After my good run to 4th in the £200 NLH, albeit no trophy, I was excited about the prospects for the £300 PLO.
I arrived just after the start, at the exact same moment as Nik Persaud and James Akenhead also walked through the door fashionably late.
It turned out to be quite a small field – just 29 players – but every one of them was a familiar face.
My table included James, as well as Scottish Rob and Miriam, and many other well known players from the club.
The structure was 5,000 chips at 25/50 to start, with an optional 5,000 extra chips any time in the first 3 levels. After a previous experience with this structure, I opted NOT to take the extra chips early on (this was the standard choice).
Emboldened by the prospect of a second life, I started out with check-calling the flop, air check-raising the turn and then bluffing the river vs Miriam who always suspects I am doing this but often opts not to pay me off just in case.
Actually in this case I did river a pair, so maybe it was a value bet ;)
Second hand, in the big blind. There are 5 limpers to me. I must raise, surely, and what do I find ? Double-suited Aces ! I pot it to 350, to find Scottish Rob now making it 850. Akenhead calls this, and I see no reason not to bang it up to 3,350. In a few moments we are all-in 3 ways.
Obviously I am winning, but they both have pretty Ace-cracking hands and I have to dodge most of the deck on the river. However, one pair takes the lot and I have over 15k after two hands.
Someone utters the dangerous words “even Howard can’t blow this chip stack”. The fact is, I hardly knew what to do with this many chips and it caused some odd plays.
Notably, when I picked up double-suited Aces again and bumped it from the small blind, I actually led the flop and folded to a pot bet from Miriam even though I had flopped the nut flush draw to go with my overpair. A short stack called Miriam so we saw that she had top pair with a weak kicker, plus a flush draw (dead to my hand) and a gutshot. At showdown, a pair of Queens, Ten kicker was good.
So, as it turns out, I might have moved on to 30,000 chips here if I re-pot and she goes with her hand. My thought at the time was that I didn’t want to play a 30,000 pot with a player who covered me. In hindsight I think I would play the pot smaller but not give up so early in the hand.
After that, I made some expensive hero calls (eg calling Dan Do’s shove with top pair, 9 kicker).
After I dwelled and called, he said “good call” but in fact I was outkicked. He assumed I had made a tough call with the bare overpair of Aces. Several hero calls later, I needed my rebuy chip but I did calm my play down and tried to ensure I would remain in the hunt.
By this time, a £50 rebuy sat to the Main Event was underway and Miriam and I were multi-tabling.
Back on the Omaha, I receive a lucky break when I 4-bet shoved with KKQx and JymJam appears to dwell up over the call a little bit. So, when he doesn’t instacall I figure I cannot be facing Aces.
However, I am ! I guess he was just taking a moment to think about the tournament situation.
I am in jeopardy but I flop more outs, and turn a straight. An unnecessary King also comes on the river. I am now in decent shape and make the final table again. Only 4 places to pay with this small field, though.
What a final table ! £50 rebuy PLO champ George the Cake is there. Nik P, Barry, Jym Jam, Mike Selzer. It doesn’t look great for me ...
However, I score a major H-bomb vs George. I make a raise on the button in a limped pot with the mighty J-8-6-3 and get two callers. The flop is J-J-3 !! George check-raises me all-in – he has the other Jack with overcards. Those don’t come, so I more than double up to a very useful 40k or so.
I’m having another spell over at the rebuy sat when I hear that a deal is in the advanced stages of discussion. I am not a huge fan of deals but, by the time I come back over to the table, six of the remaining seven players have agreed an even money chop.
I really want the trophy, however, so I only agree on the basis that we are playing on properly for position. Clearly some are more interested than others in the trophy and the play can never be 100% “normal” once the money is chopped. Indeed, a couple of players get their chips in quickly and very light.
We’re down to 4 players when I find a hand I am happy to get it all in with – double suited Kings. We play a big pot 3-way all-in with George playing Queens and JymJam a nice rundown. My Kings hold to take me into a heads-up for the trophy with Miriam.
Who would have predicted this !
We are very even in chips and we are both clear that we are playing to win. It would be a first trophy for either of us.
I felt a had a good chance, but in the end the battle was short. In one hand, we both flopped big draws and I had to give up a big pot on the turn after Miriam had clearly hit her straight. In the very next hand, my Aces were outflopped and I went broke vs 2 pair.
