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.
Sunday, 14 February 2010
Friday, 12 February 2010
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...
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...
Monday, 8 February 2010
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
http://www.charliepoker2009.blogspot.com
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