Dublin Poker

Ive only played in the Anglers once before, in the team event, but when I heard that this was to be the last game, I said I'd venture out and give it a go. I'd been successful the last time, bagging first, so hopefully I could keep up the 100% record!

I wasn't sure how long it would take to get through town with the traffic, so I gave myself an hour to get there, which unfortunately turned out to be a bit pessimistic! I arrived at about quarter to seven, and as I was the first one there i offered to help Nick setting up. Eventually people started arriving and I spotted a few lads off boards knocking about. I thought there would be a good few lads from boards heading in, because it was the last one, but it turns out that only myself, ntlbell, Scotty and Culchie made it down.

We had a bit of time to kill so we had a few games of pool before registering. I had a look around before registering, and by the looks of it the standard was pretty similar to the last time I played. I recognised a few faces from the last time too... mostly drunken pub player type. I felt that it wasn't going to be too difficult to do well, once I avoided bad beats and brainfarts on my part (i.e trying to bluff a player that will call to the end with bottom pair...).

I joined the queue to register and saw that ntlbell was just behind me. Noticing that we had a fairly decent chance of doing well, I joked to him "wanna do a deal when we get to heads up?"... haha... little did I know how true my prediction would be :)

Anyway, I think we started the tournament with 54 player, so I figured top prize would be between €900-€1200. We had a decent starting stack of 4400 and a nice blind structure so I was looking forward to a good game.

I didn't play a hand for the few while, trying to get a feel for the table. It didn't take long to realise basically everyone's play, something I could never do so fast in a bigger game. It was as if each player was dying to get across exactly what type of player they were. There were two super tight players, two very loose-aggressive lads, and the rest looked like they would play basic abc poker, only playing decent hands, chasing draws etc.

Lovely, I should be able to use this... I sat back not wanting to get involved in any pots where I could get outdrawn and criplle myself early on... My plan was to wait for a monster and slowwwww play! I had built up my stack to about 6K from reraising people when I felt they weren't that strong, but hadn't shown a hand yet.

Then along came my flight...American Airlines 101... aces baby! With the blinds at 50/100, I raised it up to 300 to scare out any limpers. As I'd hoped I got two callers. One tight player and one LAG. I felt the tight player was on either a good ace or a medium pair. I think he would fold anything worse and raise with anything better. The other lad could have anything!

Anyway, the flop came a beautiful A93 rainbow. I was first to act, and quickly checked acting as if I'd missed totally. LAG looked as if he was going to raise, then checked behind me. The tight player then quickly checked too. The turn brought another 9, so now I was praying that one of them had hit. I had been watching LAG when the turn came out, and I saw his eyes dart back and forth between the flop and his left card.... got a nine then?

I decided to try the old double bluff, and represent the nine. I bet out 500, which LAG called after a while, trying his hardest to pretend he had none of it. The tight player got out of there and we were heads up. I was hoping he'd hit his kicker on the river for a lower house, but somehow the river came up the fourth ace! Ugh... if there's anytime I want to hit quads now isin't it! He was clearly scared by the river, and I felt if I checked he would check behind, so I did the only move I thought could get him in... a push. I put on a big act as if I was trying to scare him out of the pot, but eventually he announces "hey everyone here comes the fold of the tournament.. I'm folding a full house! Ohh your lucky you caught that river son".

He grins as if its the best fold anyone's ever seen, when in fact it is an easy fold on a double paired board. Anyway, just to shut him up, I showed the four aces to show that he in fact "caught the river". He wouldn't stop going on about how good a fold that was for the next two hours. Not a great player... somehow he got 3rd :( Also, I won the 'top hand' prize for this, so I got €30 (which I forget to collect!).

So I was motoring along nicely now, and picking up a steady string of premium hands, which is exactly what is needed against this standard of players. It is mostly about playing your big hands well. I had only been showing big hands and tried to work off this image and start stealing a few pots with muck. I picked up 92c and when a few shortstacks limped in, I pushed. Unfortunately table image isint something most of these people think about and I was called in a shot by a pair of threes. No help and I've lost a little chunk of my stack. Ah well, he had the better hand, I just felt that my table image counted for something... not here obviously! So no more stealing with muck!

Just before the break, I had to make a tough decision. The super tight player at the table, min-raised preflop. This was the first time all night he had raised preflop, and only about the fifth or sixth hand he'd played, so i knew he had a premium hand. Anyway, I called with Q4 spades, just to see if i could catch a flop. The flop came Ks Jh 4h, so not a great flop for me, but there are possibilities of making a hand. Its checked around to me so I get to see a free turn card. The turn brings the 5s and the tight lad leads for a decent bet. Its folded to me and I reckon he either has trip fives or Ax spades.

