The 13th time lucky continues....
Step1 / Step1 / Step2 / Step2 / Step1 / Step2 / Step1 / Step2 / Step2 / Step3 / Step3 / Step4 ....
In that last Step3, I was in a fine chip lead until one aggressive player took out 4th and 5th in one hand. I fell back into 3rd a short while later but the others were both very keen to put chips in the middle so I just waited for one to knock the other out and hey presto !
In Step4, we're looking for 1st or 2nd to progress. 3rd is a retry. 4th and 5th are back to Step3 which would be OK I guess and even 6th is a fresh try at Step2 so it's super-tight to begin with I suppose.
Tuesday 30 September 2008
Won in a Million
I've stayed away from the Pokerstars Sunday Million recently. One reason is that there are some other good events on Sunday night which are better value - the $11 "Two Hundred Grand" as well as the $11 rebuy and a couple of $10 large-field events. Those tournaments seem to offer the potential of a large cash with softer competition and rather less outlay.
At $215, the Million is not cheap !
However, after some respectable cash performances of late I decided at the last click to buy-in.
My previous best was a scrape into the cash at 1,032nd place (1,080 places paying, which is normal I think).
This weekend, I must say I had better than average cards. This, combined with a basically very tight approach, saw me set a new bar for me to try to beat -- I was 383/7,311 which scored $750 (the 4th payoff band).
The moment around the bubble is usually pretty tense. As we approached the critical 1,081st place, I was on 30k chips (a little less than half the average, with blinds 1,500/3,000/300). I determined that it was best to wait till the bubble passed before getting busy again.
Then, Aces under-the-gun ! Well .... I elected to limp and hope one of the big-stacks would push to take advantage of my presumed reluctance to call on the absolute bubble. As it happened, it was even better. A 27k stack in mid-position pushed and it folded to me. Now I could call with impunity. I obviously have the best hand and stand to more than double up BUT if I lose, then I will still pass the bubble with 7k left.
I call, he shows Tens. My Aces hold, and I now am positioned to make a run at the higher money. In fact it was good for another 700 places, as we now know.
The wheels finally came off when with about 88k chips (blinds 4,000/8,000 with an 800 ante by now), there was a min-raise in mid-position and I decided that KJ-suited was enough to push back from the big-blind - I had the raiser covered. Unfortunately he had Kings and those held.
This left me with just 12k and after posting the small blind, I had just 1 big blind left !
The button called and with 76o, I eyed the huge odds and put in my last 8k. The BB and button both called and checked it down. The board came 6-high so I was actually fairly confident, and indeed I picked up a 42k pot when they both showed KJ.
I picked up the blinds and antes one time to be on 59k when I made my fatal move.
In mid/early, I faced another min-raise in front of me. I had mentally decided that my KQo would have to be enough with only 7BB in my stack. I probably should have waited till I could move first, but I hoped that the raiser might well have a hand I was racing with.
Unfortunately he had AK. I perhaps should have waited as he had hardly raised a single hand.
I hit my Queen as it happens, but JT also fell so AK made broadway and I made for the exit.
At $215, the Million is not cheap !
However, after some respectable cash performances of late I decided at the last click to buy-in.
My previous best was a scrape into the cash at 1,032nd place (1,080 places paying, which is normal I think).
This weekend, I must say I had better than average cards. This, combined with a basically very tight approach, saw me set a new bar for me to try to beat -- I was 383/7,311 which scored $750 (the 4th payoff band).
The moment around the bubble is usually pretty tense. As we approached the critical 1,081st place, I was on 30k chips (a little less than half the average, with blinds 1,500/3,000/300). I determined that it was best to wait till the bubble passed before getting busy again.
Then, Aces under-the-gun ! Well .... I elected to limp and hope one of the big-stacks would push to take advantage of my presumed reluctance to call on the absolute bubble. As it happened, it was even better. A 27k stack in mid-position pushed and it folded to me. Now I could call with impunity. I obviously have the best hand and stand to more than double up BUT if I lose, then I will still pass the bubble with 7k left.
I call, he shows Tens. My Aces hold, and I now am positioned to make a run at the higher money. In fact it was good for another 700 places, as we now know.
The wheels finally came off when with about 88k chips (blinds 4,000/8,000 with an 800 ante by now), there was a min-raise in mid-position and I decided that KJ-suited was enough to push back from the big-blind - I had the raiser covered. Unfortunately he had Kings and those held.
This left me with just 12k and after posting the small blind, I had just 1 big blind left !
The button called and with 76o, I eyed the huge odds and put in my last 8k. The BB and button both called and checked it down. The board came 6-high so I was actually fairly confident, and indeed I picked up a 42k pot when they both showed KJ.
I picked up the blinds and antes one time to be on 59k when I made my fatal move.
In mid/early, I faced another min-raise in front of me. I had mentally decided that my KQo would have to be enough with only 7BB in my stack. I probably should have waited till I could move first, but I hoped that the raiser might well have a hand I was racing with.
Unfortunately he had AK. I perhaps should have waited as he had hardly raised a single hand.
I hit my Queen as it happens, but JT also fell so AK made broadway and I made for the exit.
Lucky Thirteen ?
One step forward, one step back so far ... S1 .. S2 ... S2 ... S1 ... S2
I'm playing pretty conservatively - playing tight in an effort to ensure I reach the stage where at least a Step1 retry is assured before pushing for the win. It's a combination of satellite and cash SnG strategy. To be fair I am not expert at all on either of those disciplines, so I'm not sure how well this bodes.
If I did manage to spin this 13th and last buy-in into an EPT seat, it would be a great story so I'm holding on to that slender hope for now.
