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Confessions of a dangerous mind - Trip report from JP's 300FO

  • 06-05-2008 1:04am
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,049 ✭✭✭


    A few things I'd like to share before diving into the trip report.......

    In the last 2 years or so I haven’t been able to get a poker BR going. While I’ve never had a losing year, I haven’t made what I should have and I’ve managed my money poorly. I still have student loans hanging over me (quite substantial) and when I get in sight of putting a healthy role together or healthy dent in my loans I do something really stupid with the money.
    I’ve also ran quite bad during over the last 2 years. Sometimes I can really focus and play well, sometimes I can look like the biggest fish on the table – none of these lately seems to matter as it always has the same result, I lose small or win small.

    That been said I had no intention of playing this event. Money this month is too tight for poker and I’m trying to save for a holiday. My brother Derek who has been running well lately offered to stake me in (loan me 200 to play + 100 for 33%). After much convincing I decide to take him up on the offer. Somewhere between leaving home and when I get to the red cow I sell the other 16%, leaving myself 50% of my own action.

    I decide to really knuckle down and concentrate – and I’m really determined to put in a good showing and give myself every chance of boosting my finances.

    Day 1:
    Notable opponents:
    Derek Cosgrove (my bro)
    Dave Masters

    Table is playing quite lose – people are raising 5 or 6 times the BB and getting called in multiple spots.

    At the start of a tournament I like to play a hand strong, whether it’s a bluff or genuine. I do this for 2 reasons:
    • It helps to calm me down/settle me in, and
    • I like to make a statement of intent towards the table

    Towards the end of the first level I raise with 5c 2c from MP to 150 and get 5 callers. Flop is A Q 3 and I lead for 800 and a tight player calls (at which point I’m done with the pot) and Dave Masters calls. When Dave calls I decide that if I lead at the turn it looks strong and is very likely to get through. I lead the turn for 1600, they both fold, I turn up my hand and everyone has a good laugh.

    Objective achieved: I now feel relaxed, calm and think my radar is working well.

    Notable opponents:
    Table donk…..
    Bad beat Joe,
    Willie (Yuletired)
    Derek, get’s moved to this table a few hours in.
    Mick McCloskey gets moved a few hours in

    I build my stack up to around 15k when I get moved tables. Almost immediately a donk comes to my attention who has over 20k. The first hand he plays, he limp calls a big raise pre with A4 and commits all his chips on a A x x flop and is good…….

    My stack is now 20k when this hand happens. Table apart from above donk is playing really tight. I raise to 600 in MP with KhQh, donk calls. Flop QcQx2c – he check, I bet 600 and he calls. Turn Ax, he checks I bet 2.1k and he calls. River is Kx, he leads for 3.5k, I shove and he calls with Jc10c. I’m not the tournament chip leader with approx 40k.

    At this point Derek has joined the table and has only 4-5k, he’s been donked on another table. He raises in EP to 600, MP with a 20k stack calls as do I with 66. Flop is Q66, Derek checks, MP checks and I bet 700, Derek raises all in, MP folds and obviously I call. What’s interesting about this hand is that my brother who staked me is my opponent. Folding definitely goes through my head here to dump off chips – would I ever do it, HELL NO!!! Doesn’t mean that I didn’t feel bad about knocking him out of the tournament,

    Break Time:
    Baby pizzas, cocktail sausages and sandwiches – YUMMY………
    A lot of bad beat stories flying around the place, sigh!!!!!

    Post Break:
    Still on the same table – Mick (15k) raise in EP to 2.5k (400/800), short stack shoves all in for 10k, LP guy (40k) dwells for a while and calls. I look down at JJ and go to muck. But I assess the situation like this…….
    • Mick looks uninterested and probably has an Ax type hand
    • All in guy has a massive range and could have anything from 66+, Ax, KQ etc
    • LP guy almost folded before calling so I dismiss him

    I see almost 25k in the pot and decide shoving here is best – to my horror he calls “damn my read was off”. He tables As6s, I mean WTF?? Shortie has QQ, the 35K main pot is now a second issue to the 60k side pot between me and LP. Flop is Kx Qs 9x, turn 3s at which point I stand up expecting the worse. River red 2 and I make 20k on the hand – I’m still not sure my play was correct I’ll need to think more and is for a different thread.

