Suicide Kings

Down at the International Club on 28th May.

News of my Main Event qualification had reached a lot of players there, so I received plenty of congratulations. That was certainly a big win, but I am still in search of a first MTT win at the club, and I really want to be able to tick off that achievement.

I'm not saying that I'd rather win here than cash in the WSOP, but it's a big hole in my poker CV.

I had a good feeling that this was my night. A positive attitude in the game really helps, and my early form in the tournament backed up my good vibes.

First hand, I tried out the check-raise bluff on the flop and got this through. For once I had started in an upwards direction !

Soon after, I raised with 99 and saw a flop 4-way. One player check-called me on the T-4-4 flop. We checked the six on the turn. The river brought a 9. George-the-Cake called a decent size bet on the river and I added a chunk to my stack.

Now a real stroke of fortune. Steve Z raised the 100/200 blinds to 500 from UTG. Next to speak, I raise to 1,400 with AK. A mid-position player now makes it 3,700 with a bit less than that behind. Steve Z gets out of the way and I decide that (a) I have chips left if I lose (b) the player looks to me like he can raise there without AA or KK and (c) it's my night.

I set him in, and of course he insta-calls with Kings. Steve Z apparently folded AK as well so there are only 2 Aces left. No Ace comes, but the board runs out a completely sick 8-9-T-J-Q so that I river broadway and march into the chip lead.

It doesn't all go my way: I call down a hand with JJ facing AA, and then choose the wrong time to bluff Doug Henshaw. However, I get all those chips (and more) back when I limp and call a raise with KQo. Wilson has also called on the button.

The flop is KT8 all diamonds. I have TP2K and the Queen high flush draw. I check to the raiser who thinks, then pushes for 1.5x the pot.

I give it some thought, but can't really pass (especially as I have him covered). He's winning with KT -- I am a bit shocked at his pre-flop raise tbh. As it was my night, the flush came straight away. Wilson meanwhile had failed to raise preflop with QQ (and missed a chance to knock us both out there and then).

I now move tables and immediately get into a hand with Gary the dealer. As I get dealt in, I am first to act from EP with Jacks. I give a bit of chat to Gary on the BB - in principle I am trying to sell my hand as weaker than it is when I make a raise to 1,700 (300/600).

Gary reciprocates and implies he is raising with air as he makes it 5,700. Gary in fact has pocket 9s. I insta-shove and now Gary tries to get a read off me. I don't know whether he does or not, but he presumably decides insta-shove=AK and makes the call.

A Jack is the first card out and although he picks up a gutshot on the turn, my Jacks hold and I have > 50k.

Soon after, Sam Grafton pushes for 7,200 from his button into my big blind. I am about to pass 33 (I am not a fan of calling with the very small pairs) when Sam says something that makes me change my mind. Not a read, as such, because pockets 3s are hardly crushing any hand.

However, Sam shows pocket 2s! Further confirmation that tonight's the night.

Another table move, and I take out another player. Doug Henshaw pushes with KQ and I snap with Aces. Poor Doug had lost the previous hand with the exact same matchup (vs another player).

I now had > 80k chips, the chip lead and about 3x the average chips with only 2 tables left. I could see victory awaiting me.

So, it was a shock to me that 15minutes later and in about 14th place I suddenly went to the rail in one hand.

I had 78k at the start of the hand and was covered by one player. We're playing 7 handed when I open for 6,000 (blinds 1,000/2,000) from 2 off the button (AQo).

Wilson (who has me slightly outchipped) makes a flamboyant raise to 25,000 from the button.

For some reason, at the time, I felt he was making a bit of a move. In hindsight, why would he do that against a raise from the other big stack ?.

In the heat of the moment, I pretty much insta-shoved. His call came pretty quickly with pocket Kings.

The flop came King-high which sealed matter. I was in a bit of a daze. From "out-in-front" to simply "out" in one rash move.

In discussions afterwards, there was consensus that I should simply and easily fold the AQ to the raise. Once key difference in view, though, was the reasons why I should fold.

In my hindsight analysis, I gave quite a lot of weight to the notion that I do not want to lock horns with the chip leader - the one player who can knock me out. Most of the other players felt that ranges and ICM considerations dictated the fold but were not concerned about "tournament life" as such.

Whatever the right reasons, I am gutted that I blew my chance to cruise onto the final table and perhaps secure that 1st win.