Wednesday, August 16, 2006

The journey home...........

When in Reno two years ago, I stayed awake the night before my flight, slept all the way home and after one day I was back into UK time.
With the same plan in mind I againd stayed awake the night before.
Taxi to the airport at 12 noon and my flight was at 4pm.

Got to the airport to hear that my flight was delayed for 8 hours!!!!!

With only one shop open at the airport, it was gonna be a long 8 hours. Determined not to sleep, I met up with Pab (Paul) and Gee (Dave) and we discussed various poker hands.

Finally boarded the plane, managed some sleep but not as much as I had hoped for. Finally landed at Gatwick at around 5pm.
By the time we got the bags, it was 6pm
I now had to drive to Hemsbey (North Norfolk Coast) to pick up the family who had been on holiday there.
After the 2 days I had had, this was a LONG drive, and after loading the car up, it was time to drive back home to Cambridge.
Finally arrived home at around 12 midnight - totally shattered , I thought I would sleep for ages, but was suprised when I woke up at 2am :(

It is now 4 days I have been home and I am still suffering badly from Jetlag.
Hopefully it wont be long now.

Off to the DTD party friday night so looking foward to that.

Have not played any poker since my return, but am going to try and qualify for Aruba - havent tried as yet as I thought it was "taking the piss" on my family - but the good wife has convinced me to give it a try.

Hopefully the next Blog will be from Aruba!!!

With the $1800...........

I noticed that there was a $10,000 tourney at The Belagio which gave 20,000 chips and a 90 minute clock - first was almost $1million. I so wanted to play this, but the $10k was out of my bankroll.
There were 2 super sats and I decided to give these a go. Missed the first one, so with one chance left, I paid my $1000 and entered the super sat. With close to 350 entrants there were 30odd seats up for grabs.

3000 starting stack and 40 minute clock - you had to have a good start.
I started ok, but with no hands to mention, was just surviving. With 45 left and the blinds going up, I had less than 7xBB (and with a running ante) I had to make a move BEFORE I was BB again.

Well a guy in early position raises 3xBB and is called by the chip leader. I look down and find pocket 9's. I felt I was probably behind, or racing at best but with me being BB very soon, I felt I couldnt pass and pushed all in. The guy next to me called my all in. So did the other 2.

So with a chance to quad up, I had to win this hand and I knew I would get my $10,000 seat.
Flop came 10 6 2 rainbow.
Both the origional raiser and the caller checked - I felt I was almost certainly ahead. But then the guy to my left says "all in" and I knew I was behind.
The other two passed and he flips over JJ
"Just one time" i was syaying to myself "please give me a 9"
But alas, no 9 came and I was out.

After this, i was totally pokered out and was ready to come home, but still had 4 days left

Poker after the WSOP main event

Having taken 2 days off from poker, following my exit from the WSOP main event. I had been told of the $1000 MTT's at the Belagio and thought I would give these a bash.

I turn up at the Belagio and play a STT for $240 (with a $60 saver for 3rd) as 2 tickets to the $1000 were on offer, but what a crap shoot. 1500 chips and 10 minute levels, I found myself having to go all in with 99 and was beaten by JJ.

So off to the cage to buy into the $1000.

5000 chips with a 40 minute clock and a good structure meant for plenty of play.

I got off to a good start, doubling my stack quite early on.

With 169 entrants and 18 being paid with 1st getting neally $60,000 I was looking foward to a nice pay day.

With 27 left I suffered a huge blow when my overpair ran into someone who hit a set on the river and I found myself short stacked with the BB on me in two hands.
Very next hand I pick up AA and shove all in - got called by 33 and survived.
Manage to increase my stack to just over average and with 18 left was in the money - allbeit basically your buyin back + a bit. The difference from 18th to 10th was $600 from memory.

