Cat O'Nines Tales

London Poker Masters 2008, £200 Freezeout 3rd January. 90 runners, and a pretty strong field at that. Obviously I was hoping to get the 2008 tournament career off to a good start.

To cut down on the suspense, I will say now that I finished 26th. Finishing at that in-between stage (where there are a lot of fallers in a short period) is always frustrating. Some will say that it's probably better to be 86th - saves time and achieves the same result.

I used to think that as well, but at the moment I'd take 26th over 86th even though it means 5 hours "wasted", because I want that experience of how to play in the critical phases.

I'd say I had about average rations from the poker gods. Nothing too dramatic, no outrageous suck-outs (for or against me). OK cards - pockets 9s was my best hand. Actually pocket 9s featured quite heavily at key points for me.

It was 6,000 chips to start - with 25/50 blinds. So, lots of play. At first, I was tempted to get involved in some marginal situations. A few mis-fired attempts saw me rather quickly drift down to 4,000. This is a known tendency of mine, and one that I need to actively guard against. Fortunately, I did stop the rot and got back up to 12,000 which was a little less than twice the average, and was obviously a good position at that time.

At that stage, I fell foul of another common flaw in my tournament game (or is it a flaw? this is an important question). I had a good lead over most of the stacks at the table, so I was in no danger of being eliminated. This was a factor in two hands that quickly saw me return to average chips.

In the first (150/300 blinds, 25 ante) I was in the big blind with 3h5h. The UTG player (pretty tight by his play so far) made a modest raise to 800. I certainly credit him with a good hand but when it is folded to me it is only 500 to call into a 1,500 pot so I do so figuring I can hit, or push this tight player off certain flops. He only has about 2,600 left but I do believe he can pass.

The flop is K-4-2, with 2 clubs.

I reckon this flop is worth a semi-bluff and I push. He insta-calls with AK, and his pair holds up.

Soon after, I have 8h9h in the small blind. There are 4 limpers to me. I call. The big blind - who has only 2,400 more -pushes. This seems to be a textbook play that could mean a hand of unlimited strength, but could easily be based almost entirely on the situation.

When it is folded to me, I am looking at calling 2,400 into a pot of 4,450. I believe his range definitely includes AK, AQ etc that I am only 2/1 behind and also small pairs where I am level. Naturally it includes 88+ as well that have me crushed, but I called pretty quickly.

"Nice Call" he says, and shows K6o. The flop was scary for him - Qh-Th-X. However, he dodges all the 8s, 9s, Jacks and hearts on the next two cards, and now I am down to about 7k.

Now I am thinking - aarrrghhh! All that hard work tripling up from 4k to 12k, and now this. I'm thinking I didn't need to even call pre-flop with either of those hands. Mind you, I do not think the play was hopeless, or definitively wrong and it is absolutely consistent with my natural style.

From here, I drifted down to not much more than 4k again when pocket 9s came to my rescue - I won a race vs AQ. I also beat 9s with my KQ in another hand.

I was on around 11k when I picked up AQ in UTG+2. Blinds 200/400 with a 50 ante. I raised to 1,800. Player to me left called, and the button called. Pot 6,500. Flop Q-9-7 of three suits. Bingo! If one of the players just made a set, c'est la vie. Otherwise, I am surely winning. I check. The first pf caller bet 4,000. Now I feel even more confident he doesn't have a set (although, I would probably bet if I had a set in his spot).

The button now dwelled for a long time. I remember thinking that if he eventually calls then I would consider that a hollywood-set is a definite possibility, but I'd still not be folding. He folded, finally. Now I only have to decide what is the best way to get all the chips in. I opted for route 1 - I raised all-in for 4,975 more.

My opponent called , verbally hoping I was on a draw. To be fair, I suspect he knew my likely holding. I was a little surprised to see only 8h9h. The other fella claimed he had folded 9dTd which was a middle pair (better kicker), with a backdoor flush and straight.

My top pair was good, and now I had over 20,000 chips and was amongst the top stacks in the tournament. I started to feel rather optimistic !

Alas, the same thing happened. Instead of moving on to build a really useful stack, I took some dents. First, I had 99 (again) in the big blind. One limper, then the short-stacked player in the small blind pushed. He had been making plenty of verbal action making out he was desperate, but to be fair he had already been seen to be talking loose, and playing tight.

Still, I was certainly not folding 99 when I had him covered 5x. I was a little worried about the other player so I just called, allowing myself to get away if there was a monster behind me. After some time, that player called as well.

Flop Q-X-X. I'm not happy about the overcard, so I check, figuring I may have to fold to a bet but hoping that he's happy to check it down. Check. Ace on the turn. Oh dear. Check/check. OK.... River is a blank.

"I missed" says the other active player - and table 8d9d ! I'm mentally scooping the 15k pot when the small blind turns up AA !!

Oh well. 16k left - about average by now.

The table breaks - we're down to about 35 players. I have a habit of often losing a chunk of chips just after a break, or just after moving tables. It may be that I selectively remember these happenings, but actually I think this is a real problem where I subconsciously feel a need to get involved at these times.

So it was that I was raising my 2nd hand at the new table with 8c8s. nb - there was some interesting pre-pre-flop action. The dealer had accidentally shown the Kh that had been dealt to the big blind. I felt this would make him marginally less keen to defend, and I raised to 2,100 from middle position. Blinds 300/600, 75 ante.

The BB called. Flop Kc-7c-3c. Checked to me. Well, now I think I am probably winning (because of the missing King, plus I have a club). I bet 3,000.

Now, the BB check-raises all-in. He has me well covered. I am kicking myself for not taking a free card. I may be winning, and if not I may have ten outs. But if he has KdQc, for example, I am in a world of pain.

To be honest, my instinct was (and often is) that he is making a move based on reading my bet as weak. But, I am not prepared to go out calling here so I meekly fold.

Now, I have only just over 10k and my promising position is no more.

I manage to stick around, keeping up with the blinds, for a period but with 26 left I was out with the following hand:

500/1000 with a 100 ante. I am the big blind with 7h5s. The UTG player limps. The small blind calls. I certainly considered pushing - I had 8,200 left and the pot is already 3,800. The UTG player has a hand, no doubt, but with only about 10k chips himself, does he really want to call off his tournament ? I decide he may well do, so I check.

Flop is 8s-7s-2c. Middle pair and some vague backdoor chances. I push. The UTG player doesn't waste much time calling with 99 (that hand again !) and although a 6 on the turn was scary for him, I was out.

This is quite an interesting hand, I suppose. 99 is very much the type of hand the limper should have - AA/KK/QQ/JJ/AK presumably raise pre-flop. 66 and below, or AT, AJ probably don't call. So I suppose I am hoping he has a hand like AQ, or KQs, JTs etc. Or, that he credits me with a big-blind kind of hand like 72 !!

When I decide to bet, I suppose I'm thinking that I don't want to see a bet and have to fold my pair when AQ bets. Once I decide to bet, I'm always pushing. Maybe, though, a check-raise is better. Perhaps a check-fold is best of all.

For sure, once I am out, I regret my haste !

How happy am I with the outcome ? Somewhat. To be in the top third of the field is probably full value for my skill relative to the field. But it did feel like a missed opportunity.

Next time ....