If I don't, well I'll probably just try again !
I'm playing pretty conservatively - playing tight in an effort to ensure I reach the stage where at least a Step1 retry is assured before pushing for the win. It's a combination of satellite and cash SnG strategy. To be fair I am not expert at all on either of those disciplines, so I'm not sure how well this bodes.
If I did manage to spin this 13th and last buy-in into an EPT seat, it would be a great story so I'm holding on to that slender hope for now.
If I don't, well I'll probably just try again !
Monday 29 September 2008
12-Step Programme
After falling short once-again in a major tournament (the WSOPE £1,500), I do not think I will be pulling up the entry fee for another title shot this year. In particular, I will give the EPT London (£5,000) a miss as well as the GUKPT Grand Final (£3,000).
However, I thought I would give EPT qualification a try. I've never been much of a satellite player - I entered the $33 rebuy (turbo) and was 4th in chips at one point before losing with Aces ..... hey ho ....
I also decided to try the pokerstars "steps" which is potentially a nice way in.
You start with a $7.50 9-man SnG and if you finish in the top 2, you progress to Step2. From Step 2, you are aiming to move on to Step 3 and so on. At each stage, you can advance to the next level (for top 2), or get a retry at the same level (3rd, sometimes 4th and even 5th) or get an entry back in at a lower level.
Of course, you can also bust (9th through 6th is always goodbye).
There are 6 steps altogether - at Step 6 you are looking at winning an EPT package and/or some consolation cash.
I decided I would invest about $100 in this venture - so I decided on an arbitrary 12 attempts at Step1. In the past, I have sometimes sustained a long innings with just a small investment.
Alas, my efforts were not covered in glory. I did "cash" a total of 6 times - 4x winning the table and progressing to Step 2, twice gaining a free retry.
I reached step3 a total of three times, but I didn't even threaten to move up to Step4 which is where it ceases to be a turbo format and the real game starts (Step 4 is a $215 buy-in if you start there).
I think, as I write this, that I might go for "lucky 13" - 12 entries is $10 short of $100 so I have one "golden ticket" left. Could this be the one ? I'll let you know later although I can take a good guess right now !
However, I thought I would give EPT qualification a try. I've never been much of a satellite player - I entered the $33 rebuy (turbo) and was 4th in chips at one point before losing with Aces ..... hey ho ....
I also decided to try the pokerstars "steps" which is potentially a nice way in.
You start with a $7.50 9-man SnG and if you finish in the top 2, you progress to Step2. From Step 2, you are aiming to move on to Step 3 and so on. At each stage, you can advance to the next level (for top 2), or get a retry at the same level (3rd, sometimes 4th and even 5th) or get an entry back in at a lower level.
Of course, you can also bust (9th through 6th is always goodbye).
There are 6 steps altogether - at Step 6 you are looking at winning an EPT package and/or some consolation cash.
I decided I would invest about $100 in this venture - so I decided on an arbitrary 12 attempts at Step1. In the past, I have sometimes sustained a long innings with just a small investment.
Alas, my efforts were not covered in glory. I did "cash" a total of 6 times - 4x winning the table and progressing to Step 2, twice gaining a free retry.
I reached step3 a total of three times, but I didn't even threaten to move up to Step4 which is where it ceases to be a turbo format and the real game starts (Step 4 is a $215 buy-in if you start there).
I think, as I write this, that I might go for "lucky 13" - 12 entries is $10 short of $100 so I have one "golden ticket" left. Could this be the one ? I'll let you know later although I can take a good guess right now !
Monday 22 September 2008
Update ...
My player reading skills clearly need a lot of work still. The player whom I identified as looking very weak and uncomfortable in the hand where I exited turns out to have been French pro Remy Biechel so I guess he knew what he was doing ...
Sunday 21 September 2008
The ABC of Poker - part2
I can now announce that ABC stands for Avoid Bad Calls.
It's the £1,500 NLH event at the WSOPE. I'm on my ever-longer quest to make a decent showing in on of these larger tournaments.
I feel pretty good about my prospects - not that I think I have a genuinely good chance, it's simply that I decided to feel confident. Never a bad thing in poker.
I was speaking to someone the other day who said (apparently in earnest) that feeling confident meant you actually got dealt better hands. I certainly wouldn't go that far, but I think it is obvious that playing with confidence will give you a better chance in the same way that timid, fearful play is certain to be pounced on by better players.
Conscious of my oft-repeated mistakes of getting too active early in these tournaments, I play tight early on. My task is made easier because I am dealt a 3 in every hand for the first two orbits - I did get pocket 3s one time and took down a small pot by betting out on the AKJ-flop.
My first table looks pretty safe - there are no big names as far as I can see although I recognise 3 or 4 from the poker circuit generally and the fella on my right seems to be a high-stakes cash player on pokerstars, over here to play the whole series.
I advance to about 7k before our table is broken. Nothing too remarkable has happened to me, but some of the hands that I was not involved in were manic. The most notable being the following monster pot:
EP raises and is called by MP player and one of the blinds. The flop is T99 with two diamonds. check/Bet/call/call. Turn 8d. check/Bet/call/call.
River 7c. Check/bet/all-in/check-raise all-in over the top. Now the last to act says "I'm not slow-rolling, I have a decision" and he eventually calls with 8s-full. The first all-in has Quad-9s and the crai player had the Nut flush with the Jack of diamonds as a straight-flush blocker.
That's action ! I have to say the flush should have found a fold.
The Quad-9 player kept being moved with me and he created huge pots wherever he went.
