This is mostly gonna be a post about the billions of bad beats that I got in Nottingham, so if you don't wanna read me whining, look away now.
After I bust out of the APAT main event, I get myself onto the list for some 100nl action. I was possibly slightly tilted, but I ran a huge bluff in my first hand by floating the flop with complete air, raising the turn and shoving the river when checked to. I elect not to show and then the very next hand, I turn an OESFD and again manage to build a big pot and make a big bluff on the river which luckily got through. In my third hand at the cash table I actually pick up something half decent in the BB, 6 limpers and I make it £13 to go with AQ suited hoping people noticed how aggro I played the first two hands. I get called by the button and the SB (WTF he was doing I dunno). I bet £28 when checked to on a Q84r flop and take down another decent small pot. Easy game right?
I'm smart enough to know that I'm gonna get absolutely no respect for any raise for a while, so I decide to play tight for a couple of orbits, thankfully I didn't get any hands that were gonna get me in trouble. The table was littered with fishy APAT tourney players and I was on complete cruise control and took down loads of small stacks and after about an hour or so, I had grinded my £100 buyin up to £275. Until boom, first cooler happens...
I make it £5 to go OTB with 68dd after two limpers, both blinds and the limpers call. Flop KT7ddd. Happy days! BB donks into me for £15, I flat and everyone else folds. Qc OTT and this kid bets out £35 and I raise to £95. I then get shoved on for £240, give it a bit of thought and consider that he has pair and NFD+pair hands, top2, 77 and TT in his range and I make the trivial call. He shows me A3dd and I miss my one-outer. Sigh, reload.
I bought in for £100 again. This happens to be the max on 50p/£1 tables in DTD which is kinda cool cos people would buy in for silly amounts otherwise. There's also a no-straddle rule and people generally raise to 3-4x preflop which leads to the sort of game I'd play on the internet rather than live. Anyhoo, after picking up a few more small pots I grind my way back to break-even and decide to watch Emma play for a bit. Unfortunately, she busts out at about midnight and we went back to the hotel.
My plan for the Bank Holiday Sunday included destroying the 6max tourney. I have never played live 6max before and I think the format would really suit my game. Sadly, I didn't manage to get a seat after I was placed at number 13 in the alternates queue. Whatever, cash game time! Or so I think, DTD obviously over extended themselves by running the APAT main event day 1b and APAT 6max tourney at the same time as having several dealers phone in sick, so for a couple of hours there was only one table running and I couldn't get a seat. Talk about running bad, hundreds of tables and I can't play any game! This seemed like a good opportunity to get some Heineken ordered and I watched Emma running over a table that seemed to be terrified to play back at her. 10k chips, 6max and people aren't 3/4 betting anything but nut hands? Pfft, I woulda crushed that so bad :(
After a few pints, my name gets called out and I sit with £100 at a table full of unknowns. I again build a bit of momentum and take down some small pots, grinding out a £50 profit. The laggiest player at the table opens to £3 UTG, I try to iso from the cutoff with 99 and I make it £10 to go. The button is a nitty old man that had literally played 2 hands in the past hour and he cold calls (siiigh!), UTG flats. Flop QT5r, everyone checks. I plan to check/give up most turns, but then I bink a 9. UTG checks and I bet £20. Nitty button dude tank/shoves £110 in the middle. I try to interrogate him, but he remains silent. Eventually, I ask the stupid poker question that everyone else does, "will you show me if I fold". He says yes, I fold and he shows me QQ. Well played me I guess... Dunno though, thoughts please?
I do have one hand to tell where I got a bit lucky! It involves the same nitty dude as before, this time I open raise A8 from the cutoff and get called by the blinds. Flop A82r, nitty dude bets £10, I raise to £36, nitty dude shoves on my for £100ish and I sigh-call half expecting to see a set of twos the way I had been running previously. He shows AK and I hold, mbn yeah?
A young lad kitted out in PokerStars gear picks a terrible time to triple barrel me and I scoop a big pot with flopped top two on a QT722 board, I snapped off a big river bluff and he says "nice call" exposing KJhh.