Down to 14 left and still with over average stack, when I was BB, the UTG (who also had over average stack, just more than me) kept moving all in.
I had passed A10, 55, KQ, 44
The 5th time running he did the same again - he did not play any other hand, not even his BB. The only play he had was "all in" under the gun - which happened to be my big blind.
So after 5 times, I was getting a little annoyed to say the least.
"I will let you have this one more, but DONT do it again"
Well the 6th time came, and again he goes "all in" It is folded round to me and I find AQ (Both black), now normally I would still fold, feeling that with over average stack, I had plenty of play left. BUT this was now the 6th time running he had done this. So I called.
Now playing for a big pot (3rd in chips) he turns over KQ (both black)
How good do you want it? He had 3 K's to hit and one possible 4 card flush.
Flop came 3 diamonds , turn was another diamond, so he now only had 2k's he could hit as the Kd would give a split pot.
Then BANG - the river comes and he hits one of the two remaining Kings and my tourney was over.
Had I of won that pot, I was confident of making top 3 (if not winning it).
Still $1800 but was a little disapointed to say the least.

Day 2 WSOP

Well day 2 did not go as smooth as day 1. By that I mean I was totally relaxed and focused for day 1. Day 2 was a different story.

Although I was still focused, I was a little flustered. When I arrived at The Rio, I had forgot what my new table number was, so it was a case of walking around to try and "jog" my memory. After approx 15 minutes, I remembered where I was sitting. I went to the table, sat down, showed my ID and proceeded to tear open the bag. "Stop" said the dealer, "I need to see your blue receipt card first" "What blue receipt card?" I said. "The one you got at the end of day 1" he replied.
SHIT, I couldnt remember what I had done with it, and I was not allowed to open my bag of chips without it. 1 minute before "shuffle up and deal" and I still could not find this damn receipt card. Now I was panicing, but the TD came over and said "Have you seen any ID?" "OK that is good enough"
"Phew" and I opened my bag of just under15000 chips and was now ready to play.
I had it in my mind that I wanted to get off to a fast start, I was going to call raises with any 2 suited/connecting cards and if I hit a draw, I was gonna push all in.
Well after 3 or 4 raises called, I missed every flop and soon found myself down to 11k - not the start I wanted.
After about 4 hours, still on the same chips and the blinds now increasing, I told myself that any pair and I was pushing all in (regardless of any raise infront of me).
Well this one hand sticks in my mind, I was on the button and a loose player makes a standard raise in mid position, and the guy next to them also called the raise (3000 from memory). I am saying to myself "any pair and I am pushing". I look down to see a 2, "no" I thought, please dont let me see another 2. I did not want to push with a pair of 2's but knew I would be tempted. I squeezed the other card and sure enough it was another 2.
I pondered for a while, counted out my chips, not sure of weather to push or not. But in the end decided to fold. When the SB then re raised to 9000 I was feeling better about the fold. And felt sure I had made the correct decision when the BB then re raised all in for 35000. The origional raiser and caller both passed but the SB called the all in. On their backs was AA and KK - The AA held up.
I was feeling so good about not pushing all in for my remaining 11000 but then came the flop - I could of died :(
10 2 2 - I would of flopped quads and would have been on close to 40,000 chips.
The next hand of note was my exit hand. It was the very next hand i was on the button and the same player who had made a 3000 raise before, made the same raise again. No one else called and I look down to find AA.
Excellent!! I went through EXACTLY the same routine I had on the round before, counting my chips, looking like I didnt know what to do. Then after 4 minutes or so - I pushed all my chips in.
All folded to the origional raiser - who convinced himself I didnt have a hand and said "this is a loose call, but i call" That was all I needed to hear and proudly turned over my Aces. Hoping to see them have A9 or something similar, but no, they had Q 7 of diamonds.
I got that "oh no" feeling when I saw both of his cards were diamonds.
Please please black flop - i thought.
Flop came with 2 diamonds :(
I was up and out of my chair - I knew it was coming.
The turn came 7
I could see a river also being a 7, but it was the J diamonds and my WSOP was over.

The TV crew was at my table as the chip leader was also there, and they filmed my exit , with TV camera in my face which followed me out of the hall. No idea weather it will make the TV and quite honestly, I am not bothered either way.

Those two hands, although I feel I played them correctly were my demise. Had I have played those two hands wrong, I would of been probably of 60,000 and very healthy to make day 3.

All in all I enjoyed the WSOP main event and found the structure to be excellent - ROLL ON NEXT YEAR!!!!