Dublin Poker

Just got back from the game there, and I somehow went from being chip leader with 16 left, to out in 12th??? And I still can't figure out how the fuck I just threw it away...


I started the game off ok, getting muck up until a few hands before the break. Started after the break with around 6K from a starting stack of 2K. I wasn't getting much until I picked up AJ and AQ in quick succesion. I had given out a bit of a rock image, and when I limped with AK a few hands later, the small blind presumed he was ahead and pushed for 6K. I called and his AQ didn't outdraw me and I was soon up to about 15K.

I was moved then to table 2 and started to dominate and bully the table. I was soon up to 20K.... then 30... then 40, knocking out players on the way and picking up their scalps! I was chip leader on the final two tables with about 42K when everthing just fell apart. First I got JJ and raised it up to 4K (blinds 500/1000). Folded around to BB who goes all-in for 8K total. Only another 4k to me. Autocall. He flips over the aces, and no luck on the board and I've taken a slight hit. Ah well, carry on... Down to 34K.

A few hands later I pick up KK and with a lot of limpers and me last to act I pump in 10K into an 8K pot. Folded around and I get TWO callers who had both checked it to me?? The flop throws an a horrible ace and with a raise and an all in in front of me I'm forced to drop the hand. They turn over AQ and..... A6? Ok.... still ok down to 24K.

The next hand I limp in with Ac10c after 4 callers ahead of me. The flop comes down 445 with two clubs. Its checked around to me so I throw in a pot bet, 10K. I don't know if I was tilting here and whether or not it was worth it to throw half my stack in on a draw, but it was checked to me and I was sure no-one had hit the 4. And it was the NUT flush draw.

It was folded around to the last lad, a calling station who had donated most of his chips to me earlier on. He seemed like the pub-tourney type and had accumulated his chips mainly through picking up big hands. I hadn't seen him bluff all night.

He had about the same amount of chips as me, and was thinking about it for a while before eventually calling. I was almost sure he had the 5 or a lower flush draw now, as he wouldn't have hesitated to call with the 4, and he had already checked it to me. He eventually called and I was starting to get pot committed. I had about 14K left and with about 30K in the pot, I would probably have to push on the turn. The turn was a blank, no club. He checked it to me, and I was going to push, but I think he would have called either way, so I checked behind him hoping to hit an ace, ten or club on the river. The river was another blank and when he pushed I was forced to fold. I couldn't see any way I was ahead.

The blinds were raised to 1500/ 3000 and after getting both my blinds stolen I was forced to call an all in for my last 9K with KJc. I wasn't too far behind and was up against A10. No help on the board and somehow I've gone from being chip leader to out within the space of about 10 minutes. Cannot believe i didn't make the money. Un-fucking-believable.

I've been thinking about the main hands I lost and other than pushing on the nut flush draw, I don't think there was much else i could have done differently. Jacks ran into Aces. Kings got fucked by an ace on the flop. Flush never comes out and I couldn't scare him off the hand.

I managed to pick up 5 scalps so I only lost a tenner for the night but it still fucking hurts. I was in great form tonight and was confident I could at least make the money. Just can't believe I was chip leader with 16 left and I didn't make the money.