I am still plodding along quietly waiting for my chance to get dealt a big hand ! Meanwhile, I keep up with the blinds with some re-raise action. I take a knock back when I re-raise the cut-off with AJ, only to face an all-in. I fold, and he claims to have had KK.
I often try to over-compensate after losing chips - but at 4,725 I am not in imminent danger and I recover to above the 6k starting stack with a hand that I feel I played well enough - UTG with AK, I make it 700, receiving a call only from the Big Blind who I have identified as a good, solid player.
The flop being A92 with two hearts. He checks, and I check behind. The Jd comes on the turn. Checked to me. I now bet 700 which is called. Another 9 on the river. When it is checked to me, I put in a value bet of 1,000 which is paid off by AT.
We're broken again in the middle of the 100/200/25 level - back into the main part of the casino. Me and Quad-9s join the table where Annette_15 has just busted.
It's all action straight away. The player on my right opens for 400. Raised to 1,600 by a late-position player. Quad 9's calls. The big blind makes it 5,000 more. The original raiser folds and now the late-position raiser moves all-in for about 10,000. NOW, Quad-9s moves all-in on top of that which forces the big-blind to lay down.
Presumably we are looking at Aces vs Kings, or maybe Aces vs Aces ? No. JJ vs AK. The board changes nothing and Quad-9s doubles up the other player.
An orbit or so later, I pick up AK myself and raise two limpers - making it 1,650 total. Maybe a bit steep ? All fold.
The very next hand, I have AK again. I make it 575 which is my standard raise with 525 in the pots from the blinds and antes. The player in the cut-off calls. The big blind makes what looks like a reluctant call.
The flop is dealt - Qs6s3h.
BB checks to me and I make what amounts to a critical error. I feel I should bet (that may be an error right there) but crucially I miscalculated the pot and bet 1,700 which in fact was about 85% of the pot. Too much.
The cut-off folded and the big-blind looked pretty uncomfortable. He dwelled up for ages and looked very much like he was mucking as well until all of a sudden something seemed to click and he pushed all-in for about 7k - covering me anyway.
OK. Tournament decision. I have been burned so many times calling all in when I felt that I needed to gamble so my first instinct was to fold, of course.
I tried to think it through logically. On the one hand I have no-pair / no-draw. On the other hand, if I call and win I finally have some chips. If I fold, I am back down to 4,250 and in a short while we're going to 150/300 with antes.
A check-raise all-in is supposed to be a strong move but this player looked weak to me. Still, I have nothing ! I'm getting a good price though - something like 5/2 although it was actually a little less than I thought.
Obviously the BB could have a set of 6s or 3s in which case I am in huge trouble. He could have 2pair (6s and 3s presumably). But, in fact, I think he has a draw and if he has As7s say then we're about even. If he has a pair then I am about 25% - not a mile short of what I need.
Still, it is for my tournament - it's much better to be the one pushing !
I must say at the end of the decision I was seduced by the thought of making a heroic winning, call and I pushed the chips in.
He showed Q8-hearts for top pair/8-kicker and a backdoor flush. I needed an Ace or King and to be honest, I felt it was coming, but it wasn't !
That call was probably a mistake. The 1,700 was certainly an error.
ABC - Avoid Being Committed
It's the £1,500 NLH event at the WSOPE. I'm on my ever-longer quest to make a decent showing in on of these larger tournaments.
I feel pretty good about my prospects - not that I think I have a genuinely good chance, it's simply that I decided to feel confident. Never a bad thing in poker.
I was speaking to someone the other day who said (apparently in earnest) that feeling confident meant you actually got dealt better hands. I certainly wouldn't go that far, but I think it is obvious that playing with confidence will give you a better chance in the same way that timid, fearful play is certain to be pounced on by better players.
Conscious of my oft-repeated mistakes of getting too active early in these tournaments, I play tight early on. My task is made easier because I am dealt a 3 in every hand for the first two orbits - I did get pocket 3s one time and took down a small pot by betting out on the AKJ-flop.
My first table looks pretty safe - there are no big names as far as I can see although I recognise 3 or 4 from the poker circuit generally and the fella on my right seems to be a high-stakes cash player on pokerstars, over here to play the whole series.
I advance to about 7k before our table is broken. Nothing too remarkable has happened to me, but some of the hands that I was not involved in were manic. The most notable being the following monster pot:
EP raises and is called by MP player and one of the blinds. The flop is T99 with two diamonds. check/Bet/call/call. Turn 8d. check/Bet/call/call.
River 7c. Check/bet/all-in/check-raise all-in over the top. Now the last to act says "I'm not slow-rolling, I have a decision" and he eventually calls with 8s-full. The first all-in has Quad-9s and the crai player had the Nut flush with the Jack of diamonds as a straight-flush blocker.
That's action ! I have to say the flush should have found a fold.
The Quad-9 player kept being moved with me and he created huge pots wherever he went.
I am still plodding along quietly waiting for my chance to get dealt a big hand ! Meanwhile, I keep up with the blinds with some re-raise action. I take a knock back when I re-raise the cut-off with AJ, only to face an all-in. I fold, and he claims to have had KK.
I often try to over-compensate after losing chips - but at 4,725 I am not in imminent danger and I recover to above the 6k starting stack with a hand that I feel I played well enough - UTG with AK, I make it 700, receiving a call only from the Big Blind who I have identified as a good, solid player.
The flop being A92 with two hearts. He checks, and I check behind. The Jd comes on the turn. Checked to me. I now bet 700 which is called. Another 9 on the river. When it is checked to me, I put in a value bet of 1,000 which is paid off by AT.
We're broken again in the middle of the 100/200/25 level - back into the main part of the casino. Me and Quad-9s join the table where Annette_15 has just busted.
