WSOP - May 2010

Just coming to the end of my trip to Vegas. I've managed to spend my entire budget with nothing to show in return. There were 3 of us here for a week and between us Mark cashed once in one of the smallest tournaments we played. The others had some exceptionally poor luck late on and I've just never really had a good run anywhere. But let's start at the beginning...

Despite the ash cloud Virgin bravely allowed my flight to go and it was considerably enhanced by the presence of a stag party in full wrestling gear in the row behind me. There was some black guy in a sort of voodoo kit with the full white make up. I had the pleasure of seeing him attempting to get through customs - as you can imagine our american friends were not amused.

Thursday

I arrive mid afternoon and Gareth is already here - he suggests I join him in a tournament at Caesars which I get into with a few minutes to spare. Play pretty well in this and it is quite a sociable table.

I discover the interesting fact that the French refer to idiot players as singe (monkey) rather than the english donkey - there you go.

Manage to run my stack up to 70k(we started with 20) but get into a couple of situations where I have marginal hands but have the odds to call and so eventually finish 30th of 163 runners.

Friday

Mark is due to arrive today and we decide to check out the new City Centre complex that cost $6Bn to build and nearly bankrupted MGM. To be honest, by Vegas standards it is just a bit boring. The Aria casino is rather drab and brown and there is no absurd theme.

However I find an excellent spot for lunch where they serve the hottest chilli burger in the world. If you manage to eat it you get a free beer. I know this will be a challenge for curry monster Gareth and he actually manages to eat it all. Apparently according to the waitress he is only the third customer to do this. I think they should take a picture of him and put it on the wall.

We play in the 1pm tournament in the poker room which is quite nice. Not much happens until level 4 when blinds are 100/200 with a 25 ante. I've done OK to improve my starting stack of 8000 to 12000 when I get AA and raise 2 limpers. There is one caller and we see a flop of 88J. He checks I bet he raises I put him all in and he calls showing K8 - nice preflop call. This puts me down to 5000 and on the next level of 200/400 I run AQ into AK and am out.

I head over to the Rio to register for the World Series tournament and find Mark and Gareth at the bar. Mark has been tucking into Vodka Belvederes (whatever they are) and the unfortunate implication is when we go to Joel Roubochon for dinner at the MGM grand he is nearly comatose.

We have a go at their "tasting" menu and we get the proper speech for each course. Get to try some stuff I'd never normally eat - including some oysters that actually taste nice.

Saturday

Play in the $1000 event. There are 4300 entrants in this since it is a bank holiday in America.

I witness a big row when some missing stacks are not put out on the table at the start. On the second hand the dealer decides to put them in their places and a local poker celebrity (a pokerroad host I think) is asked to post a big blind again. A floor manager comes over (Mr Woo it looks like) and say he has to pay twice - our man refuses and Mr Woo just chucks his cards in the muck. Much swearing ensues and more management is called. Disappointingly there is no fighting.

Not much to report in the tournament - we don't have that many chips to start with (3000). I get AK a couple of times but don't get anywhere with them and so eventually I exit on Level 4 when blinds are 75/150.

Gareth and Mark are also eliminated well before dinner so we go to a Sushi place at Caesar's. We have their house menu and you can tell it is posh when we have an extra starter at $38 for 3 bits of yellow tuna and foie gras - mind you it did have some gold leaf on it so I guess that justifies it.

As far as I am concerned the jury is out on Sushi - the bottom line is it is just raw fish. You can get roll mops in tescos for £2 a jar...

Sunday

We decide to visit the Orleans casino to play in their open tournament. The highlight of the day is lunch at TGI Fridays right at the other end of the culinary spectrum from the night before. Our waiter is a comic Q3 (poker jargon - Americans call a 3 a trey) and when the bill is absurdly delayed Gareth is ready to indulge in a spot of the proverbial queer bashing.

The Orleans is a complete dump miles from anywhere - do not go there. The tournament is filled with complete maniacs. We start with a mountain of chips(25000) and yet in Level 2 when blinds are 75/150 the player to my right makes a 5000 chip bet pre flop which is called. They end up pretty much all in on a board of 345T7 with the original caller rivering a straight with his 66 (I presume the pre flop raiser had AA)

I manage to be completely shafted when I have j3 in the big blind and I think I must be ahead on a 433 board. My opponent had 43.

I get JJ and the flop is J75 all spades I bet pot he calls. Turn A river 8 no spades. He had been calling with 96 so rivered a straight.

My demise is making the mistake of think I must be behind when the board runs out As9c4dJcQd. I had 99 and there was an all-in side pot to confuse things on the flop. My opponent put me all-in on the river and I though one of is spawny draws had come in. In fact he had 44 - aargh.

This pretty much crippled me so I was out shortly after.