Several hands later I find a hero fold with JJ on a 5557J board. It was a super nitty fold which turned out to be correct. Somebody raises from EP and I 3bet from the CO, lagtard on button flats and does initial raiser. Flop 555, nitty EP checks and I think for a bit before checking. I was sitting 500bb deep OOP against the laggiest player at the table. The main thoughts going through my head were that I expected him to bet this flop an awful lot and I really wanted to see what the initial raiser did. I was a little surprised to see the button check and 7 comes on the turn, I bet £20 and get flatted by the button, other guy passes. A Jack hits the river and I run through all of the options in my head. I eventually decide that this bloke has a super wide range, but more often than not he will have a 7 in his hand. I toy with the idea of checking the river and setting up a big c/r, but eventually I decide to bet £35 and hope to get looked up light or even snap off a decent sized raise, possibly even 3betting the river. Other dude tanks for even longer than I did and eventually announces "all in" £450 more. WTF!! He was very aggressive and I know that he was only waiting for a seat at a bigger table, so I had to think he was capable of making an epically big bluff in this spot, however I had not seen him do anything like this in the few hours we had played together. I think for a good while, then he starts talking to me and tells me to "stop hollywooding". There's only really one value hand I can beat (77) and it starts to feel like I'm being goaded into making a call as he gives me more cheeky table talk. I make a really nitty laydown, something I probably wouldn't do if I was correctly rolled for playing 100nl so deep, he slams his cards down showing 65s and I flip my Jacks. The rest of the table seemed a bit stunned that I could find a fold. It just felt like quads after his table talk, he should have sat in silence and I probably would have called.
The last hand was quickly made completely irrelevant after I manage to 6bet shove AA into the same dude who had quads about an orbit later. I make it £3 from MP, he 3bets to £13, I raise to £44, he bets £150 and I shove for a little under £400, he rivers a king and then slowrolls me after I timidly announce "one pair" on a QTxxK board. He asks "which pair" and I show, he then takes about 30 seconds to turn over his Kings one at a time. Classy bloke. Siiiiggh. I reload again and grind my way back to £10 from break even before Emma texts to say she's at the bar eating food. As the 6max wasn't on a break, I knew this wasn't good news and sure enough she lost a chip lead pot blind vs blind. Not a good weekend for either of us!
We end up going back to the hotel, but it was only about 1am and I thought I wasn't tired. We both end up in the Gala opposite the hotel and sit down at a very juicy 100nl game. I manage to lose a £300 pot after a Chinese lad limps on the button after everyone else limped. I have JJ in the BB and pop it up to £14. I get three callers and he raises to £40. I actually thought he was all in at this point and I moved a stack of about 20 x £5 chips across the line, he shoves for £100 which he was hiding in his hand and I snap. He shows AK and turns a King. As if I could win a flip!! I actually think that I was running really bad to even be flipping in this spot tbh :(
I'm starting to fall asleep at this point, but I wake myself up a bit with I find AKhh in a straddled pot. UTG limps and I make it £8 to go. I get four callers and I see a 974hh flop. I bet £17 and get minraised. I reshove and run into 97 which rivers a house. That was my last hand in Nottingham, but I plan to go back and run like God. Nottingham owes me so much in Sklansky bucks it's unreal!
Tuesday, 31 August 2010
Monday, 30 August 2010
APAT WCOAP @ Dusk Till Dawn
This weekend started as I left work at 5pm on Friday with Emma picking me up, we made a quick stop at McDonalds for tea then set off down the A1 towards Nottingham. It was looking as though we were making good time, but unfortunately we got stuck in several miles of gridlock somewhere just past Leeds. One quick pitstop at a service station KFC and we arrived at out hotel, the Holiday Inn Express situated bang in the middle of the city centre conveniently beside a 24 hour McDonalds and a stones throw from the Gala Casino..
We parked the car in the Gala carpark (£4 for overnight stay, not bad), ditched the bags and we went to see if we could get a game. Luckilly a 50p/£1 table was just starting and we sit down straight away. After dragging a few small pots playing ABC poker, I get a bit creative for the first time and raise to £5 with 74hh from the hijack in an unopened pot and both blinds call. The SB donks into a Q36h flop and the BB calls, I decide to float with my gutshot with plans to take down the pot later if certain cards fall. There was a very pretty looking 5s OTT, SB bets £10, BB calls, I bump it up to £28 and get flatted in both spots. Ace of spades on the river, bringing a possible flush, SB shoves for £30, BB calls, I call. SB scoops showing K7ss, well played mate! That defintely set the tone for the weekend. Emma and myself decide to retire to the hotel for an early night in preparation for the APAT game the following day.
Thanks to the mighty power of Google Maps, we find our way to DTD without any problems, we got our registration sorted out and then went for some food in Frankie & Benny's. The WCOAP kicked off at 2.30pm and I get drawn to T2S8, no familiar faces, but there was a bloke called Graham from South Shields to my left in seat 7. The second hand of the tournament was really embarrassing for me; the felt on the table stopped where the betting line was and beyond that the wooden table was exposed. The dealer pitched my cards right onto the wooden part and I spent about 30 seconds trying to pick them up when it was my turn to act. I had every intention of folding anything but a big hand after making myself look like a complete prat, but I find KK so smile and bet 150. 5 callers, flop A22hh, sigh, everyone checks. Qs hits the turn, I check, as does everybody else. Kc OTR, blinds check to me and I bet 3000 hoping to get max value from anyone that may have TJ or a slowplayed 2x. Everyone folds and I make a cheeky comment about putting out the wrong colour chips!