It's all action straight away. The player on my right opens for 400. Raised to 1,600 by a late-position player. Quad 9's calls. The big blind makes it 5,000 more. The original raiser folds and now the late-position raiser moves all-in for about 10,000. NOW, Quad-9s moves all-in on top of that which forces the big-blind to lay down.
Presumably we are looking at Aces vs Kings, or maybe Aces vs Aces ? No. JJ vs AK. The board changes nothing and Quad-9s doubles up the other player.
An orbit or so later, I pick up AK myself and raise two limpers - making it 1,650 total. Maybe a bit steep ? All fold.
The very next hand, I have AK again. I make it 575 which is my standard raise with 525 in the pots from the blinds and antes. The player in the cut-off calls. The big blind makes what looks like a reluctant call.
The flop is dealt - Qs6s3h.
BB checks to me and I make what amounts to a critical error. I feel I should bet (that may be an error right there) but crucially I miscalculated the pot and bet 1,700 which in fact was about 85% of the pot. Too much.
The cut-off folded and the big-blind looked pretty uncomfortable. He dwelled up for ages and looked very much like he was mucking as well until all of a sudden something seemed to click and he pushed all-in for about 7k - covering me anyway.
OK. Tournament decision. I have been burned so many times calling all in when I felt that I needed to gamble so my first instinct was to fold, of course.
I tried to think it through logically. On the one hand I have no-pair / no-draw. On the other hand, if I call and win I finally have some chips. If I fold, I am back down to 4,250 and in a short while we're going to 150/300 with antes.
A check-raise all-in is supposed to be a strong move but this player looked weak to me. Still, I have nothing ! I'm getting a good price though - something like 5/2 although it was actually a little less than I thought.
Obviously the BB could have a set of 6s or 3s in which case I am in huge trouble. He could have 2pair (6s and 3s presumably). But, in fact, I think he has a draw and if he has As7s say then we're about even. If he has a pair then I am about 25% - not a mile short of what I need.
Still, it is for my tournament - it's much better to be the one pushing !
I must say at the end of the decision I was seduced by the thought of making a heroic winning, call and I pushed the chips in.
He showed Q8-hearts for top pair/8-kicker and a backdoor flush. I needed an Ace or King and to be honest, I felt it was coming, but it wasn't !
That call was probably a mistake. The 1,700 was certainly an error.
ABC - Avoid Being Committed
Friday 19 September 2008
The ABC of Poker - part1
I fear that poker by acronyms is unlikely to be winning poker, but I have to start somewhere.In a little over 24hours I will be sitting down at the WSOPE £1,500 event trying once again to make Day2 of a major event.
This time I'm going to try to get there by playing ABC poker.
I am beginning to think that one of these days I may have to fold my way past the 2-day event-horizon just to say I've done it. I believe this is literally possible at some of the really slow-clock events - I'm almost certain it was possible at the WSOP Main Event, for example.
Poker by pithy quote is also likely to be a losing formula but "In order to live, you must be willing to die" (attributed to Amir Vahedi) is one of my favourites.
I must say I think I have usually been prepared to put my chips in jeopardy with the best of them. Not for nothing have I earned the "H-bomb" moniker.
However, I have noticed of late that I am suffering from a fear of failure - basically, I don't want to donk out of a big tournament.
"Big" obviously is a completely arbitrary label. It applied in my case to the £5 rebuy at Gutshot the other day because the tournament was so important to me in historical terms.
It applied in the WSOP Main Event this year because - although I had got there for $5 including travel & hotel - it was my first ever and I felt a sense of obligation to do well.
It has also applied in the GUKPT earlier this year, say. £1,000 in that case, or £1,500 in the case of WSOPE is far from small change.
So - ABC poker. For today's purposes, ABC is going to mean "Always Be Counting". It's a technique I have been trying to use to help me with my tournament game in a few ways.The idea is that by continually and consciously staying on top of all the important numbers - the opponents' stacks, the pot so far, the pot odds, the number of big blinds in my stack and so on - I can keep focussed on the game state and avoid big mistakes, and also avoid losing concentration.
If one thing is certain in poker it is that it's complicated - there are so many factors (including the cards!) but I do believe that the dominant "theory of poker" is actually the theory of stack sizes.
It's all about the chips, in other words. There's another "C" I can use in a later post .... In fact there are enough for a whole "The 7 C's of Poker" or somesuch ... C if for concentration, cards, chips and complexity and so on.
So what's it going to be tomorrow? Always Be Confident or Avoid Being Cocky ?
I'll have to let you know later - here's hoping for A Big Cash.
Thursday 18 September 2008
A Clerkenwell Farewell
It finally came to this – the last ever night of poker at the world-famous Gutshot Club. It was surely the duty of every friend of the club to turn out for the send-off.
I set off to pay my last respects, travelling via The Empire Casino in Leicester Square to buy in for the WSOPE £1,500 NLH. My tube journey there took me through Russell Square – a reminder of the pre-Clerkenwell origins of the club.
I stopped off at McDonald’s – pre-game preparation is so important .....my change included a crisp £5 note – likely to be the first of many I would need tonight !
When I arrived at the club, the queue was of epic proportions. Visually it was somewhat similar to the Northern Rock scenes of a year ago, but in a good way. Eventually I was signed up as #117, with just over an hour to go to kick-off.
In a break with some of the older traditions, the “shuffle up and deal” was given on time, but not before Barry came over the PA to urge the participants to make a collective world-record attempt – the first tournament where everyone is all in on the 1st hand ! It seems possible that this might have happened spontaneously in any case ...
So at our table and presumably many others, the 1st hand produced 9 rebuys !
