Dublin Poker

What a day...

One of the best tournaments I ever played in. Layout, structure everything was spot on. It was run brilliantly and I have no complaints at all about the day. Fair play to Mike and Tom for a great day of poker!

As for the actual game, I was nearly out before the first break! I say nearly, although a certain Dave Masters actually went out on the first hand! I think he had a house rivered by a bigger house.

Anyway, I had built my starting stack up to about 10K from a starting 6, when my stack got DECIMATED! (Cant remember the exact details of the hand, but I think this is how it went) I had called a min raise with A9, and the flop came 969. I led out for 1K, which he called. Turn brought a K, and I led out again with 3,500. He though for ages and eventually flat called. I was a little worried now, and wasn't sure how I was going to play the river. The river brought a 7, and I felt like a push was my only option. He instantly called with 77 for a rivered house?? AGGGGHHHHH!

Down to 400 and I had my jacket on, silently cursing him. OK I maybe could have gotten away from this on the river, but what was he doing calling the 3.5K with sevens?

I was forced to throw in my last 400 on K2 and luckily got 4 others in. I flopped trips and was up to 2K. A few hands later I pushed on the flop with Queens and threes on a Q37 board, and got called by a lad with the same amount of chips as me, holding..... 63c???? The turn brought him a fourth club, and the river... a blank! Thank fuck, I may have thrown a punch his way if he had won the hand! So back up to about 5K and starting to find a good rhythm.

It was now that I realised that the standard at my table, and a few others by the looks of it, was TERRIBLE! Some of the hands I was witnessing were unreal. People calling off all their stack with bottom pair, or a gutshot. I was dying to get a hand and milk these chip factories dry!

Our table broke and I was moved onto Eoin Olin's table (Mr Pillowtalk from Boards). I had only sat down a few minutes when I noticed it was a pretty quiet and tight table. I decided to start playing LAG and liven things up a bit! I limped in with J10h, and the flop came down a delicious 789. I was aiming to double up off one of the big stacks so I threw in a big bet to make it look like I was stealing. A big stack to my left took the bait and started staring me down. I threw back a few false tells making it look like I really didn't want a call. He announced "why are ya betting? You have Nothing! Just being a mouth.. Actually I KNOW you have nothing! I'm all In" Emmmm. Ok I think I'll call with the nuts... Double up to 10K

He wasn't happy at alland was pretty embarrassed by the looks of it. I knew I had put him on major tilt and was dying for a chance to take advantage. And for once, Pokah agreed and two hands later threw me down a pair of aces. I raised it up to 1K (blinds 200/400), and he min-raised it up to 2K. Lovely, please have kings!! I acted as if I'd been caught on the steal, and looked as if I was going to fold etc (oscar winning performance...). I gave it a few minutes of trash talking etc, and finally came out with "hmmm... only way I'm getting you off this is by going all in right?". I pushed all in, and now I could tell he was dying to call. I was thinking he had a medium pair, but I might be able to get him to push if I could tilt him a little more! To be honest I was acting the arsehole and really getting on his nerves. He finally said "you probably have the kings or queens, but I'm gonna fucking call you anyway". He flipped over pocket tens, and the board was no help and he was down to the felt. And I was up to 20K!

He was cursing and moaning at me but I just kept my head down and counted (his) chips! He was knocked out a few hands later and stormed out of the place. It was only after he left that I was told he was known as 'the hangman'. Apparently he plays all the big events and is a well known pro?

Anyway, I started bullying my table now and was soon up to about 30K, and starting to really enjoy myself. I lost about 5K when I limped into a three way pot UTG with Kings, and allowed Eoin to outdraw me. The flop came Q9x rainbow (decent flop for kings), so I raised up to 3K. I got one caller and then Eoin pushed all in for 5K. I felt I was probably behind, thinking he might have pocket queens, but I had to call. The other lad also called and the pot was now a tasty 15K. The turn brought another 9 which we both checked. The river was a blank. and we both checked it down, with Eoin showing Q9 for the house! Biatch!

This table broke again, and we were down to the last 100 players. I was moved to Des's tableand soon built my stack to close to 40K. Mike then decided to announce that myself and Kevin Fitpatrick were tournament chip leaders! A long way from the 400 I was down too!

This table was a little looser than the last one, so I decided to tighten up for a while until I could pick out the decent players. Des was doing his usual pushing with Ax on my BB, and I was dying to call him, but I just didn't have the cards (I had A6 and folded, with Des showing A7 etc). I picked up Queens and called an all in for about 6K, but was outdrawn by A4. Can't argue though, because I knocked out a lad just before the second break with AJ cracking his Queens.

One notable hand from this table was when I had to lay down Queens preflop to a fitz regular (can't remember his name). I raised it up to 3,200 and he pushed for 12K. I had about 30K at this stage, and as I had played with this lad before, I though at best, I was looking at a race against AK. I figured it wasn't worth it and laid them down. He later told me he had AK, but whether to believe that...

I think part of the reason I laid them down was I was having no luck with big hands all day (bar the aces). I picked up Queens three times yestarday and Kings twice, and lost on ALL of them! I seemed to be building my stack mainly from playing aggressively and robbing blinds with muck such as 10 6o (I know you liked that one Des!). I played a few good hands at Des's table, pushing people off bigger hands by representing a better hand etc. and was up to about 30K at the dinner break. Unfortunately Des, Ocallagh, Big D, Rounders, Musician, Oscar and most of the other boardies had exited before the break, as we got down to the last 50. Leslie got moved to our table just befor the break, and was left with a single 500 chip going into the break. Chip and a chair etc...

Went off to the dinner break (chicken curry...bit spicy!), and put a few more names to faces. Met gholimoli and a few others, and took a short walk to clear my head. Unfortunately, Pokah went for a walk to and forgot to come back! My luck after the break was abysmal as the cards simply dried up. Down to 4 tables and I was starting to get shortstacked. The blinds were eating into my stack, and pretty soon I was becoming shortstacked. I was moved onto another table, which had a few notables on it.