So ... disappointed to have fallen short of the trophy once again, but pretty happy with a 100% cashing record at the festival so far !
Monday, 14 September 2009
Thursday, 10 September 2009
PSOP £200 NLH Freezeout
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 !
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 !
Friday, 4 September 2009
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.
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.
Thursday, 3 September 2009
Poker on TV
The ESPN coverage for the Main Event has been running for a few weeks now. They are airing weekly shows in the run-up to the November final.
I still do not really like the 3-month hiatus, but I am beginning to understand why ESPN/Harrah’s think it is a good commercial idea.
The Day 1C coverage was supposed to be released on September 1st. This would be when I would find out if my Full Tilt hat was going to bring me a pay-day.
I was genuinely in two minds. I was told I needed only to feature in just one deal on the final edit to get paid.
On the one hand, I played at that table for about 6 hours and made some crazy “good for TV” plays. On the other hand, Daniel Negreanu had such a lame main event that I could easily imagine the whole session hitting the cutting room floor.
I really didn’t know, but in reality the actual playing on the TV table was the main thing. I have no real interest in being shown on TV. Of course a few $k of free money is always welcome.
Then, about a week before the due date, I heard on the internet that the table had been shown and was on pokertube (sort of a youtube for poker videos).
Apparently, I make only a brief appearance, getting out of the way pre-flop.
To be honest, I thought this might fail even the low hurdle that was set for my appearance money but actually I just heard from Full Tilt that they are paying me out. Indeed, the money is in my account. Of course, getting money out of online poker sites into the real world is not always the easiest thing (see previous blogs !)
I doubt I will ever be on TV playing poker again – at least, not for a long time.
The next best thing, then, is to be webcast in real time playing poker at The International.
If you liked Big Brother, you will love this ! Live streaming video from the newly built “TV table” at the club. For the past few days, it has been broadcasting 24/7. Even when there are no players, the mics pick up the sounds of the club. Strangely fascinating.
Unlike the ESPN shows, the feed is not edited at all (which may not be a good thing !)
I guess I was on there for a few hours on Wednesday as I managed a 4th place in the £200 Festival event (still searching for that first win ... sigh...). Fame at last. Since EPSN does not broadcast in the UK, this webcast is probably seen by more people than my prime time US television appearance !
Pokertube link (my moment of fame at ~ 3:17. Yes, that's it !)
Monday, 24 August 2009
Square Deal
It had been a little while since I came back from holiday, and I hadn’t played any poker at all since the games on the cruise ship. I even had a relatively light playing period before going away.
Mentally, I was setting up for a few bursts of really concentrated poker for the rest of the year, with less casual play in between.
I had a good look at the calendar of upcoming events for the remainder of 2009.
It is action-packed to say the least !
I am only focussed on UK events, but there are multiple GUKPTs, an EPT, the WSOP Europe, and several festivals in reachable locations including the 2-week Paradise Series of Poker at The International. Each of the major events also has a full array of side events.
Then, online, there is the WCOOP. The list goes on and on, not to mention a possible forum game in October, the 1-year anniversary bash at The International and perhaps I will host another event myself.
I look at my options.
I am not going to play the GUKPT grand final or the EPT without winning a satellite (or being sponsored, lol !). And the fact is it isn’t easy to satellite in (no double shootouts on Full Tilt, boo...).
So, I put those to one side as well as the GUKPTs that are not in London (where is Thanet, anyway ? I Wikipedia it and find out it is not even a place – it’s more of a geographical concept).
I played the WSOPE £1,500 last year so I do fancy the £1,000 event this year. The other “must play” is the £1,000 at the PSOP. At the EPT, I pencil in the £500 Mixed game event.
Deeve from the forum says he’s playing a £50 satellite at The Empire to the £1,000 WSOPE. For that reason, I decide to give it a try as well.
I drive in because I want to be able to get home the same night. I have worked, lived or played poker in London for over 20 years so I do know my way around a bit but when I drive in town I realise that I don’t necessarily know the best routes, or the proper location of things.
I do have a sat-nav but I almost always leave it at home, along with the A-Z. I must be able to find Leicester Square.
