Gutshot challenge tournament & SE €75 Double Chance

Two more tournaments to report:

Fitzwilliam Card Club vs. Gutshot Card Club €50 Freezeout - 11/2/2006

This is an annual event, a challenge match between the Fitz and London's Gutshot club, which had lost to the previous year. I was too late to sign up for the Fitz's team, but played as a neutral. The game was extremely good value, as you got a 4k stack, the blind structure was relatively gentle and the Fitz added €2,000 to the prize pool and didn't even charge a rake! Over 120 players turned up on a Saturday afternoon to play, despite the fact that Ireland was taking on Scotland later that afternoon in the Six Nations.

I'll keep the poker report short and sweet - I double up playing ABC poker before the break, but when I was moved to a Gutshot-heavy table after the break I went card dead and found it hard to bluff against the very experienced and aggressive players. I doubled up when I found KK later in the day, but went out in 19th, 10 short of the money, when I was moved tables and forced all-in on my BB holding less than two times the big blind. An EP raiser had 55, I had Q8o (not too bad!) but didn't improve and out I went. The Gutshot went on to crush the Fitz in the team event, though a Fitz player took 1st prize in the end. Very fun tournament, lots of familiar faces there.

Sporting Emporium €75 Double Chance - 15/3/2006

This was going to be my only tournament in Dublin this week, as I was heading to Galway on Thursday evening for the long (St. Patrick's Day) weekend. There were about 31 or so runners, beginning on 4 tables. I had played most of the participants before, it is funny, the €50 game the night after gets more than twice the runners (sometimes triple the runners) of the €75 game and contains many more beginners - I guess the €25 difference in buy-in is a big deal to many.

Anyhow, started off well and began accumulating chips from the very beginning. I decided earlier in the day that I would put a lot more effort into reading and categorising players in the future, as I think my ABCs are down and I'm ready to move up in standard. I quickly had the more passive players noted and pressurised them when I could. Luckily, the passive or inexperienced players were all to my left, so I stole a lot of pots during the opening levels. I also used position very well to take down many pots without needing to go to showdown. During the first 3 blind levels I was dealt QQ three times, and only won once with them, each time getting one or more callers to my pre-flop raises and twice having to lay them down post-flop when my opponents bet A or K high flops in position. Still, by the time of the break I had almost doubled up to 7.5k.

Blinds were 100/200 after the break, and as there was not a 150/300 level, it was time to hoover up some more chips. Unfortunately, instead I decided to make the silliest move of the night. I tried to limp with AcJd, only to run into a raise to 800 by the BB, a good player. He had almost got into trouble earlier when he didn't believe my BB raise with QQ, but had the discipline to lay down whatever Ax hand he had. I wish I had had his discipline at this point last night! For some strange reason I decided to call; flop was KJ8 with two clubs. He check the flop, I made a 1k bet, which he quicked called. I should have known I was in trouble at this point...but decided to fire off another bet after seeing a rag on the turn! He insta-called again, and checked again. Now I should have known I was in trouble, and just checked it when I saw another rag. But NOOOOO, I decided he had shown weakness and threw in a final 2k bet - he pushed his 2.4k and I threw in the 400 with a sigh. He had KQo and I was down to less than 3k. If I thought my AJ was in front pre-flop (which it was), I should have raised. Better yet, I really should have folded, as I didn't have a good read on him.

With the 100/200 blinds I was in trouble. I was moved tables (2 left) and was the 2nd shortest stack of 8 players. I started playing agressively and doubled up within an orbit. Then I found QQ again UTG, made a nice raise, one caller (a good, tight rock of a player), flop was K high and I laid it down when I checked and he bet. If I had more chips I might have bet out to see where I stood. I was then moved, down to 3.4k with the blinds soon increasing to 200/400. I pushed in LP with AJ, took the blinds, then pushed the very next hand with A7 spades, rather rashly. A medium stack called and the table chip leader went all-in, which was duly called. Oops. The big stack had AA, the medium stack had a small pocket pair and I was calling for some spades! Two spades on the flop and another on the river ensured I stayed in the game and had a workable stack. What a feeling, to crack aces! The reverse has happened to me so many times this year, particularly in the SE, I didn't feel bad at all. A few hands later, I find JJ in the BB and call a shortish stack's all in, he had AQo and had no help, so I was up to a very healthy position. Nick from VegasNights was at my table and also had come back from nothing to build a big stack. Mark (Pokertroll) McMahon was also on the table and was card dead, but had a decent stack.

During the 300/600 level we finally made it down to 9 players and the final table formed just after midnight. 6 would be paid, but I had a healthy stack (one of the two chip leaders) and was looking for a top two finish to make some 'real' money. Blinds were soon up to 400/800 and a player was gone. Nick was playing well and build up a nice stack to be chip leader, with myself and another player close behind. I took the blinds a few times from the button, showing strong hands when I wasn't bluffing. Mark was sitting to my right, and later in the 400/800 level he limped in and we saw a raggy flop (two low cards and a 9 I think) with two diamonds. I was holding Q4d and knew if I hit and he caught anything, I would take a nice pot from him - he was still card dead and I knew he felt the pressure to make a move. We checked the flop and the turn was a lovely low diamond, giving me my Q high flush. There was a straight possibility on the board, and he bet 2k, with another 8k behind, which I flat called. The river was another low card, more straight possibilities, and Mark checked. I raised to 6k, he asked 'do you have a flush?', I shrugged, he sighed and pushed, turning over a straight. Down to seven players.

Nick threw away his big stack pushing with ATo on a A high flop (with a short stack all in and a medium stack involved), the medium stack called with AJ and Nick was down to the felt. It took a while to get down to six, as the short stacks hung on to avoid the bubble. This was great for me, as I took the opportunity to bully my way to chip leader. Nick seemed certain to be punished for his mistake and go out on the bubble, but he hung on as another short stack was eliminated by one of the bigger stacks. I then knocked out the rock who had made me lay down one of my QQ hands earlier in the night, while Nick was then knocked out in 5th by the other big stack. With 4 left, two of us had big stacks (circa 45k each) and two had smaller stacks (25k and 15k), though capable of doing damage. I knocked out the medium stack and had a nice chip lead with three to go. The short stack played well, pushing from the SB on my BB when I had nothing, and made his way up to over 20k. However, he was knocked out when he pushed with A7, I called with A5 hearts, and I rivered a straight. I was never going to fold my A5 at that point, even if I doubled him up I would still be chip leader.

1st paid €960 and 2nd paid €640, it was getting late and I suggested we think about a deal. He immediately divided the remaining prize pool by half, which I shot down. He then decided he'd rather play on than accept €750 or so, fair enough. He was a good player and I would have been happy to take €850 and run, but I think he fancied his chances against me - his instincts were right. I had about a 20k or 25k chip lead over him going into the HU. I folded the first HU hand on the flop to his raise. I found A7o on the BB for the second HU hand, he raised to 9k, I called, the flop came A high with two rags, I checked, he bet 10k, I instantly moved all-in and he instantly called! He had A9o and a split pot didn't look likely due to the rags on the flop and turn. However, I jammed a 7 on the river to take the lot. Thems the breaks, I felt bad momentarily, but I have been on the receiving end so often that it felt like a little bit of SE justice for me!

Finally a clear win in 2006, after 7 other in the money finishes out of a total of 20 live tournaments played. I am up over €2500 on the year so far and feel I am running extremely well, the final table in Citywest in January was a real confidence booster. My reading of players and bluffing ability / use of position has come on leaps and bounds over the last four months and hopefully will continue to pay dividends in the future.