Festival of Fun

The 2-week PSOP Festival is on at The International right now.

I was only planning to play the £1,000 main event, but the buzz emanating from the club and the forum convinced me to think again.

Then, the club started live-streaming from the newly created TV stage.

Change of plans ! Let’s forget about a selection of WSOPE, GUKPT and EPT events for the balance of this year, and go for a festival binge at The International instead.

So, I make it down for the £10 rebuy satellite to the £200 NLH freezeout (Event 7) and my intention is to play every event from then on (except for the £100/50 on Thursday which I can’t make).

Things start well.

In the £10R sat, you can rebuy immediately but I decided to be all-in first hand instead, and double rebuy if I lost. Two all-ins before it got to me. I duly called all-in blind.

Pocket 3s and pocket 6s have pushed before me.

My 84o doesn’t look too promising, but three clubs on the flop and another on the turn leaves the others hoping for the board to run out a straight flush.

After this first-hand treble up, I was couldn’t lose.

Even when I lost, I won the side pots.

It all led to me being the chip leader at the end of the rebuy period. I still added on as I don’t believe there is such a thing as too many chips, particularly in a super-turbo (as this was about to become).

I decided my strategy would be to exploit my chip lead by opening a lot of pots. I perhaps took this a little far when I raised to 650 with Q-6o from early position. Kirit in the big blind pushed for only about 1,400 total so I was just saying how it was unfortunate but I really had to call, when he accidentally flipped up his hand: Q-6o !

I am not sure whether he thought I had called, thought I had folded or thought he was calling all-in.

Whatever the case, I call now. If it wasn’t incredible enough that I raised with Q-6o, that he then pushed with Q-6o given I am likely to call, and that I now call with Q-6o, I now proceeded to win the hand with a 6-high flush !

Meanwhile, another player says he passed Q-6o as well in this coup.

That’s how good I was running.

Alas, once again, I failed to turn a winning satellite position into a seat. I need to learn to play even tighter. Mind you, I am not sure everyone else was playing tight enough either. With 12 left, I open-pushed with A-3o from the small blind and was called by 5-5 (he covered me by a tiny amount).

That’s not an automatic call, surely ?

Anyway, no good, but there was 10 minutes left and one seat left in the £20 turnover.

I give it a spin and 8-6o is good for trips on a 4-straight paired board, and we’re in !

Part 2 to follow.