Hiya everyone......thanx for all your support and to those of you who backed me out there, I am sorry that I couldn"t deliver for you.
The Caesars deepstack event was top-notch with a 50k starting stack for a $1070 buy-in giving you plenty of scope to play. It eventually had 705 runners and I made day 2 in great shape with twice the average at over 200k, yet it should really have been more as I had 345k at one stage.
Day 2 was tough as I had some VERY big stacks moved to my table yet I stayed above average for about 17 hours over the 2 days, but then got tied into a hand which I should never have been involved in in the first place. This saw me slip to about 130k and with the blinds at 5k-10k, I needed to pick up a hand.
With 90 remaining (72nd paid $1906, $150k for 1st !!) and the tea-break looming, I picked up A-K under the gun and made it 30k to play. The BB, a German who I had some history with, called. The flop of 4-5-Q didn"t look great but I reasoned that if he had hit with A-Q or K-Q then good luck to him as I shoved all-in after he checked to me. His insta-call told its own story.....though his 4-5 WAS a little unexpected.....but then, that"s poker. I could have shoved pre-flop and taken down the blinds ??......Of course, that was a possibility too.....but hindsight is of course 100% efficiency !
I have to say I was gutted to miss out so close to the bubble as I wanted to reward you BCPC guys back home and I was a little down for the rest of the night which is unusual for me when losing at a Tourney. But in the end it was a great experience and I had an Aussie woman on my table most of the 2 days.....don"t know her name, but she cashed in 12th and 19th places in some of the early WSOP Main Events.....she was complementary to me, as were most of the others. I also listened intently to T.J.Cloutier on the table behind me......and as an aside, he rates Ben Roberts as the top British player.
I didn"t make the main event unfortunately, having played 4 satellites in total, 3 of which were part of the package I won through ladbrokes.
The big one came before I had been dealt a hand, 2 days after we arrived - a $1060 tourney at the Rio. I played like a total kno....pri......I didn"t play well !!
Next day saw a $225 qualifier at the Hard Rock Hotel and I had a better run in this before my A-Q shove from the SB, behind a raise from an aggressive Scandie, was followed by another shove by the BB who had me covered. I knew I was in a bit of trouble when the Scandie showed A-A and the BB tabled Q-Q !!
I had my first Vegas cash in a $125 tourney at Caesars, picking up $190 for 12th place, before Laddies 3rd and final satellite saw me get to the last 30 after waiting over 4 hours before doubling up with J-J against A-10.
A new player was then moved to my table and 10 mins later he shoved on the button for his 13k stack and I was delighted when I looked down at J-J in the SB as I was convinced this new guy hadn"t looked at his cards ! When the BB also shoved too and showed A-A, I wasn"t quite so happy, but the new guy then announced "I had better look then"...and turned over A-K ....... before flopping K-K-2 !!
Having continually managed to run decent hands in good situations into Aces, I decided to have one last crack at making the 2009 M.E. so I brought into a $550 last-chance satellite using half of the funds from my backers to give us ALL a chance at the big-one.
You only got 4000 starting chips with a 30 minute clock so not a great deal of scope there for sitting around but with over 200 runners, there were 10 seats up for grabs.
I spent the first level sizing up the all-Yank table and saw several dodgy plays, but I didn"t raise a single pot. Then just after the blinds went up to 50/100, it was folded around to me on the button and I decided to make my first raise of the game....with 3-7 spades, yet got no respect as both blinds called. The flop came a dreamy K-7-3 and when both players checked, I fired 600 into the 900 pot, and the BB re-raised me to 1800, making it 3300 in there with me having about 2800 behind.
He was unlikely to have 3-3 OR 7-7 so unless he had also flopped 2-pair, I reasoned that he had either limped with KQ or KJ. I shoved all-in and he called.....with K-4........WHAT
?
"I couldn"t fold" he said........AFTER he rivered a 4.......so I guess I just wasn"t destined to play the main event after all.
I went on to cash twice in 4th places for $309 both times in Caesars tourneys before we returned home and I have to say, if you have never been to Vegas.....START SAVING NOW FOR NEXT YEAR !!
There is no other place in the World if you want to play poker and it is a great place to go anyway even if you don"t. My better half LOVED the place and once you get used to the heat (110 by day, 95 at 11pm the norm) you will be sorted. You can read all manner of guide books but until you actually experience the hotels, the atmosphere, etc... for yourself, you just cannot begin to appreciate what it is like out there.
I will certainly be looking to return next year and hopefully several other APAT and BCPC members will be there too.
Once again, THANX FOR YOUR SUPPORT EVERYONE........and see you in Edinburgh.