I thought I may have made the perfect start when I turned Aces-up in that 10-way coup, but a rivered straight scooped the 5k. However, I did win three or four pots in a row with relentless all-in moves thereafter.
Meanwhile, George Achillea couldn’t buy a pot, especially off me, and nor could Barry. In Barry’s case, however, he was pleased as he made an attempt on the world rebuy record.
A typical pot would see something like this – a modest 5-way all in – Pocket Kings, pocket 5s (Barry), A4, pocket 9s (George). I’m in as well (blind, obviously). The flop comes 789 giving George top set. I have 65o – flopping the nuts (well near enough).
I had expressed doubt that much over a dozen rebuys would be possible in a 1hour period with self-dealing. However, I had not accounted for the accelerated pace of proceedings and the complete absence of post-flop action.
Barry managed to achieve 12 rebuys before winning a single pot, and eventually managed to top the previous record with 28. Allegedly a 30+ was recorded elsewhere in the room but that has yet to be scrutineered. After a period where I couldn’t lose a hand, and picked up 7,000 chips, I succeeded in getting to ground zero again before getting in 10 consecutive rebuys and finally finishing on a well-timed streak to hold 11,050 chips at the break – not far off triple the average, and an excellent return on twelve buy-ins.
After a lengthy first break where a record 180 buy-ins, 147 add-ons and 958 rebuys were totted up (that is one rebuy every 4 seconds on average), the second phase of carnage began. It was no time at all before we dropped below 100 runners, then lost half the field, and then with most of the short stacks now gone, some semblance of “real poker” emerged.
A second shout-out from Barry on the mic came to welcome, at the bar, multiple £5-rebuy champion Roland de Wolfe who is now more likely to be found playing in a $5k rebuy, but who can always be counted amongst the friends of the Gutshot.
I’m playing quite conservatively – recalling many previous tournaments where the urge to push has seized me with Q9o or some such. I’m also making laydowns that are not allowing the true H-bomber to shine through. However, I’m doing fine and above average when Al Hughes raises on his SB and I push with Jacks from the BB. He throws his hand away. I move solidly into the 20k+ - less than 25BB mind you, but OK.
A couple of hands later, Al is in early position and raises again – this time to 4k. I take a look at a red one and a black one – the rockets ! I elect to shove. Back to Al who decides he doesn’t like
being pushed around, and calls with two red deuces. Nice.
I’m mentally patting myself on the back for waiting for a great spot to get the chips in. The flop is all red, and on close inspection it contains two pointy-red ones whereas I have the curvy-red Ace. A pointy red turn and then a vicious 5d on the river sees my Aces flushed away.
I sense it is not to be when a half-round later I raise UTG with AJ, to be called by Al in the Big Blind. The flop contains 2 Jacks. Check/check. An offsuit 3 on the turn and Al shoves. I insta-call, and the case Jack is in his hand – with the 9 kicker. Revenge ?
Nope.
It could have been worse, but the river pairs the trey and Al even wins the odd chip as we chop the 500 small blind. Marvellous.
By now, the blinds have escalated to 1k/2k and I have no spots to get my chips in first.
I make it to the break at the end of that level – it’s about 1am and we are down to three tables, and not far from the money at 18th place.
I lose a chip race for the odd blues to be on exactly 8k as we start the 1,500/3,000 level. I will be Under-the-gun.
Oh no I won’t. The TD moves Al Hughes out of that spot, landing me in the blind one hand earlier.
John I makes it exactly 8k from the cut-off and it’s folded to me.
Coincidence ? I don’t know, but with 3,000 in, 5,000 left and the small blind next hand I think it is an automatic call. I don’t look at my cards and throw in the chips.
Are you sensing the karma yet?
25 of us left, 5k-2 call, getting 5:2 on my money.
I turn up my cards – yes indeed: 5-2 (of diamonds).
John has QJ of the same suit. It would be right and proper for this to have a happy ending, but I'm behind all the way despite picking up a deuce on the turn.
It’s all over.
So, it turns out the first time I get the powerhouse today is my last hand in a Gutshot tournament (well, the pseudo/suited-powerhouse anyway. It’ll have to do).
The End
I set off to pay my last respects, travelling via The Empire Casino in Leicester Square to buy in for the WSOPE £1,500 NLH. My tube journey there took me through Russell Square – a reminder of the pre-Clerkenwell origins of the club.
I stopped off at McDonald’s – pre-game preparation is so important .....my change included a crisp £5 note – likely to be the first of many I would need tonight !
When I arrived at the club, the queue was of epic proportions. Visually it was somewhat similar to the Northern Rock scenes of a year ago, but in a good way. Eventually I was signed up as #117, with just over an hour to go to kick-off.
In a break with some of the older traditions, the “shuffle up and deal” was given on time, but not before Barry came over the PA to urge the participants to make a collective world-record attempt – the first tournament where everyone is all in on the 1st hand ! It seems possible that this might have happened spontaneously in any case ...
So at our table and presumably many others, the 1st hand produced 9 rebuys !
I thought I may have made the perfect start when I turned Aces-up in that 10-way coup, but a rivered straight scooped the 5k. However, I did win three or four pots in a row with relentless all-in moves thereafter.
Meanwhile, George Achillea couldn’t buy a pot, especially off me, and nor could Barry. In Barry’s case, however, he was pleased as he made an attempt on the world rebuy record.
A typical pot would see something like this – a modest 5-way all in – Pocket Kings, pocket 5s (Barry), A4, pocket 9s (George). I’m in as well (blind, obviously). The flop comes 789 giving George top set. I have 65o – flopping the nuts (well near enough).