Monday

We play in the $1500 WSOP event

Have rather a difficult starting seat - the guy to my right is a relentless raiser. Unfortunately I don't get any hand to play back at him. However I do win a nice pot with QQ on a 555 board when my opponent has TT.

In level 4 I get moved to a table full of internet young gun testosterone. UK pro player Praz Bansi is to my right and there is a lot of toing and froing with him vs the locals. I am rather outclassed here so look for a spot to shove over an opening raise. I think I've got it with TT but am called by someone with JJ.

It looks like my chips went to a good cause though - Praz actually won the thing! See report

Tuesday

Decide to play for the first time at the Venetian. If you look back at my blog from a few years back you'll see talk of a popular deepstack tournament have ooh 300 runners. Well now it is absolute carnage. There is a $1000 tournament with 400 runners and I play Omaha hi/low with 320 runners.

This game is confusing so there is a lot of player disputes. Also there are 2 crazy raisers on my first table that puts all the local "proper" Omaha players on complete tilt.

We start with 10000 chips and I manage to work my way up to 15000 by scooping a couple of pots. Get a bit unlucky when for once there is a limped pot and I get to play t997 flop is 9t4 which slows the action a bit. Turn Q means no low so there is only a little betting. River is a T so I get to check raise but when I then get reraised I reraise again and then it is capped. I did not really consider my opponent would have QT to have a better full house. Oops

Win a few back later with another full house which holds and then get a rather lucky straight in a heads up pot against one of the crazy raisers.

Unfortunately our table is broken and I am moved to a table with some sensible players. I get completely card dead here - I play A2 starting hands a couple of times but in both hands there is no low so I eventually fizzle out 150th.

Meet Gareth and Mark for a proper steak and chips in a posh place in the Venetian. When I ask for mustard Gareth says a bit later he expects we'll get that crap stuff in a squeezy yellow bottle - unfortunately the waitress overhears and assures us it won't be - she is a cute blond and takes it in good heart.

Wednesday

Gareth's last day. He takes my advice to get some jeans from one of the malls here. 4 pairs of levis for about $80 - result.

I also do well on shopping duty - getting some Abercrombie and Fitch for Las Vegas railbird Jo. The shop assistants are quite brain dead but not an unpleasant way to while away some time. Perhaps I should spend more time buying women's clothing.

I am pretty annoyed that there are no ipads available - absurdly all the Apple stores are out of stock.

Mark plays in the $1500 event at the WSOP and I play at Caesars. Gareth manages to Jonah Mark and me in succession.

In this tournament I ma sat next to the worst player ever. He manages to fail to bet the best hand hand 3 times in the first level. He had quad 66's, and A high flush and a full house. I get some of his chips but eventually he donates to some guy when he has a pair of Qs on a K high flush board.

I finish 70th out of 239 and ironically would have won a massive pot if I had made a mistake. I had 30k chips with blinds 400/800. There was a limp from mid position and an all-in from the button for 10k. I would sometimes push here from the SB with my 66 to isolate the all-in but the BB to my left had a massive stack. Also the mid limper only had 10k so would probably have to call. I was sort of right when the BB went all-in with KK. Limper called with AK and the original raiser had TT. Annoyingly the flop was a 6 and I would have got the lot.

Thursday

My last day. Played at the Aria - but despite getting AA twice and JJ in the first 2 levels I got no action and yet there was a crazy maniac playing every other hand with massive overbets. When I did play him he put me all in on a JT7 board - I had AT so I had to fold. Eventually I was out on the last hand before the break when trying to nick the blinds.

Then tried the Bellagio but I think I should have just called it a day. Mark played that tournament but took a horrible beat and ended up at Caesars having some consolation Sushi. I joined him there and was impressed with the concept of a $150 bit of tuna. I am afraid I just don't get it.

So an enjoyable week - everything but the poker was good.

Off to avoid the ash cloud....

UK Tournaments March to May 2010

I've been a bit slack with my blog the last few months. Mainly because there has been little to report of merit. I will revisit this entry with some detail when I've got an idle moment.

So to tidy up the various tournaments I have played:

Swansea - March 20th - APAT tour

What can I say about Swansea? Even the welsh don't give it a good press. My taxi driver warned me about Saturday night. "They come down from the valleys don't you know".

Played in a pot limit tournament with 19 runners. It is a league over the summer with points awarded for the top 18 places. So when one well known player was eliminated early on (quite hard in a pot limit tournament) it was suggested we split the pool 18 ways and toss a coin for the first prize and go on the piss. This suggestion got quite close to being put through but in the end we played on. I did not do very well finishing 14th - however I then played in a cash game overlooking the main part of the casino. Let's put it this way the "wildlife" was interesting. I won back my expenses mainly against well known poker celebrity affectionately (?) known as scouse (you can guess the rest) with that legendery hand 63 off.