In the next two orbits or so I open with AKs, QQ and JJ, each time I get either no action or have to c/f the flop. I lose a few small hands then scoop a 2k pot from the BB after 7 players limped in. I have Q4 on a Q474Q board, everyone checks the flop, I lead turn, get called in three spots, then VB the river (which I thought would totally kill my action or result in a chop), but somehow I get looked up by 7x and Ace high. Good read guys! The first real big hand that I play cripples me and I was a bit lucky not to go broke. I make it 300 to go from middle position @50/100 with KQss and get 5 callers. This is starting to sound like there was a million callers every hand, but for some reason big multiway pots only seemed to come about after I've raised. Anyway, I get what appears to be a dream flop, TJ5sss. Brick on the turn, I lead 1050 and get flatted by the person to my immediate right. Brick on the river and I value bet 1600 and get insta minraised to 3200. I instantly think "FML, has he flopped the nuts?". I decide that it's never a bluff, but there was only one hand beating me and I think he could be totally butchering a set or a lower flush often enough for me to call, but I don't think he calls a shove from me. I'm never folding here, but I don't think I can get many worse hands to call a raise. As it happens, he had A9ss and I was drawing stone cold dead on the flop. So sick.
I raise with TT two hands in a row losing both times, then I found myself at the break with 5K. I speak to Emma and GiMac and inform them that I will be 3bet jamming a shit load at the 150/300/25 level, but somehow the opportunity never arises. I open JJ UTG for 725 and give up on a AKQx9 board which got checked to the river. I made one hero call over two streets against the table tard who was sitting with 30k after two epic suckouts and he was shovelling chips into every pot. I can't remember how the hand played out, but I remember checking bottom pair on the flop then check/calling both turn and river for half my stack. I had a pretty stong read and both turn and river were safe cards in my mind.
In my exit had I open AQ UTG for 725 and get shoved on by the CO. It was a huge overshove for about 18k with people still to act. I snapped as the blinds were about to increase and I didn't much fancy sitting with 10 BBs in the 4th level. I find myself in a race against 88 and lose as the board runs out 89TxA. I was happy enough with how I played, just found myself in some really unlucky spots. I believe the field in this event was very soft and I will definitely be playing again next year, hopefully I will run better at crucial times! I will report on my cash action soon, please be warned it will be littered with sick coolers and bad beats...
We parked the car in the Gala carpark (£4 for overnight stay, not bad), ditched the bags and we went to see if we could get a game. Luckilly a 50p/£1 table was just starting and we sit down straight away. After dragging a few small pots playing ABC poker, I get a bit creative for the first time and raise to £5 with 74hh from the hijack in an unopened pot and both blinds call. The SB donks into a Q36h flop and the BB calls, I decide to float with my gutshot with plans to take down the pot later if certain cards fall. There was a very pretty looking 5s OTT, SB bets £10, BB calls, I bump it up to £28 and get flatted in both spots. Ace of spades on the river, bringing a possible flush, SB shoves for £30, BB calls, I call. SB scoops showing K7ss, well played mate! That defintely set the tone for the weekend. Emma and myself decide to retire to the hotel for an early night in preparation for the APAT game the following day.
Thanks to the mighty power of Google Maps, we find our way to DTD without any problems, we got our registration sorted out and then went for some food in Frankie & Benny's. The WCOAP kicked off at 2.30pm and I get drawn to T2S8, no familiar faces, but there was a bloke called Graham from South Shields to my left in seat 7. The second hand of the tournament was really embarrassing for me; the felt on the table stopped where the betting line was and beyond that the wooden table was exposed. The dealer pitched my cards right onto the wooden part and I spent about 30 seconds trying to pick them up when it was my turn to act. I had every intention of folding anything but a big hand after making myself look like a complete prat, but I find KK so smile and bet 150. 5 callers, flop A22hh, sigh, everyone checks. Qs hits the turn, I check, as does everybody else. Kc OTR, blinds check to me and I bet 3000 hoping to get max value from anyone that may have TJ or a slowplayed 2x. Everyone folds and I make a cheeky comment about putting out the wrong colour chips!
