Charlie's Poker Blog 2009

Consolidation

2011-03-22T07:59:00.000-07:00

I am mainly going to use twitter http://twitter.com/#!/crankycowboy from now on. Further entries can be found back on my original blog...

http://charliepoker.blogspot.com/

A new year

2010-02-08T08:20:00.000-08:00

For my 2010 adventures see http://www.charliepoker2010.blogspot.com/

November 2009 - Las Vegas - Day 3

2009-11-25T15:12:00.000-08:00

Meet David for breakfast at the Wynn where I rather confuse our not unattractive waitress with my bacon requirements. I try to explain the concept of streaky rather than “Canadian” bacon – which is basically spam. I like eggs Benedict but prefer proper bacon. We get there in the end but clearly she thinks we English are all mad.

I play in the midday tournament which today only has 22 runners so the top 3 get paid.
Manage to work my stack up to 30k from the 20k start in the first session of 3 levels. Won a nice pot against a clueless foreign woman sat to my right with KK in the BB. Also hit a couple of nice straights with KQ and later TJ after a lot of limping.

However after the first break on Level 4 25/300/600 I nearly tilt myself completely when playing 66 from mid position after a limp and a call from the blinds. The flop is JJT and when it is checked to me I think I might as well have a stab at it and attempt to bet 1500. Unfortunately I throw out a 5000 chip instead of a 500. I am called by the BB after much amusement at my rather loud “oh sh**” gives away my rather strange bet sizing. When the turn is Q and river T my hand is so absurdly pitiful I flip it over to complete my advertising of idiot Englishman. So by the end of Level 5 I am down to 15k.

Rather curiously they are showing English football on the Setanta channel – I though they went bust?? It turns out the guy to my left is an Arsenal fan so we discuss the joys of the good old days of 1-0 to the Arsenal. We also spend some time explaining the concept of the Champions League to the locals when that is shown a bit later on. I manage to do well to not weigh in with sarcastic comments about how world series should involve other countries. Having said that I think I heard somewhere that the US baseball world series were originally called that because they were sponsored by a newspaper called the World – not sure if I believe it.

We are just approaching the second break on Level 6 when blinds are 100/800/1600. I have been waiting to move all-in but no opportunity has arisen. However the Frenchman to my right has been raising a lot pre flop and when I am on the button with Q8 (perhaps I should adopt the Rag Queen as my poker name rather than the Balham Cowboy) and he raises again I decide to go for the resteal and push in my 15k chips. Unfortunately the button goes over the top with AQ but I Sanderson him when my 8 hits.

Shortly into Level 7 200/1200/2400 we are at the final table and I double through with QQ vs JJ to get up to 65k. I then keep out of trouble for the next level and we lose a couple of players including the Arsenal fan who attempts a resteal with 64 but gets caught.

When we get to the last hand on Level 8 400/2000/4000 I pick up AA UTG and standard raise to 12,000. Get 2 callers. When the flop comes KQJ my all-in of 46k is only a pot size bet so I get called by a big stack with TJ. He does not hit so I win a massive pot to get over 120k of the 440k chips in play with 5 left. I got AA 3 times this trip - once all folded to me another let me knock someone out late at Caesars and here a good double through - makes a bit of a change...

Soon we are 4 and we agree to put in for the 4th place to get his money back. Chips go back and forth and the blinds are 50/3000/6000. There is a young Asian guy who is clearly the best player. There is a tight tourist who wants to go to dinner and an old guy who likes to chat. Old guys has 140k, I have 120k, tourist 90k and young guy 90k. He proposes us two big stacks get an extra $100 each and we split the rest 4 ways (prize pool is $4200). The old guy wants $200. No deal. We play another hand (tourist steals my blind). Old guy now happy and we do the deal. I can’t be bothered to argue with it – it being such a crapshoot and so I get $1100 – which is quite acceptable. Someone has to sign for first prize so I do the honours – the rather nice blonde tournament director asks if I would like publicity on the results web site – I rather graciously say that will be perfectly acceptable...and here it is check out the 22 runner on 24/Nov http://www.wynnpoker.com/winners.cfm

Just have time for some food before heading off to Caesar’s for the last time.
Only 50 or so runners and I have soon reduce my stack to 9k when have to give up AQ after heat post flop.
I try to get clever on Level 2 with the blinds 50/100. I get 57d in the BB. There is a raise to 300 and a call from mid position the button and the SB so I call. The flop is T62 with 2 diamonds so after a check I think I might have a bit of a stab at it so I bet 1000. There are 2 callers. Turn is a T. Pot is 4500 and I have about 7000. I decide to represent the T wanting to defend against a draw so move all-in. This works perfectly to a certain extent when I discover one of the flop callers had a better diamond draw – but unfortunately the other caller actually had a T. Oops. I failed to SuperSanderson him and am knocked out.

So not a bad trip overall. Total buy ins $1250 – total prize $1500 – so $250 up – and really I should have done better in the first tournament.

So out of 3 trips to Vegas this year I was ahead in 2 out of 3. Unfortunately it was the expensive WSOP one I did badly in!

November 2009 - Las Vegas - Day 2

2009-11-25T14:59:00.000-08:00

Play the $220 at the Wynn at noon. Since it is now Monday the tournaments are smaller and this one has only 31 runners – top 3 get paid. This means at one point we are playing 11 handed – luckily there were none of those larger gentlemen you sometimes come across in the poker room.

Witnessed the second worse play I have seen in poker. (For those students of my blog you will recall that the worst play in poker was the knocking out of Shannon Elizabeth of American Pie fame in a tournament I played in the Venetian). It is very early in the tournament and 2 players have not shown up yet so their stacks are blinded away in their absence. Coincidentally they are in adjacent seats so there comes a point when they are the small and big blind. It is folded around to a nice old lady on the button who fails to observe they are not there so she folds too – to much hilarity from the rest of the table. She compounds her mistake by saying “gee I was thinking I must remember to get those blinds for free”.

We start with a rather ridiculous 20,000 chips and 50/100 blinds – 30 minute levels. Not much happens in the first 2 levels but make a nice 2 pairs out of the big blind with 89 after 4 limpers. Flop is 894 and I tag along before hitting the guy who slow played QQ with a river check raise. This gets me up to 24k.

Lose some chips with AK and when we get towards the end of Level 4 (300/600 25) there are still 18 players left I have around 18k. I pick up AQ in late position and raise to 3600 after 2 limpers and get one caller. Flop is QT9 2 clubs (I don’t have a club). He checks and I bet 5k – he then raises to 12k. I had only recently moved tables but the guy looked like he knew what he was doing so could easily be bullying my standard continuation bet – perhaps with a club draw. However on reflection there are not that many other proper hands he can have that I am beating. KQ is a possibility but if he has a set of T or 9 is or KJ I am in big trouble. The problem was that if I fold now the blinds are about to go up to 400/800 and I will have around 9k and will be in all-in mode. I decide to err on the aggressive side and go all-in – he then calls with KJ for the nut straight and I am out.

On my way to the Bellagio I am wondering whether we need some scale to measure those all-in situations. For those non-actuaries amongst my few readers, we measure and use in our rather obscure calculations the probability of dying at a particular age x and give it the symbol qx. But in a glass half empty/full kind of way there is the more optimistic item px which is the probability of surviving to the end of age x. These items are related by px=1-qx.
So in the poker world I think that a “Manson” should be the measurement when you get your money in good and lose and the inverse is the “Sanderson” when you get it in bad and win.
So let us set a standard Manson to be the typical dominated situation i.e. AK vs AQ. A SuperManson would be for a 2 outer such as AA vs 22 and a MegaManson for when you have AA vs KK and someone helpfully tells you they folded a K pre flop and the case King duly turns up. A MiniManson would be the traditional race of JJ vs AK and a MicroManson where you are slight favourite to some draw on the flop.
So in this case “I attempted to HyperSanderson him with runner runner to make a full house to beat his straight”.

This is the $330 that Wilson won earlier this year which started at 2pm. Although there were only 25 runners at the start the locals predicted a total field of 50 or so since you can enter any time up to 6pm.
We start with 10,000 chips and the levels are 35 minutes.

Not much happens on L1 of 25/50 but on level 2 50/100 I lose a few when I have 24 in the BB with several limpers. Board is 345 and my speculative bet is called in 2 spots. Turn is a 2 so I bet again but this time there is a raise and reraise all-in which is called so I fold (67 eliminates A4) .

So I am down to 8.5K in Level 3 when I pick up AK UTG. I make a standard raise to 600 which is called by an old Italian guy in the SB. He has been overplaying the doddery old fool card mainly by whingeing about how he is colour blind and can’t see the colour of the chips. He makes a big deal about checking in the dark and when the board comes down QJT he gives me some reverse psychology European solidarity BS so I make a continuation bet of 600 trying to look like a weak intimidated English tourist – he of course then springs his “trap” by raising to 2000 - where is all that solidarity now? I push all-in and then he gives the big spiel about being pot committed (er I don’t think he is given he has me covered) and then is rather disappointed that his QJ is rather crushed by my AK. Of course I am Mansoned when the J appears on the turn but at least he has the decency to be a bit sheepish about his amateur dramatics earlier.

I take the opportunity to go off to the Las Vegas Outlet mall – the only time it is EVER acceptable to travel on a bus in America. The shopping centre is out by the airport so it is a $3 ride on the bus or $20 in a cab which rather negates the savings you can make on shoes and jeans. In fact the Timberland shop is the one place you can be absolutely guaranteed to meet a Brit since the prices are usually about half the UK. American's unfamiliarity with the concept of a bus is well illustrated by the fact that when I hop on downstairs is as crowded as a 38 at Victoria Station at 8.30 am on a Monday but upstairs is an oasis of empty seats. Having said that you have to be impressed with the fact there are 2 staircases.

Later I meet up with David Hargreaves (who is in Las Vegas "studying" for a financial planning exam - nice one) at the bar by the Caesar’s sportsbook for pre tournament training. Unfortunately the Pussycat dolls are “dark” on Monday nights so we actually buy some Guiness which is not too outrageously over priced – and you get it free if you play one of the poker slots at the bar. So it would appear that we now have the perfect strategy for table games – pick the cheapest one to get you free drinks – either $1 on red and black simultaneously on roulette and wait for the zero or 10c per game of slot poker.

We play the 7pm at Caesar’s with 83 runners and it is a fairly uneventful first few levels. The cocktail waitresses at Caesars are rather variable but this evening they are not bad. Start drinking “New Castle” beer when the guy to my right orders one – I was not expecting to see that – the waitress is most amused when I ask for a fine English ale in Withnail style. She proves to be quite a sport when she returns later with a drink for the rather attractive girl who has recently been eliminated by my brown ale quaffing chum. He says that he knocked her out earlier but the waitress mishears him and repeats “you knocked her up earlier” ? we all have a good chortle at this and she goes rather red. She gets a lot of ribbing every time she comes past – but takes it in good heart.

I manage to work my stack up to 18k when I sneak in with 8Jh after a lot of limping. Flop is 49T and after some checking the turn of a 7 makes a guy trips which he falls in love with.
We get to level 8 200/600/1200 and I am down to 14k having lost a race against a shorty. Pick up 88 on the button but when I move in, my attempted SuperSanderson against JJ does not come off and I am out in 30th place. David does rather better but does not cash.

November 2009 - Las Vegas - Day 1

2009-11-24T09:29:00.000-08:00

I am over for a few days on my way to my brother's wedding in Chile.

I had pretty much the best possible journey from Gatwick direct to Las Vegas.

Arrived 2 hours before departure to tumble weed blowing across the check-in area rather than the usual total chaos. I had been hoping the flight would not be that full when changing my seat on-line the previous day in that rather absurd guessing game of trying to wangle yourslef the one spot on the plane with the empty seat next to you. There had been plenty of seats available, so I was rather surprised when a random Virgin (with a big V) blonde asked me if I would like to buy "slightly more" legroom at £30 or "much more" leg room at £60. I was vindicated for declining this fine offer when sitting down in the middle seat of 4 where I was the sole occupant and the row in front of me was completely empty.