    I’m really tired at this point, it’s been a while since I’ve played a tournament this long with it meaning as much to me as it does. Lack of sleep obviously hasn’t helped either. Anyway a little while later and we’re down to 2 tables

    Notable opponents:
    BCB
    IonaPaul
    Vera

    I really didn’t like the dynamics of this table. BCB was 2 people to my left and whether you like his plays or hate them one thing you have to agree is that he’s a very dangerous person to play against.

    I’m playing 40k’ish (blinds 500/1k). A serial limper limps the button and there’s a woman who doesn’t really know what she’s doing on the BB so I raise to 4k with 10 7o, she instant calls and limper folds. Flop Jx 9d 6d, I go to bet but notice she’s already stacking her chips up to shove so I check and she quickly check behinds. At this point I have her on a hand she wants to get to a cheap showdown with that can’t take much. Turn Jd, I bet 7k and she instant calls. I’m still convinced she has nothing and put her on AQ with a diamond or something similar. River blanks, I bet 13k and she instant folds, phew……. Back up to nearly 60k

    I’m getting very active at this point, raising a lot in position. I lose a race with AK vs 66 vs 33 so my stack remains around 60k.

    A new guy gets moved to the table into the BB, folded to me and I make it 10k with A3o (1.5k/3k), he calls. Flop Q,10,10 – I jam all in, BB takes ages before folding QJo face up. When he called preflop I had him on a medium PP, I went with that read when the flop came. I would never had done what I did if I’d known what he had and was very lucky to survive that hand.

    We’re playing with 17 (1.5k/3k blinds) and it’s the last hand of the day, as above I’ve been very active and raise with AJo in the CO to 9k. BCB jams all in for 36k’ish. At this point I’m playing 70k and really don’t know what to do, if I call and lose I have 30k and the pot is offering me 2 to 1 odds. BCB hasn’t gotten out of line once so far, but I’m sure he’s getting sick of me raising all the time. It must be 2 minutes after the expired time before I finally call. BCB tables J4o board A,J,8,A,X.
    My deciding factor for calling was something that BCB said to Laura while I was still deciding. This was one of the very few “soul read” calls I made.

    I was pleased with the way I played – I made 2 mistakes which I was annoyed about but happy to come out of it with the chips I had

    Day 2:
    Table 1
    Seat 1 Borge Gjerstad 58,400
    Seat 2 Joe Ruddy 50,800
    Seat 3 Anthony Cambell 71,700
    Seat 4 Vera Duffy 43,800
    Seat 5 Derek Watson 93,700
    Seat 6 Charlie Sweeney 65,600
    Seat 7 Jude Ainsworth 123,600
    Seat 8 George Power 56,700

    Table 2
    Seat 1 Andy McGrath 73,700
    Seat 2 Ricky Cosgrove (me – the chopper) 114,300
    Seat 3 Mark Holland 86,300
    Seat 4 Kieran Murphy 111,200
    Seat 5 Tom Dempsey 13,700
    Seat 6 Paul Burke (IonaPaul) 68,900
    Seat 7 Willie Clynes (Yuletired) 104,500
    Seat 8 Paul Fletcher 67,600

    Thoughts
    • I’m glad I have position on Willie, I have no read on him whatsoever and he’s playing very well and very aggressively
    • Very happy the blind level had been reset to 1.5k/3k with hour blinds
    • I hope I can keep it together, concentrate and cut out the silly mistakes

    Personally this was a very uneventful table. I took a few blinds down and had AQ vs AJ AIPF and won. Then I had AQ vs A10 AIPF and lost. IMO Willie bossed this table and I was happy to keep out of his way (for now)

    Final Table:
    Seat 1 Paul Burke 51,300
    Seat 2 Borge Gjerstad 146,000
    Seat 3 Charlie Sweeney 146,800
    Seat 4 Jude Ainsworth 96,800
    Seat 5 Ricky Cosgrave 171,900
    Seat 6 Derek Watson 102,500
    Seat 7 Mark Holland 104,400
    Seat 8 Willie Clynes 166,900
    Seat 9 George Power 72,200
    Seat 10 Kieran Murphy 125,700

    Thoughts
    • Very glad to have position on Jude (winner of IPO, whom I have some history with)
    • Disappointed that Willie had position on me

    Mark Holland got aces twice and kings twice and was up to 350k before any of us had really settled into our seats. Later on he’d go to bust Judes’ KK with A2 and then said he was delighted to be allin preflop in this situation.

