I’m pleased to see James Dempsey on my left at my table as he should stir up some action, less pleased to see Ian Frazer on my right as he three bets me well, and delighted to see Dave Shallow join the table as while a very good player he tends to spaz pretty badly in these things and I won’t be folding to his 3bets like I did in brighton.

Other than that my plan is to be more cautious than normal, find the soft chips instead of risking my stack on marginal bluffs or calling it off against ranges that are far tighter than they should be.

Dempsey opens for 150, I 3bet to 425 with QcTx Frazer thinks about raising and eventually calls with JJ.  Dempsey Calls. Flop Kc9c5c.  They check and I bet 675. They both call.  Turn 3c.  We check around.  River brick.  Dempsey bets 2200 I call and Frazer claims to fold the 3rd nut club.  He shows a K and mucks.

Active old guy opens next hand to 150, I should prob flat here but I make it 425 and puke in my mouth a little when he 4b to 1650, I make the call and he leads 3500 on a 752 flop with two diamonds.  I don’t have the Qd and fold after a few moments thought.

Table breaks shortly after. Boooo. 

Quiet 2nd level and have 13725 at break.

3rd Lvl: 75/150

Mp Limps,  He’s been limping a lot and wide during last hour including a 63s utg.  I make it 550 with T9o guy to my imm left coldcalls.  Flop Q72.  I cbet 1125 and they both call.  Turn Jack completing the rainbow.  MP limps I check and coldcaller bets 2250.  MP folds.  I sigh heavily as I’m wont to do in these situations then cram 12k.  He tanks for 3 minutes and folds.

Start dinner with 18375 chips.

Lvl 5: 150/300

I open to 750 with ATdd knowing the very active chinese kid in bb will want to play.  Normally I’m quiet this level to build respect for the antes but ATdd has plenty of value.  He calls and flop comes down Jd8d5x.  He checks and I bet 1025, as expected he checkraises to 3500 and I quickly cram.  He calls after a moments thought and shows J8 for top two.  Qd turn and brick river.  Standard.  I tell him this as he bitches about me being like Jamie Gold (??!)  which prompts someone at table to open the card calculator app on their iphone and work out that I’m a 60-40 dog vs his exact hand so “his call must be good”.

200/400 25 ante

I start to open to 925 frequently this level.  I open with A9dd guy from T9 hand flats as he has most times since he tripled up with a set.  SS btn flats and blinds call.  5 way. Flop Jc9×8d. We all check it to button who ships 7500 into the 4900 pot.  blinds fold and I think a while before calling.  I snap call without the guy behind me obv.  Even live.  Guy behind me thinks for a minute before folding AQ face up.  He thought about making a move in but figured I’d have to call.

Pusher shows KcTc.  5d turn. Kd river. He celebrates before I point out that the diamonds win.

53k at break.

300/600 50. 

Chinese limps co sb completes and I check in bb QTo.  Flop A86 we check , chinese bets 1600 and I make it 4600.  He folds.

I’m opening in bursts then folding for a while.

400/800 50

This is where tiredness starts to catch me.  Mp limps.  He limps a ton and folds to raises, the button as been attacking his limps relentlessly.  But doesn’t raise this time.  I think he folds but actually calls, SB completes. Dealer spazzes and rakes in the chips as I’m checking my cards planning to raise any two.  I see KK and make it 2300 more, all call ecept sb.  I’m a little thrown that btn is still in the hand. 

Flop AKJ.  I should bet 7-8k here and set up an a 18k turn bet followed by a natural river shove.  Instead I bet 4k thinking the pot is only 6-7k instead of 10k.  Btn is only caller and I realise too late my error. 

Turn 7s putting a fd out.  I bet 12k he quickly calls.  River 5x.  While A shove for 37k is less than the pot it just won’t be called live against an older player unless he’s had QT all along.  I go for max value with 25025 and immediately hate myself.  12k again looking to extract thin value or induce a spazz shove is obviously the way to go.  He asks me how much I have left sees its only 12k or so and folds. 

Break started just after this hand and I had 89k.  i found out later this was the chip lead by 10k.  However this hand bothered me for the whole last hour.  Usual problem for me, tiredness+a mistake = my head wrecked.  At some pt I’ll probably need counselling so that I can learn to allow myself to make mistakes and to be less than perfect.  The same forces growing up that shaped me into a weapon with drive and determination to be brilliant have left me with an achilles heel. One mistake can derail me completely.