Watched "the hangover" - quality Farelly style humour, Terminator 4 - first reel rather too contrived but sort of improved - disappointing overall. Also slipped in a Potter - I must have missed some of the earlier ones but it did not seem to matter - not sure if fancying the girls is acceptable now - presumably it is OK if the characters are under age but the actresses are not. Decided in the end I would go for the Weaselly (sp?) sister because she was probably a bit dirty rather than the more conventional charms of hermoany.

Even the customs queue was tolerable but clearly I am going to Vegas too often because the computer only needed to scan a few fingers before recognising me.

I am slumming it at Ballys but at $37 you can't complain - and my room is absolutely fine. However it is curious how in some ways the US is quite backward. For example the TVs are exactly the same as when I first stayed in Vegas over 10 years ago. In the unlikely event you would want to watch something there is no EPG. They don't even have the Welsh internet (teletext).

Bally's is opposite Bellagio / Caesars so I do my standard reccy of the current tournaments by following the poker trail of Bellagio ($330 2pm) / Caesars ($160 7pm) / Mirage ($80 7pm forgedabout it) / Wynn ($220 midday) and end up at the Venetian where unfortunately the main event of the umpteenth Deepstack extravaganza will be taking up Monday and Tuesday so looks like I will not be playing the usual noon tournament there.

Grab my first random meal at about 5pm before heading back to Caesars for the 7 pm. Decide to play an hour at the "pussycat dolls" blackjack where the price of having an attractive (rather than the usual hag) dealer is a slight worsening of the rules. Those blackjack pros amongst you will no doubt be able to give an accurate assessment of what only being allowed to double down on 10 or 11 nor after a split is worth but it seemed a price worth paying. Had a very foxy dealer and at one point I was the only player. I wonder if you could combine blackjack with speed dating? Could be a good concept - since the shuffle up time seems about the right length for those searching questions. Discovered that Renee (not her real name?) was going to Hawaii in a weeks time and her friend had deserted her so she was going to be all on her own. Quite tempted to ditch my trip to Chile.

Manage to do half my money in about 10 minutes but then claw it back to end up about $30 up. Just as I am leaving the table one of the recently sat down Brits turns to me and says - hello - are you charlie? I am rather taken aback to discover it is one of the betting syndicate boys who I have met a couple of times but of course I did not recognise. Turns out he had dinner last night with the other degenerate David Hargreaves who I am hoping to meet up with - so he had been warned to look out for me ("probably doing his brains on a table game near the poker room waiting for a tournament to start") - a pretty Derren Brown like prediction. Don't have time for a chat since tournament is about to kick off.

The tournament has 76 runners. 30 minute blinds. Starting stack of 10k.
L1 25/50. Get off to a bit of a flyer when raising with KJ from the cut off. Only called by the BB - a young chinese guy (YCG). Flop is AK8. He calls my c-bet of 200. Turn is 5. He checks to me. River is a J. I am hoping to get action from Ax so so I bet 300 and he promptly check raises me 2000 more. Now I think may be he has A8 or A7 but I have to call. He mucks when I show 2 pair and does not look too happy. Also have my KK hold up on an 88545 board so I am up to 14k by the end of Level 1.

L2 50/100 This is when I get that bit of luck you need. Our table had been invaded but some Germans - there were 3 of them and there was that whiff of soft play in the air - a little too much checking when 2 of them were heads up. One had been involved in a big pot early on so was down to about 4k so I was not surprised when I make a standard raise to 300 with TT and get called by the YCG that the tanks roll into action and he pushes all in. He had been itching to do this so I am pretty happy to call and the standard play here is to eliminate YCG so I move all-in. This does not seem so clever when he instacalls and flips over KK. The german has 88 and looks in good shape when an 8 flops. But I turn a T to knock them both out, and boost my stack to 26K

L3 75/150
Get a further charity donation when calling with KJs after 2 limps. Flop is AJ9 with 2 spades. Original limper bets 150 and there is a min raise to 300. I am tempted to move all-in but decide to call and when the turn is a 7 spade I get a major result when we get bet then all-in ahead of me. Guy had A7 and did not hit so up to 34k.

After the first break not much happens at all on levels 4,5 and 6 but I get up to 40k with the odd raise.

After the second break blinds are 400/800/100. I raise with KK preflop to 4k after 2 limps and get one caller. He checks and I bet 7k to put him all-in and he calls with 88 with a board of 764. He does not hit so up to 50k.

For the rest of this session I lose a couple of biggish pots - a race with TT from the BB against a short stack and have to fold AK after flop action.

So after the third break on L10 when blinds are 300/1000/2000 I am down to 28k and starting to get into danger. However get a great coup when after 2 limps I look down at 57 diamonds in the cut off. I call and the blinds make up. The flop is T85 with 2 diamonds and when an early limper bets 5k I ship over the top. He grumbles and folds - this nets me a nice pot so I am up to around the 50k mark as we get closer to the bubble. I knock out the nice lady from Memphis with my AA vs JJ and I then eliminate the 11th player with QQ vs AT and so we get to the final table I have 130k in chips of 760,000 in play. we agree to pay off the 10th place by putting in $15 each - since the tourny only pays top 9. He is soon eliminated and we are in the money.

At this point it is 2 am in Vegas and 10 am in the UK - so I am a bit tired (!) so my inclination is to get on with it. I'd like to think in other cirumstances I could have avoided my elimination but perhaps not.
Blinds are now 3000/6000/400 when a shorty is all-in UTG for 8000. Former chip leader to my right who is a bit clueless min raises to 12k and I look down at AK. I raise 30k on top and the pro local to my left then raises all-in. The FCL folds and I am working out whether I should fold here. My reading of the situation is that his range is wide - he thinks I am picking on the weak player so he can then pick on me. As to whether he would do it with AQ - perhaps not. Also my fatigue is a factor - if I call and win we can probably do a deal and be home for horlicks in 30 minutes. So I call and he shows AA. Ironically the short stack had 97 and makes 2 pairs so I am out in 9th place for $400.

When the cashier asks me if I would like to leave something for the dealers I manage to restrain myself...

APAT World Championships - Day 2

2009-09-08T12:17:00.000-07:00

In the end I came 19th in the tournament.
Suddenly the blinds go up very fast and people were dropping like flies...
Even though I was 6th in chips the blinds for the first 3 levels were to be 2k/4k 300 then 3k/6k 500 and 4k/8k 600.
Early on I got some marginal hands such as KQ KJ and AJ but the pot had been raised before so I had to fold.
Had to play any 2 when the SB went all-in for 11k and even though I was ahead he nicked a pair.
Had to fold 33 to a reraise.
So when we got to 3/6 500 I am down to 105k. I lose another 15k after raising with AQ only to face an all-in shove from the chip leader. I tank but decide to fold. He kindly shows me AK.
The hand I miss out on is 22 in the sb. There is a raise to 16k from mid position but I am wary of the bb who is one of the chip leaders and has been very active. I fold and the bb just calls. Flop is k72...but I am not sure if the raiser hit since bb folds to his cbet. Worse, a few hands later I call a 60k shove only to split with another ak.
By the time we hit 4/8 600 I am down to 90k and after going through the blinds and having to fold a button raise with a5 I only have 55k left. Manage to work back up to 85 by a couple of uncontested shoves but then my aj shove runs into ak and I am out in 19th for £300 (18th paid £600). A bit of a damp squib in the end but an enjoyable couple of days.

APAT World Championships - 30th August - Day 1b

2009-08-30T02:57:00.000-07:00

Louis and I are playing in the APAT championship in Nottingham at the Dusk 'til Dawn.
There are 2 first days so 354 runners in all.
A nice tournament structure - 45 minute levels - starting stack of 10,000.
They run a good site so you can see my paltry chip count at the break here
http://www.apat.com/forum/index.php?topic=4243.135 and not much better here http://www.apat.com/forum/index.php?topic=4243.210 but my finest moment is here http://www.apat.com/forum/index.php?topic=4243.270 ....more later on.

Level 1 25/50
Fairly standard stuff. I establish my weak (i.e able to fold to a reraise) image nicely. Raised with AQ and Cbet into J85. Get called and after rag rag fold to a river bet.
Not sure whether I missed a trick here when calling a slightly bigger than normal raise with 89h. Flop is 954 with 2 hearts. He checks and when I bet he raises, but not enough to make me fold (I also expect to get a free card) so I call. This works out fine since he checks the turn As so I check behind. River is 8s giving me 2 pairs. He bets 1500 and I have a bit of a dwell. I can't see him having a better 2 pairs than me here or raising pre flop with 67 for a straight. It seems the only hand I lose to is AA but more more likely he has an over pair. Can I raise here based on this analysis - too risky so I just call. He instamucks so I think it must be AK as I show my 2 pairs. This puts me up to 12k.

Level 2 50/100
No action so down to 11k then off to the buffet at the rather early hour of 6pm. Good lasagna - much better than the pies in scotland a month ago.

Level 3 75/150
Pay a big price for a ropey limp UTG with KJ spades. BB is the only one who joins me so when flop comes J32 rainbow I make a standard Cbet when he checks. He then raises me and I decide to call. This guy has not played any hand I can remember so he must be strong.
Turn is Kh making it 2 hearts on board and he leads out for 1000. I am not sure if my top 2 are good here so I decide to raise to 3k. He then moves all-in. Well I only made the raise so in theory I could fold if he shoves, so I put him on either (1) set of 3's or 2's (2) A3 A2 hearts (3) worse 2 pair. I dwell then fold. Annoyingly chatting to him a bit later he asks what I had. I tell him and he says he had J3. Perhaps a bit whimpy then.
So I am down to 8.9k at the first proper break.

Level 4 100/200
At this level I pick up AA and get one caller to a standard raise. He folds when I bet a K high flop. No other action so down to 8k

Level 5 150/300 ante 25
No hands at this level so down to 6k

Level 6 200/400 25
Get KK but they all fold to my raise - down to 5.5k so I am looking for an all-in (next level will be 300/600) but I don't go crazy folding KQ and AJ after raises in front of me by the 2 big stacks. Eventually I get AQ on the button and after a standard raise from mid position I shove. Now we have the classic situation of the longer he thinks the better it is for me. My rule of thumb is
(1) Insta call AA or KK
(2) up to 20s either AK or QQ
(3) up to 40s AQ or JJ
(4) up to 60s AJ or TT
(5) more - probably going to fold but trying to make it look like he wasn't stealing
He goes for (5) but calls with KJ.
Flop is K75 - oops. But turn T river J saves me.
Level 7 300/600 50
So I am nearly back to my starting stack. See the big chip leader make a dubious call. He raises mid position and then calls a 20BB shove with JJ to face KK. I don't know if I would have called in that spot.

Level 8 400/800 50
Not much action so hovering around my starting stack of 10k. Make a couple of raises so up to 12k

Level 9 600/1200 100.
Now I am struggling and have to fold to a reraise from the big stack after trying a late position raise with A9.

Try to take advantage of the disruption after the SB was eliminated. BB has been quite tight so I think my Q8 might nick it. I am UTG but what the hell. All goes well until the button wakes up with AA. Oops. Naturally I crack them with a rivered straight. He is not happy!

Level 10 800/1600 100
Scrape along around 18k

Level 11 1000/2000 200
Looking for an all in again and make a couple of cheeky ones to get up to 22k. Then I decide to pick on the tight small stack who has dwindled to 7k when in the BB. I raise to 5k from mid with A5h. Unfortunately get a call from late position but my target folds.
Flop is A64 all diamonds. I think I could be in trouble but lead out for 6k. He just calls. wtf? I figure him for a pair with a diamond or a dodgy A (but better than mine!). Turn is 4s. I bet 7k and he calls again. River is Jh. Now I think at worst a split so I push in my last 5k. He folds.
I play Ak vs K4 so get to the final break with 50k.

