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.