    Paul played a excellent short stack game and was the only other mover at 200k. Throughout he played faultless poker and never let emotion get to him, a very tough competitor.

    I finally get involved in a hand. There’s a bet of 16k (3k/6k blinds) that gets called, I look at AA on the SB and repop to 50K and get one caller. Flop Ax 8h 3h, I shove and get called with AhQh, nervous moments but I survive…….

    Willie never got going on the final table, he raised 5 times and 5 times a guy went all in over him. He may regret one laydown he made and look back on that, that aside he was just really unlucky and I didn’t see one mistake that he made

    Down to 4 players and everyone tightens up. For almost 1 ½ blind levels it goes raise/fold, with numerous walks for the blinds – nobody is willing to give an inch. The prize pool definitely had an impact on this:

    1st €11,500
    2nd €6,500
    3rd €3,500
    4th €2,500

    As we all had close to 300k (1.2million in play) we decided to flatten the prize pool.

    1st €8,000
    2nd €6,500
    3rd €5,000
    4th €4,000

    The game definitely opened up after this. I started raising every second hand, most of which were getting through. I opened once more from the button with QQ for 22k (4k/8k) and guy jams for 250k, I call and he tables A10. Flop Qxx and that’s the end of that.

    We play on for about another blind level before the dealer suggests we chop (stacks all even’ish) so we chop and take 6.5k each.

    For the prestige of winning the tournament we play one blind hand all in, I have 44 vs Pauls J3 vs Marks K9 board A 10 5 5 9, and I’m rivered again…..

    Big thanks to JP, Laura and the gang. Great tournament, great structure but most importantly they were always open to listening to the players and making changes mid tournament to accommodate the players needs (very important IMO). Finances allowing I will definitely play all JP’s events in the future.


Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,448 ✭✭✭Lazare


    Excellent report Ricky, well done on such a sweet result.

    Conor.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,696 ✭✭✭Hectorjelly


    Nice report and well done


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,058 ✭✭✭davidgti


    great report and well done sir...


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,434 ✭✭✭cardshark202


    Very good report. Only thing I question is the dealer suggesting to the players to chop it. Thats not his place imo.
    Nice touch though


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 71 ✭✭Kobraki


    I should do stakeaments after that, my horsie runs goooooooodd!!!:D:D:D
    Great report, well played


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,709 ✭✭✭YULETIRED


    Well played Ricky,
    [SIZE=+0] good report ... I like the way you play.......I'm glad Paul and that fellow Mark Holland won some dosh, he apologied for knocking me out which was kinda nice[/SIZE]
    seen as he had KK plus a huge stack, he was so delighted to be doing well that it was good to see him get in the shake up. .......I think you are right about the laydown....I had the odds, I just chickened out of it....still learning imo.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,886 ✭✭✭Marq


    agree that the dealers shouldn't be encouraging you to chop it. but well done Ricky, great result.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,646 ✭✭✭cooker3


    Nice report, well down


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,764 ✭✭✭DeadParrot


    Great report Ricky well done


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 485 ✭✭gigetheman


    nice result ricky iwas sitting in seat 9 and never got a card in the first hour i finally wake up with aq and reraise a raise of half my stack only for kierian in seat 10 to push all in,i have seen him do this with alot of medium pocket pairs (6-10) so with 147,000 in the pot and i only have 41,000 behind im getting 3.5/1 for which i think is a 50/50 race.
    And for once i was right he had 99 against my aq but the pocket nines held up to knock me out in 9th.I so would like to thank jp and laura for running a great tournament and for listening to the players and would encourage anyone to go play at any of jp poker events
    george power


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 900 ✭✭✭CaptainNemo


    Well played Ricky, free holiday eh :-D


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,612 ✭✭✭kakak1


    WP Ricky & excellent report. I was watching this table, railing George Power & I witnessed this hand below.
    A new guy gets moved to the table into the BB, folded to me and I make it 10k with A3o (1.5k/3k), he calls. Flop Q,10,10 – I jam all in, BB takes ages before folding QJo face up. When he called preflop I had him on a medium PP, I went with that read when the flop came. I would never had done what I did if I’d known what he had and was very lucky to survive that hand.