So we are at the last break of the night. It is just after 2 am and some people are looking a bit tired and emotional. I decide the last level will be my make or break time.

Level 12 1500/3000 200.
I look to pick my spots and with about 15 mins to go I start some relentless stealing. The last hand of the night is a bit of a classic.
I am on the button, and I am seated to the immediate right of the dealer. To the left of the dealer is an action player Mark Russell and to his left is the chip leader. I look down and see Q6 and this seems to me to be the perfect doulbe or quits hand.
Now Mark seems like an interesting character. Earlier on he was chatting to a tall blond who clearly worked in the venue next door - the local strip club. Later he is extolling the virtues of a stripper girl friend. Leaving aside the phyiscial advantages, the big plus is of course that she works Fridays and Saturdays so he can go on the piss without it cause ructions. Perfect.
Bearing this in mind I make it 9k on the button. He reraises to 26k. Now I am happy to reshove knowing that he could quite easily have anything - and I even if he calls I'll take the chance to come back with a mountain of chips or go home. He folds and I show my Q6 - he has 73. One for the crowd!
So I finish with 115k in chips and a good chance to make the final table tomorrow.

Vegas June 2009 - Days 4 and 5

2009-06-07T14:51:00.000-07:00

Venetian deepstack again - $330 this time.
L1 50/100 queue was so long at midday that I did not start until 30 minutes in to the 40 minute first level. In all there were 850 runners
L2 75/150 no cards - down to 11500
L3 100/200 no cards - down to 7500 after calling several limps with A7 suited on the button. Flop is 357 rainbow and SB leads out 600 into 1000 pot. I raise it to 2000 but she makes it another 3000 - I have to fold.
L4 100/200(25) no hands
L5 200/400(25) Got a lucky double through when I had AT on a Txx board. Thought I was being pushed around by a big stack but he had JJ. Spike and A on the river to get back up to 15000. Then took on a medium stack with AK but he had KK put me down to 6000.
L6 300/600(50) 600 players left. Got lucky again when calling a short stack all-in - I had JJ he had AA but I hit a J. Back up to 8500.
L7 400/800(75) Raised with AK and flop is 985 rainbow. I check fold. Get 88 UTG I push and am called by AK who hits.

Tried the $550 megasatellite. Less of a crapshoot than the $330. 4000 chips. Only 36 runners L1 25/50 Got paid a bit on a set of Ts - up to 5000. Up to 6500 after raising pre flop with AQ. Flop is AK7 I bet he calls. I can't put him on AK and when the river is a K to I take it down.
L2 50/100 Back down to 4000 when I think I am winning with 88 on a 245 board. Unfortunately he had flopped a straight with A3.I get completely snookered. I have A8 in the BB. 2 limpers and the SB make it up. Flop is AJ3. So I bet 300 to just make sure there is no AJ out there. Button calls. Turn is a 3. Now it looks like a split so I bet 500 just to make sure. River is an 8. Yippee - now more split. I bet out but he reraises me all-in. Well I can't fold now - he shows A3 - aaaargh!

Thursday 4th June
Tried the Caesars turbo. Managed to not do my entire stack when my AK hit a board of AKQ hard. Turn was J and he had JJ. Ran my AQ into AA to be crippled and then my J9 fell to AQ.

Finally went for the $330 7pm at the Rio rather than the megasatellite which had very entrants. There were 173 runners.First 3 levels are completely uneventful. Return after the break to L4 100/200(25). I have 2500 chips but they are whittled away until I finally attempt an all in with K9. Called by the big stack with AQ. Dealer gives me a K on the river but unfortunately it makes a 4th heart on the the board to go with her Qh. Sums up my week, I think!

Vegas June 2009 - Day 4 - WSOP $1500 HE

2009-06-07T14:47:00.000-07:00

Played the $1500 event. 4,500 chips to start - full house of 2700 runners.
L1 25/50 - not much action - make a flush but don't get paid.
L2 50/100 - limped with 67 clubs and flop came 67Q with the 67 both spades. SB bets 250 into a 400 pot and I raise to 1000. He then puts me all in and I have to fold - even if he only has a draw he may well be favourite with over cards especially if he has Qs. Got up to 4200 when my AQ hit and KQ called me down.
L3 75/150 - not sure whether I misplayed the hand that knocked my out. Raised to 400 UTG with AK. One caller from late position and the button as well. Flop is KT7 with 2 hearts so I bet 1000 into 1425 pot. Mid position folds but the button puts me all-in. I have still got 2000 left, but my fold from earlier on is playing on my mind so I hope he is on a draw. Unfortunately he has KT. I think I should have got away from this one.
Tried the Caesars turbo again ($250) - 71 runners
L1 25/50 Not much action
L2 50/100 Up to 17000 when hit 2 pairs on the flop vs KK. 58 players left
L3 100/200 No hands - finished on 16000
L4 200/400 No hands - finished on 15000
L5 300/600 No hands - finished on 13500
L6 400/800(100) 38 players left still no hands - down to 10000
L7 600/1200(100) - no hands down to 8000 then doubled up to 16000 with AQ vs JJ
L8 800/1600(200) - played AQ vs AJ to knock out a short stack up to 30000 - 27 players left
L9 1000/2000(300) - no hands so down to 25000
L10 1500/3000(400) - no hands still 25000 managed a late position raise with no callers
L11 2000/4000(500) - had to go all after calling a short stack all-in with KT vs his AJ. Left me on fumes so went all in with J9 but called by KJ. So came 16th - but no cash!

Vegas June 2009 - Day 3 - WSOP $1500 PLO

2009-06-07T14:45:00.000-07:00

Played the $1500 Pot limit Omaha tournament. We were given 1500 chips to start and 2 rebuy chips. 800 runners.L1 25/50 Lost my first 1500 in 2 stages. Raised from BB with KK after 1 limp - he called. Bet out on a Jxx board and he reraised me so I folded. Then called a multi limp pot with A235. Picked up a draw on the flop which hit on the turn. Unfortunately it also created a flush draw which hit on the river for another all-in player.L2 50/100 Limped with AA23 and when the player to my left raised I went all-in. He had KK79 but with 2 spades that hit a flush. Down to my final 1500 I worked it up to 2500 when flopping 4 kings. Unfortunately it was too scary to get paid. Had to lay down KK preflop - pretty obvious he had AA - down to 1300. At first break back up to 2100 when all-in with AA against KK - this time they held up.L3 75/150 Interrupted for the playing of the national anthems at a reward ceremony - the olympics must surely follow.Knocked out in rather unfortunate circumstances. I am in the BB with 7754. UTG (an aggressive player) limps there is a raise and 2 calls. This must be value if UTG does not repop and he doesn't. So at 650 per head it is a 3325 pot. Flop is 568 rainbow - almost perfect unless someone holds 79 - very unlikely. So I move all in for my remaining chips and the UTG player repots and everyone else folds. He has 88 but the board pairs on the river to house him up - nice.
Tried the $350 megasatellite with Mark. Only paying 1 and a bit seats and a real crapshoot - did not last long.
Went to Caesars and entered late into the $250 turbo tournament. Big stack but only 20 minute levels. No real hands and then I lose most of my chips once the antes start when raising UTG with AJ. Called by the button who tries to check when the flop comes J97. I bet out and he calls. Turn a rag so I move all-in and he calls showing J9. I have him covered but I am crippled and am eliminated tamely with K9 a few hands later.

Vegas June 2009 - Day 2 - WSOP $1000 event

2009-06-05T11:28:00.002-07:00

Sunday 31st May

Played my first WSOP event - $1000 buy in. The largest live tournament outside the main event - starting chips 3000 - 1 hour levels.

I had a reasonable run finishing in the top third of the field.

L1 25/25. Get QQ first hand - raise all fold.
L2 25/50 finished with 2,100 - no pairs after my first hand. Raised with AQ and AK but had to fold when missing the flop.
L3 50/100 Won a flip AK vs QQ up to 4000.
L4 75/150 Raised with JTd and bet on 2 diamond flop to get to 4500.
Interesting hand against the youing gun on the table "Mad Mike". I got moved to his left and apparently he had been chatting all day. He does not have many chips left so when he is on BB I can see him itching to splash them. I have K6 clubs UTG and I decided to limp hoping for some calls and then an all-in from him - happy to play heads up for his last 1100. In the end get 2 callers and he checks. When the flop comes 3 clubs and he pushes I get a nice windfall to put me up to 6k. Lost a few when raising from late position with 77 and folding to a reraise from the BB - perhaps I should have called. End L4 with 5500 chips after a battle of the blinds goes a bit wrong when I check with A6 in the BB. Flop T63 SB bets I raise and he calls. Turn 3 and river 5 and we check it down - he shows 88 - perhaps another barrel would have got the pot - but I did get my free cards by the flop raise.
L5 100/200 - up to 6500 after raising with AQ and having to call an all-in bet for only 900 more. He had AK but I hit my Q.
L6 100/200/25 - up to 11000 when calling a standard raise with TT and hitting my set. 1100 players left. Then kept getting hands like AQ and AJ but not hitting flops when called so down to 8500.
L7 150/300/25 - made my first mistake - raised with KQ diamonds from the cut off and then called a reraise from the button. Hmm playing a middling hand out of position in a big pot - not good. Flop comes A97 with one diamond. I checked ready to chuck it away in disgust. Turn was Td giving me a flush and straight draw. Perhaps I should have bet here. River was an A. I checked and he showed 88. I really should have bet out there but it would have been a large part of my stack. If only I had limp called - then the pot would have been smaller. Then get involved with a 3 way all-in. Raise from mid position followed by all-in for 3000 by the button. I have AK in the SB so hope to isolate the all-in but the mid position calls. Oops. He had QQ and the all-in had 88. Luckily I hit my K to stay in but the small stack catches an 8. So now I only have 4,500
L8 200/400/50 Moved all in with AQ but get called by KK so I am out in about 1000 place.

Vegas June 2009 - Day 1

2009-05-30T23:01:00.000-07:00

I arrived quite late on Friday having changed at LA - the queue for taxis was absurdly long but they manage to get 12 taxis lined up simultaneously - if we had been at Victoria there would have been rioting.
I am slumming it at the Olde English themed Excalibur which last time I was here had a micro stakes poker room and was family friendly. The poker room is now dealer free - electronic tables only and there is a bar area called Dirty Dicks with some quality dancing girls. Classy.

Went over to the Bellagio where to find my fellow "big game" players who were playing in the 42 runner $1000 2pm tournament. Mark was on the final table and Wilson had only just been eliminated. Mark ended up winning it - an excellent effort.

On Marks' advice I went over to the Rio to buy in to Day 1A of the WSOP $1000 tournament on Saturday. After queuing for about half an hour I got in to Day 1B - the first day was sold out.

Saturday 30th May
Did not get a great amount of sleep but after the standard breakfast buffet at the Venetian Wilson and I headed for the $340 Venetian deepstack at noon and Mark headed for the Rio.
I did not even make it through Level 1. Blinds were 50/100 and we started with 12k chips. They were still taking late entrants but at least 500 runners. I should perhaps have known things weren't going to go my way when I raised my AA UTG and got no callers.
My downfall was 46 in the BB. 1 limper from mid position and a call from the button and SB. Flop comes 578 with 2 diamonds. So I have a well disguised straight. The SB checks and so do I - hoping for action and the limper bets 300 in to the 400 pot. The button and SB fold and I make it 1000 in total. He then raises it 2000 more and I am now putting him on a set or Ax diamonds. I reraise another 5k leaving me about 6k to push in on the turn if the flush card does not come. He then moves all-in and I take another look. The only hand I am behind is 69 - surely he could not have limped with that? Well unfortunately when I call that is exactly what he had. To really rub it in, they were diamonds and he hits the unnecessary flush on the turn. I don't think I could have avoided this.

