (to 14k from 1500/3000) and I look at KK and shove preflop for about 50k. It gets back to this guy (a decent player but made a too big raise initially I think). He thinks and doesn't really like it but he calls for the other 16k he has left. Flop comes 245, turn is a 3 and river is a 6. Of course he has A7o to have the straight. At first I though it was a split pot, but then realised the 7 played and I was a tad annoyed.
Two hands later I have 20k left, blinds just gone up to 2k/4k and I push with AJo, and get called by a player not even in the blinds who has a 60k stack with QJo!!!! Flop is Q44 and that is all she wrote and i bubble in the first tournie of the festival. Wonderful.
Thursday
I play in the 270 game in the Fitz, and was unimpressed by the new structure, but I believe that Luke is going to make changes next month, based in part on a post I wrote on boards that he read. I also have to commend him for changing the structure part way through to make it more playable based on comments players were making, but it was too late for me to survive this time I am afraid. However I went to the cash games and won €1300 in Omaha so happy days.
Friday
There was a €50 multi rebuy game on Friday instead of the scalps. This was a really good game and I enjoyed it mostly. I didn't really get going before the break,a nd it was only when I got moved to a new table that things picked up. First hand there I was BB for 300. EP raised to 900, 3 other callers, so I peel off another 600 from my 11k stack with 57 clubs. The funniest part is that I ask Luke (young English dealer) for 'a very specifc flush, I mean flop', and then he flops K93, all clubs. He says 'There is a flush for you' to which I reply 'That'll do' and bet 4k. Original raiser goes all it, and one of the other limper also goes all in. At this point I could potentially be drawing dead, but there are 8 tables left still so I gamble, see 99 from original raiser for a set, and AA with A clubs from someone who flat called original raise. Two red, non pairing cards give me a tank of 35k, and from there I go steadily upwards all the way. I am playing well, playing the player at least as much as the cards, and generally feeling in the groove. We redraw seats for the last two tables, and when it gets 10 handed I get moved to balance the tables at 5 each. There is fairly cagey play on this table, and I have raised and took the blinds a few times, and reraised once and not got called. Then the following hand happens.
I am the Button and it is folded to me. I have 102k, blinds just gone up to 4k/8k (5am) and I make it 30k to go. Bobby (spectre from boards) is SB and goes all in, and he is the only person there who has me covered. This leaves me with a dilemma. I have played with Bobby a couple of times, but not too often. i don't believe he would be doing this with rubbish, but I believe any pair (well, ok 66+), or AT+ to be his range at this point for a reraise, playing 5 handed at this point in the tournament to a button raise.
I am getting 2/1 on the rest of my money at this point and if I win I am a big favourite to take a large chunk of the prize money. If I fold I have a bit of work to do but I am still there. I decide to go for the win as the prize structure was only geared for the top 4 really. I table my 99 and Bobby has AK of diamonds. the flop comes all rags which is good, but with 2 diamonds which is not. The trun and river are both raggy diamonds also, and that is the end of me, so I bubble the Final Table again, but get a few quid for my troubles this time. Great.
Saturday
I play the 500 game in the Fitz as I have 475 in credit, and 55 players start. I don't last very long as in the second level I limp with A6 hearts from the button, and call a raise from the SB, so 4 to the flop. Flop comes A63 clubs, so I have top 2 at this point. SB bets out for 1k, and this gets raised to 3k by MP. It comes to me and I think. There is no way SB has a flush I reckon, and MP I think either has a decent A or else jsut doesn't believe the lead out by SB. I eventually decide to push for 6.3k, and as expected SB folds, and MP thinks and calls. He shows AJ with the J clubs. He precedes to hit the J on the river for a higher two pair, and that is me. I don't think this was a great call by him to be honest, but I probably didn't play it optimally either.
I went downstairs and regestired to play in the 100 Omaha rebuy game, and hit everything before the break, but nothing after it and was gone in 15th. I won my money back in a cash game though, so not too bad.
Sunday
Went drinking
Monday
Played in the 100 rebuy, and only topped up. It was going OK before the break, when a ropey call against Marq helped me to 5 k, and with a 5k topup, I was ok. First hand after the break I nearly doubled up with KK vs TT all in preflop, but from that point on I seen nothing in the way of cards. I did enjoy the tables though as I got moved to a table with Steve Davis, and as any other time I have played with him, I have found him to be a gentleman, and a witty one at that. I eventyually got knocked out when I push from SB with A3 only to find BB with AK. Ah Well..
I enjoyed the events, there was a good structure in them all, if only I could have had a rub of the green at the right time. I am going to play the SE 200+20 game this evening and I am looking forward to it as there is a very good structure to it. Hopefully I can report success in that one.
Adios for now.