In the next two orbits or so I open with AKs, QQ and JJ, each time I get either no action or have to c/f the flop. I lose a few small hands then scoop a 2k pot from the BB after 7 players limped in. I have Q4 on a Q474Q board, everyone checks the flop, I lead turn, get called in three spots, then VB the river (which I thought would totally kill my action or result in a chop), but somehow I get looked up by 7x and Ace high. Good read guys! The first real big hand that I play cripples me and I was a bit lucky not to go broke. I make it 300 to go from middle position @50/100 with KQss and get 5 callers. This is starting to sound like there was a million callers every hand, but for some reason big multiway pots only seemed to come about after I've raised. Anyway, I get what appears to be a dream flop, TJ5sss. Brick on the turn, I lead 1050 and get flatted by the person to my immediate right. Brick on the river and I value bet 1600 and get insta minraised to 3200. I instantly think "FML, has he flopped the nuts?". I decide that it's never a bluff, but there was only one hand beating me and I think he could be totally butchering a set or a lower flush often enough for me to call, but I don't think he calls a shove from me. I'm never folding here, but I don't think I can get many worse hands to call a raise. As it happens, he had A9ss and I was drawing stone cold dead on the flop. So sick.
I raise with TT two hands in a row losing both times, then I found myself at the break with 5K. I speak to Emma and GiMac and inform them that I will be 3bet jamming a shit load at the 150/300/25 level, but somehow the opportunity never arises. I open JJ UTG for 725 and give up on a AKQx9 board which got checked to the river. I made one hero call over two streets against the table tard who was sitting with 30k after two epic suckouts and he was shovelling chips into every pot. I can't remember how the hand played out, but I remember checking bottom pair on the flop then check/calling both turn and river for half my stack. I had a pretty stong read and both turn and river were safe cards in my mind.
In my exit had I open AQ UTG for 725 and get shoved on by the CO. It was a huge overshove for about 18k with people still to act. I snapped as the blinds were about to increase and I didn't much fancy sitting with 10 BBs in the 4th level. I find myself in a race against 88 and lose as the board runs out 89TxA. I was happy enough with how I played, just found myself in some really unlucky spots. I believe the field in this event was very soft and I will definitely be playing again next year, hopefully I will run better at crucial times! I will report on my cash action soon, please be warned it will be littered with sick coolers and bad beats...
Wednesday, 18 August 2010
Circus Wednesday £20 FO
I had no intention of playing this game, but Emma called me to say she was playing it and I planned to go and deal at her table. I decided at the last minute that I fancied a bit of poker and since I won't get the chance to play much live before DTD next weekend, I entered.
There was a few familiar faces at my table with Wendy Rowe, Jed (not Conway, the other one), Gladys, Stevie Sung and few other players I recognise but don't know their names. The first hand I get involved in was with Gladys. She raises it up to 200 from MP and I flat the button with KQ knowing she has a very tight opening hand range and that I would often be dominated. Basically I called with connectors and position knowing she is weak postflop and there were a lot of ways to take the pot away. Anyway, the flop comes T92hh, she cbets 200 and I float with my gutshot with the intention of taking it away on loads of scary turns. I hit my Queen on the turn and Gladys again bets 200 into me and I put her on AK/JJ/AT with a scared bet like that and I raise to 700. She eventually tank folds and shows AKo.
I soon find myself with Aces UTG near the end of the first level and I play a very weird hand. I make it 150 and get called by 4 players. Flop was KdJd6c and I fire 450 into the pot, a laggy Asian lad to my immediate left calls, so does Gladys who had flatted from the button. The Queen of diamonds comes down on the turn and Gladys bets 500. I make a loose call with no diamond with potential to make a move on the river when the kid to my left folds... Unfortunately he doesn't and we see 9d on the river. Gladys checks it to me, I check and then the Asian lad bets 700 making Gladys fold. Obviously there is very little that I'm beating at this stage, but I'm getting very good pot odds and I don't have to be right too often for it to be a good call. I interrogate this lad for about a minute and he seemed nervous so I called. He asks if I have a flush, I say no what have you got and we get into a ridiculous standoff where nobody wants to show their cards... I hate live poker when idiots do this, so often you get slowrolled and I really didn't want to show the table how I played AA if I was losing the pot. He eventually shows a Jack, I show one Ace and the dealer prompts him to turn over his other card which was thankfully a seven, meaning I scoop the pot.
I scooped a big pot against Stevie Sung when I flatted the CO with KQs and three players see a AhTd9c flop, Stevie checks, I check, button checks. 8h on the turn, Stevie checks and I decide to try and build a pot with my gutshot/NFD or hopefully take it down. BTN folds, Stevie calls. 4h on the river, Stevie checks, I shove 9K into the 1kish pot and I get snapped. Happy days. My cash table image gets me the call, I unfortunately don't get to see his hand, shame cos I'm really interested in what he had. I'm not enough of a douche to ask to see the cards though!
After one EP limper, I join the limp train with 67s from the CO. Laggy Asian kid bets 300 from BTN, EP calls, I call. Flop 734ss, EP checks, I check knowing the cbet is coming and I plan to c/r. I obv c/r and this kid jams on me for 5k, I insta snap and find myself running into the very top of his range - KQss for a flip. Spade it's the turn and I just doubled up the most annoying kid at the table. Sigh.