After this swift exit I headed to Caeasar's for the $380 deepstack. I managed to only lose 3000 of my starting chips when raising with JJ and then betting in to a T97 board. I was reraised and laid it down - he showed TT.
So by the time it was Level 2 : 100/200 I had 11,000 and the were 220 runners left. At the break at the end of L2 I was down to 8000 - had to fold to a reraise after raising with 88. Tried to nick a limped pot with K9s hitting K75 board but after a reraise I had to assume my kicker was no good.
Get no hands and down to 5k on Level 4 200/400 - but then doubled up with QQ in the BB vs a dumb raise from the button with A6.
Level 5 400/800 - still about 10k 148 out of 239 left. Had a difficult decision with T9 clubs. Played it from the button and could have got my last 5000 into a 3 way pot laying me about 3 to 1. I would have been against 77 and AQ. Would have won when a 9 flopped.
Scraped back up to 10k by pushing from late position with 55 after 2 limps - no callers.
Level 6 600/1200. I get a nice double up when calling 2 limps with 98 on the button. The flop is 976. It is checked to me so I bet about half the pot. The SB reraises and once everyone else folds I know I am in good shape. We get it all in and he has 86 - sweet. I am now back with an average stack of 20k.
Got moved to a new table and 2 hands in I pick up A6s in the SB. When all fold I make it 5000 to go. He calls and when the flop is KT8 all diamonds I check fold.
2 hands later I pick up AA. There is a raise UTG but I decide to just call - hoping the man to my left will be tempted to bully me again. He just calls. Flop is A75 with 2 clubs. UTG checks as do I - expecting Mr aggressive to bet. Sure enough he does and UTG moves all-in. I am happy to follow and it is looking good when I have set over set against UTG and Mr Agressor only had a flush draw. Unfortunately he hits.

Next up I go to the Rio to check out the mega satellites. Not tempted by the $1k tournament - only 14 registered an hour before so play the $340 tourny instead. 220 runners. By the start of Level 2 (50/100) my stack is down to 4500 from a start of 5000. Move up to 7500 when my set of 6's gets paid. Get AA in late position. UTG raises to 300 so I make it 1000 to go. He calls. Flop is T96 with 2 diamonds and he leads out for 1500. I am pretty much committed if I raise so I go all-in - unfortunately rather than him having a big draw or a worse overpair he has a set of T's so I am toast.

Finally I play a $275 sit and go. There is nearly a fight in the queue to get seats which add a certain frisson to things. Typically swift structure. 1500 chips each, 20 min blinds.
No hands at L1 of 25/25. During level 2 (25/50) I flop a straight draw having called 2 limps with T9 on the button. I try to nick it when they check a flop of QJ3 but have to fold to a reraise. By the time we get to L3 50/100 I move all-in rom the button with AQ after a standard raise and call. Unfortunately the raiser had KK.

DTD Trip - Nottingham - May 3rd - Cooler or Bad Play?

2009-05-03T07:51:00.000-07:00

After failing to make it to day 2 in the main event I played the £150 sunday afternoon event.
5000 stack - 30 min levels - 80 runners.

I was out of the tournament in about 10 minutes. I wonder if you dear reader could have avoided my fate?

1 Pre flop call?

We are on level 1 : 25/50 and I pick up A4 both hearts in the big blind. UTG raises to 300 the button calls as does the Small Blind. Would you call here?

I call because:
A - it is early on and I'm looking to hit a monster or chuck my hand away. If I get a flush draw then I could play it strong .
B - there is no further action to come so I can't get raised. I would not play this hand to a raise if I was earlier than the cut off position.
C - 4 way action. I would not call heads up.

2 Post flop check?

The flop comes 445 rainbow. The small blinds checks. What should I do?

I think it is clear to check also since the UTG raiser and / or the button must have something to bet with. I am inclined to think I am a mile ahead so I want to get some more in the pot before making a big bet on the turn.

I check, UTG bets 400 and the button folds but the SB calls.

3 Flop raise

So do you call or raise?

I just called - I still think I am in front and I don't want to lose the UTG player. I will make my move on the turn - bet size will depend on the nature of the turn card.

4 Turn check?

Turn is 6c making 2 clubs on the board.
I now don't want to see the river with straights and flushes around. SB checks to me and I look for the check raise. Would you bet out?

5 Fold?

The UTG bets 500 and then the SB makes it 1500.
The pot is now 3900 and it will cost me 1500 to call. I see no reason to do anything except go all-in.
UTG folds and unfortunately the SB instacalls showing 55 for the flopped full house. Oops - I need the case 4.

So I'm not sure if I could have done anything about this.....

DTD Trip - Nottingham - May 1st

2009-05-03T03:50:00.000-07:00

I decided to take a trip to Nottingham to play in the Dusk Til Dawn poker club monthly deepstack event.
The club itself is located in an industrial estate out of town - but once you are inside it is pretty impressive.
They have around 60 tables so can easily accommodate the 311 runners in the main event.
There seemed to be a lot of cash game action - no cap on the buy-in which would please Mr Bramley.
At 2.00 am there were around 20 tables in action.

On Friday night there was a £75 freezeout with 89 runners. 30 minute levels and a starting stack of 5000.
I got virtually no playable hands in the first 4 levels but won a couple of pots with big blind specials. I completely tilted the guy to my left when he limped under the gun with AK. There were 2 callers and me to a flop of A23. I, of course, had 23 so check called to the river when I min raised - and he finally twigged he was behind - much grumbling commenced from then.
After the break blinds were at level 5 : 150/300. I had 3500 so was looking for an all-in opportunity. I finally picked up AK in the BB and pushed after a standard button raise. Unfortunately he called with QQ which stood up and I was out in around 30th place.

On Saturday we had the main event. Starting stack 10,000 : 45 minute levels - buy-in £300. 311 runners - first paying about £29,000 - 27 paid

Level 1 25/50
I got lots of playable hands - had KJ spades in the BB and made a flush on the turn which got me a few chips. However we were definitely playing small ball poker so no-one was going crazy and there was quite a lot of limping. So when I managed to limp with 34 in the small blind and made a full house on the river which also made my opponent a flush I did not get much for it.
I then got 44,55 and 99 and saw some flops but did not hit. Ran my AQ into QQ but after betting out on a raggedy flop and getting raised I let it go. Played AT suited against JQ. Flop was 56T I bet out - he called. Turn J scared me a bit so I slowed up. River was a Q so I check called.

Level 2 50/100 start with 9500
Raised from mid position with 44 and hit my set on a board on T43 with 2 spades. Decided to bet out rather than slow play and risk the flush and all folded.
Got JJ in mid position so opened for 300. Reraised by the button to 1200 so it was a pretty easy fold.
Played a bizarre hand - called 2 limps with 67 on the button. Flop came A67 and when the first limper led out I thought - bingo - he's got an ace so I just called. He checked the turn of 5 and when he led out on a river Q I was convinced I was ahead so I raised. He called and showed 67 as well for a split pot.
Managed not to get busted with QQ - I raised and got one caller. Flop was 9TJ with 2 hearts so I bet out. He raised and I called. Turn was a J so I check folded. He showed me KQ.
All this action meant I ended level 2 with 7500 chips.

Level 3 75/150 290 players left out of 311.
Won a bit with JJ. Raised and got one caller. Flop was 478 2 diamonds. I bet he called - turn an 8 so I slowed down. River K so I whimped out and checked. He had a busted straight and flush draw. This got me back to 8000.
Final hand before the break I did not raise with 88 in the BB after 4 limps. Flop was 678 so I checked looking for a check raise. Unfortunately all checked and the turn was 9 and when I bet out I got raised by a player who had been playing a lot of pots with some pretty dodgy starting hands. I decided he could easily have made his straight and it was pretty much all-in or fold. I decided to fold.

So at the first break I had 8000 chips. 266 runners left - rather more eliminated than I would have expected.

Level 4 100/200
I think I played AJ in the small blind badly. Just called after 2 limps and then bet out on a QJ3 flop. Called by the button and turn was another Q. I checked as did he. River K so I checked again. He showed K7. I should perhaps have fired a second barrel on the turn.
Raised with KK and then bet into an AQx board and my opponent folded. 231 runners left.

Level 5 100/200 ante 25
No hands at this level - down to 6500 towards the end of the level when I limped with TJ on the button. Flop was 24J. Small blind led out for 400 into about a 1000 pot - I thought I might be winning so I raised to 1500 - however when he moved all in I had to give it up. He should 24. Good decision - but down to 4500.

Level 6 150/300 ante 25
Raised with AJ on the button. One caller. Shoved on a J high flop with 2 diamonds and he folded.
Made a cheeky raise under the gun with 66. Only the BB called. He checked a K54 flop so I bet out and he folded. Got up to 6000 by the end of the level. 184 players left.

Level 7 200/400 ante 50
No hands but scraped along with a couple of late position open shoves with Q9 and Q7 which weren't called

Level 8 300/600 ante 50
Picked up AQ in the BB. Similar stack to mine pushed on the button and I called. He had A6 so I doubled up to 9500. Wow - nearly back where I started.

Level 9 400/800 ante 100
We had a break before level 9 - the last of the night. I've got 8500 so still in all-in or fold territory. 122 runners left.

I finally get called with one of my dodgy all-ins. I have J7 of clubs and he calls with KQ also clubs - oops there goes my club draw. Dealer pops up J76 - I think result! However he then produces A and then T to do me with a straight.

Las Vegas - Feb 2009

2009-02-28T15:32:00.000-08:00

Had a pretty successful trip to Vegas before going skiing in Colorado.

I may have found a new venue for the big game now that regular host Louis has run off to Edinburgh. For the bargain price of $400,000 you can get a condo just off the strip in Panorama Towers which has a play room in the basement with pool table and poker table. Also Jennifer Tilly lives there - so some good stalking possibilities...
I stayed at the Wynn encore - an excellent view up the strip but the room itself did not seem quite as good at the one I stayed in last summer.

I arrived quite late on Monday having faffed about in Denver so on Tuesday it was probably not a good idea to play in the Ceasar's megastack tournament starting at midday. It was a big tournament and cost $1060 to enter. I made it to dinner but to be honest the jet lag really kicked in by 8pm and I bust out quite lamely. I got fed up with the Irishman directly to my right nicking my blinds and took a stand calling his usual button raise with AT. On a flop of QTx I decide I am check raising no matter what (I knew he would C-bet) and sure enough it went according to plan - unfortunately he had QT.

On Wednesday I played the Venetian deepstack at midday. Only $150 buy-in and around 100 runners. Over played QJ on a Qxx board - he had QQ, so ended up relatively short and play QQ all-in against KT - he hit to knock me out. Finished early enough to get over to Caesar's for the $160 at 7pm. I don't really get any cards and weirdly get in a split with AK twice. I play another big hand with AQ vs AQ but unfortunately on a 4 club board he has Ac. Eventually I try one steal too many with T7 on the button and am crushed by the SB with KK.

On Thursday I play the final megastack at Caeasars : $240 gets you 12,500 chips and blinds start 25/50 - crazy.
At level 3 100/200 I get some good cards finishing it off with a monster pot where my slightly hooky call of a min raise with AT spades is rewarded when I make a flush on the river.
After that I coast along but don't really get anywhere - eventually I finish 11th out of 81 - two off the money at 10pm - 10 hours of graft for no pay.

On Friday I play the Wynn second chance tournament at 7pm.
This is a more normal tournament costing $230 - 116 runners 10k chips to start with 30 minute levels.
Hit a set early on and then took out the aggressive Dutch boy to my right when I woke up to QQ when he had JJ. By the time we get to the second break I have 25k and blinds are up to 400/800 100 ante and only 66 remain.

