Mid-week Double Chances - Fitz 14/2/06 & SE 15/2/06

Two tournament reports, two nights on the trot I played Double Chance freezeouts.

On Tuesday (Valentine's Day!) I played in the €50 Double Chance in the Fitzwilliam. There were 6 tables, about 55 or so players I would say. And, for the first time I can recall in my poker playing experience, I was the first player out! And the Double Chance is supposed to guard against bonehead plays by giving you, well, a second chance!

I was seated on a very agressive table, which didn't bother me too much. During the first few hands I picked up AJo in MP and made a 4xBB raise. The BB was the only caller. The flop came down Q rag rag rainbow, he checked, I made a pot sized bet and he folded reluctantly. Almost every hand was raised, particularly by a young English fellow in seat 1. Ten minutes later I find KK UTG. As it was such an agressive table I decided to take a chance and limp, hoping for a raise. No such luck, and there were five limpers, including the English lad, who was on the button (really expected a raise out of him). Flop came down 973 rainbow. The blinds checked and I raised to 400 (into a pot of 250). The player immediately to my left pushed all in for about 1700. Then the lad on the button pushed! I should have laid the cowboys down there and then, but wishfully hoped I was up against a straight draw and A9, and called. The button had JJ (why didn't he, an aggressive player, raise on the button with jacks? with so many limpers?) and the villian had 97o for top two pair. No help for button or I and I needed to call for my 1500 top-up. A few hands later I found 10 10 in the BB, a solid player raised to 200 or so pre-flop, he was called by the English chap, and I immediately pushed, saying 'no more slow play for me!'. The original raiser called and the English lad folded - it was a race, AKs vs 10 10, a K on the turn and the river did me in and sent me home with less than 30 minutes played!

On Wednesday, I played in the €75 Double Chance in the Sporting Emporium, a lovely card club in the centre of town, owned by a billionaire and really nicely set up. There were only 5 tables to begin with, a little less than 50 runners. I had a great start, on the second hand I had Q7o on my BB with three limpers, flop comes down Q73 rainbow. Excellent! I checked and it was checked around. The turn was another 7, giving me the house. I couldn't let it go for free any more and threw in a 1/3 pot bet, which was duly called by the button. I really hoped for an ace on the river to help him out, but it was the final 7! Giving me the stone cold ones. I threw out another value bet, which he called - he mucked when he saw my 7. What a flop, turn and river - it kept getting better for me! I doubled up a short while later when my AJ dominated an A rag after the money goes in on an Ace-high flop.

The table had two beginners and one over-aggressive player, so there were loads of chips to win. Unfortunately, a young player immediately on my right was raking them in, as I had to be content with a small pot here or there. Finally, a few orbits later (blinds 50/100) I found a hand to make some chips with: AA under the gun. Despite being burned the night before limping UTG with a monster, this again was an agressive table and I thought I'd risk it. Success, a player in MP went all in for about 1600. He was called by the button, who had me well out-chipped (he must have had 8.5k, while I was ahead of average on 6k). I decided to give him some attractive pot odds to continue - he must have had a nice big hand! In retropect, this min-raise after limping UTG screamed MONSTER, I'm very surprised he called. Flop came down all ragged, with a club flush draw. I bet out again, 1500, which he called. I was very much pot committed at this stage, so pushed for my remaining 1300 or so when another rag appeared on the turn. He called with JJ, other all in had K10s I think, no help for them on the river, and I more than double up to about 13k, one of the tournament chip leaders before the break.

After the break the young player on my right won a massive pot, knocking an over-aggresive older player out, and taking the tournament chip lead by a mile. He must have had 25k when the average was less than 6k. Our table was broken (down to three now), and we moved to the same table, but I was off after a few minutes to seat 1 table 1, which had a familiar face in Mark 'Pokertroll' McMahon in the seat to my left with a decent stack. There was another player in seat 9 with a huge stack, he had been hitting every flop according to the others. Anyway, I tightened up at this table, gaining the image of ultra rock, only showing my big hands with I pushed people off pots or took the blinds. Mark is a tricky player so I avoided getting into pots with him when possible. I knocked out Keven Farrelly when I raised on the button with AQo (blinds were 300/600, I raised to 1500), he instantly pushed with 5.5k and I insta-called, knowing I was ahead. He had K7s, out he goes. I then sat on my 16k stack until the final table of 9.

Only six were being paid, 1400 for 1st, then 800, 500, 300, 200 and 100 for the next five. Three would be leaving the final table with nothing. Two stacks were shorter than mine, with two big stacks as well. I immediately capitalised on my rock image, winning the blinds (now 400/800) twice in a row by raising pre-flop and showing AK once. A few hands later when the blinds had increased to 500/1000 I was in the BB, a very strong player who I slightly out-chipped raised to 4000 in MP. I had AQo and pushed, knowing he had the discipline to lay it down to a rock like me, even if he had tens or jacks. He dwelt for ages and folded, showing AQo as well, and asked me 'did you have jacks?' 'Yep' I replied...a minute later he muttered 'you did in your bollox' to my smile and everyone elses laughter.

We were soon down the 7 and I suggested we take 100 off 1st for 7th, but one player shot it down (he had a big stack). A minute later I suggested 50 off 1st and 50 off 2nd for 7th and they agreed - I said it would help speed play up on the bubble, but truth be told I suggested it as I didn't want to go home with nothing, and felt like gambling against the (now three) big stacks. Wouldn't you know it, the player who had objected to the first mini-deal was out a few minutes later when the biggest stack took him (the 3rd biggest stack) and a short stack out, the big stack had AQs, the objector had KK and the short stack had Kx, the A on the river did them in. A few minutes later a player with a very decent stack put it all on the line with 44, pushing pre-flop and getting called by the chip leader who had 99. Crazy action.

After the mini-deal, there was 1350 for 1st, then 750, 500 and 300. I am due a big win with the way I've been playing recently, but thought 1st or 2nd would be difficult to acheive with the huge difference in stacks, CL had at least 100k, next (the same young player, very good, I had been sitting beside on the 1st table) had about 45k, I had 15k and the short stack (who laid his AQ down to me earlier) had 6.5k. The two bigger stacks generally avoided going head to head, concentrating on knocking us out. I made a big mistake when the short stack went in on my BB, I had K3o, I should have called, definitely as by knocking him out I would increase my minimum payout by €200. I doubled him up with a weaker hand an orbit later, and was out in 4th when I was all in against the two big stacks and I was outdrawn on the turn as they checked it out. A profit of €220, ok but I really should have done better, and am quite annoyed with myself today.

I'm due an outright win in one of these mid-week tournaments - in the meantime, after 13 live tournaments this year I have cashed 6 times, so I'm well up on the year and have a bank roll for the next few months, playing twice a week.