My route into the event was typical H-Bomb stuff, but, once I sat down for the real thing, I tried to focus on playing properly. I really wanted to record my first outright win at The International.
I believe I achieved my aim of playing a really solid game. I stayed below the radar early doors, although I was also on the lookout for opportunities to make some stylish plays.
I was particularly looking to make some winning hero calls. Early contender for that was my river call with a Pair of Sixes, Queen kicker in a six-way pot where the final board has three cards six-high plus a high pair on board. Yes, this means my hand was Q6, but they were soooooted.
This, to be fair, was not an especially difficult call. However, it was a decent-sized pot since there were the 6 limpers pre-flop and 5 of those called my small stab on the turn. Clearly most of them were flushing, and the button decided to have a 1/3 pot bluff at it when all checked the river.
Since I was playing so few hands (by my standards) I had time to look around at the festival. There was the new TV table with commentary station for the webcasts – what a brilliant idea !
What else is new ? Well the air-con is really cold, which is a novelty. I don’t mind that, personally.
The tourney chips are also new. I like the design, but I am not really sold on the weight and feel. They’re also so clean that they slide around and don’t stack up properly. Hopefully that will cause me some problems !
Still not much happening for me. I go through that phase where the hands I fold would have hit the flop like a guided missile. I get a small float the turn/bluff the river and bluff through against Ray Caabay and it keeps me going on about 12,000 chips at the end of level 3 (slightly above average with about a dozen players having made early exits).
Now I get a run of good cards. I am dealt AA twice and KK twice but frustratingly I don’t make too many chips with them. Having said that, I do win all those hands (all without showdown) so one mustn’t grumble too much.
I don’t seem to be able to hang onto my stack though. And, unlike some other events, it is not really due to splashing around. I have to fold KQs and AJs to strong pre-flop action and then when I get pushed off a mid pair by a squeeze from Ray, I turn out to have been ahead of his T3 (!) and also of India’s AQ (who did call).
Although I’m not making much forward progress, I am alive in the comp and I improve on my hero‑call record with a river call with K-high on an Ace-high board showing three cards to a flush and straight. Winning vs Thom’s Queen high. Again, though, not a genuine tough call based on the action.
I receive a few murmurs of “good call” from around the table although one’s never sure if these are ironic ! Thom, meanwhile, remarks wryly “I’ve got you where I want you if you’re calling with that”.
We’re down to the last 3 tables and my stack has been in the range 9k-14k for the entire comp.
By now, of course, that is only about half the average. Still, it is enough, and I am pleased that I have stayed patient. The fancy plays that I have done have all been for sensible amounts of chips so there haven’t really been any H-bombs yet.
Now, finally, I get some proper momentum. I double up with QQ > 99 and again with JJ > TT and then a dream scenario plays out vs. India. At 1,000/2,000 I make a raise with KcQc from late position to 5,100 and receive a call from India in the blinds. Even in position I’m a bit afraid of her, but the flop comes down AcJc6c!
I wonder how to proceed .... when she opens the flop for 7,500. I do my best to look concerned and flat call. Check/Check on the turn (a blank).
What to do on the river ? Again, my decision is made for me. India bets 12,000 (half my stack) so I shove hoping she has a piece of it. She insta-folds (J3 apparently). She said she couldn’t let me have the pot pre-flop on her blind!
Now I’m motoring, although I immediately take a 20k hit right back when a short stack (5bb) opens and I push with AQ from the big blind. He dwells forever (long into the break) before making the call with 77.
I lose that pot, but momentum returns soon after and before long we are setting out the final table.
At this point, Mike Middlemiss also rolls the clock back to the 2k/4k level which means there will be a fair amount of play at the final table. My 99k is a solid 25BB.
In fact, I soon have twice this many just by stealing and re-stealing and as a few players get knocked out, I start to feel I can take it down.
With 4 left, we take a short break and I am in a slender chip lead (280k vs 230k, 130k and 70k).
However, it is a tough field at this point. Two former festival champions in the form of Al Hughes and India Storrar, plus Chris Huxtable who is obviously more than capable of taking this down.
My aggressive play at the final table got me into this spot, and it was equally aggressive play that was maybe my undoing.
At 5k/10k, Chris opened UTG for 26k which was somewhat standard. He started the hand with 130k or so and I know that he is folding very strong hands to a shove. So I think J9s is plenty and put him to the test.
He passes the test rather easily as he snaps with KK. Oops. Of course, I still have a reasonable stack once I lose this hand (I do flop some outs to give Chris a sweat, though).
In the end it wasn’t to be and in fact I went from chipleader to finish 4th, whilst India came from 4th to take it down !
Still, 4th place was my largest tournament cash at The International and my first placing in a festival event. It was also a European Ranking tournament so I am presumably now ranked as the Nth best player in Europe where N, of course, is an almost arbitrarily large number !
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