Not much happens and then I get the defining hand of the night. A medium stack pushes all-in over a standard raise. The original raiser had about half my chips as did the medium stack so I decide to isolate the all-in guy with my monster 33 by moving all-in. Unfortunately the chip leader in the BB moves all-in over the top, so the original raiser folds. I think I must be toast but then they both flip AQ - what a result when my hand holds up. This completely tilts the now former chip leader and when I min raise with AK UTG he goes all-in with Q9 and I knock him out. Talk about hero to zero. This puts me up to 90k - nearly 10% of the chips in play with 30 runners left.
I then avoid trouble and when we are down to the money on the final 2 tables I take out 2 players with AK and then 99. So when we get to the final table I have 210k.
When we get to 5 players the tournament director explains the situation with the IRS - apparently any prize greater than $5200 has to be declared so ideally the winner should not get more than that. I am chip leader with about 300k but the blinds are an insane 12k/24k with 2000 ante so I am not that safe. The deal suggested is that we get $3100 each now and the winner gets the remain $1800. Even the short stack has 100k so there seems little point in me arguing - it makes me look like the nice guy.
So we do the deal and it does not take long for me to eliminate one guy with my Aj vs KJ and the other 2 fall to my rival at heads up. I have 650 to his 510 and when he makes a raise on the button I just call with J7. I fold when he bets a KTx flop and we agree a chop at that point - it is after all, nearly 3.30 in the morning and I have to leave the next day.
We decide to determine the winner by a single all-in hand and I romp home when my 8 pairs the board. Unfortunately there is not trophy!

So total buy-ins $1800 - winnings $3900 - net win $2100. Nice

Onine - Pokerstars - Sunday Warm Up - Feb 15th

2009-02-22T01:36:00.000-08:00

Had a big score in the Sunday warm up. I'll add a bit of a commentary but in the mean time here is my demise with commentary.
Pokerstars TV

Sydney - Feb 2009 - Monday Tournament

2009-02-08T22:55:00.000-08:00

As my flight home nears I get a chance to play in the weekly Monday tournament at the Star City casino. There are 102 runners paying $200 each.
Unfortunately the structure is a bit rubbish. We get only 3000 chips with 25 minute levels. Level 1 is 25/50 then 50/100 ; 75/150.
I do OK on level 1 getting paid some chips with AJ hitting a Jxx board and my AA getting one call and a flop call too. Unfortunately I get couple of big draws which I can pay for so by the time we are nearing the end of Level 2 I have just over what I started with - 3,300 when I pick up KJ suited hearts UTG. We are in a limpers paradise so we have 5 to a flop with the pot 500.
Flop is AJJ with 2 clubs so I bet 400 and only the button calls. Turn is 3c and I bet 900 into the 1300 pot. He min raises and I suppose at this point I should have realised he had taken the incorrect pot odds on the flop, but given what I had seen so far he could easily have Ax or Jx. I am pretty sure he would have raised with AJ on the button, the only hand that crushes me. I move all-in and he calls showing K4 of clubs for the flush. I don't hit my full house so I am out.
I think to go deep in this tournament requires rather too much luck so an early gamble seemed justfied.
Here ends my Aussie adventure....

Adelaide - Feb 2009 - Main Event - Day 2

2009-02-05T20:57:00.000-08:00

In the end a bit of a damp squib exit.
At the start of Level 10 with blinds 600/1200/200 I am struggling in 65th place out of 77 remaining players with 23,600 chips.
I don't see any cards until about 5o mins in when I shove from the small blind with 77 after a standard raise and a limp. I am called by the raiser with AK. Luckily the limper folded A8, since that flopped, but I survived to move up to 33k.

Level 11 800/1600/200.
Called a min raise with one other caller in the BB with A8 suited clubs. Flop is T84c. I am tempted to bet but decide to see what happens. Raiser bets 5k and the caller folds. I think on reflection I might have been ahead and perhaps should have pushed. However I decided to call and push all-in if a club came on the turn. It didn't and when he bet again I folded.
A few hands later the player to my right called so when I see TT I push all-in. He makes the call with AT - a result that puts me up to 44k when no A comes.
I get no more hands and just before the break I try to steal from late position with KT but have to fold to a reraise.

Level 12 1000/2000/300
I am still seeing nothing so try another late position raise with Q9 - the BB reraises me all-in and I have to fold again.
Now I am down to 20k when I get A4 of hearts on the button. I shove all-in but I am called by 77. The dealer flops T35 with 2 hearts but no joy on the turn or river and I am out.

To be honest, I don't think I made any huge mistakes, perhaps the only one was not to bet out with second pair in Level 11. I am quite happy with coming 45th out of 211 runners - and finishing top european...!

Adelaide - Feb 2009 - Main Event - Day 1

2009-02-04T18:11:00.000-08:00

Today was probably the most interesting day I have played in a major event. Whilst the buy in is not that high - $3000 (about £1500) it is the first event on a new Australia New Zealand Poker tour - sponsored by pokerstars. Things have come a long way in the poker world - this event is being covered live online by two sites - check it out here
http://crown.pokernews.com/live-reporting/2009-anzpt-adelaide/main-event/blog/day1a/
and
http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/2009/02/anzpt-adelaide-at-bell-catre-are-still.html
Whilst picking up my seat card I came across Danny MacDonaugh who is now director of this new pokerstars tour. He used to be in charge at Melbourne and remembered me from a few years ago when there were sufficiently few of us for even a fish like me to be memorable - I guess this makes me a bit of an old timer.

This tournament is going to have around 200 runners and because the poker zone in Adelaide is not that big it has been split into 2 first days. So on day 1A we start off with 103 players on 12 tables and after things settle down we will play with 9 players on each table. We have $20,000 in chips and the structure is pretty slow. There are 1 hour levels. We get a 10 minute break every 2 levels and an hour off for dinner after 6 levels.

In a tournament like this, you get to know the players at your table by the end of the day, assuming you are not on a "break" table where everyone is moved to keep the numbers balanced. On my table we have a pretty stable set of people and it is particularly interesting because of the little battles that develop during the day. In what follows I will try to give you a bit of a flavour of how things panned out. I am on Table 2 and as you can see from the extract from the pokernews blog final page (picture at the start of this post), it is a pretty tough table. The seating is as follows (not all the players were here all day, but close enough). I've put a link to their entry on the Hendon mob results website.

Seat 1 - Michael Guzzardi - an internet young gun who I came across in Melbourne. He came 4th in the HORSE tournament there and final tabled one of the Hold em events. He arrived late afternoon with a lot of chips and ends the day with a lot more when he (inevitably) busts Ben. He and David indulge in the game of betting on the colour of the flop in the last level to keep everyone amused.

Seat 2 - David Gorr - I've met David before in Melbourne - he is one of the "old timers" mentioned above and is one of the original Adelaide winners. We had a bit of a chat at the Aussie poker Hall Of Fame party - he was on the short list of inductees.

Seat 3 - me - UK fish

Seat 4 - George Vassilopoulos - a rather vociferous local. Has a lot of banter with locals at other tables and has an eye for a nice looking blonde who is spectating - lucky she can't hear some of his suggestions

Seat 5 - Player X - arrived a bit late - a local too but does not seems quite as in the crowd as the others. Replaced Player Y who suicidally called Ben's all-in with 99 on a board of 567 - Ben had pushed with JJ.

Seat 6 - Gary Benson - one of the most famous Australian poker players - WSOP bracelet winner

Seat 7 - Lee Nelson - Aussie millions winner 2006

Seat 8 - Ben - a youngish local inexperienced player- has a good run of cards early in the afternoon but we KNOW he will be giving all his chips back eventually.

Seat 9 - David Ewing - another internet young gun - moniker u_dirty_dog on his pokerstars t-shirt.

So to business on Level 1 with blinds 50/100.

Sometimes it is a good idea to establish a reputation that you can exploit later in the day. Unfortunately I manage to only make my fish status clear by managing to flip over and expose my folded hand of AJ off suit which I was dealt in the very first hand in mid position. Everyone has a good laugh at that and I get several sarcastic comments about rocks. I explain that I never play the first hand in a tournament - but no one believes me. However I am pretty sure my raises will be respected.
Ironically enough after about half an hour I raise with KJ suited on the button and when I bet out on an AJ7 board everyone thinks I have AJ again and I take it down. I also get KK UTG but after 2 callers to my standard raise and a bet out on a raggedy flop I get no further action. I end the level with 20,500 chips.
On this level we see the consequences of being a "professional" player. With Mr Benson and Mr Nelson next to each other Mr B will raise on the button and Mr N will call. Us lesser players will just give up on these lower levels because we don't want to be outclassed on the flop, whereas of course the pros want to play flops. However all that seems to happen is that Mr N bets out and is perhaps called. There are then more cagey bets and perhaps min raises, and we do see a river but rarely see their cards - because one folds. After a bit of tooing and froing Mr B has about 5000 of Mr N's chips.

Level 2 75/1500
I get no hands, apart from playing KJ from late position and having a dart at an AK6 flop and getting reraised. I am down to 18500.
Our young gun friend DE establishes an early reputation by calling a raise from Gary with 72 and somehow managing to call on a board of AKK82...and take the pot down.

Level 3 100/200
Get AQ once but have to fold to a reraise so finish the level on 16500.
In this level the inexperienced player Ben wins a big pot against GB, when he hits a flush on the river.

Level 4 100/200 ante 25
The antes have started quite early. So pots are worth stealing now. DE has acquired a lot of chips and is raising a lot of pots and stealing a lot of flops with big bets - occasionally showing raggedy cards. He is playing a dangerous game, but it seems to be working.
I am card dead again and am being whittled away to 15k,

Level 5 150/300/25
No more cards. Call a couple of raises in position with desperate stuff such as KT and 78s but get nothing from the flop. By the end of this level we have been playing for 5 hours and I can't remember being dealt a pair! I am down to 11,000.
We lose Lee Nelson at this level. He has being doing a lot of stealing from late position but has been caught a couple of times. Finally he reraises what he thinks is a blind steal by GB and then calls with A8 vs A9. Oops.

Level 6 200/400/50
Suddenly I get some action when I get 3 big hands in a row - probably the most interesting sequence of cards I've had in a major tournament.
Hand 1 AK in the SB. I have dipped below 10,000 in chips so when GB raises to 1200 from mid position I am tempted to just move all-in when all fold to me. However I am pretty sure that George to my left won't call with anything but a very good hand so it seems better to just call. The flop comes J76 rainbow. I am not overly scared of this flop and there seems little point doing anything but move all-in or check fold. To be honest, I am bored with being dealt nothing so I decide to push all-in. He thinks for a very long time and asks me if I would like a call or not. I say it is nearly dinner time so I am not bothered and this does not help him decide. Eventually he grudgingly calls and flips over the same as me - AK. To be honest I am rather surprised he has called with such a poor hand. We split the BB and the Antes.
Hand 2 - now I am the button and this time I pick up 66. GB raises to 1200 again and after a mid position call, I call to as does the BB. Flop is T64 with 2 clubs. BB checks and GB bets 3000. The caller folds and I move all-in. The BB folds and so does GB after a bit of thought.
Hand 3 - now I am the cut-off and I see AK again. I raise to 1200 after all fold and GB is the only caller from the BB. The flop comes Q87 with 2 spades. I have Ks but when he checks to me I smell something fishy and decline to bet. The turn is Jc and when he bets 1500 I insta muck and show my AK. He does not show his hand but says good fold. I was inclined to believe I was well behind. So I am back up to 13000 after a few minutes of heart attack play...

This is turning out to be a real action level for me : the small stack who replaced Lee Nelson in the number 7 seat goes all-in, the dirty dog DE calls and when it comes round to me I decide to call with AQ. I am hoping for a favourable flop to perhaps trap DE if he tries anything tricky on the flop. The flop comes T63 and when I check to DE he bets 2k so I have to fold. The all-in player had 77 and DE shows 66. Annoyingly Q came on the turn so I think I made a mistake not moving all-in before the flop. (Mind you perhaps DE would not have folded and then I would be out).
The 2 Daves have a couple of battles on this level. The old dog bet out on a board of A85 board but folded after young dog made a big bet to put him all-in. On the last hand before the break a similarly ragged board but this time the old dog raised the young dogs continuation bet and DE folded. Honours even I thought...