Break time. I talk to Emma, Herbie Hackitt and GiMac. I inform them that I intend to chip up in the next level or go home trying. As it turns out, I don't really find any spots to even try until I find myself OTB with 46ss. Four players limp ahead of me, I decide to call instead of squeezing because I wouldn't get enough folds to make that a +EV move imo. Flop K35sss. "Merry Christmas" I think to myself! Wendy Rowe bets out 500 after limping UTG and gets called by an unknown player. I elect to flat and try to generate a big pot on a brick turn, but sadly I get to see the Queen of Spades. Nightmare card as I get no action when I'm ahead. It checks to me on the turn and I obv check it back. Brick on the river, Wendy checks, unknown player bets 700 and I call hoping he is just taking a stab and getting about 5-1. He shows As4c, at least he didn't raise the flop...
My exit hand again involves the laggy Asian kid to my left. He minraises UTG, gets two callers, I squeeze from the BB with AKdd, he 4bets and I make the trivial shove. He calls with KTo and gets there. Standard! Can somebody remind me not to play any more £20 Freezeouts? There probs won't be any updates on here until DTD in a week and a half, but then again nobody is reading this yet because it I haven't made it public! Bye for now :p
There was a few familiar faces at my table with Wendy Rowe, Jed (not Conway, the other one), Gladys, Stevie Sung and few other players I recognise but don't know their names. The first hand I get involved in was with Gladys. She raises it up to 200 from MP and I flat the button with KQ knowing she has a very tight opening hand range and that I would often be dominated. Basically I called with connectors and position knowing she is weak postflop and there were a lot of ways to take the pot away. Anyway, the flop comes T92hh, she cbets 200 and I float with my gutshot with the intention of taking it away on loads of scary turns. I hit my Queen on the turn and Gladys again bets 200 into me and I put her on AK/JJ/AT with a scared bet like that and I raise to 700. She eventually tank folds and shows AKo.
I soon find myself with Aces UTG near the end of the first level and I play a very weird hand. I make it 150 and get called by 4 players. Flop was KdJd6c and I fire 450 into the pot, a laggy Asian lad to my immediate left calls, so does Gladys who had flatted from the button. The Queen of diamonds comes down on the turn and Gladys bets 500. I make a loose call with no diamond with potential to make a move on the river when the kid to my left folds... Unfortunately he doesn't and we see 9d on the river. Gladys checks it to me, I check and then the Asian lad bets 700 making Gladys fold. Obviously there is very little that I'm beating at this stage, but I'm getting very good pot odds and I don't have to be right too often for it to be a good call. I interrogate this lad for about a minute and he seemed nervous so I called. He asks if I have a flush, I say no what have you got and we get into a ridiculous standoff where nobody wants to show their cards... I hate live poker when idiots do this, so often you get slowrolled and I really didn't want to show the table how I played AA if I was losing the pot. He eventually shows a Jack, I show one Ace and the dealer prompts him to turn over his other card which was thankfully a seven, meaning I scoop the pot.
I scooped a big pot against Stevie Sung when I flatted the CO with KQs and three players see a AhTd9c flop, Stevie checks, I check, button checks. 8h on the turn, Stevie checks and I decide to try and build a pot with my gutshot/NFD or hopefully take it down. BTN folds, Stevie calls. 4h on the river, Stevie checks, I shove 9K into the 1kish pot and I get snapped. Happy days. My cash table image gets me the call, I unfortunately don't get to see his hand, shame cos I'm really interested in what he had. I'm not enough of a douche to ask to see the cards though!
After one EP limper, I join the limp train with 67s from the CO. Laggy Asian kid bets 300 from BTN, EP calls, I call. Flop 734ss, EP checks, I check knowing the cbet is coming and I plan to c/r. I obv c/r and this kid jams on me for 5k, I insta snap and find myself running into the very top of his range - KQss for a flip. Spade it's the turn and I just doubled up the most annoying kid at the table. Sigh.
Break time. I talk to Emma, Herbie Hackitt and GiMac. I inform them that I intend to chip up in the next level or go home trying. As it turns out, I don't really find any spots to even try until I find myself OTB with 46ss. Four players limp ahead of me, I decide to call instead of squeezing because I wouldn't get enough folds to make that a +EV move imo. Flop K35sss. "Merry Christmas" I think to myself! Wendy Rowe bets out 500 after limping UTG and gets called by an unknown player. I elect to flat and try to generate a big pot on a brick turn, but sadly I get to see the Queen of Spades. Nightmare card as I get no action when I'm ahead. It checks to me on the turn and I obv check it back. Brick on the river, Wendy checks, unknown player bets 700 and I call hoping he is just taking a stab and getting about 5-1. He shows As4c, at least he didn't raise the flop...
