Trip report to ECPT Madrid.

connie147

OK. Played in the ECPT Madrid last week-end. The ECPT stands for the European City Poker Tour. This is a €1,000 buy in + €100 reg. There was a field of 150 runners, the split being approx 120 internet qualifiers and 30 buy-ins. It was held in The Casino Madrid which is a luxurious casino on the outskirts of Madrid. There was a seperate room off the casino with 20 poker tables. A beautiful card room, ample space, everything looked good.

I qualified on line for this via Paddy Power Poker, and BCB was in Madrid acting as our host. Friday night was cocktails night with a special function put on by our hosts, ECPT. (The tourney was sponsored by Tittan Poker).
Went to have a look at the cash tables with BCB, only 4 cash tables available in the casino,
Table 1--5/10 limit Holdem.
Table 2--5/10 NL Holdem.
Table 3 and 4

---

10/20 PL Omaha.
On asking what was the rake, we were informed it was €160 for a 2 hr period.
This sounded reasonable enough until it was pointed out to us that the €160 was per person:eek::eek:. BCB felt he could still beat this rake, so he tried to get in but was told there was at least 20 names ahead of him so it was pointless waiting.

The tournament started at 5pm on Saturday. 8,000 chips and an hour clock, with no 75/150 blind level. I was on table 15 with 8 spanish, mostly cash game players. I had spotted some of them playing in the casinp the night before. The TD announced that the official language of the tornament was Spannish, and this proved to be a bad choice IMHO. These lads on my table were obviously discussing hands and hand holdings while play was going on, but I was powerless to intervene as I have no knowledge of the spannish language but you know when your gut instinct is right. A few times I could see the dealer trying to stop them and when I got moved from this table after 2 hours I was absolutely delighted because I couldnt concentrate at all there. (I know 1 englisg guy who was given a final warning to NOT speak English at the table again or he would be ejected from the tournament:eek:).

Other things I didnt like was when a Spannish player won a pot without showdown, he would angle his cards so that his spannish friends could see what he was folding, and if I intervened and asked the dealer to turn them over, most dealers refused and gathered them into the muck.

There was no set of rules on display for players to read, so really it was an uphill battle. If I was away from the table and not back before last card dealt, my hand was folded, which was fine. But favouritism was rife, I saw a spannish player return to his BB seat after lots of action took place, he looked at his cards and reraised the raiser. I was smiling inside when the raiser re-re-raised him all in and won the pot.

Another crib. After the last hand on Sat night, I had just payed BB and SB, so I was due to be button next. I tried to explain this to the dealer, but all he said was "no comprende", so I called for the TD. He came over and I explained my case to him. He said I was quite correct and he informed the dealer to note that the button was on seat 1 on Sunday morning. Back we came on Sunday morning and they had decided to redraw the 45 remaining runners. This is the problem with no rules written up.

OK. Interesting hands (for me) during the tourney.

I had decided with the lack of a 75/150, and only an 8,000 stack, it would be important to get chips eary on. Nothing happened in the 1st 2 hours on my 1st table. Then I got moved to another table. During the 1st lap of this table, a german player raised 6 pots out of the 9. He was accumalating chips fast. I 3 bet him a couple of times(he was my c/o when I was BB) and I was up to about 10k when this hand happened.
German guy raises utg+1 to 550 p/f(100-200), cold called by weak player to my right, I reraise to 2,200 with AcKc in mp, folded back to Hans who asks how much I have behind. I tell him about another 8k and that I'm happy to play for it, he asks me to repeat myself as he shovels a big pile of chips into the pot. Cold caller mucks and I've already decided that I'm gonna take this oppertunity to double up as blinds are 150-300 soon. I push in, he has JJ but I spike a K and I'm over 20k. I stay on this table for approx 2 more hours and we have a good few battles in that time with honours even. I got moved then and in truth I was happy enough to go as he was a very good player and he was making life tough for me (although I'm sure he was happy to see the back of me as well as there wasnt anyone else at the table playing back at him).

So with two blind levels to go, I move again and this table is good to me. I hit a couple of hands early on here and after 1 hour I was up to 47k and cruising. The 2nd last blind level of the night was 300-600, and I got a savage mauling here. I lost 2 pots in 15mins that made a huge difference to my tourney. If I win them as I felt I should, I'd nearly be overnight chip leader.

