£330 Freeze out at Big Slick!!!!

Friday

I came bk from uni on a friday night, dropped a mate off in Croydon and went straight to Big Slick to buyin into the £330 freeze out. I then sat down and played some cash. I sat with £160 on the £50 game and got a bit bored, got it up to £220 but saw the bigger game was getting some more players and people who are probably playing the £330 comp the next day. i felt i could create a bit of an image and at the same time learn how some of the players play. Will not go into to much detail about the game but i took a nice pot down on a bluff with Jack high, and took a nicer pot with two pair. I ended up about £185 up just playing solid poker and alot in position, played my button quite hard, although i did not play many hands, hopefully creating a tight image.

Saturday

I get to big slick at around 7 when the comp was meant to start but it was running a bit late. I saw some old new faces and it was good to catch up been atleast 9 weeks since the last time i played there and there was a great atmosphere at the club. I then found out that Nick the owner actually added the £5,000 to the prize pool and not a sponser like Betfair or King Soloman or their new sponser party poker. There were 91 runners and I drew seat 7 at table flamingo in the corner of the room, not the best seat in the house but i could see my table and also being the corner table it was unlikely to break til the very end, which meant i could spent good time reading the table as the table will not be one of the first to break, therefore creating an image was definately on my agenda. The table seemed ok, nothing too impressive. although looking around the room there were some big and better players than the usual big slick crowd, to mention a few Action Jack and his 'crew' were there as well as Praz and two of his boys. Also a few more had travel to croydon for the comp, so it was by no means the usual Big slick player, who are fairly weak overall for a £330 freeze out (no offensive to the good players at the club) Looking at the structure i was not too impressed. There was no 75-150 level and after the 400-800 it went to 600-1200 and after 1,000-2,000 it went to 1,500-3,000 which is when i believed the crapshoot would happen!

I start off very very solid, folding a few hands here and there, and just trying to play in position. i limped in with small pocker pairs, like 33 and 22 but never connected. I create a tight image and started raising limpers and c/bettin the flop, which got me to 15k after the 1st three levels. I still had not picked up a hand. The blinds were 40 minutes each. The best hand i picked up was Q8 which i raised two limpers and c/bet the flop. Also one a nice pot with 79. Some what a family pot and i called on the button, flop came 9 high and it check to me i bet. SB tight player called. turn paired the board and also brought the third diamond. He checked and bet again, he thought for a while and folded. The TD just stated before the tournament started that moodies do not go. The 2nd hand in a player on my table on a board of AKxAx three spades bets and someone thinks saying, 'oh have you hit the flush' he then raises!!! hmmmmmmmm Thats not allowed! No one seemed to notice, the guy folded and mr 'oh no i'm worried about the flush' has AK (of course) for the house! I then asked the dealer is that allowed?

Feeling good at the break and going into the 4th level. I still had not shown a hand or being given a hand better than 66s. I then kept raising on the cut off and folding pretty much anything else. I then raise on 1+ the Cut off with 98. The BB thinks and calls. Flop is K Q J, he checks and i bet out. he calls. Turn is a 2 and he checks and i fire out another shell, he calls, im sure he is on a draw, something like JT or T8, definately holding a T, maybe QT. The river is a nice 3. He checks and the pot is quite big now, i cannot afford to check with 9 high as im sure his T high would take it. Also i wanted to keep my hole cards a secret to the players on the table and create an image where you are getting no free cards. I then fired out the fourth shell, and then he called with KT!!!!!! Yikes! I then said nice call and showed my 9 high. The table looked quite stunned as he scooped at 20k pot. The did not help my attended image but at least they knew i was aggressive! However i did not have that many chips now, down to about 4k and with blinds 200-400 it was ALLIN time!

I then shove allin about 5 times picking up the blinds, which was nice. Especially as the best hand i had was AJ. The others were Ax in position. I then got up to 6k. I picked up AK!! Whooohooo my first big hand!!! BUT!!! some guy limps UTG and then some one makes it 1200 to go!! hmmm ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLIN!!!!!!!!!! I was quite sure this was an automatic call for the raises but he thinks for a while and folds his TTs face up! hmmm, im happy with the pot but would mind a double up, still over 60 players and needed some chips, but any uncontested pot pre flop is not toooo bad!