Final level.  500/1000 ante 75.

Level starts okay, I’m opening to 2200 frequently and taking down enough pots pre to make an immediate profit.

I have 95k and open to 2200 on btn with Q9dd. Chris Bjorin folds small blind and a kid calls in bb.  Flop QJ7d. He checks and I intend to check behind, but looking at his stack he seems to have about 12k left so hey bet/get it in is  fine.  I bet 3300 and he checkraises to 7300.  At this pt I see he has another 13k behind the 7 as I’d somehow missed a couple purple and a whole stack of green.  With great irritation at myself I fold.  I’m fairly sure I’m behind but this is not good poker.

Later.  Utg limps.  Earlier on I had raise/folded AK to an utg LRRAI for 22bb.  I didn’t remember this guy limping in ep before.  I get cute and limp AKhh behind.  There’s a reasonable chance of a raise and I can fold if utg LRR and ship if he calls or folds.  6 way limped pot

Flop AsKx5s.  Checks to me.  I bet 3k as the kid from the Q9 hand is in the pot and there’s no way he’s folding anything reasonable to me.  I can get 2 streets of value out of a K and probably all 3 out of an ace.  kid calls.  UTG checkraise to 9k with about 20k behind.  God. Damn.  It.  I fold after about 30 seconds thought and the kid folds too.  I asked him later what he had and he said QJ cos it was a limped pot and he figured no-one had anything.  I told him I folded a monster, AK and his reaction seemed off, more subdued than I would expect if he had bluffed out top two.  So there’s a fair chance he did have me beat, but still…. looking at this hand I can’t believe I folded top two in a donkament.  I was def tired tho, miscounting pots and stacks, thinking slowly, and had already decided there was def value in just getting to day 2 with what would be a decent stack when I could come back fresh and alert having regained my equilibrium and focus.

If I could replay the AK hand right now I’d make it 4k pre and stack off on the flop without hesitation – if he has me beat its a cooler.  But on the other hand thats the attitude that has seen me struggle to move from online NL tourneys to Live NL tourneys.  I made some big folds today but it kept me around to get into profitable situations with almsot no risk. 

I have no idea if I should be happy going into day 2 with a decent stack or annoyed that I don’t have the chip lead I could have had so easily.

As it turned out I was cursing my preregistration come the 6pm start time as I had been hitting snooze on my alarm for the previous 90 mins and really didnt want to get up.

There was a 25 pound bounty on each head (so only 75 into the prize pool) this meant that with a 5k starting stack each head was worth approx 1666 chips which maybe only 1 or 2 other poeple  in the tournament realised when making their equity calculations versus a SS push. And of course I became unpopular after a Q3o isolation.

Richard Trigg was two to my left and playing very actively, I tested him fairly early by making his 425 raise 1450 with 64o and he shipped 7k into my face .  Fair enough.  I was finding spots to chip up so without antes and a full table I settled back and let him run things.  I kept up the impression I was dying to play back at him so he’d pay me off when I got a real hand.  Eventually he ran into my AQ after shoving A9o over a raiser.  But before that come a hand I think I screwed up.

Im in BB with 77 at 400/800.  Utg limps, BB makes it2k.  I call.  utg calls.  Flop KK7 2 clubs.  I check, utg checks, raiser makes it 3k  I call.  I have 30k behind, raiser is similar, BB has 20k.  My intial thought on the call was that these players are tight and he would be capable of folding a K to my checkraise but by calling I give him a chance to checkraise and I can get it all in versus the utgs probable AK on the turn. Also if the turn comes K or A I can safely check-fold versus this player if he bets. utg folds.

Turn Tc.  Fuck. This is gonna slow him down.  I decide to lead 4k.  He calls.  River Jx. I bet 9k into the 20k pot and he thinks forever before calling with AK.

At the final table I start with 60k out of total 360k 9 handed, top 8 pay.  they want to take 100 off the top for 9th place and it’s left to me to be the table asshole who says no.

It takes us over 90 minutes to break the bubble as play is tight and careful and when they do get the money in the short stacks are doubling up.   It eventually being the guy who came into the table shortest and hadn’t stopped bitching since we started the FT about how I refuse to let money come off the top for 9th.

This has become one of my biggest pet peeves with live tournies.  The (usually) old guys who sit there for 10 hrs doing absolutely nothing come into the bubble position with no chips and then expect me to give up equity so they can get their buyins refunded.  Fuck them.  When he bubbled he let us know he hadn’t got any money back at all as he’d failed to pick up a single bounty.  I wasn’t surprised.