I have my own favourite routes through London. I guess they are really based on my history. I take certain roads, or navigate via certain landmarks based mainly on where I used to work, where I went to a football match, where I went to a party one time, that place where I drove the wrong way up a one-way street and got stopped by the police.
Actually, that has happened twice. Once after I met my mum in Covent Garden for dinner with my then-girlfriend (now wife), and again the first time I tried to find The International on East Road.
Fortunately, both times I got away with a quizzical look, a “drive safely” and a let-off.
So, Leicester Square.
“West End” sounds a good direction to aim for. As I get further into central London, I feel it wouldn’t hurt for there to be an actual sign for the place !
I am surrounded by locations where I had an interview once, or met someone for lunch, or that place where my beaten-up Fiat decided to pack up in rush hour. I know that in London, places are usually surprisingly close to each other, or else the exact opposite.
Finally, when I think I may have to weaken and look under the seat or in the boot to see if I actually do have an A-Z, I recognise the Trocadero (where I last met my old friend Jack from Jordan whom I haven’t now seen for 11 years) and I’m sorted. I was wondering where on Earth I could park, but “Leicester Square Car Park” seems to be the answer.
So, in I go. Deeve is there as well as a couple of other people I recognise. I am “persuaded” to sit down in a £1-2 NLH game for 10 minutes before the off and manage to lose a full buy-in in ridiculous fashion (his call was ridiculous, not my bluff, obv.)
The field for the satellite is soft ! Let me give you an example. Mid-position limps. I limp the hijack with pocket 5s. Button makes a min-raise. We both call.
The flop comes T-T-2. I intend to check-raise here but first the other active player bets 100 into 900.
I decide to just call and the button folds (?!). Turn a 5. Now my opponent bets 500 with 650 behind.
Really, I should push now but I decide for some reason I can get the rest on any river. The river is an Ace, which completes a flush as well. The fella checks so now I have to put him in (terrible river for me really) and he calls with QQ.
So, with this kind of field, it was a bit disappointing that at the end of the rebuy period I had almost the minimum possible number of chips ! I went bust bluffing into the nuts on the last hand so after a rebuy and add-on I needed a solid start to the freezeout.
A few hands in, after picking up a few blinds, I push with AQ. All insta-fold to the big blind who tanks. I’m liking that and when he eventually calls I am hoping that I dominate him, until he shows me AK-suited !
Hey ho. I look around and since my bluff-calling friend has left, I decide to take advantage of my early exit by relocating to The International for the rest of the evening.
Naturally I start out by bluffing off a couple of buy ins (by now, you would think I could rely on previous evidence to do my advertising ?) before I am able to turn it into a hole-escaping win.
I rarely play at the weekends, but it seems like the cash games at the club are worth making a trip for!
Mentally, I was setting up for a few bursts of really concentrated poker for the rest of the year, with less casual play in between.
I had a good look at the calendar of upcoming events for the remainder of 2009.
It is action-packed to say the least !
I am only focussed on UK events, but there are multiple GUKPTs, an EPT, the WSOP Europe, and several festivals in reachable locations including the 2-week Paradise Series of Poker at The International. Each of the major events also has a full array of side events.
Then, online, there is the WCOOP. The list goes on and on, not to mention a possible forum game in October, the 1-year anniversary bash at The International and perhaps I will host another event myself.
I look at my options.
I am not going to play the GUKPT grand final or the EPT without winning a satellite (or being sponsored, lol !). And the fact is it isn’t easy to satellite in (no double shootouts on Full Tilt, boo...).
So, I put those to one side as well as the GUKPTs that are not in London (where is Thanet, anyway ? I Wikipedia it and find out it is not even a place – it’s more of a geographical concept).
I played the WSOPE £1,500 last year so I do fancy the £1,000 event this year. The other “must play” is the £1,000 at the PSOP. At the EPT, I pencil in the £500 Mixed game event.
Deeve from the forum says he’s playing a £50 satellite at The Empire to the £1,000 WSOPE. For that reason, I decide to give it a try as well.
I drive in because I want to be able to get home the same night. I have worked, lived or played poker in London for over 20 years so I do know my way around a bit but when I drive in town I realise that I don’t necessarily know the best routes, or the proper location of things.
I do have a sat-nav but I almost always leave it at home, along with the A-Z. I must be able to find Leicester Square.