    I liked the way you behaved in relation to the antics of the BB (although having seen the hand you held you were probably scared ****less :D:D), you were very gentlemanly.

    He was as close to the line here in my opimion & both myself & Vera Duffy were disgusted with his antics.

    I certainly do not agree with the rule in the SE of no speech play allowed & it takes a lot of the fun out of live poker but the antics of this fellow are totally unacceptable at a poker table. Personally I'd have stood away from the table for fear of clocking him one, downright rude he was.

    Anyway again well done


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 342 ✭✭mickc


    good report, details on the rudeness please


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,307 ✭✭✭ionapaul


    Nice report Ricky, well done and nice playing with you. This was my biggest tournament score and as such I will probably try to do up a short trip report later this evening (busy at work right now!); I might add it to this thread if that's ok to avoid cluttering the forum.

    Really wanted that damn trophy as it would be bigger than any of my brothers' rowing ones on the family mantlepiece! Prob would also be good for reducing parental qualms about poker :) The BB who was almost out-of-line on Sunday night was a pretty nice fella after being knocked out on day 2, so I think we can conclude that his speechplay was par-for-the-course wherever he plays his regular game, he wasn't being gratuitously offensive IMHO.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 495 ✭✭carrigeen


    great result ricky congrats well deserved

    p


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,720 ✭✭✭El Stuntman


    wp Chopper and, even more so, ionapaul - the heater continues!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,754 ✭✭✭ianmc38


    WP Ricky.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,537 ✭✭✭Ste05


    Nice report and great result, congrats.

    Looking forward to Ionapaul's now too.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 39,691 ✭✭✭✭KevIRL


    Great report.

    well done on the result.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 36,434 ✭✭✭✭LuckyLloyd


    This post has been deleted.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,201 ✭✭✭Macspower


    nice one chopper.... wp and nice report...

    money to good use ;)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,049 ✭✭✭The_Chopper


    Thanks for the well wishes guys......

    It's been over 2 years since i've had a score anything near this. I got to keep the head down and keep working hard on my game and not get all arrogant and cocky after the last one........

    Obviously i played a lot more hands then the ones mentioned, some meanful some not, but they were very straight forward and not really intesting enough to include

    Beat: Very card dead throughout day 1 - just shows that cards aren't necessarily everything
    Brag: Hit one flop early on to give me room to maneouver. Also very lucky with the amount of my CB that got through

    When I weigh up all factors both poker and non poker related, I'm absolutely delighted with the result and it's something I wouldn't have thought achievable on Sunday.
    YULETIRED wrote: »
    Well played Ricky,
    [SIZE=+0] good report ... I like the way you play.......I'm glad Paul and that fellow Mark Holland won some dosh, he apologied for knocking me out which was kinda nice[/SIZE]
    seen as he had KK plus a huge stack, he was so delighted to be doing well that it was good to see him get in the shake up. .......I think you are right about the laydown....I had the odds, I just chickened out of it....still learning imo.

    Good to meet you mate - next time we're playing at the same table i suggest we sell tickets to the event as it made for very interesting poker.......

    You were the only player in the whole tournament that constantly stood up to me and my preflop aggression, vwp
    gigetheman wrote: »
    nice result ricky iwas sitting in seat 9 and never got a card in the first hour i finally wake up with aq and reraise a raise of half my stack only for kierian in seat 10 to push all in,i have seen him do this with alot of medium pocket pairs (6-10) so with 147,000 in the pot and i only have 41,000 behind im getting 3.5/1 for which i think is a 50/50 race.
    And for once i was right he had 99 against my aq but the pocket nines held up to knock me out in 9th.I so would like to thank jp and laura for running a great tournament and for listening to the players and would encourage anyone to go play at any of jp poker events

    UL mate - i was shocked when he 4 bet you all in with 99's there. Myself and Jude both thought it was something like AK vs QQ's or something.
    kakak1 wrote: »
    WP Ricky & excellent report. I was watching this table, railing George Power & I witnessed this hand below.

    I liked the way you behaved in relation to the antics of the BB (although having seen the hand you held you were probably scared ****less :D:D), you were very gentlemanly.

