SE - €75 + €75 01/04/2006

I had been out on a work do on Friday night and had a rough one - was little hungover on Saturday morning so took it easy all day and decided not to go out that night (as I usually would), so ended up playing the €75 in the SE for the first time. Starting stack of 2k, one rebuy or topup of 3k for €75 allowed. There were 25 runners I think, many of the same familiar faces that play on the Wednesday night.

I started out on table 3, many experienced players but a few who seemed relatively new to the game. No notable hands from the first few levels, I slowly built my stack up. The following occured during level 3, 75/150 blinds. I had 3k, I found 77 on the button. There were three limpers, perhaps I should have raised, but decided to flat call and see how the flop came down. SB completes and BB checks, and we see a flop of 345 rainbow. Checked to me, I throw out a bet of 500, all fold barring a player in MP who had limped almost every hand so far, a real donkey. He was obviously on a draw or possibly had A3 or A4, he would have raised with A5 (and I would have had him by the balls!). Turn was a J, he checked and I bet 500 again (probably should have bet more here, potted it), he flat calls again. River was a 7, giving me a set...but...he immediately throws out a 1k bet and I know I'm dead in the water. I fold my set and show the table, to the gasps of the other players. He doesn't show me his hand but confirms he had a 6, saying 'I'll tell you this time, but you will have to pay the next!' - yeah, we'll see who's here at the end of the night, jambag!

Down to below my starting stack, I won a few pots before the break, took the add on and had almost 7k at the restart, probably about average, there were no massive chip leaders at this stage, which is strange for the SE, even with less than 30 players in a tournament. People love to get their chips in at the SE! I was moved to table 2, blinds were 100/200 and I found KK, both black, within a few minutes of the restart. One EP limper, I raised to 900 from MP and it was folded around to the SB, who called, the BB and the EP limper folded. As I am not a loose player, most decent players respect my raises, the SB was a decent player, so he must have an ok hand. The flop was A high with 2 diamonds, I threw out a 1k bet to see where I stood, he raised to 2k, I fold the cowboys face up. Bugger it anyway. Hate having to lay down my big hands, though it is funny, the tournaments when I lay them down more than once, I often seem to make the money in! Maybe it is selective memory at work.

Anyhow, was moved back to table 3at the start of the 200/400 level (the biggest problem people have with the SE is their blind structure, the missing 150/300 level can be a killer!), and was in trouble with less than 4.5k. The gentleman / calling station who rivered his straight earlier was in worse trouble, with less than 2k and still limping limping limping and then loudly justifying his play (never heard so many 'i had to call, i had...' excuses in my life) to one and all. Thankfully he was gone soon after I moved back. I held my own for a while, we were down to 8 players fairly quickly thereafter and onto the final table.

I was one of three short stacks, 6 were being paid (2 too many in my opinion, there were less than 30 runners!), payouts were something like, 1100, 650, 450, 350, 250, 150. With a short stack, I wasn't trying to limp in to make my money back, I was ready to throw it in when I could! I wielded my little stack like a baseball bat when I had position, and more than doubled up to over 9k without once going to showdown. I found TT twice and both times snapped off min raises / lots of limpers with all ins, both times showing the table what I had. I gained some respect doing so, but am unsure whether this tactic is good in the long run, will have to have a think about it. I am starting to suspect I am giving away far too much information showing my hands both when I lay them down and when I win without being called.

The final table was quite passive, despite the participation of two SE regulars I really respect, including the chap who got me to drop the cowboys earlier on. It took an hour to get rid of the 1st player and another 1/2 hour to knock someone out on the bubble. With 6 players left, 2 had short stacks (less than 10k), I had 15k and 3 players had more than 25k. I had a very bad run of cards, unable to win a pot, and with 4 left I only had 7k left, the other three ranged from 20k to 40k. Blinds were 500/1k at this point. Luckily, the 2nd biggest stack took out the 3rd, leaving two big stacks of approx. 40k and me sitting uncomfortably with 6.5k. I suggested a three way split with a grin :) The chip leader, who was one of the better SE regulars, congratulated me for getting so far, but now the two were going to try to get rid of me.

Ah, but like a bad smell or an unwanted guest that appears on your door on a Sunday evening, I'm not going anywhere without a fight! Cue an obscene amount of all ins, well, I did only have 6xBB left and was always going to push any unraised pot. Cue a few horrible outdraws, K4s beat KJo, T8o beats A7s, it took a half an hour, but I ended up grinding to safety and then seeing the former chip leader be knocked out, leaving me heads up with a young fellow I'd never played against. He had a 2:1 chip lead, the DEALER kindly suggested chopping it (thought that was little much, it was late on a Sat night, but still!) but we played on. I think he was tiring, and I change my play completely heads up, but I soon doubled up with the following hand: I was in the BB, blinds 2k/4k, he limps, I have A7o and decide to slowplay this heads up monster and check. I reckon when HU against many opponents, if I have an ace, limp in and catch an ace, I will often win a big pot or double up. It has worked out like that for me many times, at least!

Flop is A74 rainbow. JACKPOT! Now, how to get all his chips? I check, he bets 6k, I call. Turn was a rag, I shake my head and check, he bets 6k, I push my remaining 11k or so, he has to call, and mucks when the river brings another rag and I announce two pair. Sweet like free money.

With that we are almost even, and a few hands later we count up, he has 47k, i have 41k, we split it 50:50, €170 to the dealers and €800 each.

I love you SE.