Brighton Marina - March 29th - Sussex masters

A dreary cold evening at the Brighton Marina was probably not the best introduction to my lodger Louisa of the joys of the UK poker scene. We had dinner in a restaurant where we were the only customers (I suspect for the whole evening) and I am afraid that Brighton marina has little to recommend it.

I play in a mickey mouse £100 tournament and run OK at the start but make a major rick when I think someone is all in when in fact he has a massive stack hidden behind his cup of tea. This tilts me and I am soon out.

The Victoria Casino London - April 17th - APAT Tour

The second leg after Swansea at the Vic which seems to have had some money spent on it.

We are in some quiet back room with proper posh leather seats instead of the usual rickety back destroying objects.

There is a good turn out from my home game - Louis, Wilson and Marcus (who arrives glamorously late) so we are a large part of the 30 runner field.

Marcus does well to knock out a pro player and the game is a bit of a laugh with some internet young guns doing some absurd 3 barrel bluffs and hero calling.

Wilson is knocked out when his attempted steal is rumbled by one of the young lads. I run pretty average but eventually give up my chips to Louis with 88 vs JJ.

Some internet coverage here

The Victoria Casino London - March 24th - GUKPT tour

The main event costs £1500 so I play in a satellite for £150. A fairly standard tournament and my main piece of luck is doubling up with AA vs 22. I get through so win my entry to the tournament the next day.

This is a pretty big event and I must be sat next to someone well known since there is a video camera on him - apparently being streamed live on the internet (I did not realise this until a bit later)

We are fed and watered at the table - they bring round canapes and wine. Nice! And the dinner was OK too.

I play pretty average and when I have to double up my AQ vs 88 misses and I am out in 121st spot of 178.

Coventry - May 20th - GUKPT

Another leg on the tour this time at the G Casino in the Ricoh stadium complex at the Coventry football ground.

Curiously the Casino itself is actually pretty impressive inside - one the best I've seen in the UK. Of course its massive downside is that it is in Coventry. No disrespect, but Coventry is an absolute armpit. I booked some random flea pit in town so surprise surprise Las Vegas railbird Jo who was toying with staying to spectate, decides to bugger off.

I am not going to pony up the £1000 for the main event so play in a satellite. When we are getting down to the bubble the floor makes the worst decision ever. I've moved all-in with KK and some f*ckwit to my left says call but as he is moving some chips over the line claims he did not know I was all-in and is allowed to take the bet back. A few hands later I run TT into AK and finish 2 spots from the seats.

I sample the delights of the town the next day - bearing in mind the germans gave it a good seeing to, it is a typical example of UK post war town centre balls up. Went round the tourist highlight - the transport museum - which is OK - but they don't charge an entry free presumable otherwise no-one would turn up.

Play in the side event in the evening but go nowhere fast.

Chances of returning to coventry any time soon? - nil!

UKIPT Manchester - Saturday 13th Feb 2010

Had a pleasant walk around Manchester in the morning after an excellent breakfast of "award winning" sausage.
Decided to watch the rugby and play some pokerstars to try to qualify for the Sunday million. Bet on Scotland at 7-1 and then hedged it off when they raced into an unlikely lead.
My internet connection was very slow and so my headging went a bit wonky and I ended up with more Wales than I wanted - but got a flukey result. Some dodgy timekeeping from the ref got me £50.
Played in the £330 side tournament - kick off at 7pm.
We started with 103 runnersbut this went up to 120 with alternates so prize pool about £36,000.
Start with 10,000 chips. 45 minute levels.

Level 1 25/50. Limped a few times and won 1 hand with kq to stay roughly even.

In Level 2 (50/100) unfortunately my AA from the SB gets cracked by QQ in the BB on a flop of Q98 so down to 2500 chips at the first break.
I think this was a cooler. I sneakily limped preflop and called his 200 raise. I check raised his 600 flop bet with 2000 more but when he moved all-in for another 5000 I can't really fold.

On level 3 (75/150) I doubled through having called a raise and call with QTh on the button. Flop is 55T so I push over the top of a standard continuation bet. He has to call with AK.
I then move up to 6000 when I pushed all in over raise and reraise. A classic squeeze play (but I did have ak).
Later I raise with KK utg and the BB calls. Flop is A33. He checks so I try a continuation bet and get called. We check it down - he had a weak A so down to 4k.

I start Level 4 (100/200) with 4000. I am sat next to the pianoman (according to his shirt) - apparently he did look like Joel when he was younger and had some hair. Apparently he is a proper piano shop owner and here is his site www.thepianoman.co.uk so I guess I believe him.