Level 7 300/600/75
This is the first level after dinner and not much happens apart from having to fold 55 to a reraise after limping, to put me down to 11000.
So whilst I am not yet on life support, I am probably only able to realistically fold one more meaningful raise before lurching into all-in territory. So bearing this in mind when I pick up Q9 both clubs on the button and it is folded around to me I make it 2000 to go. George in the SB just calls, as does the BB. Now having observed George all day I know he is a good player, so when the flop is KK2 with 2 clubs, I think it is unlikely he has a K in his hand. If he had, then I am pretty sure he would have put me all-in before the flop - after all he has a lot more chips than me. So when he leads out for 2000 and the BB folds I think that perhaps I might be in better shape than I think. Might he have Ax of clubs to put me in a real bind. Unlikely - I think he would either reraise or fold such hands. So it seems most likely he has a small pair. He would have reraised pre flop with TT or better and if he had 99 I think he either would have trapped or bet bigger. So I am quite happy to shove all-in and when he calls and tables 77 I am not surprised. I am now favourite with 2 overcards and a flush draw and I hit my flush on the turn. George is not a happy bunny and when he berates himself for not moving all-in preflop I help him tilt some more by assuring him I definitely would have folded if he had done so.

Level 8 400/800/100
I start this level with 17000 thanks to calling a few limps but not hitting in the previous level - chiefly down to our friend Ben who sets the limp ball rolling quite often. However I benefit from his inexperience when his min raise to 1600 is called by Michael. I call with 66 in the SB as does the BB, so the pot is 7300. The flop is K32 with 2 hearts so I decide to take a stab at it by betting 3000 and only Ben calls. The turn is 7c but given Ben has so many chips and is unlikely to be able to make a big laydown I decide to check fold. He checks. River is Jd and I am now convinced he must win but when we check check and I show my 66 they beat his A9 both hearts. Result. I know that any other player on the table with that hand would have put me all-in on the flop - so that was a result and it puts me up to 25000 chips - yippee.

Level 9 500/1000/100
The final level.
We finally lose Ben after his enourmous stack has slowly been chipped away by too many limps then weak bets and folds. The hand that does for him is against Michael. Ben raises Michaels big blind and Michael reraises which Ben calls. The flop is QJ9. Michael checks - so does Ben. Turn is A and Michael bets about half the pot. Ben moves all-in and Michael calls, showing QQ vs Ben's AJ. I don't really like Ben's move here - I know those internet boys have been acting crazy but it seemed pretty likely he was behind - the only plausible hand he was beating was AK and in fact there were now 2 spades and Ben did not have the draw.
A few minutes later in this level another small stack in seat 7 moves all-in for 11000. I am on the BB and have AK so when it is all folded to me I naturally call - bizarrely he has AK too - so 2 ties with AK during the day. If I had won that hand I would have been somewhere up near the average, but instead end up with 23,600 after the level finishes a little bit earlier than expected.

On reflection, I think it was a satisfactory day - I didn't really make any major mistakes and was only all-in twice - not bad considering I had pretty average cards at best.

Roll on Day 2.....

Adelaide - Feb 2009 - Omaha result

2009-02-03T02:06:00.000-08:00

Played in the pot limit Omaha tournament today and came 4th out of 61 runners for a win of $2440. Here is the tale....

We started with 4,000 in chips and blinds of 25/25 with 30 min levels. Early on there was a lot of limping so I got to play AQ97 with 2 hearts on the button. Flop comes Q96 - it is checked to me so I try to nick the pot but get called in 2 spots. The turn is 3 of hearts to go with a heart on the flop. The SB bets pot and there is one caller, so I think I have to call. The river is a blank so I am down to 1500 chips by the end of level 1.

Level 2 is 25/50 and I get no cards until have to make a tricky decision. I raise with KK88 2 spades from late position and the button and BB call. Flop is 567 two spades and the BB bets pot of 550. If I call I will have 1000 left but if I move all in he will be getting good odds if he's got a better flush draw and it is quite possible he has a set - I decide to fold - but in fact I discover later he did not have the A of spades - so perhaps I was being a bit wimpy. However I am vindicated a few hands later when I pick up AAJ7 in late position and after 3 limps I can raise pretty much all-in - I double up against a call of A995 to get to 3000.

Level 3 is 50/100 Shortly before the break I have QQ76 on the button and I call some limps. We see a flop of QT7 with two hearts so when it is checked to me I bet pot and get 2 callers. Turn is a black A and they both check to me. I don't think I can bet here because there could easily be a straight and I don't want to face a bet for all my chips, so I check. The river is a beautiful T so when there is a 1000 bet I go all-in and get called by the straight. Sweet - I now have 8000.

Level 4 is 100/200. Don't get many cards but after several limps I check my BB of A776 with 2 hearts. Flop is Q83 with 2 hearts and I pull off a big check raise with my dodgy draw. Up to 11k

Level 5 is 150/300. Raised with KK87 2 spades and got called by the SB. He bets 1500 into 2100 pot with a rainbow board of J97. I think I smell weakness and he only has about 4000 left so I put him all-in. Unfortunately I was completely wrong - he had 99. Oops - down to 8k.

Level 6 150/300. Card dead until the final hand before the break. I have a A765 on the button and call some limps. The flop comes 3 diamonds. I have the A so when it is checked to me I bet the pot and all fold. This is a textbook play that actually worked! Now I have 11k

Level 7 200/400. No hands - down to 10k

Level 8 300/600. Have one monster hand at this level. Call 2 limps from the SB with AsJ44s two spades. Flop is A9s8s. I decide to take a stab but get called. Turn is Js. I check raise all-in and luckily he is not full so I am doubled up to 20k.

Level 9 400/800. No cards but we are getting close to the money. 18 left and 10 get paid. I am ok at 20k

Level 10 600/1200. Down to 18k when there are 11 left and a deal is done so the the winner gives bubble boy his money back. Then I get A993 with a raggedy flop of Q94 and I get to do a massive reraise that puts me up to 32k for the final table of 10.
There are 240k chips in play and there are 2 big stacks with about 80k each. A couple of shorties and the rest are about the same as me.
Then we get the key hand. I have JsTc7c4s in the BB and there are 2 limps. The flop is Qc9c8s so I have the nut straight and a draw to a rubbish flush. I bet the pot of 4800 to try to protect my hand but the big stack makes a pot reraise. All fold to me and I have a big decision to make. I am influenced by this guys play from earlier. He has been very aggressive and has been hitting a lot of cards. My biggest worry is the we both have a straight but he has a better redraw, but I think that this is my chance to double up - since there are some good players. I reraise all-in and he calls. All he has is a set of nines, so when the board does not pair I double through to 64k. He immediately goes on tilt and is eliminated about 15 minutes later.

I now go completely card dead so just keep folding and soon we are down to 5. At the end of 800/1600 I have 60k and the end of 1000/2000 I have 55k. Still I get nothing and at the end of 1500/3000 I have 40k, but at least Tony Hachem was eliminated so we are 4.
Blinds are now 2000/4000, so when I pick up QQ87 on the button I make a pot raise. The BB calls and the flop comes JJ7. He checks so I bet the rest of my chips hoping he does not have a J - but unfortunately he does.
...but I am happy with 4th - at the end they were clearly better than me...

Adelaide - Feb 2009 - Two Coolers?

2009-02-02T02:30:00.000-08:00

Over the many games I have played usually I make one or two mistakes (some of you would say more) but I think this evening's tournament was one where I was pretty much snookered - or as they say in poker - I had a couple of coolers. See what you think....
The tournament was pretty standard - 88 initial runners on 8 tables - so we started 11 handed and I had the worst seat in the house - number 11. There were 14 alternates so it was a bit shambolic. The management in Adelaide are pretty clueless. They even managed to mess up the chips. After Level 3 they took off the 25 chips and then rather sheepishly had to reissue them when they realised there was a 150/300 level. Doh!

Level 1 : 25/50. We started with 4000 chips - 25 minute levels. I got no hands but lost a few when trying to nick a pot from the BB in a limped pot when my K7 hit a K98 board - I folded to a reraise.

Level 2 : 50/100 - no hands - down to 3300.

Level 3 : 75/150 I play a big hand against the very definition of an old rock. He raises from mid position and I call with 44 on the button. The flop is 984 and I just call his 500 bet (there is no way this flop helped him). The turn is a beautiful 4. He checks and so do I. The river is a 7. He bets 500 and I raise 1000 which he reluctantly calls. I end this level with 6000 chips.

Level 4 : 100/200. Make a big lay down having raised with TT and leading out on a board of 245 with 2 hearts. I was raised all-in and had to fold. The raiser told me later he had a big overpair. So finished this level with about 5000.

Level 5 : 150/300. Get moved to a new table and after a couple of hands I pick up AK in the BB. The guy to my right was clearly the table captain and he raises my blind by 1000. Obviously I move all-in and he calls with QQ. The table seemed surprised he had a hand. I hit my A to double up. The very next hand I get AA and just call his button raise. The flop is an innocuous 752 so I bet 1500 which he calls. The turn is a J and I check - he bets 3000 and I decide to move all-in hoping he has something. After a lot of chat - he eventually folds. So now I have 15000 chips. There are about 60 players left so I am doing pretty well then...

Cooler 1. I have TT in mid position so I make a standard raise to 900. The SB calls. The flop is 457 with 2 spades and when he checks to me I bet out 1500 into the 2100 pot. He then moves all-in for 2500 more. I don't think I can fold here - I can't really put him on an over pair and if he has a set then so be it. He shows KK and so by then end of the level I am down to 9000 chips

Level 6 : 200/400. I get no real hands but manage to tread water with a couple of late position steal raises - so I finish the level with still around 9000.

Level 7 : 300/600. I scrape along and we are just about to move to Level 8 when

Cooler 2. I have KK in late position and I min raise a limper from early position, so when it gets back to him he has to call 600 into a 2500 pot. I min raised to see what he did - if he flat calls and an A flops then I would be able to fold. However he moves all-in. I guess I could have folded, but I would have only had 6000 chips for the 400/800 level - and given my raise looked quite weak he could have done this with AK or perhaps QQ. Unfortunately it was AA and I was knocked out.

So do you think I could have avoided these hands?

Adelaide - Jan 2009 - Weird supersatellite

2009-02-01T00:58:00.000-08:00

I played in the super satellite today and it had a very weird structure.
It cost $450 to enter and this got you 3000 chips. Then as soon as you had less than 3000 you could buy another 3000 for only $100. At the break you could add-on 3000 chips for $100 but $150 got you 6000.
Level 1 is 25/50 so I rather thought the correct strategy was to rebuy immediately. However only 3 of us did this - so perhaps not. It did not do me much good since I got no hands at all.
Level 2 was 50/100 and I had to reload after my 99 reraise all-in of a family limped pot got called by the SB with TT.
On level 3 (100/200) I got my revenge on the SB when I had 88 vs 55. Shortly before the break I got very lucky when going all in with 55 vs KK and AJ and the dealer spiked me a 5 on the flop.
Then on the hand just before the break I make a ropey call UTG with A9 suited. There is a min raise and my nemesis calls so I call too. The flop comes K97 with 2 diamonds and I decided to see what the preflop raiser does - we check to her and she bets 600 and the BB calls. I am now pretty sure neither of them has a K so I bet the pot which will put the BB all-in. The original raiser folds and the BB calls with 9T. My hand holds up and after the add-ons I have 20000 chips.
We are told there will be 16 tickets to the main event (worth $3000) and there are 960000 chips in play - so looks like you will need to aim for a stack of 60,000.
The levels move quite quickly and I win a few lose a few and at the 3rd break (after Level 9) I have 22k and there are 30 players left.
Level 10 is 1500/3000 and after a raise with AJ that I have to fold when there is big action on a flop of AKT I have around 22k. I have been making a few all-ins and not getting called so when I have Q7 in late position and push again the big stack on the button thinks for ages and folds. Unfortunately the BB has AA and when I show I get some stick for having such a poor hand - I decline to argue and lose 10k in chips. Now I am struggling, and when I move all-in from the button with KQ after a min raise, I thought that he could may be lay down his A9, since it was costing him 6k into a 12k pot. However it held up and I was out.
On reflection perhaps I should have folded my Q7 but I don't think I had time to wait. We were down to 24 players but I don't think you can rely on 7 eliminations with an M of 8 and 25 minute levels....