Hand 1 Blinds 300-600-50ante hero-47k, SB (muppet) 45k.
I've raised 3 hands in a row and I raise 1,800 from the HJ with 9s9c. SB calls, BB calls.
Flop 10-8-3 rainbow. SB checks, I bet 4k. SB calls, bb folds. Turn is a blank 5. SB leads for 5k. I saw him take this very line an hour earlier and bet 10k on the river where he was called and he had missed a flush draw. So I put him on a straight draw of some kind, J9, JQ,9Q,67,97 or something like that.
So I decide to flat call it and call any bet on the river that doesnt make a strt. River comes down 9h and he leads for 4k. Of course I call it and he tables JQ:(. (comments how its played welcome)

Hand 2 Blinds 300-600-50 ante. Hero 30k villian 14.4k

Villian is the spannish edition of sideshowbob. The hair and the big mouth match up, well liked by all the spannish, extremely loud at the table but the Irish version is a much better player. I'm c/o when he's bb. I raise AS10s to 1800 in the c/o, folded to the bb who calls after a dwell. Flop is J-10-2 rainbow, 1 spade. He leads for 2.5k with 10k behind. I figure he must have KQ or something like that so I repop him enough to put him all in. He stands up and starts mouthing something or other, and after 2 or 3 mins, he says call and shoves in his chips. I say "good call" as I now think he has the Jack, and turn over A10. He tables 2-4, blank turn and 4 on the river. Now losing the pot was bad enough but the **** that went on after this pot done my head in. The celebrations were unreal with people arriving from the next parrish to do a high 5 with "el champione". I wanted to give him a high 5 as well, but straight into the jugular if possible. Its as near as I've been to being phisically sick at a table. Jesus, was I now tilting or what? I went outside for a smoke, calmed myself a bit and promised myself that I'd stay in long enough to knock "el champione" out. And thats exactly what I did in the last hand of the night when I won a race with AQs against his JJ.He had 10.5k and I had 11.5k. I didnt celebrate, I just stood up and shook his hand, but inside, every part of me was doing handstands. That felt good.

Overnight, 45 players left, ave is 27k, Ive 23k.

Back on Sunday and they draw for new tables. I get off to a flier and in 20 mins Ive 48k and finding life good. Then I get another sickening blow and I never recover from it really. 1 limper into my blind(800-1500) and I've 55. I (47k)make it 3900 to play, he(50k) calls.(Villian wouldnt be a great player). Flop is a handsome Q-6-5. I lead for 6,500, villian calls. Turn is a Q, and I lead for 11,800 and he calls. The river is a fcuking 6. I check, he bets, I fold. He shows AQ and says"I had you all the way". Yeah, right. Any other river and I've all his chips and up to 95k..

Nothing else of consequence happened after that. I stole a blind every here and there to keep myself afloat, but never got a chance to double up. The bubble burst at 1.5k-3k blind level, I had 25k. For 2 laps I looked for a chance to double through but the spot didnt come. I shoved Jd-8d from the HJ and sb called me with 10-10, flop 5-6-7 but no more help and I'm out for €1,500.

Still it was an enjoyable week-end away. BCB was his normal charming self and the 2 paddypower qualifiers I met, Rob Murphy And Paul O Niell were great craic.

If they want this to be successfull, they have to
1) Use English only rule
2) Display a set of rules
3) Make it a 3 day tourney.
4) Control the spannish:D

Hope I didnt bore ye.
Connie

zuutroy

Nice read...your crippling hand is pretty sick

eagle eye

Quick note, I am halfway through this and just started the el campione and I will have to return and finish it, but if I do that now, I think my sides are gonna split.

AdMMM

Good read, seems like it was very poorly run tbh and you did very well to overcome all the local obstacles.

nicnicnic

as I said to you on the phone language barriers will always cause problems when playing in a different country. I had a very similar experience the first time i played in Kerry

great review and WP again

KevIRL

nicnicnic wrote: »

as I said to you on the phone language barriers will always cause problems when playing in a different country. I had a very similar experience the first time i played in Kerry

great review and WP again

LOL! WP Nicky

Great report Connie. Certainly seems like they have a few things to sort out over there.

Well done on the cash

valor

raise the 99 hand on the river

mdwexford

Those 3 hands are sick, unlucky Connie and well done on cashing.

Also lol nicnicnicaments.

LuckyLloyd

This post has been deleted.

Lplate

nicnicnic wrote: »

I had a very similar experience the first time i played in Kerry

LMAO: Only the first time??:D

eggie

wp Connie, sick sick river.