I lose AK vs KQ to stop me getting a dominant stack and have to grind it back out.  On the plus side the guy to my lelft seems very  tight on calling raises that knock him out so as the blinds creep up and effective stacks approach 10bb I know I have a ready source of equity.  At this table 12bb is enough to resteal with a good sucess rate.  I ship 52k over a 12k utg raise with KJo and he folds letting me pick up  18k for free.  This guy had previously taken ages to call with AQ when I shipped AQ versus him in an almost identical situation last round.  He had been liberally reraising the kid in seat 9 (the most active player at table since I knocked out Trigg) and had flatted me pre, raised me off a K hi flop early in FT.  He’d been tightish to open tho and hadn’t been put to the test on a call yet as seat 9 kept just raise/folding.

6handed.  At 2/4k I ship 55k with T9o into the 10 bb effective blinds.  The BB in seat 9 turns AQ face up after a few seconds folding.  I’m somewhat stunned but manage to stop myself from giggling.

Down to 5 handed.  SB ships for 20k total with blinds at 3/6k.  I see 84o and sigh.  With  the bounty included I’m getting almost 2-1.  His range is probably a little tighter than it should be tho.  If I call and lose I have 56k, if i pass I have 70k if I call and win I have 96k.  With my SB next I don’t think 70k is enough to resteal so I make the call.  With 80 behind I may pass.

He has T7o.  8 in the window.  flop finishes 9 6.  Sigh.

Payouts are 1830 for 1st, 1240 for 2nd, 780 for 3rd, 490 for 4th and 380 for 5th.  1st place also gets a champion of champions seat.

final 4 hands in a row.

Tight guy makes up SB with 30k behind.  I ship 94o from BB with 45k and he folds.  I ship Q3o from the SB.  Add another 8k.  I ship Q7cc from the button and add another 12k.

bb 68k, seat 2 42k, Hero 73k, btn, 40k, Sb (seat 9) 137k.  blinds 4k/8k 15 mins left, chip count at end of the next 6/12 level with the chip leader getting the champions seat.Nearly half the chips in play in the pot.  One time.  He has ATcc.   Board comes K8428.

There was shock at my hand but I’m pretty sure that’s just because they’re all awful.  Oh well.  380 for 5th and 175 in bounties.  But I’ve also broken my cherry for cashing in GUKPTs which may help in Walsall or London.

I’m still planning to play the GUKPT series but 10 hrs tonight, the time and expense of time away, the long hours, the opportunity cost of those hours, the burnout/tilt risk.  It all paints a picture of a misguided enterprise.  If Walsall and London don’t go well I’ll reexamine my reasons for playing live and see whether to quit/scale back/just play big events, etc.

Regardless this was not the slow careful chipup while waiting for the antes that I had planned.  I lost a little more with KK vs a flush but an ace on flop kept the pot small.  At end of level I get AA and cold 4 bet a tight guy in his 30s.  He flats for over 35% of effective stacks and check folds AK on a a T hi flop.  He mentions that if I’d had more chips he’d have moved in pre to get me off my obvious QQ.   Dammit.  We had a short break so I could avoid immediate tilt, but afterwards I continued my trend of late where I fold when ahead, pay off when behind, let people catch cards for free/cheap, protect pots where I’m drawing nearly dead and generally have not the slightest fucking clue where I am in a hand.    I was out before the 2nd break.  And once more before the antes.  A disappointing performance.

The 275 f/o on Saturday showed a start to recovery as I played some pots in a pleasing manner, but there were still too many spots where I bet with no idea how to respond to a raise and I think I kept up my 100% rate on choosing the wrong option.  I was also running horrifically tho so I’m not that worried about this result. I finally got all my money in with TT and when the initial raiser said “I have a crap hand” and turned over A9o I told him it was plenty tonight, stood up and put my coat on.  The dealer put an ace in the window and by the river my only out was the front door.

I grinded away for a couple more hours but never got above 9k.

Took today off, to alter my sleep schedule from the 6-7pm wakeup for the prelim events to the necessary midday wakeup 2morro.  I had planned to play the 110 f/o tonight but after spending nearly a grand in the PLO and trip cost already exceeeding 3k I decided rest before friday’s 12 hr session was more important.