Adelaide - Jan 2009 - Oldest trick in the book

2009-01-30T22:41:00.000-08:00

I have made the trip to Adelaide for the SkyCity Adelaide Hold 'em Championships.

I've dabbled with cash games before the first event - I am about even so far.

First in Sydney while checking out the poker room I sat down at the 2/3 NLH table - buy-in $200. I'd been there about 15 mins when I picked up KK on the button. There was a straddle to $10 with 2 limps, so I raise to $100. The straddler goes all-in for $220 and there is one caller. Is there any way I can fold? I called and the straddler showed JJ and the limp / call AA. I can't be bothered to reload from the ATM so I leave $200 down.

On my first night in Adelaide they are allegedly running 1 table sit and go's for the main event but there is not enough interest. To be honest the poker room is Sh*t* and I play in the biggest game : 2/3 with a max $180 buy-in and a 10% rake max $10. I get caught out by their absurd string bet rule - there is a line to move your chips over but if you don't announce raise and don't put them down in one movement it is a string bet. Well I dropped my chips once they were over the line and it was called a string bet by the dealer. So instead of a flop bet of 40 into a 60 pot it is only $10. Everyone calls and when the flush comes on the turn my top pair is clearly no good. I tilt a bit and when my AK does not beat TT I reload for $100. A few hands later I get all in again, this time with TT vs AJ - he hits J so I give it up for the night.

On day 2 I play the same game. This time it is a complete limp fest and at last my pairs start hitting sets. A very strange session since I never had AA, KK, AK or AQ, so I only raised pre-flop twice - QQ and JJ. My QQ did not get any heat on the flop so I won quite a nice pot uncontested, and when the flop to my JJ was AJ7 rainbow I played it slow - check calling from mid position to a button bet. The turn is a rag so I am pretty sure he has an A so I check again. This time he checks and the river is Q. I check again and he bets $30 into a $100 pot so I just min raise to $60. He then goes all-in - I am slightly worried about the straight but call - he mucks so he must have had AQ. I end up being $550 up for the night, which makes me cash neutral.

So to the tournament. It is a megasatellite for the main event - $670 buy-in, 1 in 5 get an entry into the main event. 69 runners so 13 seats up for grabs. We get 5000 chips with 30 minute levels.
Level 1 25/50. I win some chips when my KQ hits a Q high flop and then when I get a free card having raised pre-flop with AT and there is no action on a ragged flop. An A on the turn - I et out and all fold. I also manage to sneak a win when my Q8 hits a Q on the river. I am up to 7k in chips at the end of the level.
Level 2 50/100. Card dead - down to 6k
Level 3 75/150. Got a lucky break when calling several min raise limps on the button with A6h. Flop is a A75 and I can't believe it when my bet of 700 into a 1500 pot is enough to take it down.
Level 4 100/200. I start with 7k but am down to 6 after raising with AQ spades. Flop is QJT all hearts - he goes all-in and I can't call.
Level 5 150/300. We are down to 50 players and I have 6,500 chips when I play this hand:
One guy has recently shown down 2 big bluffs so I guess I should have been wary when he called UTG. There is one more caller and I have KQ in mid position so I call too. The button calls as do the blinds so we see a flop with a pot of 1800. The flop is QJ2, with 2 hearts (I have Kh) it is checked by the blinds to the second limper who bets 600. I raise to 2400 and the UTG player goes all-in. The bettor folds and so I am looking at around 4000 more into an 9000 pot. I am pretty sure he would have raised with AQ or AK but I do consider AA or KK. But perhaps he is trying it on again? I decide to call and he has KK so I need runner runner flush or Q neither of which show. On reflection I think I should have smelled the proverbial vermin...

Aussie Millions - Jan 2009 - Days 7 to 10 - 3 Bad Beats

2009-01-18T04:01:00.000-08:00

Well I am sorry to say I have been knocked out of the main event by an amazingly stupid call by someone who should have known better. But let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Day 7
Having got through a single table satellite I play in the $1000 main event satellite. We are playing at the same time as the media / celebrity tournament which means the poker room is a shambles. We are treated to some shrieky girl commenting on the media event with words of wisdom (!) from Joe Hachem's brother.
On my table we have the slowest woman in the world playing. If she was not of the fairer sex the locals would have beaten her to a pulp for taking for ever to decide what to do - and then getting outrageously lucky. After about an hour I pick up QJ in mid position and our lady friend limps UTG. I limp as do a couple of others. The flop comes 7TJ with 2 diamonds and she bets 500 into a 1000 pot. I've only got 2000 chips so I move all-in. She calls me with AKd and hits an Ace. I think that she was actually favourite but given her previous play I was surprised she actually had a hand.
I then go find a single table satellite to the $1500 tournament the next day. I am bowling along quite nicely when I get A9 on the button and call a couple of limpers. The flop comes 975 rainbow so when the BB bets out I reraise him all-in pretty sure I am ahead and sure enough he has K9 - however he rivers a K to knock me out.

Days 8 and 9 are rest days. Day 8 was a Friday and Anderson and I meet up with the brother of a friend of mine. He has only just moved here so we seem to know more about the bars than he does. Anderson spots some nice young ladies wandering into what looks like a shopping centre and we follow into a tardis like bar club. (Un)fortunately this is at about 7.30 in the evening - and it turns into a very long night. I will say that the ladies of Melbourne do scrub up well.
I drink too much beer so Saturday is a bit of a write off and I have the proverbial early night.

Day 10 is the big one and there is a certain amount of tacky razzamatazz at the kick off which is 12.30. Not sure where Shane Warne is - we get Brian McFadden instead.

Level 1 - We start with 20,000 chips and blinds are 50/100 - the levels are 90 minutes
Not much happens - I raise with JJ in the SB and the only limper folds. I nick a pot by making my A4c look better than it actually is and when my AK runs into a 3 spade flop J63 even though I hold the King of spades I fold to a pot bet. I end up with 20,000

Level 2 - 100/200
Get a result when I get to limp on the button with 46c. Flop is J73 and when the SB makes a 350 bet into the 1000 pot he gets one caller. I decide to make a speculative call and when the beautiful 5 turns I have the nuts. He checks and I bet 1000 which he calls. The river is a 7 but he still calls down my 1500 bet. Sweet. Unfortunately shortly after I am moved to the table of death - the seat I take has apparently had 2 players kncked out in it. However my stack is 24,000 at the next break.

Level 3 100/200 /50 ante
It all starts to go a bit wrong at this level. I pick up KK in mid position but everyone folds to my standard raise. I then call with Q9 on the button after 3 limps. Flop is J93 with 2 hearts. All check to me so I bet 800 hoping my pair of 9s is good. Unfortunately the man to my right calls. Turn is 6h and he checks to me. I have Qh so perhaps my flush draw is good too. I bet 1500 but he reraises by 5000 - and I have to fold (later he tells me he had made a flush). I had to fold JJ after raising pre flop and then getting some heat on an Axx flop. I also had several baby pairs which I called the odd raise with looking to flop a set. Curiously I can't remember having a sniff at any set at all in the entire trip so far. Considering how many little pairs you see I am nowhere near the 1 in 8 expected.

Level 4 150/300/25
After a rather poor Level 3 I am down to 14,000. Not great but still very playable. I get AK which scores me a couple of 1000 and also AT on a 45T rainbow flop gets me some more when the big stack calls me down to the river.
However when I get AT again in the SB I decide to reraise a standard button raise of 1000. He calls and when the flop comes TJK I try firing again with a 3k bet. He calls. We check down further rags and he shows QQ. Not sure if I could have bet him off this pot or not.

At the end of Level 4 we have the dinner break and when we come back blinds are 200/400/50. I try to be patient but begin to get pissed of with getting JJ again and having to lay down when a A flops. Someone doubles through when he makes a set of 2's on an AJ2 flop - why does that never happen to me? We are getting close to the end of the level and I am down to around 10,000 when I pick up AJ in mid position. The man on the button is a Canadian who has been very active, raising quite a lot of limped pots. Also he has recently lost a huge hand against the south african HORSE winner who is sat to his left, so I decide to try to trap him on this hand. I limp and he raises to 1500 which I call. The flop comes 234 with 2 diamonds (I have the Ad) and I know he is going to try to steal it so I check. Sure enough he bets 2500 so I then go all-in over the top. He is now looking at a further 6000 into a 15000 pot. Surely he can't call here? Even if he has a flush draw I hold the A which must make him think he might be drawing dead to a flush. If he has a low pair then I have lots of outs - back door flush and straight as well as my overcards. He dwells up and then says that he thinks the price is right. He calls and shows Q9 both clubs. WTF? How can he call with that rubbish. He is only beating a dodgy bluff or perhaps a straight draw. Well of course the dealer ships a Q on the river. I am not amused.
Never mind - Anderson buys me an ice cream as compensation.

Aussie Millions - Jan 2009 - Day 6 - HORSE and Hall of Fame

2009-01-14T13:49:00.000-08:00

I play in the HORSE tournament today which is a real laugh. There are 98 runners and not many fish (apart from me). The games are limit hold em, Omaha hi/lo, Razz, Stud, and Stud Hi-Lo. I am completely clueless with Razz (stud low) so it is good to get some tuition.

I have Mick "the loon" Hoon on my table and he is a constant source of banter. I manage to scrape along and am a bit unlucky in the stud, twice having four to flush after 5 cards and not improving either time.

However I get a few lucky breaks in the omaha high/low. I make a full house having limped with a high only hand from the small blind and with no low coming I scoop a big pot. A bit later a similar incident. I have a distinctly average hand of 344J on the button and I call after 3 limps. Flop comes 479 with two hearts. There is a bet and 2 calls when it comes to me. I am getting quite low on chips and since I am last to act I know I can't get raised. No-one seems to interested in this pot and this is the last small bet (it is limit) so I call too. Turn is the case 4 so I have quads. It is checked round to me and I am such shock I don't bet - think i am in hold 'em mode and don't want to scare them off. What an idiot. If I bet they probably all have to call. The river is a T which means there is no low so there is only one bet made - however he calls my raise and so I get a nice load of chips.

The structure of the tournament is a bit rubbish - which favours me and I take the opportunity to play all-in with good starting cards a few times to get me to the finally 3 tables of 8.

At dinner all the remaining players are invited to the Australian Poker Hall of Fame party which is on the roof terrace bar/club Breezes in the Crown Towers hotel. We have some posh canapes and champagne and then there is a presentation to the inaugural hall of famers including Joe Hachem, Mel Judah, Tony G. Unfortunately several of us have to return to the tournament, and I don't know why I bother. I have 10,000 chips and am on the BB of 2000 in omaha. I have to fold that blind and my SB as well and then we hit Razz. I get the bring-in 3 times out of the next 4 hands for 800 chips each so when I am bring-in again with K23 I decide to go all-in against a single raiser. Unfortunately it is Mel Judah showing a 5 up and when we flip them over he has 23 to go with it. The dealer takes the piss by dealing me about 5 face cards in a row and I exit in 20th place. Not bad for an amateur though.

I play a single table satellite and get dealt AA 5 (yes five) times. This is pretty ridiculous since we were probably only dealt 50 hands. Naturally I did win and only think wistfully it would have been nice to save it for Sunday...