SetOverSet

I don't know ya Connie, but good read and congrats on cashing!:D Lmfao at 'el champione'

BigCityBanker

wp

Mr E

Good read... well done.

ollyk1

Great read and great effort especially considering some of the hands above. WP Connie I'm putting a few bob on you cashing in the WSOP as soon as the odds go up!!

Ste05

Great read, wp, gg, etc. etc.

I thought it was very classy the way you handled knocking out "El Champione", way to hammer home the classy Irish image. Nicely done, I'd say that was such a sweet moment for you.

OilBeefHooked2

Nice report Connie wd on your effort again.

eagle eye

Great report Connie, I knew it would be good.
I honestly had to stop reading it after I got to the el champione bit, its just so funny, your description and feelings had me in stitches. I had to stop playing cards and get away from the pc for a while until I stopped laughing.
Some sickening tales and some good ones mixed in.
Well played and great report.

connie147

Ste05 wrote: »

Great read, wp, gg, etc. etc.

I thought it was very classy the way you handled knocking out "El Champione", way to hammer home the classy Irish image. Nicely done, I'd say that was such a sweet moment for you.

Thanks Ste, sweet doesnt come near to describing it. Right at that time as the dealer was about to deal the flop, I'd have given the dealer everything I had in my pocket if he could guarantee me that I'd outflop "el champione". As the spanish contingent slinked away quietly, and I had to stay at the table to bag up my chips, I did slip the dealer a €20 and told him have a drink on me.

Sirtoyou

Great report Connie wp.

careca

valor wrote: »

raise the 99 hand on the river

I was just thinking how much I would have lost on that hand. did well Connir to lose so little.

Great show.


Lol nicnicnic with the kerry language.

mormank

the rake was who in the what now!!!!!!! that is ridiculous.

and for BCB to think he can beat this rake is even more ridiculous!!!

DeadParrot

WD connie
bob murphy is s mate of mine and was feeding me updates when he wasnt out of his face drunk over there

Ste05

connie147 wrote: »

Thanks Ste, sweet doesnt come near to describing it. Right at that time as the dealer was about to deal the flop, I'd have given the dealer everything I had in my pocket if he could guarantee me that I'd outflop "el champione". As the spanish contingent slinked away quietly, and I had to stay at the table to bag up my chips, I did slip the dealer a €20 and told him have a drink on me.

Nice...

YULETIRED

What was the food like connie, cold soup and cold red wine I bet.? ...bleedin charlatans....WP and UL with that river.

nicnicnic, nice one! How ironic though Nic can't understand a fellow cluchie accent.
I can never understand a blind word he says myself.:D

The_Chopper

Good read and wp Connie

connie147

careca wrote: »

I was just thinking how much I would have lost on that hand. did well Connir to lose so little.

Great show.


Lol nicnicnic with the kerry language.

I dont think it was such a hero play not to lose more money. The card on the turn must have been a 6, making the board 10-8-3,flop, turn 6 and river 9. I just knew he was drawing to the straight and I was planning on calling any river bet that didnt see a 7,9,J or Q falling. When the 9 fell and he bet so small, it was the total oppossite to what he had done earlier when he missed. But the bet was so small, 4k into 23k pot, I had to have a look at it.

Connie

califano

Good report Connie. I go broke on the 99 hand but i raise x4 bb pf because raising this amount i hope to be up against less obscure hands that make a straight on the river than i would raising x3 with 99.

connie147

valor wrote: »

raise the 99 hand on the river

I was looking at that again. LOL. I dont think my soul reading is that good. I'd say the turn card was a 6 and not a 5 as in my op. Flop 10-8-3, turn 6, river 9. I knew my set was toasted anyway. He had some kinda draw and with no flushdraw there and that 9 got him there.

connie147

rounders123 wrote: »

Good report Connie. I go broke on the 99 hand but i raise x4 bb pf because raising this amount i hope to be up against less obscure hands that make a straight on the river than i would raising x3 with 99.

Yeah, but since I got to this table, all my raises had been 3x. And with the standard of play generally that I saw over there, raising 3x bb or 4x bb would make little or no difference. I dont think changing the raise size to protect a mid pair is a good idea. Twould make my hand a bit transparent.