    He was as close to the line here in my opimion & both myself & Vera Duffy were disgusted with his antics.

    I certainly do not agree with the rule in the SE of no speech play allowed & it takes a lot of the fun out of live poker but the antics of this fellow are totally unacceptable at a poker table. Personally I'd have stood away from the table for fear of clocking him one, downright rude he was.

    Anyway again well done

    The antics so to speak weren't to bad - but then again while it was all going on I was thinking of sunny beaches, pina coladas and a lot of coconut bra dancing :D

    Basically the guy got really up in my face saying is he this unlucky, what do I have, how can he fold. Really digging the needle in trying to get me to talk and give away something.......
    He got right up in my face and even nudged me at one point (I thought poker was non-physical contact :D)
    I didn't take offense and shook his hand after the hand - it was very late. We'd been playing 8 or 9 hours at this stage, adrenaline was high and we were getting close to the money. I myself use speach play at times, although I hope never like this
    ionapaul wrote: »
    Nice report Ricky, well done and nice playing with you. This was my biggest tournament score and as such I will probably try to do up a short trip report later this evening (busy at work right now!); I might add it to this thread if that's ok to avoid cluttering the forum.

    Feel free - it would be good to hear you "road to wembly" and i'd be interested in hearing what you made of table dynamics a few tables out..


  • Subscribers Posts: 32,859 ✭✭✭✭5starpool


    Well done again to all. Good to see lads I know getting a nice result. Same applies to Stephen Murphy in the ME too, nice lad.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 438 ✭✭Jools Poker


    nice one Ricky - another result for the Cosgrove clan!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 650 ✭✭✭pgodkin


    nice one Ricky - another result for the Cosgrove clan!

    Yeah if only a certain one, not sayin any names (Glen) could get his head down and play 2h4h like i tell him to, he refuses to listen to me i would be insulted but then again i play 2h4h:rolleyes:, a case of Pinky & the Brain me thinks NARF:p

    i called in on monday evening and had to say there was a great buzz people really seemed to enjoy it! Played a little cash, and have to say if anyone seen a couple of the hands they were sick!! there was one hand with J7o that was mad!

    Hope to play a couple of these tournies in the future, and well done ricky!! Will we be seeing you in Letterkenny in June?

    Phil :cool:


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,836 ✭✭✭connie147


    Vwp chopper. Nice result for you. I'm delighted.

    Connie


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,307 ✭✭✭ionapaul


    Well, in the aftermath of my biggest tournament score I guess it's time to take a few minutes to draw up a trip report; no doubt as long and sprawling as those of yore in my old blog! Please feel free to comment on any of it, including hands played badly, etc...

    I had traveled down to Galway on Friday after work for less than 48 hours at home, one younger brother had just come back from a few weeks in Central America and had great stories to be told, the other brother had recently given us our 1st nephew so I had to visit him of course! This meant playing the €750 game was out, I wouldn't have played without satelliting in to be honest, as €750 is more than I've ever paid into a tournament before, in fact I've only played €550 and €325 games by winning tickets into those, I'm having a pretty good year so far (by my own measure, I've targeted €1,000 a month profit, which I was on top of before playing this weekend) but wouldn't buy in directly to a €300+ tournament.

    I got back to Dublin on Sunday in time for JP's €300 game at the Red Cow, and 120 runners took to the tables at 4pm, all trying to make it to Day 2. My opening table were all unknowns to me apart from Smurph (unfortunately she was knocked out early) and Mick McCloskey. I was dealt AKs on the very 1st hand in MP and won a fair sized pot from the table calling station, a very nice guy who was known to some of the others but who was just making up the numbers, dead money.

    I misplayed a hand against Mick during the 2nd or 3rd level; I limped from MP with 99 with two limpers before me, Mick flat called on the button and the SB and BB came along for the ride as well. The flop was 974 rainbow. It was checked to me and I bet about 400 into the 1000 pot, Mick raised to 1200 and I hesitantly flat called, intending to check raise him on the turn. The turn was a J, I checked, Mick bet 1500 and I quickly raised to 6000 – I honestly don't know why I went so big, no flush draws on the board and I knew he wasn't re-raising me on the flop with an OESD. He deliberated for about 3 minutes and folded 97 faceup. I mucked and stayed quiet but cursed myself for re-raising so big, stupid stupid.

