Vegasnights End of Month - €50 + €50 18/03/2006

Another month gone and time once again to make the journey out to the Angler's Rest in Chapelizod for Vegasnights' excellent end of month tournament. This tournament attracts an interesting range of players, from your typical pub players to much more experienced and wily veterans. I picked up Olly (Olly1k) in town and we met Marq outside the place, Aidan (rounders123), Gholimoli and later Dave 'Big Dragon' inside. 60 or so started, each with a stack of 4k. Players could either rebuy (5k) or top-up (6k) for €50.

I started on a very difficult table, with rounders123, Eddie the Eagle (Vegasnights regular and the person that knocked me out on the final table on City West in January), Robbie (another Vegasnights regular, who came 2nd in the team event) and later Big Dragon. I looked around in envy at some of the other tables, with mainly inexperienced players.

Despite this, I had a great start. During the first level (25/50) I limped in with 78 clubs, and saw a flop of 69Q rainbow, one club. Eddie through out a 100 bet, which I called. Turn was a rag, non club. Eddie bet 100 again, I called. River was a beautiful 10. Eddie bet out 500, I raised to 1500, he pushed and I of course called. He had been slowplaying bottom set on the flop and was rightfully disgusted at himself for allowing me to stay in the hand with his small bets. During the next level Eddie doubled through Robbie and had a nice big stack, but later rounders123 knocked him out while winning a nice big pot.

Most pots were raised pre-flop, there was a lot of action on our table. I took down a number of pots during the next two levels, and fought my way up to almost 10k by the end of level 3. I then lost / threw away a few thousand chips because of missed flops, bad position, ill-advised limping and failed bluffs. Towards the end of level 4 (100/200), the following occured (and I am sure I'll be pulled up on any of it I get wrong!): Big Dragon limped UTG, folded around to me on the button, I had AKo and raised to 900. The blinds folded and Big Dragon called. Flop wasn't any help for me, but had two clubs, and I was holding the Ace. Threw out a continuation bet, which was flat called. Turn was another club, and I fired off another bet (which probably was a mistake), again, Big Dragon flat called it. River was the gorgeous Q clubs, giving me the nut flush - I duly bet 2000 or so, which he again flat called. His expression when I revealed the Ace told me I had rivered him out of a monster, which he later confirmed. Ah well, he'll certainly get me again in the future I expect!

I now had over 10k, in time for the break and my topup, bringing my total to just over 16k. About 35 players remained, including all of the boardsters. Not many hands of note after the break, though about an hour in I double through on my SB, as the button (who had just been moved to the table with 30k in chips) raised 4xBB, I looked down on KK and pushed, he called with JJ, didn't improve and I was up to 27k. I sat on this, totally card dead, until the next break, when we had 17 left. Top 9 were being paid, I was feeling fairly confident and had a lot of play left in me.

Rounders123 was knocked out shortly after the last break, and only Marq and myself were left of the boardsters, he only had 4.5k at the break I think. We were down to two tables, and I was moved to Gholimoli's right on table 1. Frank, older gent from the Fitz, was on the table with a big stack, and he was my undoing. During my 2nd orbit on the table, with a stack of 22.5k and blinds of 700/1500 I think, there was an early position limper, Frank in MP raised to 15k (huge overraise I thought, but he had done it twice during the 10 minutes I had been at the table, he was bullying with his big stack). I looked down at QQ on the BB and pushed all-in. Limper folded, Frank only had to put in another 7.5k so it was a no-brainer for him. As expected, I was ahead, he had AJd, lovely raggy flop but an ace on the turn and no lady on the river sent me out in 12nd, 3 off the money. Disappointing but there ya go! Would have made a right go at the final table with the 45k if the queens held up.