I have my own favourite routes through London. I guess they are really based on my history. I take certain roads, or navigate via certain landmarks based mainly on where I used to work, where I went to a football match, where I went to a party one time, that place where I drove the wrong way up a one-way street and got stopped by the police.
Actually, that has happened twice. Once after I met my mum in Covent Garden for dinner with my then-girlfriend (now wife), and again the first time I tried to find The International on East Road.
Fortunately, both times I got away with a quizzical look, a “drive safely” and a let-off.
So, Leicester Square.
“West End” sounds a good direction to aim for. As I get further into central London, I feel it wouldn’t hurt for there to be an actual sign for the place !
I am surrounded by locations where I had an interview once, or met someone for lunch, or that place where my beaten-up Fiat decided to pack up in rush hour. I know that in London, places are usually surprisingly close to each other, or else the exact opposite.
Finally, when I think I may have to weaken and look under the seat or in the boot to see if I actually do have an A-Z, I recognise the Trocadero (where I last met my old friend Jack from Jordan whom I haven’t now seen for 11 years) and I’m sorted. I was wondering where on Earth I could park, but “Leicester Square Car Park” seems to be the answer.
So, in I go. Deeve is there as well as a couple of other people I recognise. I am “persuaded” to sit down in a £1-2 NLH game for 10 minutes before the off and manage to lose a full buy-in in ridiculous fashion (his call was ridiculous, not my bluff, obv.)
The field for the satellite is soft ! Let me give you an example. Mid-position limps. I limp the hijack with pocket 5s. Button makes a min-raise. We both call.
The flop comes T-T-2. I intend to check-raise here but first the other active player bets 100 into 900.
I decide to just call and the button folds (?!). Turn a 5. Now my opponent bets 500 with 650 behind.
Really, I should push now but I decide for some reason I can get the rest on any river. The river is an Ace, which completes a flush as well. The fella checks so now I have to put him in (terrible river for me really) and he calls with QQ.
So, with this kind of field, it was a bit disappointing that at the end of the rebuy period I had almost the minimum possible number of chips ! I went bust bluffing into the nuts on the last hand so after a rebuy and add-on I needed a solid start to the freezeout.
A few hands in, after picking up a few blinds, I push with AQ. All insta-fold to the big blind who tanks. I’m liking that and when he eventually calls I am hoping that I dominate him, until he shows me AK-suited !
Hey ho. I look around and since my bluff-calling friend has left, I decide to take advantage of my early exit by relocating to The International for the rest of the evening.
Naturally I start out by bluffing off a couple of buy ins (by now, you would think I could rely on previous evidence to do my advertising ?) before I am able to turn it into a hole-escaping win.
I rarely play at the weekends, but it seems like the cash games at the club are worth making a trip for!
Tuesday, 18 August 2009
After my first losing session at the $1/2 NLH game on board, I enjoyed a solid recovery in the subsequent games.
Not all the players were bad. Some of them were clearly quite experienced, in fact. Norman Gold was one of those. I don’t know him, but he apparently plays regularly at The Vic. A couple of other players knew him from there, so they likewise must be assumed to know their way around the game.
Still, I didn’t need to win any money off that section of the table. There was plenty to be had from the other groups: (a) the short-stacked timid players, (b) the predictable players and especially (c) the roulette players.
The roulette guys more or less knew how to play poker (mechanically speaking), but on roulette they were experts. For example, they knew when Red was hot and when Red was favoured one of them had a good plan: bet on every red number. His equivalent strategy in poker was to play every hand for any raise pre-flop.
By the end of the 2nd week, I had amassed a useful 4-figure profit from my starting $200buy-in without ever being down overall. I paid off the room bill (just the extras: sadly not enough to pay for the cruise: if it had been a $5/10 game then maybe ....) and set aside some profit. I left myself just $160 in my wallet “in case” I wanted to have one just go on the last night.
I came into the game at about 11:30pm with a quick spin-up in mind. I pulled up just $60 – the average stack was about $250.
After winning one small pot, I had $71 when I picked up Aces on the button. Alan made it $17 to go from early position. He was a regular all week and had picked up on my very loose play, no doubt. I felt very sure that I could get it all in now, and indeed he fairly quickly called my shove with pocket 5s. First double up accomplished.
I made another good step forward with 43s – flopping two pair vs Alan again, who virtually doubled me up as I bet it all the way to the river vs his top pair.