    Sometime afterwards (the early hours of these things always blur together after it's over, don't they?), maybe during the 150/300/25 level I picked up AA in MP, raised to 1100 and was called by a player who fancied himself as the table captain; a JP regular I think who was somewhat like the Chief, liked to play most pots in position (ok, maybe not exactly like the Chief), loved to float, pounce on weakness and raise any c-bets. I'm sure any strong players at the table had him and his growing stack in their sights. The flop was K-high, he checked, I bet ½ pot, he raised as expected, I gave it a bit of Hollywood for a minute or so and pushed (ha ha, it was see-through, very lame attempt by me!), he shook his head and called. Shook his head a bit more as I was pushed most of his chips!

    I now had a 25k+ stack when the average was 13k or so, and didn't slip back below average until quite late on Day 1. I was moved to a table with Yuletired, managed to stay out of his way and had the sweetest of double ups when I limped / flat-called a min raise (can't remember!) in LP with K10, the flop was KK10 and I got it all in on the turn against K7. That was another big pot.

    I played quite tight with my big stack, I am no-where near as active as many other boardsies, I prefer to focus on a few exploitable players at a table and just target them, rather than get aggressive with other aggressive players. For the next few hours I was content taking a number of medium sized pots without showing, usually having the goods but occasionally not; no-one would ever know as when I very rarely showed, I showed my monsters. I need to stop doing this I think, don't know why I am still up to these old tricks, stupid!

    Down to three tables, I had Yuletired immediately to my right and he was active! I didn't want to tangle with him but my blinds were constantly under threat and I found it hard to play back at him post-flop without the goods. It was folded to him on the button on one occasion and he made a 3.5xBB raise (maybe 9k or so?), I looked down at AQs and pushed for 58k or so...happy to take the 14k or so in the pot. He folded after a minute or so, I think he mentioned he had an ace, I told him I had AK and he questioned my risking my tournament, I could have been against AA or KK. I'd do it again Willie! :)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,307 ✭✭✭ionapaul


    Down to two tables, I was on the same table as BCB, the Chopper (who had a big stack!), Vera and I slipped under average stack for the 1st time in the tournament. It was a few painful hours of being completely card dead, painful painful stuff! I wanted to play on until the money if possible, not wanting to come back again on Monday to play for a few hours for not even money back! However, the decision was made to finish up around 3.15am and come back at 2pm the next day....without BCB unfortunately, who was knocked out by the Chopper on the final hand of the night. Ricky was so active for the previous few orbits I was certain he was at it and might find a fold even if he wasn't...the PPP crew got that one wrong! It was a good call regardless.

    Day 2: I had about 70k in chips, with the average stack being about 75k, not too bad, but was starting on the more difficult of the two tables of 8 I think, with three big stacks (including Yuletired and the Chopper) on the table. 12 were being paid and knowing we would probably pay the bubble their money back (we actually decided on €500) it was ninja shortstack play if I wanted to survive and have a chance at a run on the big money....5th €2000, 4th €2500, 3rd €3500, 2nd €6500, 1st €11000. I would have taken 8th for €1000 if you had offered it to me at start of play on Day 2 actually, felt like I was up against it. On the plus side, there was a player at our table with only 16k, he allowed himself to be blinded away the night before, crazy.

    So 16 players were vieing for 13 paying places and €32k in the prizepool...if the blind structure hadn't been changed it would have been a crapshoot for the 1st time in the otherwise excellently structured tournament...to JP Poker's eternal credit, however, the poker player comes 1st and they altered the structure for us without being pressed! The last blind level of Day 1, 1500/3000/300 was repeated for us and the blind levels increased to 60 minutes! Wonderful, I wasn't in as much trouble as I had thought and could play a bit.

    Another iffy hand for your delectation; still 1500/3000/300, I was big blind and the shortstack was SB with only 9.8k after posting the ante...it was folded to him and finally he found a push...I looked down a 34o and was being asked for another 6.8k, more than 10% of my stack at the time. Should I have called? There were still 16 players in it so I really needed those chips. He had 56s and doubled up to about 20k, I was down to 48k or so. More ninja shortstack stuff, pushed on the button on two consecutive orbits to stay respectable.

