I wasn't too disappointed with the £300 NLH Main Event at the Spring Festival despite not making the money. As I couldn't play any of the other events, my last chance came in the £50 HORSE. I always intended to try this one, in fact, even though it meant coming into London again especially.
I chose to drive in, unusually, predicting that I would not be in long enough to justify staying till the trains restarted in the morning. Of course, this line also means I didn't think I would be out soon enough to catch a train back on the same evening ! That was more a comment on the limit betting structure than anything else. 6,000 chips and initial blinds of 25/50 in LIMIT poker means it is hard to go bust any time soon.
As much as I know I should tighten up in NLH tournaments, I realised that in a Limit HORSE event tight was the new loose, and I needed to find the super-tight switch.
Somehow I did just this, aided by the fact that I picked up some premium hands. I played no hands in the first Holdem rotation but then in my first hand of "O" - Omaha Split Hi/Lo - I picked up AA63 double suited, and AQ23ds in the second !
I made up my mind early on that I was playing ultra-simple today. T.V. poker I called it. T for Tight hand selection, and V for Value betting all the way.
Razz had proved my undoing at the last HORSE event. In the first Razz rotation I found no playable hands (given my newfound tightness) until the very last one when I picked up the pot with a 7532A low to pip 7632A !
I was on 9k at the end of Level 5 - above average. Average was still not much more than 6k as we had lost only two players.
In Level 6 my 8,500 was above average but only a relatively small number of big bets. So, when I was dealt (A2)3 in Razz I played it for a raise in a multiway pot. I kept betting my good 4th street but then eventually got pipped and had to give up a large pot. Next hand I have (A2)6 and get dealt QQ on 4th and 5th. Aarrrgggh!!
I am down to 1,700 chips with betting limits 500/1000
I get all in pre with (32)8 and treble up even though I eventually have only a Queen low.
Now I go on a tear - making Queens up to beat split Aces in the Stud Hi round, and then finding rolled-up deuces in the same game. I had to bring in of course and announced "I haven't even checked to see if I have rolled up deuces" but, lo, I did !
I called the raise from (88)4 pre. Check-called 4th but lost my customer when I check-raised 5th street.
After a couple more wins I stood on a handy 17k with about half the field left.
I was still playing really tight. Too tight ? Presumably there comes a stage where we have to open up but I was folding AJ pre flop in HE to action and I was gutted to fold 2335 from UTG in O8 only the find the flop come A74 !!
I reached the giddy heights of 30k chips when my AJ43ss in Omaha-8 scooped on the 578A2 board. I bet my low for value all the way and rivered the high as well. Nice.
Next hand is an interesting one. I raise AQQ2ds UTG and am 3-bet by a good player (albeit he does not play this game much more than I do!)
The flop is horrible: J97 all spades (I am all red). I check-call but I check-fold the 8 on the turn.
My opponent held AK52 - so I was in great shape. On reflection I think I must call, and at least call any river except an Ace or King.
Now my world falls apart. I still am in good shape with 24k. 14 of us remain from 48.
I have (A3)8 in Razz. My Opponent bets a (XX)4 and I raise. He calls.
I pick up a 4, and he is dealt an 8. I bet, he calls.
I am now dealt a 5, making me an 8 low. He receives a King. I am massive. I bet, he calls.
I improve my 8 low to a 7 low on the next street. He shows a three. I bets, he raises, I reraise, we cap it.
I move in blind on 7th street. I have a 7 low or better. He has at best an 8low on 6th street. He calls saying "you are massive". No kidding.
I simply cannot believe what happens now. My last card is a 6 as it happens so now I have a tremendous Razz hand: 6543A. He picks up his cards and turns up A25.
His hand developed as (A2)48K3(5). Mine as (A3)8457(6).
I had a winning 8 low on 5th street, improved to a 7 low then made a 6 low. He hit a miracle 5 on the last card.
It seems to me he put in relatively little money when he was winning on 3rd and 4th, and lots on 5th and 6th when he was drawing thin.
If I hold up in this hand, I have the chip lead in the tournament and a free pass to the final table.
As it is, I have a few thousand left. I actually manage to get it all in with (A3)97 to (64)79 and (78)2Q and a triple up there would see me back in action but I am overtaken and busted in 14th. Reg, who rivered me here, went on to chop first prize. He said he didn't feel he could fold his hand and I daresay he's right but I am still fuming about it !
The consolation is I really feel I played as well as I could. I only played extremely straightforwardly to be honest but that was the plan, so I am pleased.
I also really enjoyed the games. More HORSE please !
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