Finally, with an early start and long drive ahead of us in the morning, I reluctantly announced I would play around to my button.
My button hand duly arrived. Scottish Colin elected to limp and re-evaluate after my assumed raise. I looked down at KTo and decided to just call the straddle and await developments. To my surprise, no one raised.
5-way to the flop: Q-J-3. OK, I have an open-ender but I really do not want to get too busy on the last hand of the night. Someone bets $15, which I called, and now Colin check-raises to $50. I decide I can continue here.
Turn – an offsuit 9. Colin moves in with his pocket Aces and is drawing dead when I call with the nuts !
I decide, for once, to end on a high and I call it a night having turned $60 into nearly $500 in about an hour.
Sunday, 16 August 2009
Out of Port, Stars on Board
In the later part of the cruise, the poker took on a pattern. All the regulars now knew there would be a game in the late evening, and more people had heard about the game.
In principle, there was a game whenever the casino was open. This was from about 30mins after we left port, or all-day (say noon – 2am) if we were at sea.
In practice, the game seemed to start around midnight.
However, as the days went by, the start time definitely drifted earlier to the point where I was showing up after dinner and finding a full game already in progress.
The busier games brought in new players. Especially the “casino fish” who would stroll over to the poker table after a good run at the roulette. These players were not timid about putting their chips in.
They were the typical “bad players” that tend to provoke mixed reactions. On the one hand, they were clearly terrible (and drunk) so they were huge value, but on the other hand they were noisy and slowed the game down, and of course they were very dangerous (especially to those with shallow bankrolls).
Personally, I find it baffling when a solid player says something on the lines of “I hate playing against real fish”. I just about understand why they say this, but it completely wrong-headed in my view.
Yes, these players can and will get very lucky. Yes, they can bust you multiple times whilst their luck holds. But if you can keep reloading and don’t run out of time, then those chips are coming right back (with interest).
Perhaps my natural style also has made be comfortable with a very volatile game, so I am willing to fight fire with fire and put all my chips in.
The first night that the roulette crew came by saw my first losing session.
When I sat down, Jonny from Cheshire had already taken chunks out of the rest of the table. The two hands I watched before sitting down saw him river a flush with 73s in one hand, and in another he cold-called a raise and a re-raise pre-flop with J8o. The flop came QT9r. He cleaned up again.
It was clear he had no preflop standards, but actually he did get paid the max on both hands which made me think that possibly he might know what he was doing.
He was prepared to make big raises pre-flop with almost any two cards. Once I realised that he had such a wide range, I decided to let him know I was in the game. I limped for $2 along with a couple of others. Jonny made it $15 from the blinds. Two of the limpers called this as well (these were the tight-weak players), so now I moved in for $150 with A6o.
I figured I will knock out the other players for sure and I am ahead of Jonny’s range even if he calls.
He calls.
The board runs out K-8-2-T-3.
I announce “Ace high”. Jonny verbalises Ace-high as well. I am only beating 2 hands, but lo and behold he shows up with exactly A5o. Sweet.
Still, the session does not go well. Jonny and a couple of his friends who join us, are hitting for fun.
I lose four $200 buy-ins before I get a nice double-up with J9 – I flop trips and turn quads, and manage to get it all in by the river.
So, I have a useful $451 stack to attack Jonny (who has nearly $2k) when I pick up my next hand.
Aces. There is a $4 straddle by Scottish Colin (a decent and aggressive player). Jonny is on the big blind. Steve (one of Cheshire Jonny’s mates) limps in. He is incredibly passive pre-flop, even with monsters.
I limp, hoping Jonny or Colin will raise, but unfortunately we see a limped 5-way flop.
QT8 is the flop. Jonny checks and Steve leads out for $50. Esa from Finland moves all in for $200 or so.
Well. I have to assume a set is unlikely with no pre-flop raises. I think that top pair will bet aggressively here AND that I can get paid off by AQ/KQ and draws, so I move in for my $451.
Jonny calls. Steve folds pocket Tens, he says.
Esa has AQ. Jonny shows J9 for the flopped nuts ! A King on the turn gives me broadway outs, but the river is a blank for me (actually it paired the board).
Aarrgghh !To be honest, I think if I raise pre-flop with the Aces, I still lose my stack.
