I qualified from the local pub league, in spectacular fashion, inching into 2nd place on the last session and made it through the the Regional Finals held at Circus Casino in Newcastle City Centre.
The Mrs, had to watch kids so I was there alone, until Tony the league winner finally turned up. He was so nervous about being late that he turned up an hour early and had to leave again until they were ready to register!
A free buffet was provided for players which consisted of Curry Sauce and Rice (with hint of suspicious chicken bits), Watery Spaghetti Bolognese, or jacket potato with beans or tuna. I opted for the potato and tuna, being the least suspicious looking food and ate half of it before giving up. I understand that Circus casinos carpet is ugly, but after finishing the food I wondered if the pattern was just stained from punters heaving up the food.
We kicked off with the trophys being presented, so I gave a little whoop for Tony considering the lacklustre polite clapping and boredom most of the room was facing, and before we know it we shuffled up and dealt and I’m sitting at the same table as Tony.
We start with 5000 chips and 25/50 blinds. First hand I’m dealt is in the small blind with pocket 10’s and under the gun +3 raises up to 150. I call out of position with the pocket 10’s, feeling it was too early to start a raising war against an unknown player. The flop came 3 J 4 rainbow, and UTG+3 continues his preflop raise with another to 200. AJ is always a possibility so a call and reevaluate on the turn. The turn brings another Jack, making AJ far less likely. I play the turn badly and check, and allow him to check behind. This wasn’t too bright. He would checks with nothing, and he would call with trip jacks. So what have I learnt from checking? Zero. I’m saved with a 10 on the river giving me a full house and I screw up again by making a pot sized raise of around 750. He instantly mucks. But at least I safely survive the first hand!
I have no idea what he was holding, but from future play I wouldn’t be surprised if something like Ace 8, A9 type hand was his holding. I still probably got as much as I was getting, but I prefer a small bet on the turn to establish his hand and defend my 2 pair, jacks and tens against KQ etc. hitting the river.
I continue to play tight, but pick up a few blinds with late position raises and get up to 7100 chips by the first break (in the meantime losing vs a short stack with JJ vs his KQ. I win with JJ vs AQ (Q flopped, turned a J.. phew)). After another couple of blinds however, at 500/1000 blinds I’ve managed to work my way to 29k. I try to abuse my stack stupidly and lose 15k again thou when my raises get re-raised or shoved on, and I go back to working the shove fold shortstack strategy.
With the blinds at 1000/2000 I am moved to another table, and people start dropping out at a huge rate while I sit and survive, survive, survive while I go card dead. With 30k chips and blinds 3000/6000 I manage to make a big move with A8 vs a limped pot from the CO and Button. The button tanked before mucking K6 suited. I lol’d a bit inside considering how tight I was playing and how strong I represented by shoving into that situation. He still wanted to rabbit hunt and my A8 would have held.
Shortly again I am moved tables and the blinds 5000/10000 and set to work stealing blinds pushing myself up to 73k and down to the final 16 players out of 153. The fold/fold/fold/fold/shove/fold/fold/fold/fold/shove works out, excepting my only real hand being A10s six handed, which I min raise to 20k, get a call from the big blind, and flop comes 9 9 7, he checks, and I shove winning the pot. Not long after the blinds go to 10k/20k and 12 players remaining. This is a problem now. With even the chip leader of the tournament having no more than 11 big blinds we are in major shove fest territory and blind stealing is going to be a lot more difficult.
We survive another few hands whilst I drop to 43k thanks to the blinds and having no opportunity to steal when the final table is called while 4 handed (final table is last 8 and qualification to nationals is top 7). I have 72o in the small blind and the big blind looks happy to make the final table…….. except he hasn’t yet has he. With the rest of my table already getting up to congratulate themselves on the final table, I can’t think of a better spot to pick up some dead money and shove on the big blind. He mucks instantly flashing 62o. Who knew I had him dominated!
The final table and I’m 2nd short stacked when I pick up AA on my second hand. UTG+1 shoves allin so I tank to try for a bit more action and call. No action and he tables A9 and looks disgusted at my AA. What can you do.
This chips me up to 190k and I have a blind stealing stack again with 25k short of a third of the chips in play. With such excessive blinds the clock had been reset on this level and people drop out very fast. We are down to 3 very sharp, I have the short stack with about 150k and the other 2 players playing quite timidly. This is perfect for me, so I get to steal blinds. Except one instance where I call, and we check it down to the river. I bet the river with air and he folds. Not really well played as I could have taken it earlier with less risk and river bets are suspicious always like that.
Suddenly a shove from the guy on my left gets called by the girl opposite tabling JJ. They hold up, I’m afraid I don’t recall what he had and we go heads up. The girl I noted is playing her hands ultra straight forward but has 530k to my 210k more than double my stack.
I start off aggressively and work up to 260k quickly, raising most buttons, and if called raising flop and taking it down, but I’m sure she will be waiting to trap and watch for her playing back. She does so after I limp from the small blind with 83o and the flop comes down 8h 4s 2c. Top pair looks good and I raise 40k into the pot of 80k. She moves all-in almost instantly and I have my first big heads up decision. She’s folded over and over again to aggression, and I don’t think she makes this move unless she has something. In a flop like this.. that something I can only put her on is another 8 with a better kicker. I show the 8 and fold (stupid.. don’t let people know you’ll fold top pair to a shove idiot). She claims an 8 herself but doesn’t show. Right or Wrong, I was winning so much without showdown that it felt like a bad spot to gamble. I steal a couple more and don’t hit many flops. I hit two pair, check flop, bet turn and she folds but that was just standard for almost every hand whether I had something or not.
I work up to about 450k to her 300k when the biggest hand so far comes up. The blinds are now 40k/80k so no room for manoeuvre, but I pick up A8o from the small blind. I raise to 100k and she moves all in. I don’t like having to call against a tight player, but she has to be desperate now and she can’t just call and fold flop now. I make the call and she tables Queen 3 offsuit (Q3o).
It was always going to be a 60/40 situation like this and I’m glad I’m the 60! Unfortunately a flopped Q devastates my hopes of taking down the tournament and after all the hard work I’m down to 150k.
The next hand she puts me all in and there is not reason not to call with 89o considering I have less than 1 big blind behind! And 89 holds up against a wide range of hands too. Fate is with her and she tables K8 suited leaving me to draw to a 9 that I know will never come.
So out in 2nd place but £200 richer and qualified for the Nationals. Good day, but can’t help but wistfully think of what happens if Ace Eight can beat Queen Three ONE TIME!
One Time. But then… there is the National Finals in Nottingham to sort out first. Low and behold.. £200 pays for a coach and the hotel for two nights. With food, drinks and taxi’s there… its almost –EV (negative expected value, a decision that results in a loss of money in the long run) but you can’t pass up an opportunity like that.
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