My exit hand again involves the laggy Asian kid to my left. He minraises UTG, gets two callers, I squeeze from the BB with AKdd, he 4bets and I make the trivial shove. He calls with KTo and gets there. Standard! Can somebody remind me not to play any more £20 Freezeouts? There probs won't be any updates on here until DTD in a week and a half, but then again nobody is reading this yet because it I haven't made it public! Bye for now :p
Monday, 16 August 2010
Circus Monthly £50 Saturday game
Firstly apologies for the complete lack of updates to this blog. I haven't had a chance to play any 180man tourneys in a long time. I will finish that challenge... Eventually!
On Saturday afternoon I played the £50 monthly game at Circus, which has the same structure as the old £75 game - 40min levels, 7500 starting stack. Before the tourney got started I met up with Dan Trett and planned to go to Wetherspoons for some food, however we got a call from Steve "Sensation" Gibson and Neil "Buzz" Harvey and we ended up going to the Living Room for food. The tournament kicked off a bit late as the casino wasn't anticipating so many runners, I think it got 82 in total.
I started on T6S6 and this was my seat for the entire tourney. There was a few recognisable faces at the table, Ian "Nemesis" Betram, Irish Mark, Brian "BGR" Ridley and Dom's girlfriend, Lyd. Despite my laggy reputation, I am usually quite nitty in the opening stages of tournaments, especially with this sort of structure. For some reason I found myself being very active in the first couple of levels. I lost my first biggish pot with flopped top2 vs rivered flush, thankfully with the slow structure I managed to avoid going broke.
I win my first big hand with against a player that I've played cash with a lot, I dunno his name but he is a bit fishy. He limps in EP @ 50/100, I decide to flat my button with 67s, then the SB raises to 400, EP calls and I make the easy call with SCs OTB. The SB then bets 625 into a 855hh flop and is called by the EP limper. I briefly consider raising, but I don't really like this option as it sucks when I get flatted and I brick the turn. The SB checks a 2d turn, as does EP limper and I then take a stab at the pot betting 1600. I figured the SB had an AK/AQ type hand and the EP limper most likely had some small-medium pair that missed the flop. I would have been happy taking down a decent pot there and then, but I still had some outs for the times I get called - it was also my intention to barrel a flush card too if it was checked to me.
I get called by the EP limper and I hit my magic 9c on the river. I tank/shove for 5075 when it is checked to me. I have a lot of history with this guy and he has seen me make huuuge river bluffs playing cash. I guessed a shove probably looked weaker than a "please-call-me" value bet, also if he has a missed flush draw I get nothing any way, so I went for max value, put on my most nervous face and he eventually calls showing Ace high. Sometimes my lagtard image works in my favour :)
I take down a few more pots without showdown and my stack is sitting pretty at 20k in the second level. 4bet/folding is not something I try to make a habit of, but I found myself doing exactly that when I tangle with an aggressive female player. She 5bet shoves, I fold my AQ and she shows me AQ, made me feel a little sick, but I was taking down lots of small pots uncontested and I wasn't gonna be getting my stack in there. It probably wasn't a terrible play as I'm getting a lot of her range to fold, plus I don't wanna get owned on a Q73 flop.
I chip up steadily up to 30k during the 200/400 level and find myself with QQ UTG+3. UTG raises to 1100, UTG+2 calls, I raise to 3850 and get called by both players. UTG checks the 764 flop and UTG+1 then jams for 10kish. I think for about 20seconds before calling, imo he can't have 2pair (not even in his range) or a set as he would check and let me cbet a 7high flop and he can't have AA/KK because he wouldn't flat with that in a 3way pot. Easy call really, UTG folds and I'm against 10 outs as he shows 55 for the OESD. Thankfully he bricks and my stack increases to the 45k mark.
I manage to lose about 15k flopping bottom set on a 982r flop. It was a 5way hand and I lead the flop only to get raised by Brian Ridley, I 3bet the flop and get called. A Queen hits the turn and Brian shoves into me with a half pot sized bet, I sigh saying "JT is good", and sure enough that's what he has. I'm not a fan of folding sets OTT when I'm getting 3-1, but it probably was a poor call given the action and my knowledge of BGR's game. This sends me back down to about the 30k mark again but I still have the chip lead on my table as the blinds move to the 300/600 level.
I picked a really good spot for a 4bet bluff, when Dom Davidson limps in MP and gets raised biggish by an unknown player sat with his iPod and PokerStars hoody. I decide that he's raising Dom light so often here and I decide to apply some pressure with my KTo. He eventually folds and shows me AK. An absolutely terrible fold from him imo, dunno how he doesn't 5bet jam over me there. I show him the bluff and he tilts away his stack to Lyd a few hands later.