I had expressed doubt that much over a dozen rebuys would be possible in a 1hour period with self-dealing. However, I had not accounted for the accelerated pace of proceedings and the complete absence of post-flop action.
Barry managed to achieve 12 rebuys before winning a single pot, and eventually managed to top the previous record with 28. Allegedly a 30+ was recorded elsewhere in the room but that has yet to be scrutineered. After a period where I couldn’t lose a hand, and picked up 7,000 chips, I succeeded in getting to ground zero again before getting in 10 consecutive rebuys and finally finishing on a well-timed streak to hold 11,050 chips at the break – not far off triple the average, and an excellent return on twelve buy-ins.
After a lengthy first break where a record 180 buy-ins, 147 add-ons and 958 rebuys were totted up (that is one rebuy every 4 seconds on average), the second phase of carnage began. It was no time at all before we dropped below 100 runners, then lost half the field, and then with most of the short stacks now gone, some semblance of “real poker” emerged.
A second shout-out from Barry on the mic came to welcome, at the bar, multiple £5-rebuy champion Roland de Wolfe who is now more likely to be found playing in a $5k rebuy, but who can always be counted amongst the friends of the Gutshot.
I’m playing quite conservatively – recalling many previous tournaments where the urge to push has seized me with Q9o or some such. I’m also making laydowns that are not allowing the true H-bomber to shine through. However, I’m doing fine and above average when Al Hughes raises on his SB and I push with Jacks from the BB. He throws his hand away. I move solidly into the 20k+ - less than 25BB mind you, but OK.
A couple of hands later, Al is in early position and raises again – this time to 4k. I take a look at a red one and a black one – the rockets ! I elect to shove. Back to Al who decides he doesn’t like
being pushed around, and calls with two red deuces. Nice.
I’m mentally patting myself on the back for waiting for a great spot to get the chips in. The flop is all red, and on close inspection it contains two pointy-red ones whereas I have the curvy-red Ace. A pointy red turn and then a vicious 5d on the river sees my Aces flushed away.
I sense it is not to be when a half-round later I raise UTG with AJ, to be called by Al in the Big Blind. The flop contains 2 Jacks. Check/check. An offsuit 3 on the turn and Al shoves. I insta-call, and the case Jack is in his hand – with the 9 kicker. Revenge ?
Nope.
It could have been worse, but the river pairs the trey and Al even wins the odd chip as we chop the 500 small blind. Marvellous.
By now, the blinds have escalated to 1k/2k and I have no spots to get my chips in first.
I make it to the break at the end of that level – it’s about 1am and we are down to three tables, and not far from the money at 18th place.
I lose a chip race for the odd blues to be on exactly 8k as we start the 1,500/3,000 level. I will be Under-the-gun.
Oh no I won’t. The TD moves Al Hughes out of that spot, landing me in the blind one hand earlier.
John I makes it exactly 8k from the cut-off and it’s folded to me.
Coincidence ? I don’t know, but with 3,000 in, 5,000 left and the small blind next hand I think it is an automatic call. I don’t look at my cards and throw in the chips.
Are you sensing the karma yet?
25 of us left, 5k-2 call, getting 5:2 on my money.
I turn up my cards – yes indeed: 5-2 (of diamonds).
John has QJ of the same suit. It would be right and proper for this to have a happy ending, but I'm behind all the way despite picking up a deuce on the turn.
It’s all over.
So, it turns out the first time I get the powerhouse today is my last hand in a Gutshot tournament (well, the pseudo/suited-powerhouse anyway. It’ll have to do).
The End
Wednesday 17 September 2008
Goodbye Rebuy
Tonight's the night. We've arrived at the last night of poker at The Gutshot on Clerkenwell Road.
The club is holding a £5 rebuy in tribute to a tournament format that started so many great, and not so great, players on their way. It used to be called "beginners' night" although tonight there won't be a beginner amongst the field which is, however, likely to include several top-class professionals who have emerged from Gutshot's ranks over the years.
I'll be playing, and hoping for a result. I fancy it will remind me of the "BSPT". Like tonight's tournament, it was a frantic rebuy where the social aspect far outranked the poker. But, like the BSPT, those in the mix at the end will desperately want to win!
As an experiment, I have just set up a group on facebook for BSPT alumni - there are over 200 of us. I'm not going to invite people to the group - it'll be interesting to see how many we can get just by pure "viral" means.
The club is holding a £5 rebuy in tribute to a tournament format that started so many great, and not so great, players on their way. It used to be called "beginners' night" although tonight there won't be a beginner amongst the field which is, however, likely to include several top-class professionals who have emerged from Gutshot's ranks over the years.
I'll be playing, and hoping for a result. I fancy it will remind me of the "BSPT". Like tonight's tournament, it was a frantic rebuy where the social aspect far outranked the poker. But, like the BSPT, those in the mix at the end will desperately want to win!
As an experiment, I have just set up a group on facebook for BSPT alumni - there are over 200 of us. I'm not going to invite people to the group - it'll be interesting to see how many we can get just by pure "viral" means.
Thursday 11 September 2008
From first to last
It's less than a week till a certain famous poker club will host its last night of live poker.
Most people know that the club on Clerkenwell Road is strictly speaking "The Powerhouse Sporting Club", but the spirit is all Gutshot.
I've had so many great nights, and indeed all-nighters, there.
On 17th September, as a response to a clamour from many long-term supporters, the club will close with a re-run one of its most famous tournament format - the £5 rebuy.
I didn't play at the club in the very early days, but I know this game was legendary. It's common knowledge that a whole raft of top-tier players in the UK today started in the game by playing it.
