Vegasnights Team Event - €20 11/2/2006

There was a lot of interest in this event, as boards.ie, the message board that was instrumental in furthering my initial interest in the great game of poker, was fielding two teams, the mighty poker collective Fistful of Shamrock (FOS) and the thrown-together-at-the-last-minute minnows called the Boards Stupid. The event cost €160+16 per team, 8 to a team, so nominally €22 a person. However, upon getting out to the Anglers Rest pub in Chapelizod, we counted and counted twice, but FOS had only 6 players - roryc (our capitain), iago, musician, karlh, dub13 and myself. Still, confidence was high, I expected most of us to make the final table. After all, there were only 134 runners! Points for the team event were only awarded to the final 18 players, while the final 9 would be paid.

I started out on table 1, a nice bunch of players, two or three of whom knew what they were doing, and one or two who were just out for a laugh on a Sunday afternoon. We started with 5000 chips, blinds were 25/50, with a nice and easy 30 minute clock. Great structure, making for a lot of play. I took down a few big pots right off the bat, flopping the nut straight and slowplaying it against an inexperienced player, taking 2/3 of his stack in the process. I also took down a nice pot when I limped with 97s and a player holding TPTK on the flop didn't bet enough, giving me the odds to chase my flush, which I hit. He then couldn't let go of top pair, which was nice. I motored up to over 9k within an hour, but took a big hit with AKs just before the first break, and was down to 5.5k. At this stage only 4 of the 6 FOS representatives were left, iago had been knocked out first hand of the tournament, while muso was out last hand before the break. roryc and karlh had nice healthy stacks of around 15k each, while dub13 was struggling a little on around 4k (I think). The Boards Stupids were showing their quality, I think there still were all 8 of them in the game at this stage.

The stacks on my table (table 1) were larger than average at this stage of the tournament, as so many had been knocked out on this table, and after the break the bloodbath continued, small stacks were moved to the table and were knocked out with great gusto. I went completely card dead for two hours, robbing a pot or two when I could, but basically maintaining a stack between 6k and 9k as best I could. Karlh and dub13 were knocked out during this period, so only roryc and myself were left flying the flag for FOS. The Boards Stupids still had 7 players remaining with 40 or so left in the event! Culchie and the rest of the lads were right on track for victory.

As the blinds increased, so did the urgency to make a move and double up. I was all in numerous times with my 7k stack during the 300/600 and 400/800 blind levels, but no-one would call. I finally got a caller when I moved in with 77, he had overcards that didn't hit, and I was in relative safety again. An orbit or two later I doubled up again with 10 10, there were less than 30 left and I had around average stack at this stage. All of the weak players were gone at this stage, so play was a lot more cagey. There were two players on my table from poker.ie, both of whom were very good. One was quite agressive, in a controlled way, and was dominating the table. I was waiting for a chance to go over the top of his 3xBB raises, but never found the cards! There also was a very good player from vegasnights on my immediate right, he had a very big stack and was tough to play against.

Players were dropping like flies by the 500/1000 level, and I was in trouble again. A double up later and I was in better shape, but a long way behind the chip leaders on 70k+. During the next blind level, 700/1500, a pivitol hand occured. I was either SB or BB. A strong player in MP raised to about 6k, the player with the big stack on my right went all in, and I looked down to see QQ. This was my chance to triple up, I honestly expected to be ahead of both of them (the big stack's overbet screamed 'don't call' to me) and needed to make a move to safely make the final two tables. I called, the original bettor flipped the rockets and the big stack flipped the cowboys. ACTION! A big crowd of railbirds immediately materialised. Nick the tournament director was on the mike commenting. AA vs KK vs QQ - not something you see everyday! No real surprise all the money was in before the flop. The flop came down...I see a bit of paint...wait, it's a J damnit...there's a rag...wait...more paint...its a Queen! GET IN THERE MY SON! A rag on the turn....paint on the river! The big stack's arms goes up, he sees his king...no, he's wrong! It was another J :) I triple up to over 80k, AA takes the side pot, all three players are alive! The guy with the rockets looks as sick as a dog.

Then we're on the food bubble, Nick organised food for the final 19 players. Food twice for a €2 reg! What a great tournament. After five minutes stuffing our faces, back to the action, and we are down to the last 18 players. There are 4 from Boards Stupids left (culchie, docfarrell, rounders123 and careca, all excellent players) and just myself and roryc from FOS. We can still do it, but need the others to be knocked out before the final table, and we need to get big results ourselves.

Both culchie and docfarrell are on my table when we are down to 16 (two tables of 8), and both are knocked out before the final table. I motor along nicely on this table, never risking too much of my stack, while picking up a few pots here and there. It didn't take too long to get down to the final 9 players, as the blinds were quite high at this stage (3k/6k).

On the final table: roryc and !, rounders123 and careca, and 5 others I didn't know (including the big stack who had been on my right representing vegasnights). For FOS to win the team event, rounders 123 and careca had to go out 8th and 9th, and roryc and I had to take 1st and 2nd...just to win by one point! I had 99k and roryc had 88k, and so we needed to apply the pressure to the remaining Boards Stupids to take the trophy. It wasn't looking likely, and was all over as A.N. Other went out 9th. Much cheering from the slightly-the-worse-for-wear Boards Stupids railbirds! Fair play to them, they certainly deserved it, what a great performance. Now it was all about the money and individual glory.

Rounders123 started to dominate the table, it was his birthday and he could make other players cry if he wanted to! Big raises, bigger reraises, he was the chip leader with over 200k and damned if he didn't use it well. Still, roryc and I were alive and taking down pots when we needed to. We were down to 4 after another hour of play, Nick freezing the blinds at 4k/8k for a long while so there was some play. At this stage I really, really needed to leave to get to a social engagement in town, and as the payout for the remaining 4 was something like €300, €370, €450 and €700, I wanted to make some moves to either go home or knock someone out. I'm a little hazy on the actual hands, but rounders123 button raised to 25k or so on my SB, I had AJ and immediately pushed. He dwelt for a long while and called with A9, and I doubled up to approx. 150k. Roryc now started to accumalate chips, playing his usual controlled agressive game. The guy from vegasnights had a decent stack but took a back seat for about twenty minutes, as roryc and I took turns butting heads with rounders123. I again doubled up again him when he raised on the button to 30k, I pushed all in for about 100k, he took a good long while and called me with a small pair. Good call, but a K appeared on the flop and crippled him, he was knocked out a few hands later. It was a bit of tough luck, as he played a blinder and I was sure he was on for victory when he was dominating the table. If the blinds hadn't of been frozen he probably would have done it.

Three handed, roryc was the chip leader, with myself and the vegasnights guy in decent shape. It was well after 11pm now and I still had to make it home, change and head into town to meet people! I HAD to make some moves. I lost half my stack calling on of rorys raises when holding Kx, there was a Q on the flop and I had to lay it down when he bet the flop. A few hands later rory raised 20k on the button again, I called from the SB with Q8. The flop was 854 rainbow, and I immediately pushed with 60k left. Rory auto-called with 87s, looked like another double up for me, but he caught his 6 on the river and I legged it outta there as fast as lightning with €370 in my pocket, more than 15 times the buyin :)

I made it home to Rathmines in 15 minutes and was in the pub in town 15 minutes after that, throwing the taxi man a nice big tip for getting me in so quickly!

All in all a great day and an excellent tournament, great structure and fun crowd. Roryc went on to win it, a fine showing from FOS, who finished 2nd in the team event. We'll win it next time :)