Life gets in the way - 22/06/2006 - 28/06/2006

Live:

Only found time for one live game over the past week, and because of a number of social commitments (including a wedding outside of Dublin and friends visiting) I don’t think I’ll play another live tournament for a four or five days. Luckily, my ‘career break’ kicks in at the end of this week, so for the next month or so I should find a lot more time for live (and online) play. Lucky me!

Sporting Emporium €50+5 Double Chance – 22/06/2006

There was a reduced field for this when compared to the average number of runners over the past few months. This was almost certainly down to the World Cup, which is turning into a great spectacle. My poker sweepstakes team (we ran a $10 online tournament, 32 entrants, we selected teams in the order we finished, obviously he who finished first picked Brazil, I finished 9th), the Czech Republic, were knocked out in the group stages so I’ve no-one left to shout for. That said, I would love to see Argentina win, they play the most exciting football of the remaining eight teams.

Anyhow, only 49 runners or so lined up for the Sporting Emporium’s €50+5 Double Chance. There were a number of familiar faces, including Gholimoli, Lazare and Olly. Chief Brody was there – unfortunately he was knocked out before we got a chance to share tables! I had a very unremarkable few levels before the break at an unremarkable table with players I didn’t particularly rate. I was fairly card dead, not really involved in many pots, until the last level (blinds 100/200) before the dash for the chicken tenders. Mid way through the level, I was dealt AKs in MP. Two early limpers, I raised to 800, blinds folded, and the first limper UTG immediately pushed. Other limper folded. UTG had me well covered…but I knew his style, his experience and his ability to do something like this with AA / KK / QQ…I knew I was almost certainly a mile in front and at worst, very worst, 50/50 to a small pocket pair. He is a player very easy for me to read. I called with a big smile, he turned over 89s and doesn’t hit, doubling me up to over 5k, just about average when we reach the break.

After the break I started to move a little bit more, and trepled up in one lovely hand. Again, I was in mid-position, blinds were 200/400. A player in EP raised to 600, the next player raised to 1500, I look down at QQ and decide to push and hope to avoid AA / KK. More often then not in this situation, against these players at this stage of the tournament, the range of both players is 99+, AJ+ and I’m a mile ahead. The first raiser dwells and decides to call, the other didn’t have as much to think about as he was getting great odds. Both flip AKo – happy days! Only 4 cards to worry about, none of which appear, and I move into a nice table chip lead.

I maintained this stack for the next while, dropping a few thousand when we were down to two tables and when Olly was on my left, I was UTG and raised to 4xBB with JJ, it was called by two players including the BB (who is a boardie I think?). The flop came down K-high, the BB bet out, and I folded. The other player went along for the ride until the river, I think it was AA against TT or 99. and a J hit on the river! I moved tables while this was happening, and Olly shouted over to me that if I were a worse player I would have won! Damn JJ, damn it all to hell!

Anyhow, as we approached the bubble play slowed down, everybody tightened up, and I went unfortunately card dead. Soon we were hand-to-hand and I was in trouble. After an agonisingly long wait, the bubble was knocked out and we were on the final table. I was the short stack with 7k (blinds were 800/1500 I think) and in seat 3, needing to make a move straight away. Also, the prize structure only paid €55 to 9th, 8th, 7th and 6th so there was no point hanging around trying to limp into a better payout! First hand on the FT, I found KQo UTG and pushed, no callers. Sweet. Second hand, only the button limped on my BB, the SB completed, and I had 55 so auto-pushed again. This time I had a called, the button, who had two overcards. He hit on the flop, but I stood up and put the magic river-outdraw jacket on and of course one of my two remaining 5s hit! Double sweet.

EDIT: Added this hand that I forgot - Olly requested it! An orbit or two later, I was still in some trouble despite the early FT double up. I found AKs in MP and again had no choice but to open push on Olly's BB. I think I had a bit of a smile on my face, I always enjoy pushing and Olly deserves a little of his own medicine! Anyhow, the SB (who had me well covered) dwelled for a while, I could tell he had something but not enough to call. He folded, and Olly went into the tank for a while to think about it. He must have something. I honestly wanted a call at this point, as with the long dwell I was either big favourite or 50/50 at worst. However he folded and I took the blinds. I found out later he had A7 and the SB confirmed he had Ax as well, would have loved two callers in that case!

Despite this, I was knocked out a half an hour later in 8th place, with Olly going a few places later. At least I got my money back, right…?

Online:

I am playing most of my poker at Betfair, trying to get as much of the 4 week long signup bonus as possible. Out of a possible $800. I think I’ll get $300 at most, as I am not playing enough or at high enough stakes to get any more. Still, money for old rope. As it stands, over the past two weeks I’ve built the $80 I initially deposited up to over $400, and still have to get rackback in 10 days time or so. Playing mainly 6-handed $.25/$.50. I am also using Poker Tracker, but don’t know how to analyse the data captured yet! This is something to look into next week when officially on ‘career break’, ha ha.