The turn came the 9s, so I'd made my flush, but there was a good chance that I was beat. He led out for 300 into a pot of about 1500, and I thought long and hard about raising. He had about 6K, and I had about 15K so now was a great chance to get ahead. I went over the hand a few times, and felt that my read was probably right based on how tight he had been up until now. If he had trip fives I wouldn't be too annoyed, as I felt he could have either. So I flat called, and announced King high flush, I think I'm behind so i'm not raising. I took a guess at his kicker, figuring it was probably high if he raised preflop, and said "go on turn over your A10 spades". He looked shocked and turned over that exact hand!

I could tell the rest of the table was impressed by this, so I hoped I could take advantage of this later on. In fairness it wasn't all that great a play, and I 'm sure most decent players off boards would have done the same. The fact of the matter is I'm pretty sure I would almost never be able to fold this in a bigger live game, and definitely not online! This lad was just easy enough to read, and there wasn't an awful lot on the line if I was wrong.

I looked around at the break, and I was in the top 3 stacks on about 14K. Ntlbell was doing ok and Scotty was about average I think. Culchie didn't seem to be getting the cards and was struggling on just under 2K.

Im at about 14K at the break, which was well above average. After the break I continued on where I had left off, chipping away and building my stack. We broke down to three tables and Scotty was moved to my tabled. I was sitting on about 25K. I picked up AQs and when Scotty pushed for about 17K I was left with a decision. I havent played with him too much, but from what I knew I figured it was a race at best. I should have folded but instead I donked off most of my stack to him... total brainfart... He had 99 which held up and I was down to 8K. I played my shortstack very aggressively and somehow built up to over 60K soon enough!

It took a while to break for the final table and we were sitting on 10 players for a good while. I had fallen to about 55K at this stage, but was still up there with the chip leaders. It was taking a while to lose the bubble, but finally we broke for the FT and I had bang on 50K.

I drew seat one for the FT, and Ntlbell again joked about us doing a deal once we got heads up! He only had about 20K, so he needed to do a bit of work to get far. And that he did! I think he went all in the first 6 or 7 hands in a row! Most of the times he was taking the blinds, but at 3K/6K that was a nice steal! Finally Scotty decided to call him with A7. I think he was BB, and shortstacked. Unfortunately for him Ntl had pocket tens and knocked him ou in 9th.

I was totally card dead on the FT and just sat back waiting for a hand while ntl took out players. When we were down to 6, I called an all in with A4 when in was my BB. The blinds were 3/6 and it was only an extra 5K. The small blind called too, so there was a decent pot of over 30K. The flop came QJJ. SB checked, I checked. Turn came a 4. Now I had a decision. I only had about 30K, and the SB had me covered. I bet out 8K into a dry sidepot, which he flat called. The river came a J, the SB checked, and as i didn't want to commit myself, I checked aswell.

My house of Jacks over fours won and I raked in the 50K pot. I was back in business now and we were down to 5. A while later Ntlbell got nice and lucky when his A9 cracked A10 and i think a pair of sevens. It was a good call, and he was unlucky that his ace was dominated, but I was just happy that he knocked out the other two players!

Down to three and it was myself, ntl and the lad from earlier who reckoned folding a house is such an amazing fold. He kept on saying "im lucky i got this far, if i didn't make such an amazing fold earlier on i'd be gone..." etc, etc. Ntl was huge chip leader, but I got a bit back raising his BB every round. Finally the other guy decides to push and I decide to call with K3. It was about half my stack but he made it clear he didnt want a caller, and true enough i had his 10 3 dominated. No bad beat and we're heads up.

We took a little break and for the first time actually discussed a deal. We both agreed there wasn't enough in it to warrant a deal and we'd play on for the glory. I had a 100% record on the line ffs!

We started back and ntl had about a 3:2 chip lead so there wasn't much in it. I soon took the lead with some aggressive play, but ntl soon started playing the same. I then went card dead again, and had about 6 or 7 hands in a row where I got absolute crap. With the blinds at 7K/15K I couldnt sit back and wait for a hand. I was looking for a hand to make a move, but just couldnt find it. Ntl on the other hand was getting hit in the face with the deck. Aces twice, AK, AJ etc.

I finally picked up 37c and tried to raise to pick up the blinds. He flat called and I needed to hit the flop. Flop came K22, and I bet out hoping to represent the King. He flat called again, and I now had half my stack in the middle. The turn came a blank and we both checked. The river came a queen and I saw him glance at his cards. I felt he had hit the queen and the only way I was scaring him out was to represent the King. I pushed, and he called in a shot with KQ. D'oh!

Ah well. Well played ntl, the cards went your way towards the end, and I made the wrong move at the wrong time!

Still €700. Not bad for a day's work, although I'm annoyed i didn't retain my title! I got the holiday paid off, and I'm happy with how I played, so its all good! I withdrew another €300 from the online account, because I've had a lot of bad beats the last two days, and I think my run of 'no bad luck' is coming to an end! Ah well, i dont take online too seriously, and I'm chuffed I actually made a profit the last few weeks.