Then the poker gods sent down the lunatic!! to our table, he was on 70k!!! Average stack on final would be 91k!!! he was not far away but when every i see someone with that many chips early on, you know he must be very aggressive and very lucky (in most cases) I picked upAJ and raised his BB, he called as well as the button. Flop is J high and he checks, i check and the button checks oppps! The turn is a low card and the BB checks i bet, the button folds and the BB puts my all in, i call. He has Q8! A gutshot and an over card! A blank on the river and i double up. I slow down alot now, i was not picking my any hands and you do not need to bluff the unbluffable!!! This guy later cracks two sets with str8 and flushes. I was showing his 5 high bluffs while i waited and waited. He got to 90k!!! He then raised my BB, there was a flat call in the middle, this was at 300/600, i have AK in my BB and think for a while and shove! i know i am getting called! Was just thinkin if i might want to see a flop but i only had 14k and thought i need to build up and take a risk. He thinks for a while and says im calling because this hand has one me three big pots today!! I thought okkkkkkkkayyy! The caller folds and he shows K3!!! I cannot be in better shape than that, i take the pot down!!!!

I then win a good pot with QJ, i raise and get a caller and the blinds fold, flop comes 8 high and i bet the flop, the guy sweats me out for a while and folds AK! I obvious say i had a pocket pair! I just picked up pots like that to be honest, not much really happened, i still had no big pairs and still not flopped more than one pair or an over pair! But i was doing well and on 35k with average stack around 22k.

Now here is a point i would like to mention that i was not too happy about. In a tournament you expect to pay a reg fee of about 10% or the club can take 10% out the prize pool. But when the top prize of £11.6k was announced the prize pool did not seem to add up. Big Slick had taken £30 off every player and also took a cut from the prize pool!!! I was not happy about this!!! As each player ends up paying about £50 each!!! Just to play in the competetion, i would not mind so much if this information was given up front but no such luck, there was not any free food or anything else. The £5k added was soon recoupped by the reg fee and the rake from the tournament! I am not happy about this but what can you do! I really like big slick, it is a great place and the people behind it are great people! But this was certainly a point i did not agree with especially as the structure was not so great, if you paying more than 10% you should atleast get an awesome tournament given to you!!

Got to about 3 tables left with avergae stack but the 1,500-3,000 level kicked in. This was about 6 hours and 40 minutes in and i still had not picked up AAs, KKs, QQs, JJs or AQ! I picked up TTs but i actually folded them pre, as it was raised and re raised. Normallly i would not complain as you do not need cards to win! But only when the tournament has a good structure. I noticed this when i raised with AT and got one caller on the button, the flop was Q high and i bet out a standard amount. The guy then asked how much do i have left. I counted and i only had 21k pot after betting 10k, there was clearly no room to play! It was a 2 bet game and you were committed! It was an allin game which i am pretty confident in however there is a lot of money to play for and i could not buy a hand!

Then got down to two table with about 16 left i was still on average trying to take the blinds once a round but that plan was not working and was every two rounds which caused me to lose a few chips at the 2,000/4,000 level. Someone then moved in for about 20k+ with A7 and i found 77s in the BB! A huge! hand for me!!! i call and the 1st card is a Ace! ouch!! I then go to about 40k with blinds at 2/4k my ten BBs meant allllllllllllin time!! Not that is wasnt all in time before!!! The strucute was soooooo annoying!!! I heard that at the Walsall GUPKT they negoiated some blind structure change but it was 5am and the club closes at 6am and they wanted to get down to the final table for play to continue tommorow with everyone comming back to have a pay day. The thing i do not understand is why not make it a proper two day event, why play to final table and finish play at 6am where people are tired. As the next day is a sunday it is more than reasonable to start at 2pm and then finish at 11pm or later and allowed a lot of room to play!! But this was not the case.

UTG moves in and i have AJ in the BB with 14 players left!! i think for ages! The blinds were still 2k-4k and going up very soon. I thought for ages! But i hate calling off my stack than less than AQ especially so close to the end! But AJ was such a big hand for me, i still did not get a bigger pair than TTs all night in 8 hours of play and felt i could be winning! But i let it go! He claims he had KQ! but who knows!! I then really get short, down to about 6BB. 14 left and EP limps in for 4k, i find 88s shove!! I am not afriad of the EP limp, i know he has A rag and pretty sure he will not call, also harder for the blinds to call knowing EP has limped! the guy behind me then moves in!!! DAMM!! At best i must be racing! The EP limper folds his A2, and i show my 88s as the re raisers shows his JJs!! I go busto in 14th!!!!!!

I was happy the way i played! i didnt get any hands and played position well. If the structure was better the hands definately would not have mattered, but oh well! another tournament is over!!! Top 9 got paid and im sure there would have been a small bubble prize for 10th!!

Thats all from me and will be for awhile, ive cashed out my online accounts and looking to get some work done at uni, just going to play at poker soc, DSOP and warwick HSP!!! Good luck all!!!

WooooooHooooooo!!!

Having a good week so i thought i would share the news after last weeks disappointment in the 'five minutes of fun' post!