Aussie Millions - Jan 2009 - Day 5 - Superduper satellite

2009-01-14T13:34:00.000-08:00

Took it a bit easier today since I was changing from a hotel to a serviced apartment. I have a "penthouse" but all this means is that the lift stops on the 14th floor and I have to walk up an extra flight of stairs.

Now I have a kitchen I can buy some proper food but it is difficult to buy a small amount of certain things in the supermarket. For example a very large jar of standard mayonnaise is $1.95 but all the fancy small jars are $4. I think the cleaner is going to score a tip of 300g of mayo, half a bottle of olive oil and some salt and pepper.

I play in the $240 satellite again in the morning. Don't get many cards but make my first real sneaky move when the blinds are up to 200/400 (we start with 2500 and 1 in 5 players go through). I raise a limper with KQ and get 2 callers. I continuation bet on a 579 rainbow flop which nicks me enough chips to get me into the final 30 with 18 getting seats. However when I get all in with AK vs JJ and 88 I don't improve and am knocked out.

I play a ridiculous $120 buy-in one table crap shoot. We get 1000 chips with blinds of 100/200. The rules are that you can never call - you must raise or fold. First hand I am on the button and move all-in with KT and beat A8 to double up. I then don't play again as the other players kamikaze. Soon we are down to 3 and I double through with some random filth. Then we are two and when I push with KJ he has AT and I don't improve.

Aussie Millions - Jan 2009 - Day 4 - Bubble and Horse

2009-01-12T14:21:00.000-08:00

Played in the Phase 1 main event satellite - $240 entry - 1 in 5 go through to the supershot main event satellite later in the day.

Had a very noisy player on our table - Oliver the young Queenslander. The dealer kept telling him to turn down the volume but the locals just liked taking the piss. He clearly was an internet player and knew what he was doing, so when I was getting a bit short stacked and had 2's on the button after his standard raise I shoved (as I believe we have to say "shove" now to get down with the kids, rather than "move all-in"). He thought for ever and berated himself for having a stack large enough to fold - even though I could be stealing yada yada. He folds and shows AT so naturally I show my deuces. Not sure whether this is good advertising or not.

Blinds start going up viciously and I get away with a few steals, not really having any proper hands. They are paying 13 seats with $600 cash to 14th and we have 16 players left. Blinds are 700/1400 and I have 10,000 when I pick up AJ in the BB. Someone moves all-in for 6000 in late position. I think the correct play would probably be for me to fold in this satellite situation but stupidly I call. He has 22 and I don't improve. I now only have 2000 left after having to fold my small blind. I have to fold to a raise on the button and then I pick up J5 in the cut off. It is folded round to me and I am not sure whether to wait or not. I have no fold equity but no-one has bet. I decide to bet and the small blind nearly does not call. Unfortunately he is talked into it by the rest of the table and even though I hit my 5 he hits his lowly 6 to knock me out as bubble boy. Well it was my own fault.

A bit later I sign up for a $240 single table satellite. As the table gathers it is clear that it is a strong table. There is a young fish swiftly eaten by the local sharks and now the fish is me. However quite early on I get AK on the button and after a raise a call and a small reraise I shove and even though they all correctly exclaim AK! they can't actually call. I then keep out of trouble until we are 3 handed. There are 20000 chips in play and I have 4000 the local Greek grandaddy has 5000 and the local chief shark 11000. Blinds have just gone up to 300/600 so when I get Q7 naturally I shove from the button. Luckily the big stack has enough chips to call with his AJ and I get a lucky 7. Now the tables are turned and after granddad picks up a few pots he and I are slightly ahead. Fortunately before they get a chance to outplay me granddad gets QQ against AQ and it is all over. The 2 of us get to chose a $1000 tournament so I decide to have a go at the HORSE - time to go and find out the rules of RAZZ.

I try to play a bit of cash - only 2/3 no limit - but I don't have the patience and donk-off (i.e. piss away) all my chips on a big draw. Mr Bramley would have been impressed with the way I looked like I was completely clueless but unfortunately I don't have the stamina to stay the 6 hours or whatever to get it back!!

Aussie Millions - Jan 2009 - Day 3 - Deal or No Deal

2009-01-11T11:53:00.000-08:00

I won my seat today via the super satellite - and after all that whingeing yesterday!

It was a $200 rebuy and I decided to do an immediate buy-in and go for double or quits. Based on the runners the day before I thought it better to invest $400 and hope to get lucky.

In fact it paid off fairly well. I did not get any cards in the first 2 levels but in level 3 (50/100) I picked up KJ in the small blind and after 3 limps I decided to just call. Flop was J98 with 2 diamonds and I decide to go for a bet of 400. Unfortunately the button went all-in and he had me covered. After a bit of a dwell I decide to call and he had the beautiful QJ with no diamonds. So my sneaky limp worked.

I then won a pretty big pot with QJ hitting QQ664 and also got my first AA of the trip to knock out a small stack.

At the break I had 8000 and there were 40 runners left. We were playing for 5 seats plus $300, so a prize pool of $52800. So I had invested $400 compared to an average of about $1300. Total chips in play 260,000.

I keep out of trouble and make a few standard play including knocking out 2 people at once when my KK holds up against AQ and AT to move up t0 20,000. Looks like I will need about 50k and so when the relentless stealer to my right tries to nick my big blind I go all in with KQ. He calls with K2!!!! The board comes QT2 and the turn 2. So now I am down to 6k with the blinds at 300/600. I do several all-ins and don't get any customers and then get a result when I have AQ and am called by AJ.

Eventually we get to the final 6 and a deal is proposed. What would you do?

Blinds are 3k/6k about to go to 5k/10k. The chip leader has 100k, there are 2 short stacks with about 15k each. I have 50k and the other 2 medium stacks 40k and 30k. We agree to make up the 6th seat so I say whatever and go off to the ATM. When I get back (you can only get out $200 at a time!) the organizer says I need to pay $1900. This includes a sweetner to the big stack - I think this may be a bit of a rip off but since I don't have the whole amount and he is wearing my debt I can't argue.

So I am in...!

Aussie Millions - Jan 2009 - Day 2 - Super satellite

2009-01-10T13:06:00.000-08:00

Played in the super satellite for the $10,000 main event today. I don't think that the format of this is very good.
The buy-in is $200 with rebuys for the first 3 levels which are 30 mins each. You can do a double rebuy any time and a triple rebuy at the break after level 3. You get 1000 chips for $200 and the blinds go 25/50;50/100;75/150.
I am not sure what the best strategy is - but this tournament rather plays itself for me.
In level 1 I pick up KK and raise to 300 after 2 limps. I end up all-in against AT and A5 (??) so I triple up. I then fold everything until level 3 when I have 2500 left and pick up AQ suited on the button. There is a call followed by a raise to 300. I go all-in and am called by JJ which hold up.
I rebuy for 1000 and get nothing. The last hand before the break I have 750 left on the button so after all fold I go all-in with K5. Unfortunately the BB has AA.
I decide to do a double rebuy so after the break with blinds 100/200 I have only one move with my 2000 chips. After a few hands the big stack to my right makes a standard raise to 600 when I am the SB. I look down at A4 and decide to make a stand. He calls showing KQ and even though he flops a K I turn A to double up.
I move tables but when it is my button and I pick up AK after a standard raise the BB puts me all-in. I am happy to call until I see his AA.
There were 70 runners and we were competing for 6 seats - but really I was struggling at the break. I think perhaps I would have been better off paying an extra $200 to enter a proper satellite costing $1000.
Perhaps a better strategy is to start with 2000 chips for $400 and never rebuy - but look to double up early. I may try this tomorrow....

Aussie Millions - Jan 2009 - Day 1 - Charlie Sin-binned

2009-01-09T01:50:00.000-08:00

I arrived in Melbourne too late to get in to the multi table satellite for the first event so had to come back for a single table satellite later on in the evening. Unfortunately I only managed 4th out of 10 so I had to pay the full entry fee of $1100 to join the other 348 players for day 1 of event 1.

We started with 5000 chips and 40 minute levels.

Level 1 25/50.
During this level I was dealt 4 pairs : 33, 55 (twice) and TT. I dutifully called with each one and then had to fold on the flop. The most annoying was TT - the flop came A89 and I could not call a pot sized bet - of course the turn was a T but I had to look on from the sidelines. At the end of Level 1 I was down to 3500.

Level 50/100.
This is the level where we discover some of the new rules. For those of you who remember Dallas from the eighties, I believe there was a short blonde girl known as the poison dwarf (Lucy Ewing) - well we get the poker equivalent as our new dealer. I am sat in seat 8 which is at the far end of the table. I've limped in late position with some filth and on the flop the big blind leads out for a reasonable bet. I glance to my right and somehow the fellow in seat 5 manages to have his hands perfectly positioned so I can't see his cards - yet he looks like he has given up. I think he has folded so I toss my cards in. Unfortunately he is still thinking so after he does fold I apologise and explain that it was difficult to see his cards. The dealer says that she has to call the floor man to report my folding out of turn and I get a warning. We will return to this later...
As to the cards - in this level I get a bit of a result in the SB. I am dealt 84 clubs and after 2 limpers I complete. The flop is AT6 with two clubs. I decide to try to nick the pot by betting 300 and there is one caller. The turn is the beautiful 2 clubs. I bet 800 and when I am raised all-in I insta-call - he is drawing dead with a red Ace and a rubbish red kicker.

A few hands later I rereraise with KK and am happy enough not to see a flop. So I have motored on to 9000 chips.

Level 3 - 75/150.
Absolutely card dead. Limp with 55 and have to fold on an Ace high flop. Finish at the break at the end of this level with 8000 chips which is about average.

Level 4 - 100/200
Raise with JJ under the gun. Get 3 callers so when the flop comes with AK7 I don't bother with a continuation bet and I fold to a bet and call. Down to 6000 chips

Level 5 - 100/200 25 ante
Chatting to the man to my right after he has raised pre flop and then folded showing T8 he explains that this is his favourite hand. This reminds me that I used to play "the dog" as my favourite hand and then a few minutes later I get K9d in late postion. So I call a standard raise and call. Flop is 7TJ giving me a double bellybuster (either an 8 or Q will make me a straight). The original raiser leads out for 600 and the limper folds. At this point I make a bit of a mistake. I decide to raise by 2000 but I don't really consider his stack. He has got about 5000 left so when he goes all in I have to call - I thought my K might be an overcard. If I was going to be priced in I should have just gone all-in - however he had KK so would have called anyway. I hit an 8 to knock him out so at the end of Level 5 I have got back to 9000 chips.

Level 6 - 150/300/50
I make steady progress. Win a couple of nice pots when I get K9 matching nicely a 988 flop and having raised with QQ when the flop comes down Kxx my continuation bet is enough to discover there is no K. So at the second break I have 11,000 which is average for the remaining 160 players.

Level 7 200/400/50
I don't get any proper hands but now the antes have arrived it was worth trying to steal and I do manage to nick a couple from late position - up to 13,000.

Level 8 300/600/50
This level is where disaster stikes. The poison dwarf returns and a couple hands in at the new level I am in mid position. I have ATs and I am trying to decide what my standard raise should be, I don't want it to be too much, so because the level has only just changed I think 1600 might do it and I lob the chips out - not noticing the man directly to my right has not folded. So double wammy - the fact he is thinking of betting and then still calls must mean my AT is a load of rubbish - but worse, poison dwarf calls over the floor man to tell them I acted out of turn. It is a different floor man to before, so she points out this is my second offence. Several more floor persons come over and tell me that becuase of this I am sin binned and have to miss an entire orbit. So I have to go into a corner and put on a hat with D on it. This faux-pas costs me 300 in chips.
When I get back I get no hands at all (presumably I missed my AA) and so by the end of this level I am down to 9,500

Level 9 400/800/75
I am now a short stack so when I get K8 in late position I ship them in only to be called by the BB with 99. I don't get lucky so I am out.

This 2 warning thing seems a farce. If I had not had the same dealer twice how would they know I'd transgressed twice? Seems crazy....