Nathan "NRH" Hope moves to my table and uncharacteristically plays very tight for a few orbits before we tangle in a sick CO vs BB hand. I can't remember when the blinds or the stack sizes were, but Nath opens for a standard 2.5x raise from the CO and I flat with 99 in the BB. Nathan and myself have played a lot HU online, as well as loads of live cash and several tourneys. We know each others game very well. I check a Q6xr flop expecting him to cbet, but he doesn't oblige. I don't like the Ten on the turn, but I don't want to give up either. Leading that turn wouldn't be so bad, but NRH could easily airball raise me there and I didn't want to be put in such a bad spot when I feel my hand could easily be best a lot of the time. I elect to c/c and we see a 9 on the river. This is where the fun begins. I usually try and work out possibilities in my head for future streets, but I hadn't actually considered the possibility of rivering a set, so I take a little time to think about when Nath could have. I don't want to comment on what I think Nathan's range is here, but I think I have a good idea what hands he cbets and what hands he checks back the flop with. He 100% bets the turn with any two. I decide I'm ahead a huge percentage of the time and I try and work out how to get the most chips in the pot. If I bet, Nathan will just flat with his showdown hands an awful lot of the time, plus I don't think he will be bluff/raising a lot so obviously the best way to get chips into the pot is to c/r. This gives him a chance to bluff and I think I get called pretty wide too because it's hard for me to rep KJ (I lead turn 100% with this) or any other value hand. Nathan calls without thinking for too long and later tells me that he had bottom set. Not sure if I believe this or not, but it's certainly possible.
I coast along the next couple of levels, winning and losing a few small pots and watching my stack yoyo between 35k and 50k. Lyd had been 3betting me an awful lot and I gave away far too many pots to her. Eventually I took a stand with AJs. I decide to flat OOP which is definitely not something that I usually do... Flop is J98cc and I check/shove over Lyd's cbet. She tanks for what felt like forever, but the longer it went on the happier I was because it was obvious I get called by a better hand. One unhappy player pointed out that it took 8minutes for her to fold, I dunno if this was true or not, but we had certainly moved 4 minutes into the next level! I didn't really notice as I was trying my hardest to look very uncomfortable. Looking back, I played this horrible and I should have just 4bet shoved, but nevermind.
My exit hand wasn't pretty, I 3bet/shove 25bb with a pair in the SB and get tank called by AK on the BTN. King on turn, 11th place and bubble prize for me. I genuinely think that agreeing to the bubble prize cost me this tournament as I think the player in question is bad enough to fold his hand here if he doesn't have some guaranteed money. Whatever, I'll never know.
My next decent tournament will be the £100 APAT Main Event at DTD in Nottingham. I'm staying for the weekend and I'm sure there will be a few interesting hands and other shenanigans to report soon!
On Saturday afternoon I played the £50 monthly game at Circus, which has the same structure as the old £75 game - 40min levels, 7500 starting stack. Before the tourney got started I met up with Dan Trett and planned to go to Wetherspoons for some food, however we got a call from Steve "Sensation" Gibson and Neil "Buzz" Harvey and we ended up going to the Living Room for food. The tournament kicked off a bit late as the casino wasn't anticipating so many runners, I think it got 82 in total.
I started on T6S6 and this was my seat for the entire tourney. There was a few recognisable faces at the table, Ian "Nemesis" Betram, Irish Mark, Brian "BGR" Ridley and Dom's girlfriend, Lyd. Despite my laggy reputation, I am usually quite nitty in the opening stages of tournaments, especially with this sort of structure. For some reason I found myself being very active in the first couple of levels. I lost my first biggish pot with flopped top2 vs rivered flush, thankfully with the slow structure I managed to avoid going broke.
I win my first big hand with against a player that I've played cash with a lot, I dunno his name but he is a bit fishy. He limps in EP @ 50/100, I decide to flat my button with 67s, then the SB raises to 400, EP calls and I make the easy call with SCs OTB. The SB then bets 625 into a 855hh flop and is called by the EP limper. I briefly consider raising, but I don't really like this option as it sucks when I get flatted and I brick the turn. The SB checks a 2d turn, as does EP limper and I then take a stab at the pot betting 1600. I figured the SB had an AK/AQ type hand and the EP limper most likely had some small-medium pair that missed the flop. I would have been happy taking down a decent pot there and then, but I still had some outs for the times I get called - it was also my intention to barrel a flush card too if it was checked to me.