    Within two hours the bubble had burst and then soon after we were on the final table. I was shortstack with 50k+, the blinds had just moved to 3000/6000/500 I think, not sure. Yuletired had a big stack, the Chopper was health too, a few others with 150k and the rest with between 65k-80k. Time to make some moves for ionapaul!

    I had drawn a good seat in Seat 1, I had position on a player I thought I had a good idea of his play, and Jude Ainsworth and the Chopper were in seats 3 and 4, where I preferred them to be honest! I doubled up the 1st hand to over 100k when a Northern player raised in MP, I pushed in LP with AQo, he called quickly and two queens on the flop put paid to his mid-pair. Now I could play a bit. I further increased my stack against the same player a blind level or two later when he raised to 24k or so and I pushed my 90k in with 10 10, he folded that time.

    Jude was playing well I thought and making interesting sized <3xBB raises when he decided to get involved in pots, he must have missed a lot as he was subsequently check raised off a few pots and his stack was really depleted. Yuletired also suffered greatly from being re-raised, it seemed every pre-flop raise of his was met with an insta-shove, he must have lost over 1/3 of his big stack in less than two hours in this way, it was almost funny (but a little sick). He had some bad luck I am sure, lots of raising hands but no calling ones, just once if he had a monster he would have won a big pot and jumped into a big chip lead.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,307 ✭✭✭ionapaul


    Another hand I remember, with about 7 left it was folded to me on the SB and I completed with Q10o (blinds were 3000/6000/500 I think), the BB raised another 15k to 21k total, he was fairly active and I felt certain if I hit (and didn't get into trouble!) I'd win a nice pot from him – it felt right at the time to call but I really wonder, I didn't think about it enough. Anyhow, the flop was Q 10 4 rainbow, I checked, he bet 40k, I pushed my remaining 110k in and he insta-called with AJc...interesting. I hadn't made any big moves without the goods really since getting to the final table, most of the rest would never have called me in that spot. Anyhow, the gutshot missed and I jump to having one of the biggest stacks.

    Again, I played fairly passively with the big stack, when I raised the others folded generally, once I raised in LP with AQ, got a caller in MP, the flop missed me but was low and I had him on broadway cards or a weak ace, I bet ½ pot, he flat called, another brick fell and I knew he again had none of it, fired another bullet and his folded. I think betting with nothing in the knowledge your opponent is going to fold is the most satisfying play to make in poker, more so than making your opponent lay down a better hand. I am not sure why I like this so much!

    When we got down to four the big stack ( a JP regular who had been a card rack for the preceding few levels, he ran amazingly hot!) didn't want to do a deal to flatten the payouts so we'd all get €4000, he had about 420k in chips, I had 250k, the Chopper had 330k and the shortstack had just over 200k. I thought this was madness, he wasn't THAT far ahead! Anyhow, the very next hand I raised on the button with 55, Ricky folded on the SB, the big stack called on the BB, the flop was J74 rainbow, he bet out I flat called (I know I'm most likely ahead here, his bet was just too small), the turn was a 3 or something, he bets out again, I again flat call, the river is another 7, we both check, he shows A 10o and I take down a 100k+ pot. Suddenly he is happy to make that deal! 4Th €4000, 3rd €5000, 2nd €6500 and 1st €8000.

    Soon after the Chopper knocks out the shortstack, we break for lunch, Ricky and I discuss how much each of us would like to win the tournament, get back a bit late, play for 30 minutes before deciding to chop 3-ways as our stacks were so close. €6500 each, the same as 2nd was going to get. I wonder did the other player decide to deal because he felt a bit of '2 against 1' was on the cards (it wasn't, of course) as myself and Ricky had been chatting so much and had lunch together during the break. Anyhow he took the nice trophy in the blind hand we played for it and myself and Chopper had to make do with just the cash! :)

    All in all it was a great experience for me; I've been on a bit of a tournament heater since March and was due a bigger pay day I'd like to think (nah, this is rubbish! No-one is due anything in poker!) than the half-dozen €1k scores I've had since getting back to Ireland last August. I know that I generally played well in the tournament, apart from a number of hands (the notable hands are more than likely the ones I misplayed, to be honest, the stuff you do right is less memorable after all!). In particular I played the shortstack well, maybe this is because it is so easy! The tournament structure was great and from looking at other live tournament structures around the world, we are really spoiled for choice here in Ireland and particularly in Dublin. Hopefully everyone can appreciate this!