Poker karma definitely kicking in. The dealer who stitched me up earlier with AA vs QQ returns to deal me AA again, but this time against a small stack with TT. He flops a T but I get an unlikely runner runner flush - up to 7k.

Remarkably I make it to the second break with 4k despite a setback when raising from late position with 66 but having to fold to heat.

Organisation here is a bit rubbish - incomprehensible PA and biro/back of envelope table moves are the order of the day.

I start at a new table but we don't know when to begin or what the blinds are. This is the liveliest table I have played on - a good mix of locals and some scandis. Plenty of banter - with food being a particular issue. 2 guys get some excellent curries delivered (proper baltis with silver bowls and everything) - but it transpired that someone else had ordered a steak 30 minutes before them and was still waiting. The floor is called for a ruling and naturally our man gets 2 steaks about 5 minutes later.

It is level 5 with blinds 150/300 so it is time to start wielding the short stack. I call a standard raise and call from the bb with 78 spades. Flop is k high with 2 spades so I shove. They squeal but fold..up to 5000.

I just about make it to Level 6 when the antes start 150/300/25 when I pick up 99 on the button and move all-in over a limp. He calls with KQ and makes 2 pairs to eliminate me in 75th spot.

So a rather curious tournament. I probably played around 120 hands and got dealt 3 grade A pairs - more than would be expected - and yet I did not really get anywhere.

Looking back on the main event I think these might be worth playing - big enough prizes to justify the expenses of getting here I think.

UKIPT Manchester - Friday

Arrived a bit late for the tournament - but we have 15,000 chips and 60 minute levels.
The G Casino is not very glamorous - located in an industrial estate as far as I can tell - but it is packed with 260 players for "flight b".

Level 1 is 25/50 and little happens - I get AQ but have to give it up after some action on the flop.
During Level 2 (50/100) it becomes clear that despite this tournament costing £500 there are some pretty reckless players. I take part in a pretty weird hand that supports this theory. I pick up AKs on the button and after a limp from early position and a raise to 400 I reraise to 1100. The original limper calls and the raiser now pumps it up to 4000. This is the easiest laydown of AK I have ever made but the limper calls again. Flop comes J95 and the limper bets out and the all-ins follow. The villain has of course got a set of Jacks and the man with the telegraphed Aces is not happy.

This has repurcussions for me since I end up playing a pot with the short stack - I have KQ and the flop isT94 and I get pot committed against him when he has AT. This knocks me down a bit but I am soon up to 20k when I flop a set of 8's on a QJ8 board. I make a standard bet that is called by a crazy irishman. The turn is a 5s making a spade flush draw so I bet and am called again. The river is Js and my opponent can't get his chips in fast enough. I nearly slow roll my full house because I am trying to work out whether he could have a higher full than me.

Similarly, after the break we are up to Level 3 (75/150) when I flop a K high flush. I make a 75% pot bet to discourage the A but one opponent moves all-in instantly. I agonise a bit but I have him well covered so I call. He actually has a very low flush so is drawing dead. This puts me up to 23K.
...and even better some guys is convinced his pair of 8's is good on a J97 board after I have raised preflop and bet the flop too. I call him down with my QQ and so I am up to 28k by the end of this level.

Level 4 (100/200) is where it starts going wrong. Towards the end I call with 85 in the SB when all have folded. Flop is 875 which is pretty good so I bet 300 which he calls. Turn is Js making a flush draw. I bet 800 and am pretty suprised when he raises it 2000 on top. wtf? The villain is a solid young local so if he was not the BB I would be pretty sure I was winning. I probably should have raised or folded her but I just call. River is 3s making the flush and when I check he puts me all in and I have to fold. From what he said later I think I was beaten.

We then have a rather pleasant buffet (infinitely better than the disasterous pies in Edinburgh last year) and when we start again I settle down with a nice Guinness. Unfortunately I get no cards at all in Level 5 (150/300) and Level 6 (150/300/25) and when I try to steal the last pot before the break a softly spoken swede shoves his last 6000 chips in the middle and I have to fold leaving myself with 17k.

My death comes swiftly in Level 7 (200/400/50) in 3 blows
First I race a short stack with my AQ vs his 33 - down to 12k
Second after a 5 way limp with QT on the button I am not convinced by a C bet on a 985 board so I put a medium stack all in. Unfortuately he decides to call with A9 and it stands up.
Finally I am down to 5k so push with QJ on the button. I am called by the BB who has 77.

I probably could have been a bit more patient towards the end but that is not really my game...

UKIPT Manchester - February 12th

I will be reporting from Manchester...http://www.ukipt.com/tournaments/manchester/

Welcome to 2010

This is another in my annual series of poker blogs. For previous years check out:
http://www.charliepoker2009.blogspot.com