The last day, and we're on to Crazy Pineapple. Last event of the week and it was a case of let's have some enjoyment! Have a laugh with the table I'm on, and what happens, happens.
When my first table splits, I have maybe 16k, manage to get a double up or 2, and we're suddenly playing hand for hand.
There's a player all in for less than a bb on my table, Ian and myself check it to the river, where I have to bet in last position having flopped 2 pair and turning the full house.
We get to a final table:
Seat 1: Brian Beekers - 120k
Seat 2: Maike Tigchelaar - 59k
Seat 3: Asa McGrath - 102k
Seat 4: Robert Dove - 37k
Seat 5: Danny Op 't Hof - 126k
Seat 6: Ian Thompson - 48k
Seat 7: Shruti Shete - 41k
Seat 8: Maarten Kok - 165k
With 6 left, I get dealt QQx and are all in pre, with both Ian and Danny. Happy that the flop comes KQ9, especially seeing Danny have AK, and Ian with AJ. Ian get there on the river but I still manage to win a significant pot. Couple of hands later, Danny is all in after I've raised, I auto call. Flop AQQ, sitting with A9 I'm fairly happy until Danny turns over AQ! Danny 3 hands later has the chip lead and raises again, I have JJ5 on my bb and call, flop is J64, he shoves I obviously call, and I beat his AA.
A few hands later, Danny raises all in and again it's an auto call. Flop is
and I pretty much am playing my pocket pair under, which is
, Danny has
and I hold.
Another medal bubble! Manage to win a good pot slow playing a nut flush, and there's a double up for Ian who was short stacked. About 10 mins later, I raise Ian's bb and he shoves. I take a while but call. Flop is
and I take a while, I'm holding Q77 with 2 clubs, decide Ian has probably got an overpair and go with the flush draw. He turns over AJ, and I get there straight away, so into another medal battle!!
3 handed I have 350k with the others having that between them. Brian eventually busts Maarten after a cagey few rounds and HU for another bracelet!
Lose a big hand early on where my K7 on a AK7 board is battered by his A7. Chop a pot all in where I threw my pair to chase a flush, but the board played whichever way I went. Managed to work my way into a chip lead again, when we had another all in. I held K7 on a K78 all hearts, Brian had
and hit the flush on the turn. Managed to double back up with Ace high vs K hi and again take the chip lead. We get it in all in pre again,
flop, Brian holds
to my 10 10 and turns the flush again. Down to less than 100k again, all in with the flop A 2 3, I hold K 3, and Brian J 10, board runs out K ( yay) and then Q to give Brian the straight and the win.
Annoying way for the board to run out obviously, but no complaints from me. 2 wins, 2 bracelets, a 2nd and a 6th in the week. Coming into the week, I was hoping for one final table, and maybe even a medal, but what happened was beyond any expectations.
It also meant, that after the online series, I ended up being Player of the Series, gaining a main event and 2 side entries for free to next seasons Worlds.
The whole experience has only started to hit me in the last couple of days. Winning 2 in a day has never been done before. Running as well as I obviously have done also massively helped. I just remember, going into the final table of the 8 game, thinking 2 things. One was I'm going to bloody enjoy myself no matter what happens. The second was thinking back a few years, to when Chris Moormans father, Simon, won the GUKPT in Manchester, where I railed with Chris for the whole final table. I knew that Simon had never played big poker events before, but he looked totally at ease with himself and the situation he found himself in. So I told myself, chill, be yourself and try and portray that image. Seemed to work!