    Wow, this is a long-ass report, I'll have to break it up a bit and throw some of it onto the PPP blog, might be interesting to the readers there. Also won a WSOP Step 3 STT while writing it so my last 90 minutes can't be consigned to the dustbin of history as totally useless :)


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,049 ✭✭✭The_Chopper


    ionapaul wrote: »
    Anyhow, the very next hand I raised on the button with 55, Ricky folded on the SB, the big stack called on the BB, the flop was J74 rainbow, he bet out I flat called (I know I'm most likely ahead here, his bet was just too small), the turn was a 3 or something, he bets out again, I again flat call, the river is another 7, we both check, he shows A 10o and I take down a 100k+ pot

    Hey Paul,

    I warned you I've a freaky memory with how hands play - you've got this slightly wrong, however you played it much better in this,

    You raised the button and the guy reraises you pre - you say "i've got a pair" and call......

    Flop is 9 7 4 and it goes check check

    Turn is Q/J (not sure which) he bets big and you call

    River another 7 and it goes check check and he shows A10 for no pair


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,307 ✭✭✭ionapaul


    Ha, fair play to you you're right of course :) If I hadn't told him I had a pair I wouldn't have made so much on that hand you know, it really unbalanced him.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,709 ✭✭✭YULETIRED


    sorry Paul about the speechplay, i was enjoying myself...of course you push there.....

    enjoying the poker these days , live rules as you meet such characters,
    a few funny nordies, yer man calling us gary linaker and hansen for saying we didnt fancy his 33s was funny.....

    big trip report.....6k is a good amount of money for yiz ..got the ma a new flatscreen with me tourny readies..........big suprise 70th party this friday, where it will be unvieled.....:)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,267 ✭✭✭opr


    Well done lads great trip reports.

    Opr


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,873 ✭✭✭RichieLawlor


    gigetheman wrote: »
    nice result ricky iwas sitting in seat 9 and never got a card in the first hour i finally wake up with aq and reraise a raise of half my stack only for kierian in seat 10 to push all in,i have seen him do this with alot of medium pocket pairs (6-10) so with 147,000 in the pot and i only have 41,000 behind im getting 3.5/1 for which i think is a 50/50 race.
    And for once i was right he had 99 against my aq but the pocket nines held up to knock me out in 9th.I so would like to thank jp and laura for running a great tournament and for listening to the players and would encourage anyone to go play at any of jp poker events
    george power

    Who wrote this reply for you george, last time i spoke you, i think you thought pots odds were something to do with snooker;)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 237 ✭✭Rattled77


    good result chopper...wp ;)


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 513 ✭✭✭HalfBaked


    Congrats Ricky, nice result.

    Well done as well Paul, wp.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,079 ✭✭✭smurph


    Great report by both of you, very enjoyable read.

    I sadly have played like a donkey the both times you have been at my table since your return ionapaul, but at least now I know I played like a donkey, rather than saying I got lucky.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,049 ✭✭✭The_Chopper


    One quick snippet that I found funny........

    At the end of the tournament when the money was been counted out, Paul and I decided on an appropiate tipping amount which was greater than 50

    At the JP was counting out the other guys money - he turned to us and said something like "the dealers have been great, let's leave them a generous tip of 50". I said "errr.....", got cut off and he said "now don't be cheap, they were wonderful" (obviously at this point Paul and I had already left our tips on the table). We told the guy how much we were tipping and he said something like "jesus, I didn't know it was that much, I don't normally play these things" then proceeded to leave a tip 50 less then we had said and tipped, LOL


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 485 ✭✭gigetheman


    Who wrote this reply for you george, last time i spoke you, i think you thought pots odds were something to do with snooker;)

    some day u might get to a final table and ill explain pot odds to u ok:D


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,615 ✭✭✭Mr.Plough


    Missed this somehow. Good read and wp


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 39,447 ✭✭✭✭eagle eye


    Mr.Plough wrote: »
    Missed this somehow. Good read and wp
    Yes very good read. Thought we were heading for war in the other thread this one got mentioned in.
    WP Chopper.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 110 ✭✭Dreambeliever


    Great stuff Ricky.

    Sounds like you played a great game for such a long grind.

    Well done.


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