Connie

mormank

ya but seriously connie. was that a mistake about the rake. 160 euro per person per 2 hours...

davidgti

Great report Connie Read this last night before bed wes like a bed time story

BigCityBanker

mormank wrote: »

ya but seriously connie. was that a mistake about the rake. 160 euro per person per 2 hours...

lol, this is 100% fact.

mormank

wow!! and ppl thought the irish open was expensive

califano

connie147 wrote: »

Yeah, but since I got to this table, all my raises had been 3x. And with the standard of play generally that I saw over there, raising 3x bb or 4x bb would make little or no difference. I dont think changing the raise size to protect a mid pair is a good idea. Twould make my hand a bit transparent.

Connie

I was a bit busy when i wrote that it even sounds kinda results based thinking. I didnt really mean changing bet sizing because of a hand you hold but i personally believe a standard raise in a tournament should be generally x4 the bb. Recently x3 seems to be very much in vogue and with no little success with the Galway IPC winner etc. But i think overall you get too many 2-3players calling x3blind bets that leaves you too vulnerable to getting outdrawn regardless of holding.

murph01

Nice report Connie,bob murphy here.
Really enjoyed the weekend in Madrid despite not cashing.
It was nice to meet you,Pat,Paul and Noel(bcb),great craic and a great atmosphere.
After the great start i got off to in this tournament doubling up with aa against jj all in on a 6 high board i thought it was going to be my weekend.
Played steady enough i thought but ran into two bigger hands that killed of my tournament late on the first night.
1st hand that killed me i have ak utg and i make it 1100 with blinds 200/400,button calls,big blinds pushes for 6k or so,im playing 16.5k so i over push getting the button to fold hoping im racing only to be up against AA and im back down to 9k.
(was actually lucky to be still alive here as it turned out the button folded qq here and would have made a set and he had me covered,was some fold)
2nd hand a hour or so later and im playing 10k or so on the button,cut off pushes for 5.5k and i again over push with qq only for the big blind to wake up with kk and thats all she wrote,funny enough the cut off here had a5 and hit his ace on the flop and took the side pot and he then went on to make the final table.
Totally agree with some of your points especially the language barrier,at times there would be 3 or 4 spanish waffling on in the middle of a hand and after a hand and for all you know there discussing hands or talkng about cornation street the night before but this made things impossible with the dealers not having much or no english.
One very funny moment the 1st night when we were checking the cash tables in the casino,Noel(bcb)puts his name down to play 10/20 plo, despite the ridicalous high rake he reckons he can beat this as the standard looks shocking-anyway we watch the 1st couple of hands.
1st hand the action goes 7 callers around to the big blind who pots it,he then gets 5 or 6 callers,pot is now a monster,flop rag rag rag and oroginal raiser goes all in only to be called by complete crap.
2nd hand we witnessed was unreal,same guy pots it after 5 or six calllers only to be called by everybody again,it all goes in on the river this time,the guy who has won the pot with the nut flush and indeed the nuts does not even know he has won the pot of about 3 or 4 grand and when the dealer goes to award him the pot he pushes it away claiming he has lost the pot to a set :D:D:D
After this noel is like a bull to get a bit of this action but the waiting list is endless.
Anyway great weekend Connie and very well played despite not getting many cards.
looking forward to killarney in october.

murph01

apoligies if above is hard to read

DeadParrot

murph01 wrote: »

apoligies if above is hard to read

rag rag rag flop in PLO???

and the CO player took the main pot.
Jaysus Bob

murph01

DeadParrot wrote: »

rag rag rag flop in PLO???

and the CO player took the main pot.
Jaysus Bob

Theres no way i can remember the flop so hence rag rag rag,at that stage we had already consummed many a beer and a few cocktails and yes the co player took the main pot.Anything else James your royal highness.:D

tip2win

Hi this is Mark from UK , had a good time in Madrid, and hopefully will get in Lad festival, and see you again.
All the best.

connie147

tip2win wrote: »

Hi this is Mark from UK , had a good time in Madrid, and hopefully will get in Lad festival, and see you again.
All the best.

Hi Mark,
Nice meeting you again. You were very unfortunate to go out on that KK hand. You raised it big enough pre-flop, what he was doing calling that action with 8-6 is anyones guess (and he was shortstacked as well!!).

Look forward to meeting you again in the near future,

Connie

tip2win

Thinking about it, I needed action rather than throw all in pre flop, so bet 3 times bb, 2 callers, nearly paid off but thats poker for you. I got the $1,500,000 ECOOP II (online) on june 1st through PP, so hopefully will be more lucky.
Well done on Your win in Madrid too.