My intention is to make up for my past absenteeism by winning the thing at the last gasp.
If I can do so, I will see it as a beautiful symmetry as I won the tournament on my first ever visit.
I think I may have the right experience to take down this particular format. It's just like the £20 rebuy tournaments I hosted at the club for my former colleagues.
What is guranteed, however, is one helluva night from the first rebuy to the last bad beat.
What are the odds on the last ever hand being won with 5-2 offsuit ?
Pretty good, I'd say, because we won't be leaving till it happens like that !
Most people know that the club on Clerkenwell Road is strictly speaking "The Powerhouse Sporting Club", but the spirit is all Gutshot.
I've had so many great nights, and indeed all-nighters, there.
On 17th September, as a response to a clamour from many long-term supporters, the club will close with a re-run one of its most famous tournament format - the £5 rebuy.
I didn't play at the club in the very early days, but I know this game was legendary. It's common knowledge that a whole raft of top-tier players in the UK today started in the game by playing it.
My intention is to make up for my past absenteeism by winning the thing at the last gasp.
If I can do so, I will see it as a beautiful symmetry as I won the tournament on my first ever visit.
I think I may have the right experience to take down this particular format. It's just like the £20 rebuy tournaments I hosted at the club for my former colleagues.
What is guranteed, however, is one helluva night from the first rebuy to the last bad beat.
What are the odds on the last ever hand being won with 5-2 offsuit ?
Pretty good, I'd say, because we won't be leaving till it happens like that !
Wednesday 10 September 2008
Neither one thing nor the other
No seat for me last night.
It turned out to be quite a popular event. 24 players turned up, which translated into 2 full seats plus more than a grand for 3rd place. Among those 24 names were a whole host of strong players from the "gutshot family". One might pick out JJ Hazan, Dominic Kay and James Mitchell for example, but one could have picked others.
Each and every one was a "name" in these circles, and quite a few had enjoyed conspicuous success.
So, a strong line up and an enjoyable game. Played in good spirit by all and very well run.
I fear I fell between the H-rock and the H-lunatic in a somewhat unsatisfactory way. But, in fact, I think I also played pretty straightforwardly and it perhaps was just not meant to be.
To give an example of what "meant to be" might mean, let us take a look at what happened to JJ Hazan. He seemed to be playing early on a lot more straightforwardly than is sometimes the case with him. He is known for being aggressive and creative. "Lucky JJ" is his nickname.
Anyway, he'd been playing solid and then all of a sudden he's all in pre-flop against Ed Rogers.
Ed flips up pocket Aces ! Oops ? No, JJ turns over Aces as well !
There are 2 clubs on the flop which means someone is free-rolling to the nut flush. JJ is that someone. Jack of clubs on the turn gives JJ the royal flush draw. Just the 7 of clubs on the river gives him the 5% flush and doubles him up, nearly felting Ed.
Ed, mind you, came back strongly later and could easily have come through himself.
I went along pretty quetly and tightly. I played only one hand for the first level then picked up Queens. A raise to 350 (50/100 blinds) and a call ahead of me prompted me to pop it to 1,150. The initial raiser folded, as did the caller (who mucked AK face up !).
I picked up a couple of small pots with AK (raise pf, check the flop, c-bet the turn), AJ on the SB vs BB (raise/fold). I made up the SB on one hand with a suited Ace and bet the Ace-high flop, no callers.
All very quiet.
However, I was not making a great deal of forward momentum and at 100/200 I re-raised an early raiser (we were 6-handed) with pocket 9s - I hoped he may have something like AJ/AT, KQ, 66 etc that he would fold. Else, I have position.
It was re-raised all in behind me by JJ so I felt I had to fold there and was back below 5k starting chips.
With the blinds now stepping up and no opportunities to get my money in, I was down to 7BB when I pushed with J4 in the cut-off - called by KJ.
And that was it.
I played a little bit of cash. First hand I flopped top pair and stacked off my £50 initial buy-in. I rebought for £100 and picked up Kings on the Big blind. Action ahead of me: raise/re-raise/re-raise allin. I raise all in as well (ldo) and am called. Board runs out something like 7-9-4-6-5 and my Kings are good.
I hovered around flat until I got all my chips in on an 8-high flop (2 clubs) holding T8-clubs.
The other player has KJ-clubs and rivered a Jack. I'd only been playing an hour or so but unusually I felt I should call an early end to proceedings, so I watched the last 30minutes of the satellite then headed off home.
Congratulations to Dean, Dru and JJ who cashed. I have to think about whether to buy in direct. I probably will. If so it will be the last event of the year for me. Still looking to break that day-2 duck !
One day it must come, surely ?
It turned out to be quite a popular event. 24 players turned up, which translated into 2 full seats plus more than a grand for 3rd place. Among those 24 names were a whole host of strong players from the "gutshot family". One might pick out JJ Hazan, Dominic Kay and James Mitchell for example, but one could have picked others.
Each and every one was a "name" in these circles, and quite a few had enjoyed conspicuous success.
So, a strong line up and an enjoyable game. Played in good spirit by all and very well run.
I fear I fell between the H-rock and the H-lunatic in a somewhat unsatisfactory way. But, in fact, I think I also played pretty straightforwardly and it perhaps was just not meant to be.
To give an example of what "meant to be" might mean, let us take a look at what happened to JJ Hazan. He seemed to be playing early on a lot more straightforwardly than is sometimes the case with him. He is known for being aggressive and creative. "Lucky JJ" is his nickname.
Anyway, he'd been playing solid and then all of a sudden he's all in pre-flop against Ed Rogers.