Double chance event so start with 3500 and can take 3500 whenever you want.  Theory prefers an immediate take of the extra chips but my results tend to be better when I wait a little and use my 1st stack to squeeze liberally.   I can think of two vegas wins where I lost my 1st stack on a trash hand in the 1st hour, but I can’t think of a single solid cash where I’ve taken the chips immediately.   Anecdotal evidence is hardly proof tho so I would never advise against an immediate take,  but be aware if its not the norm at the table what often happens is the two players to your left will take the chips and the ones on your right won’t.

I got an early double with AK tonight and took the chips.   Hitting 15k on the last hand before break with 55 on a Qd 3d 5x Qx8d board and extracting his stack.

The most interesting hand came when utg (5400) made it 400, jeff kimba flatted utg+1 with a similar stack to my 10k and I looked down at 99.  I called as the players to my left weren’t going to squeeze without a hand, hell most of them are just overcalling with anything less than KK.  utg is the victim from my AK hand and I’ve shown several bluffs.  Raising 6 pots in a row at the end of level one left an impression on the table.

Two more calls and we see a flop 855 5 way.  utg bets out 1500 and I go into the tank.  I eventually fold but I’m far from happy with it, it’s very hard for anyone behind to get it in with JJ or less.  (I saw him check back top set of Jacks  twice  on a dryish rainbow board before making a small value bet on river.  He also had a love of limping big pairs in early position betting the flop and then check folding the turn.)

After the break I’m active but not seeing any powerhouse hands I can take advantage of my crazy loose image with.

blinds 200/400 25, utg (tight, new to table) makes it 1325, I’m utg+1 with AKo and make it 5025 out of my 14k stack.  emp is a good internet kid called darren.  He has a similar stack to mine and eventually passes AK, I take pot and for the next hour he begs me to let him know if he made a good fold.

Struggling to make progress past 15k, I’m down to 13k ish when I pick up 66 in the co, blinds 300/600 25.  I make it 1525 BB flats with 5800 behind.  Flop 853 rainbow.  he checks I bet 1800 and snapcall his shove for an extra 4k.  He has T8o and I’m down to 5800 ish myself now.  Folding this seems weak, but with my image, the BB being capable and looseish pre, and the SB darren dying to play back at me, I think an open fold is best, wait for the 400/800 50 level.  I think making it more pre is the wrong idea.

Very next hand the tightish guy from the AKvsAK hand makes it 2725.  He’s been opening a lot more in the last round and always for a large amount.  My AQ should be way ahead of his range and I ship it in.  SB (same guy from last hand) instaships over the top of me and I put my coat on. Other guy claims AJ and folds.

SB has AK.  Board bricks completely.  I register for tomorrows PLO rebuy and head for another kebab.

1st Hand two limps and I have QTo in the HJ at 25/50 6k starting.  I limp along as does Albert on the button and we see a QT6 flop 6 way.  Check to me, 200, Albert calls as does kid on my right. turn 8 and I start to get a bad feeling.  600, Albert calls, kid folds (He later told me had KJ).

River 7.  Fuck.  Fuck, fuckity fuck.  I check Albert bets 1k after a few seconds, I sigh and throw in the money.  He tables Q9 and takes it.  Down to 4150.

Next hand, ATo, I make it 150 and Albert flats, no other customers.  Flop A54, I bet 200, Albert calls.  Turn is a sexy K.  I fire 600 and he calls after a little thought.  river Q.  Hawt.  I Bet 1500.  He shakes his head says he knows he’s beat and calls.  I table AT and open my hands to receive the pot.  He turns over ATo also.

This is suddenly not looking promising.  That chop ended up being the only chips I recieved back during my hour long stay in the tournament.

A tight predictable player open limps ep2, BB is tight solid, and Albert in SB only has 850.  I have 86o in co and 3500 ish.  It looks like a fair spot, the limper should be easy to outplay, The BB isn’t calling too light, and even if he does I should still be turning a nice profit in this spot.  Albert can’t call 25% of his stack pre and I have a nice easy ditch if he ships.

I iso to 200.  Albert calls.  Limper calls.  Flop KT6 2 clubs.  Albert ships, limper folds I snap call getting 2-1.  I’m probably slightly over a 2-1 dog versus his range.

He has A9cc and hits flush on turn and river.

A little later i’m at 1300 in the SB 50/100 KQo.  Albert limps ep2 and 2 more people limp. I ship.  Albert limped AQo.  K hi flop.  A turn.

I register for tomorrows 330 and go for an early kebab.