Beaten Up By BlackbeltsA tournament report before the tournament has event finished ?
A tournament report before we"ve even hit the dinner break on Day 1a ?
Yes folks, I am that good.
Ended up on a slightly later than planned train up to London, but managed to make it through the doors of The Vic, just 20 minutes late of the midday kickoff.
Quickly found my table, and got down to business. With a 20k starting stack, I"d planned to get involved early with hands and see what happened. Towards the end of level one, came my first major hand.
Blinds are 25/50. UTG limps, and UTG+1 makes it 300 to go. That gets one caller, and it folds round to me in the small blind. I look down to see pocket queens. Hmmmm, out of position, clearly some interest already. I raise to 1700. UTG decides to reraise to 3300. UTG+1 calls, other player folds, and I make the call, although am really not liking this at all.
On a 7 4 2 flop, I check, and UTG bets 5500. UTG+1 then goes allin. Great, I"m deducing that I"m up against AA or KK with one of the hands, so reluctantly, let my queens go. UTG thinks for a bit, has a look at his watch, and eventually makes the call and flips over K2, for bottom pair, FML #1. UTG+1 flips over pocket queens, FML #2.
The queens are good, and we have a new chipleader on 45k. I"m down to 15k. If I"d been able to find a donk, I"m pot committed call, I"d be on nearly 30k, oh well.
During the next two levels, I manage to lose chips to most players. Every move I try to make gets reraised, betting out on flops I"ve missed. No worries though, we hit the first break, and I"ve got just over 9k.
Had a quite chat with some of the APATers in the break, Rich Baker was on 25k, Debbie Kimm had 17k, didn"t catch what Dave Butler"s stack was.
So, back after the break, and blinds are 100/200. Ross Jarvis has been moved to our table, and is two to my left. He is getting involved in a number of hands, and between him and the chipleader to his left, they are bossing the table. Ross got involved in one hand where his fired out on all streets, and eventually the other player folded to his 5k river bet. The board was 8844x, and when Ross mucked, the dealer accidentally flipped on of his card and showed the three of clubs.
A few hands later, and I raise it up to 575 from mid position with AQ. Ross calls. We see a flop of 8 8 5. I check, Ross bets out 500, I call. Turn is another 5. Check check. River is another 5. I check, Ross bets out 4k. That"s nearly half my stack. I know that. I know, he knows that. I"m playing the board, I"m sure he is, but I"m winning 1k or losing 4k and I let it go.
Very next hand and I am dealt pocket jacks. Again, I raise to 575, and Ross calls. The flop comed down 8 4 2, all spades. I bet out, Ross calls. Turn is a 7 of clubs. I bet out, Ross calls. River is 2 of clubs. I"m down to 5k, and the pot is now nearly 7k. I don"t put him on AA, KK, QQ. I think he would have reraised preflop from that position. Maybe he"s got a set. If so, well played him. I"m sure that if I check this river, he"s going to bet at it, and I"m not sure I can call. So, I go allin. Ross snap calls, and shows KQ or spades. He"d flopped the flush. Very nice hand, FML #3.
It"s 3pm, might aswell go home. I wish Rich and Debs goodluck, and say I will rail them from home.
Head for Waterloo Station, and have managed to make it back in front on my PC at home before 6pm. Top Work.