I have one more buy-in and make $350 back before the night is over. Jonny finished on $2,500 or so.
It was a fun game, despite the losses. The banter was good (albeit a but drunken). Jonny had a habit of calling everyone “cock”. This seemed to be light-hearted and basically friendly term coming from him, but it still felt a bit odd. Since he & I tangled so often, most of the cock-calling was aimed at me.
I bought a round of drinks, and hoped Jonny & Co would return the next day so I could have a crack at repatriating my chips !
In principle, there was a game whenever the casino was open. This was from about 30mins after we left port, or all-day (say noon – 2am) if we were at sea.
In practice, the game seemed to start around midnight.
However, as the days went by, the start time definitely drifted earlier to the point where I was showing up after dinner and finding a full game already in progress.
The busier games brought in new players. Especially the “casino fish” who would stroll over to the poker table after a good run at the roulette. These players were not timid about putting their chips in.
They were the typical “bad players” that tend to provoke mixed reactions. On the one hand, they were clearly terrible (and drunk) so they were huge value, but on the other hand they were noisy and slowed the game down, and of course they were very dangerous (especially to those with shallow bankrolls).
Personally, I find it baffling when a solid player says something on the lines of “I hate playing against real fish”. I just about understand why they say this, but it completely wrong-headed in my view.
Yes, these players can and will get very lucky. Yes, they can bust you multiple times whilst their luck holds. But if you can keep reloading and don’t run out of time, then those chips are coming right back (with interest).
Perhaps my natural style also has made be comfortable with a very volatile game, so I am willing to fight fire with fire and put all my chips in.
The first night that the roulette crew came by saw my first losing session.
When I sat down, Jonny from Cheshire had already taken chunks out of the rest of the table. The two hands I watched before sitting down saw him river a flush with 73s in one hand, and in another he cold-called a raise and a re-raise pre-flop with J8o. The flop came QT9r. He cleaned up again.
It was clear he had no preflop standards, but actually he did get paid the max on both hands which made me think that possibly he might know what he was doing.
He was prepared to make big raises pre-flop with almost any two cards. Once I realised that he had such a wide range, I decided to let him know I was in the game. I limped for $2 along with a couple of others. Jonny made it $15 from the blinds. Two of the limpers called this as well (these were the tight-weak players), so now I moved in for $150 with A6o.
I figured I will knock out the other players for sure and I am ahead of Jonny’s range even if he calls.
He calls.
The board runs out K-8-2-T-3.
I announce “Ace high”. Jonny verbalises Ace-high as well. I am only beating 2 hands, but lo and behold he shows up with exactly A5o. Sweet.
Still, the session does not go well. Jonny and a couple of his friends who join us, are hitting for fun.
I lose four $200 buy-ins before I get a nice double-up with J9 – I flop trips and turn quads, and manage to get it all in by the river.
So, I have a useful $451 stack to attack Jonny (who has nearly $2k) when I pick up my next hand.
Aces. There is a $4 straddle by Scottish Colin (a decent and aggressive player). Jonny is on the big blind. Steve (one of Cheshire Jonny’s mates) limps in. He is incredibly passive pre-flop, even with monsters.
I limp, hoping Jonny or Colin will raise, but unfortunately we see a limped 5-way flop.
QT8 is the flop. Jonny checks and Steve leads out for $50. Esa from Finland moves all in for $200 or so.
Well. I have to assume a set is unlikely with no pre-flop raises. I think that top pair will bet aggressively here AND that I can get paid off by AQ/KQ and draws, so I move in for my $451.
Jonny calls. Steve folds pocket Tens, he says.
Esa has AQ. Jonny shows J9 for the flopped nuts ! A King on the turn gives me broadway outs, but the river is a blank for me (actually it paired the board).
Aarrgghh !To be honest, I think if I raise pre-flop with the Aces, I still lose my stack.
I have one more buy-in and make $350 back before the night is over. Jonny finished on $2,500 or so.
It was a fun game, despite the losses. The banter was good (albeit a but drunken). Jonny had a habit of calling everyone “cock”. This seemed to be light-hearted and basically friendly term coming from him, but it still felt a bit odd. Since he & I tangled so often, most of the cock-calling was aimed at me.
I bought a round of drinks, and hoped Jonny & Co would return the next day so I could have a crack at repatriating my chips !
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