Gresham last night

Norwich Fan Rob

Well, decided to try the Pokerevents tourney there last night.
46 runners in all, i expected a bit more, but some good players there all the same including Damien Kavanagh, Dave Masters (2nd/3rd in big one at Citywest recently), Thomas Nolan (3rd in Drogheda), big guy called Gerry, boardster the Gecko, Duke from the SE and Dennis Reyes.
4k starting and i didnt really play any hands early on, one player at my table was pretty much playing every hand. He raised UTG for about the 3rd time in a row and ended up all in winning a pot with the mighty J4 flopping 2 pairs.
His next UTG raise turned out to be Q3 off, which again flopped 2 pairs, he couldnt miss and soon had a huge stack.
As he was playing every hand, and betting almost always when checked to him, some double up opportunities were available, so i was just waiting for anything decent to start with.
I managed to double up about mid way through with KdQd on a KQ4 flop. Lunatic was sure his A4 was good, despite it being about the 1st hand i had played.
Soon after i gave away half my stack, after SB made a blatent attempt to rob my BB, i had K2 suited and shoulda just let him have it with his 64. But i defended for the extra 600 (blinds 200/400) and got in trouble with 2 6's on the board.
Last hand before the break and im struggling at 2k, having really not played many hands at all, i look at QJ, lunatic raises to 1200 for about the 8th time in a row, i move all in, thinking i can top up at the break for 5k anyway, so not much difference between 5k and 7k, but 9/10k would be more playable, however, Dennis also calls behind with AJ, lunatic has 64. Flop comes 336, but a queen on the river gives me about 12k at the break after the top up.
Shortly after the break i double through the lunatic with KQ on a KQ4 flop, i gave him a card and then got him all in with a 4 and a flush draw, which missed. So the table is then broken, we are down to 27 players, and im nicely placed on 25k.
On the new table i raise in middle position with QJ spades, with 2 callers including Dave Master on the BB. Flop is KJ6 all hearts. I bet the pot and he moves all in, i think for ages, knowing well hes capable of a move, and also thinking he might have the bare Ah, but decide its not worth the chance, as there will be better spots later, he shows a King.
Soon after i limp with 97 spades, again on Masters bb, which he checks. (there were a few limpers and i still had 2x average stack at this stage). Flop comes an interesing 682 with 2 spades, giving me a flush draw and open ended str8 draw, i bet the pot, and Masters dwells on the BB. I basically tell him i will call an all in, (even if he has top set i have 14 outs, or 56%, but as i currently only have 9 high id prefer him to fold, as even if he makes a move with over cards i would be behind now, albeit with a lot of outs). He goes all in and i have to call now, he has bottom set 22. The turn completes my flush and hes out, and im up to about 60k+. (almost 4x average).
After a few more limpers i call 1500 on the button with J8s, BB makes in 5k and mid pos calls, i call, flop comes 883, BB leads for 10k, nice, mid pos folds and i flat call. Turn is a 5, mid pos looks gutted, he had 55 phew, the girl in the BB bets another 10k, leaving about 10k, i move in, she has 10 10 and misses the 2 outer on the river.
Soon after its the final table, 9 left, i have 90k and the chip lead, 2nd jointly are Damien Kavanagh and Gordon (the Gecko) from boards with 63k each.
Generally in tournies my short stack play is good, but despite being a naturally tight player, i have a tendency to over play big stacks, and blow some good positions, i was determined not to do that again.
I made it 10k with AQ, and Kavanagh moves in behind for 60k, oops, i think for a good while, and realistically im not that far ahead if ahead, but could be miles behind, i still have 80k and the lead if i fold, and i pass, showing the AQ, he also has AQ. At first soon after i think showing this was wrong, as it gave people the impression they could come over my raises and i would pass, but now i think it was a good idea, as it also showed them i wasnt raising with junk, and after that i got away with a few steals.
I stayed between 70-80k for a while, until we had 5 left, and i checked Q2 on my bb, flop comes Q82 with 2 clubs, button moves in for about 40k, so this is an auto call. I figured he had clubs on a str8 draw, or maybe a queen, was hoping he didnt have a str8 and flush draw, he had 9T clubs, but missed and im back in the lead.
We were 4 handed for a long time, eventually Kavanagh raised, and BB moved in, Kavanagh had AJ, and BB was making a move with QT, but QT won the race and we were 3 handed.
There were tickets to the €500 freezeout in the Citywest on 24/25 March for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, along with €200, €400, €1,000 respectively.
Again we were 3 handed for a good while, i was picking up slightly more blinds than the other 2, and they were allowing me to check my BB, and then lead the turn a few times, for a handy 24k a time with blinds on 4k/8k at this stage.
I went card dead totally for a while then, and the blinds were quite significant now (5k/10k), average was 113k.
Then i picked up QQ on the button, i limped it in, hoping BB was raise, but we saw a JTx flop, i bet 25k , he called, i put him in on the turn hoping he had a jack as an 8 came, and i didnt want him hitting a draw, he called with KT and i was back in front.
I decided 3 handed it was worth slow playing these, and it worked out nicely.
One or 2 people commented on how i had outplayed my opponent on that hand and i think that wound him up a bit, so about 4 hands later i was very wary when he limped, and I managed to get away from a pair on the flop, as he tossed in KK rather annoyed after i folded to his bet.
Soon after we were heads up and the Ghecko lost with AK vs the other guys A4 which flopped a wheel.
At heads up, we were even in chips, and i offered €700 each, he turned this down, and i was happy to play on anyway.
1st hand of heads up, it all went in, with my AQ winning a race against his 88 and i had the win.
€1,000 plus the ticket and im looking forward to this event in March now, as it will have a great structure, and should be fun.
Was an enjoyable night all together, and was nice to get the win.

careca

well done and good report. Some nice play all around.

Gholimoli

well done Rob and im glad to see your night went better than mine.
iwas at home and playing the 10K ($100+9) tourny again and got to the last 11 with a comfortable stack only for some muppet to crack my KK all in with his AQ.