Wednesday
This was a €40 multi rebuy game that attracted 76 runners, and a 30 minute clock most of the way I think. By the break I had not won that many hands, but managed to win a multiway pot just before to stand in decent shape with the topup. To be honest I can't recall an awful lot about this tournie u pto the point where we got to the last 2 tables. I was playing fairly well and not getting in any big confrontations really when a guy who has jsut lost a decent pot raised big preflop (to 14k from 1500/3000) and I look at KK and shove preflop for about 50k. It gets back to this guy (a decent player but made a too big raise initially I think). He thinks and doesn't really like it but he calls for the other 16k he has left. Flop comes 245, turn is a 3 and river is a 6. Of course he has A7o to have the straight. At first I though it was a split pot, but then realised the 7 played and I was a tad annoyed.
Two hands later I have 20k left, blinds just gone up to 2k/4k and I push with AJo, and get called by a player not even in the blinds who has a 60k stack with QJo!!!! Flop is Q44 and that is all she wrote and i bubble in the first tournie of the festival. Wonderful.
Thursday
I play in the 270 game in the Fitz, and was unimpressed by the new structure, but I believe that Luke is going to make changes next month, based in part on a post I wrote on boards that he read. I also have to commend him for changing the structure part way through to make it more playable based on comments players were making, but it was too late for me to survive this time I am afraid. However I went to the cash games and won €1300 in Omaha so happy days.
Friday
There was a €50 multi rebuy game on Friday instead of the scalps. This was a really good game and I enjoyed it mostly. I didn't really get going before the break,a nd it was only when I got moved to a new table that things picked up. First hand there I was BB for 300. EP raised to 900, 3 other callers, so I peel off another 600 from my 11k stack with 57 clubs. The funniest part is that I ask Luke (young English dealer) for 'a very specifc flush, I mean flop', and then he flops K93, all clubs. He says 'There is a flush for you' to which I reply 'That'll do' and bet 4k. Original raiser goes all it, and one of the other limper also goes all in. At this point I could potentially be drawing dead, but there are 8 tables left still so I gamble, see 99 from original raiser for a set, and AA with A clubs from someone who flat called original raise. Two red, non pairing cards give me a tank of 35k, and from there I go steadily upwards all the way. I am playing well, playing the player at least as much as the cards, and generally feeling in the groove. We redraw seats for the last two tables, and when it gets 10 handed I get moved to balance the tables at 5 each. There is fairly cagey play on this table, and I have raised and took the blinds a few times, and reraised once and not got called. Then the following hand happens.
I am the Button and it is folded to me. I have 102k, blinds just gone up to 4k/8k (5am) and I make it 30k to go. Bobby (spectre from boards) is SB and goes all in, and he is the only person there who has me covered. This leaves me with a dilemma. I have played with Bobby a couple of times, but not too often. i don't believe he would be doing this with rubbish, but I believe any pair (well, ok 66+), or AT+ to be his range at this point for a reraise, playing 5 handed at this point in the tournament to a button raise.
I am getting 2/1 on the rest of my money at this point and if I win I am a big favourite to take a large chunk of the prize money. If I fold I have a bit of work to do but I am still there. I decide to go for the win as the prize structure was only geared for the top 4 really. I table my 99 and Bobby has AK of diamonds. the flop comes all rags which is good, but with 2 diamonds which is not. The trun and river are both raggy diamonds also, and that is the end of me, so I bubble the Final Table again, but get a few quid for my troubles this time. Great.
Saturday
I play the 500 game in the Fitz as I have 475 in credit, and 55 players start. I don't last very long as in the second level I limp with A6 hearts from the button, and call a raise from the SB, so 4 to the flop. Flop comes A63 clubs, so I have top 2 at this point. SB bets out for 1k, and this gets raised to 3k by MP. It comes to me and I think. There is no way SB has a flush I reckon, and MP I think either has a decent A or else jsut doesn't believe the lead out by SB. I eventually decide to push for 6.3k, and as expected SB folds, and MP thinks and calls. He shows AJ with the J clubs. He precedes to hit the J on the river for a higher two pair, and that is me. I don't think this was a great call by him to be honest, but I probably didn't play it optimally either.
I went downstairs and regestired to play in the 100 Omaha rebuy game, and hit everything before the break, but nothing after it and was gone in 15th. I won my money back in a cash game though, so not too bad.
Sunday
Went drinking
Monday
Played in the 100 rebuy, and only topped up. It was going OK before the break, when a ropey call against Marq helped me to 5 k, and with a 5k topup, I was ok. First hand after the break I nearly doubled up with KK vs TT all in preflop, but from that point on I seen nothing in the way of cards. I did enjoy the tables though as I got moved to a table with Steve Davis, and as any other time I have played with him, I have found him to be a gentleman, and a witty one at that. I eventyually got knocked out when I push from SB with A3 only to find BB with AK. Ah Well..
I enjoyed the events, there was a good structure in them all, if only I could have had a rub of the green at the right time. I am going to play the SE 200+20 game this evening and I am looking forward to it as there is a very good structure to it. Hopefully I can report success in that one.
Adios for now.
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