Pre Irish Open Update

This is a quick gap update to fill in between my last update and my Irish Open tales. I haven't played that much relative to my normal schedule, truth be told, but it has been a quite profitable few weeks.

A couple of days after my last update I played in the Sporting Emporium €220 game, fresh from my ticket success in the same venue. There were 49 runners, and I got off to a great start with a couple of big hands that had me one of the chip leaders early on. After the first break though I stayed practically level for an age though after a card dead spell, and only when I got moved to balance the tables at 6 and 6 did things pick up for me. The pivotal pot probably was a bluff that I got through against an aggressive players, although he played this hand less aggressively that I expected upon hearing what he said his holding was afterwards.

I raise UTG, UTG+1 calls, all else folds. I have ATo. Flop is QJxr, and I lead out. Called instantly. Turn is a blank and I shove for a pot size bet. A big dwell up has me worried, but as he is counting his chips I am aware that a call would cripple him at this point if he lost. He eventually folded. I showed, he said he had KQ (didn't show) and tbh this surprised me that he folded, although as far as he was concerned, I had been playing quite tight throughout, so that probably coloured his decision somewhat.

A couple of hands later I get QQ and get it all in against Oz and his AK. My QQ holds up and I double up. then I knock Oz out a couple of hands later with QQ again against his Q7. Some rush and I was clear chip leader. The final table started and it was an interesting one with Liam Flood in fine flow. I never really lost any chips at the final table, and slowly amassed more. I must say though that I was certainly getting better than average cards whch at this point in the game is always a plus. I can't really be arsed to bore either myself or anyone else with more details, but eventually I split it with another guy for just under 3k each after the tip. I should really have played on since I am failry sure I would have won (as sure as you can be in poker really, which is not very) but for several reasons I didn't.

Cash games have been up and down again, but I seem to have stopped bleeding money, which is nice, and I even had one excellent night (1230 profit). My biggest hand that night was 6678ds, fiver preflop. Flcop comes 459 with 2 spades (I had spades). I just called a bet of 20 along with another player. Turn comes a magical 6. Bet of 75, fold, then I make it 300, called. River is a 4. Checked to me, and I shove for 375 more. Once he thinks for more than 2 seconds I know I am good and will him to call, which he does after about 3 minutes of thinking, and my house was good. Why don't pots like those come along more often? Usually I am the one on the other side it seems. Ah well. Things are ok at the moment, so I won't ruin it by complaining too much.

Anyways, the Irish Open started today, and I play on day 1B tomorrow. Numbers are certainly not as was hoped. Only 316 players turned up for day 1A, and 400 need to play tomorrow to exceed the guarantee, although I am sure they will as second days usually get bigger numbers. A second supersatellite has been announced for tonight as well, which is unusual and shows how desperate they really are to get the numbers in. I went out last night for a look, and the room looked very well, kind of like a 1/4 model of the WSOP room. I probably won't go out tonight again though, I might just prepare by playing some Omaha in the Fitz, we'll see. One way or another, I am looking forward to it, so I hope it isn't a huge anticlimax that ends with me getting shafted, or blinded out. Any other exit type and it will be fine. Either way I am nearly on a freeroll to it anyhow so I'm going to give it my best shot. I feel I am on a good run of form and confidence, so let's see how the luck holds in a big one.

I really hope local players I know and like do well in this, and if I don't win it (gotta be optimistic) then I hope some local does.