I get called by the EP limper and I hit my magic 9c on the river. I tank/shove for 5075 when it is checked to me. I have a lot of history with this guy and he has seen me make huuuge river bluffs playing cash. I guessed a shove probably looked weaker than a "please-call-me" value bet, also if he has a missed flush draw I get nothing any way, so I went for max value, put on my most nervous face and he eventually calls showing Ace high. Sometimes my lagtard image works in my favour :)
I take down a few more pots without showdown and my stack is sitting pretty at 20k in the second level. 4bet/folding is not something I try to make a habit of, but I found myself doing exactly that when I tangle with an aggressive female player. She 5bet shoves, I fold my AQ and she shows me AQ, made me feel a little sick, but I was taking down lots of small pots uncontested and I wasn't gonna be getting my stack in there. It probably wasn't a terrible play as I'm getting a lot of her range to fold, plus I don't wanna get owned on a Q73 flop.
I chip up steadily up to 30k during the 200/400 level and find myself with QQ UTG+3. UTG raises to 1100, UTG+2 calls, I raise to 3850 and get called by both players. UTG checks the 764 flop and UTG+1 then jams for 10kish. I think for about 20seconds before calling, imo he can't have 2pair (not even in his range) or a set as he would check and let me cbet a 7high flop and he can't have AA/KK because he wouldn't flat with that in a 3way pot. Easy call really, UTG folds and I'm against 10 outs as he shows 55 for the OESD. Thankfully he bricks and my stack increases to the 45k mark.
I manage to lose about 15k flopping bottom set on a 982r flop. It was a 5way hand and I lead the flop only to get raised by Brian Ridley, I 3bet the flop and get called. A Queen hits the turn and Brian shoves into me with a half pot sized bet, I sigh saying "JT is good", and sure enough that's what he has. I'm not a fan of folding sets OTT when I'm getting 3-1, but it probably was a poor call given the action and my knowledge of BGR's game. This sends me back down to about the 30k mark again but I still have the chip lead on my table as the blinds move to the 300/600 level.
I picked a really good spot for a 4bet bluff, when Dom Davidson limps in MP and gets raised biggish by an unknown player sat with his iPod and PokerStars hoody. I decide that he's raising Dom light so often here and I decide to apply some pressure with my KTo. He eventually folds and shows me AK. An absolutely terrible fold from him imo, dunno how he doesn't 5bet jam over me there. I show him the bluff and he tilts away his stack to Lyd a few hands later.
Nathan "NRH" Hope moves to my table and uncharacteristically plays very tight for a few orbits before we tangle in a sick CO vs BB hand. I can't remember when the blinds or the stack sizes were, but Nath opens for a standard 2.5x raise from the CO and I flat with 99 in the BB. Nathan and myself have played a lot HU online, as well as loads of live cash and several tourneys. We know each others game very well. I check a Q6xr flop expecting him to cbet, but he doesn't oblige. I don't like the Ten on the turn, but I don't want to give up either. Leading that turn wouldn't be so bad, but NRH could easily airball raise me there and I didn't want to be put in such a bad spot when I feel my hand could easily be best a lot of the time. I elect to c/c and we see a 9 on the river. This is where the fun begins. I usually try and work out possibilities in my head for future streets, but I hadn't actually considered the possibility of rivering a set, so I take a little time to think about when Nath could have. I don't want to comment on what I think Nathan's range is here, but I think I have a good idea what hands he cbets and what hands he checks back the flop with. He 100% bets the turn with any two. I decide I'm ahead a huge percentage of the time and I try and work out how to get the most chips in the pot. If I bet, Nathan will just flat with his showdown hands an awful lot of the time, plus I don't think he will be bluff/raising a lot so obviously the best way to get chips into the pot is to c/r. This gives him a chance to bluff and I think I get called pretty wide too because it's hard for me to rep KJ (I lead turn 100% with this) or any other value hand. Nathan calls without thinking for too long and later tells me that he had bottom set. Not sure if I believe this or not, but it's certainly possible.
I coast along the next couple of levels, winning and losing a few small pots and watching my stack yoyo between 35k and 50k. Lyd had been 3betting me an awful lot and I gave away far too many pots to her. Eventually I took a stand with AJs. I decide to flat OOP which is definitely not something that I usually do... Flop is J98cc and I check/shove over Lyd's cbet. She tanks for what felt like forever, but the longer it went on the happier I was because it was obvious I get called by a better hand. One unhappy player pointed out that it took 8minutes for her to fold, I dunno if this was true or not, but we had certainly moved 4 minutes into the next level! I didn't really notice as I was trying my hardest to look very uncomfortable. Looking back, I played this horrible and I should have just 4bet shoved, but nevermind.
My exit hand wasn't pretty, I 3bet/shove 25bb with a pair in the SB and get tank called by AK on the BTN. King on turn, 11th place and bubble prize for me. I genuinely think that agreeing to the bubble prize cost me this tournament as I think the player in question is bad enough to fold his hand here if he doesn't have some guaranteed money. Whatever, I'll never know.
My next decent tournament will be the £100 APAT Main Event at DTD in Nottingham. I'm staying for the weekend and I'm sure there will be a few interesting hands and other shenanigans to report soon!
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