Ed flips up pocket Aces ! Oops ? No, JJ turns over Aces as well !
There are 2 clubs on the flop which means someone is free-rolling to the nut flush. JJ is that someone. Jack of clubs on the turn gives JJ the royal flush draw. Just the 7 of clubs on the river gives him the 5% flush and doubles him up, nearly felting Ed.
Ed, mind you, came back strongly later and could easily have come through himself.
I went along pretty quetly and tightly. I played only one hand for the first level then picked up Queens. A raise to 350 (50/100 blinds) and a call ahead of me prompted me to pop it to 1,150. The initial raiser folded, as did the caller (who mucked AK face up !).
I picked up a couple of small pots with AK (raise pf, check the flop, c-bet the turn), AJ on the SB vs BB (raise/fold). I made up the SB on one hand with a suited Ace and bet the Ace-high flop, no callers.
All very quiet.
However, I was not making a great deal of forward momentum and at 100/200 I re-raised an early raiser (we were 6-handed) with pocket 9s - I hoped he may have something like AJ/AT, KQ, 66 etc that he would fold. Else, I have position.
It was re-raised all in behind me by JJ so I felt I had to fold there and was back below 5k starting chips.
With the blinds now stepping up and no opportunities to get my money in, I was down to 7BB when I pushed with J4 in the cut-off - called by KJ.
And that was it.
I played a little bit of cash. First hand I flopped top pair and stacked off my £50 initial buy-in. I rebought for £100 and picked up Kings on the Big blind. Action ahead of me: raise/re-raise/re-raise allin. I raise all in as well (ldo) and am called. Board runs out something like 7-9-4-6-5 and my Kings are good.
I hovered around flat until I got all my chips in on an 8-high flop (2 clubs) holding T8-clubs.
The other player has KJ-clubs and rivered a Jack. I'd only been playing an hour or so but unusually I felt I should call an early end to proceedings, so I watched the last 30minutes of the satellite then headed off home.
Congratulations to Dean, Dru and JJ who cashed. I have to think about whether to buy in direct. I probably will. If so it will be the last event of the year for me. Still looking to break that day-2 duck !
One day it must come, surely ?
Tuesday 9 September 2008
Satellite Night
Tonight at the club in Clerkenwell I'm playing a £180 satellite in an attempt to win a cheap entry into the £1,500 NLH event at the WSOPE. I am considering entering the event even if I do not win the seat, but I'd put that at about 70% rather than a dead cert.
It'll be one or two tables with somewhere betwen 1 and 2 seats available (in between it would be one seat plus a cash balance for 2nd).
The line up of players - all of whom I will know I think - is going to be strong. I'm wondering what my best approach is. One approach is simply to really try to play my very best game and try to make as few mistakes as possible. This will not make up the skill & experience deficit but, still, with < 20 runners I would still have a chance.
The other approach is to try to level the field with my lunatic hat on - try to get racing and win a few coin flips and just run over the field. H-bomb them in other words.
I probaby won't decide till I sit down and "look at the whites of their eyes !"
I have never been much of a satellite player. Basically, I have mainly played events based on availability. I have certainly avoided certain events due to the high price tag, but even so I have never viewed satellites as my primary route.
My only satellite success to date was of course the $1,060 mega-sat at the WSOP in July but that was a totally different thing - the exact opposite in fact - many seats up for grabs. Here, we are looking at winner takes all more or less. On balance it probably suits me better.
We'll see. It may not last long if I go for route 2 !
It'll be one or two tables with somewhere betwen 1 and 2 seats available (in between it would be one seat plus a cash balance for 2nd).
The line up of players - all of whom I will know I think - is going to be strong. I'm wondering what my best approach is. One approach is simply to really try to play my very best game and try to make as few mistakes as possible. This will not make up the skill & experience deficit but, still, with < 20 runners I would still have a chance.
The other approach is to try to level the field with my lunatic hat on - try to get racing and win a few coin flips and just run over the field. H-bomb them in other words.
I probaby won't decide till I sit down and "look at the whites of their eyes !"
I have never been much of a satellite player. Basically, I have mainly played events based on availability. I have certainly avoided certain events due to the high price tag, but even so I have never viewed satellites as my primary route.
My only satellite success to date was of course the $1,060 mega-sat at the WSOP in July but that was a totally different thing - the exact opposite in fact - many seats up for grabs. Here, we are looking at winner takes all more or less. On balance it probably suits me better.
We'll see. It may not last long if I go for route 2 !
Tuesday 2 September 2008
WSOPE
Last year, the WSOP brand came to London for the first time - the main event was famously won by "annette_15". I did not even contemplate playing in it - the £10,000 entry being way out of reasonable range.
This year, I likewise have no intention of playing the main event, but there is a £1,500 NLH 3day event and this is actually plausible - and in fact it is half the price of the GUKPT grand final which I was wondering about playing.
It's 19th Sep (or 20th - 2x Day1s).
I'm also looking at hosting a 1-table satellite (possibly 2 tables) if anyone wants to give it a shot ! Depending on exactly how many interested players we round up, that would be £100 - 200 each for a shot at the £1,500. I'm thinking of this Sunday, 7th Sept in London.
This year, I likewise have no intention of playing the main event, but there is a £1,500 NLH 3day event and this is actually plausible - and in fact it is half the price of the GUKPT grand final which I was wondering about playing.
It's 19th Sep (or 20th - 2x Day1s).
I'm also looking at hosting a 1-table satellite (possibly 2 tables) if anyone wants to give it a shot ! Depending on exactly how many interested players we round up, that would be £100 - 200 each for a shot at the £1,500. I'm thinking of this Sunday, 7th Sept in London.
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