Monday Night

Came 1st at Poker soc and Guv came 3rd, we are in the same mob and showed we are a contender for mob of the year (see warwickpoker.com mob section) BUT on top of that we took a massive leap in getting our own mob name back. We are called club medusa named after a visit to a strip club in birmingham (house invational for me!) Anyway saef the loser on the left stole the name and made a mob with the same name, we bet on who ever has more points get the name at the end of term! But they have not accepted as they are way behind as we are soooo much better than them at poker!! Saef came 7th that week and was crying the whole way watchin me and Guv tear down the tournament!!!

Wednesday! Vday! Dont worry no romatic stories here! Just good fun watching Arsenal beat Bolton in the FA cup and playing some Tiger Woods and Drinking Game (i dont drink!) at jambon and Kaders place!

Thursday! - Bowling!!! Poker Soc social they went Wing wah 1st but i hate chinese food so came for the bowling after! it was great fun! the funniest thing was on the drive there, we saw Dave Lus car and flashed him, JD jags and Dave got scared! And drove in the other direction to aviod us! (obviously not knowing it was us, thinking it was so mad pikes on tilt!) Anyway got to the bowling place and got some bets going!
1) £10 vs Guv 2) £10 vs Jambon 3) £10 vs Flash but he had a handicap of +91/2pts so i had to win by more than 9.5 pts to win the bet. 4) £5 vs JD 5) £5 vs Suzie with a 60 pt handi cap!!
I bowl a 183! My best score ever!!! And take a cool £40!!!! Sweeeeeeeeeeet

Next Game New bets! Tom and Guv wimped out! 1) Jambon £10 2) Lauren with a 115 handicap 3) Saef with a 75 Handicap and 4) Sarah with a 55 handicap!
I beat Jambon, only beat saef by 50 points so he won, i beat Sarah by 75ish points. Then it was down to Lauren!
i finshed on 162 and she had 44! She had her last go! She needed 4 points!!! She throws it down and gets a gutter bowl! As i jump up!!!! Next one she throws rolls down the gutter! Hits the 10th pin! Which drops three other pins!!!!!!! BOooooooooooooooooooooOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She wins by ONE point!!! (although i won by 114 points!!) Gd game lauren!!!

Sunday Night!
Played in the stars million with no success
Played in the $75k gtd on Rivercard $54 rebuy! About $88k was in the middle for $22k for 1st! 690+ runners and i came 5th! for $3.7k, not too bad! Cant really complain! I won a few 50/50s which is really nice! Lost a big pot with two tables left with AQ vs JT but honest can not complain, got some nice hands and like i said i won some RACES!!!!

Ok that about it! poker Soc 2mr, hopefully get so more points for Club Medusa and also move on the ladder for Player of the Year!!!!

Also qualified for WaSOP last year which was good! Every year i have satted my way in!!! For those who dont know WaSOP is the Warwick Series of Poker a yearly event held by Warwick University and sponsered by Rivercard!!!

Warwick High Stakes Poker - Four

Warwick High Stakes Poker Episode Three

The game was on again! The fortnightly game was soon becoming my favourite game to take part, I stated last night I would be happy even if I go home broke (lose the money I came with, not literally!) as at least the money goes into a nice poker community and not to some muppets at Walsall or some online player I would never play with again.

In seat order the line up was, Jamie, Scott, James, Dhruv (me! I like seat 4!), Rob, Guv, Kader, Dave, Tom and Nick. On the way to Leamington, James asked me what the line was and I said this is the toughest line up so far!! So it was definitely going to be an interesting night ahead of us.

The game starts off nicely for me I pick up AQ 1st hand and get a call. Flop is Ace high and I get a call on the flop and a fold on the turn. Oh btw I brought in for £120. James and Nick bought in for £100 and the rest for the max of £150.

I picked up 99s in EP and Guv made a raise, he got a few callers and I called, Flop was two low cards and a Q. It checked round to Guv and he checked. Turn was another low card which gave me an open ended straight draw, so the cards must have been 678 (not sure in which order). I fire out at the pot, with at least ten outs, although there is a good chance I have the best hand here, the flush draw was out on the turn as well. Guv called and the rest folded. The river was a blank and I checked. Guv bet £20 and I called thinking he may have AK and it was about a half pot bet that I was happy to call. He flips over AAs….. hmmmmmmmmmmmm! I really do not like his play there. There is playing slow but against four other players is asking for trouble!

I started losing a bit of my stack by limping then calling raises. This was a tough game where limping was basically not allowed for about an hour. Kader and Jamie took some nice pots down by ‘punishing the limpers’, between them they were playing at least 80% of the pots! I then topped up another £80 and decided not to that anymore!!!

The first allin of the night came with Guv raised pre and Kader re raises. Guv calls and the flop is 7 high with 2 clubs. Guv checks and Kader bets, Guv calls and checks the turn which is another club and Kader moves in. Guv thinks for a while and folds QQs, while Kader claims he had AA with Ac, very believeable.

I took a nice multi way pot down with 97, there was a £2 straddle on. I was in the cutoff and called. Flop was Q9x and Kader lead out for £12, I felt there is a good chance he would bet the flop and shut down the rest of the way. Flash could as well and I called to take it away later as the pot was becoming quite health. Guv then also calles, I got a bit worried here wondering if Tom or Guv had something big. The turn is a blank and Guv Kader and Tom check to me, I fire out £30 and Guv and Kader quickly fold, Tom thinks for a lil while and folds.

I was not getting involved in many big pots but take pots like that down got me back to my £200 total buyin, which is always nice psychological. I then limp with 85 and call a raise from Dave, who has played about 2 hands in two hours. The flop was very sweet 585!!! Bingo Bango Bongo!!! I check and Dave fires out. The turn is the Ace clubs, which gives three clubs out there, which is the worse card in the deck for me, because if I was drawing I have hit, well I guess the 9 clubs would be worse but the Ace is not nice. I check and Dave checks right behind. The river I fire out £50 and Dave folds! Still a nice £65+ pot to take down.

Flash then decided to switch gears I started I re raise every time he entered the pot! The straddle made the game interesting but then Kader started making it £3 utg and wins a huge pot when he finds KKs and gets an allin vs AK.

I then lose a huge pot! I raise with AK and get a few callers, Flop is J x J. It checks round, turn is a Q and I bet out thinking my hand is probably good here. Kader calls and the rest folds, now me and Kader have not ever really tangled and I have no reason to believe he is making a move on me, also thinking he probably is not drawing. Therefore has a Q or maybe a J. The river is a sweet T, however the board is paired! I fire out £50 with £130ish back, Kader immediately asks me, how much I have left, And bets half my stack hmmmmmmm. Can a straight be good here? I’m sure online I call off and against a player I do not know well I call but I honestly feel Kader can only make this play with a full house, I put him on JT. I think for a lil bit and fold and he shows JJ for quads!! Nice hand Sir!!! I then try to annoy Kader saying if you shove I call, which probably was not the case!! Lol Sorry mate, just trying to wind you up a little bit!

I get a few more chips back by flopping a set of 44s against Dave. I check called the flop and bet the turn, which brought out the str8 and flush, but I was not sitting to deep. Dave then raised me and I instantly shoved allin, thinking he has the Ace of spades and maybe with a pair. He thinks for a while and lets the hand go.

Dave had done a lot of squeezing pre flop and when I found AK and raised and he re raised the shove was an easy move for me to make, especially as Dave was not too deep. He calls and shows KK, and I lose another big pot with AK.

Then the most interesting hand of the night took place. Flash makes a raise in late position. Jambon calls. Also on the side a bit of prop betting took place, with Guv who was now broke and out the game bet £20 on black and Kader took the bet. Scott and Jamie also had a bet on red or black. The flop was Ah Js 6s. Flash bet and Jamie shoved and Flash called (I think, basically they got it all in on the flop). This pot was at least £400 and guessing the hands was not easy. Jamie had Qs8s!!!! and Flash who made the CALL had middle Pair!!! These hands shocked the table, and Jamie was not happy to be called with middle pair as it was good! I think Jamie is going to post about this hand on his blog, check right hand side links section, Super Try Again Blog. In my opinion in think this was a tournament hand the way Tom played it out, I do not think you need to pick a spot like this in a cash especially the way he was playing, he was playing very well and I don’t remember him losing a big pot. Most people were shocked with the call but in my head I was just thinking, that’s Thomas Grundy!! He does not make his tournament winnings from not making marginal calls like that! Very well played sir! Although I don’t like the call even if he knows Jamie’s hand jus because why play a pot like that when your game was running soooo good. They end up chopping the pot and play for £100 on the side. Flashes hand holds!

Then I had to make a tough call. Tom raised and I called with 98. The flop was 7h 8c 9h. I check, Rob check and Tom bet out £32. Jamie then made it £100 total!!! I have about £190 in my stack. I have lost £10 in the call. Now its to work out whether I am willing to commit my whole stack. As calling is not an option. I looked over at Jamie and he looked like an irremovable object. I looked at Tom and he looked laid back and it was clear he was no longer interesting in the hand. I then looked at Rob who looked very interested. Jamie had me and Rob covered but I have Rob covered by about £120. I figured Jamie had a big draw and puts Tom on something like AJ or AQ and just c/betting the flop. I think for a while and did not appreciate everyone talking at the table, as it made it more difficult to think. I eventually shoved allin putting Jamie on a steal/ big draw. Rob called as well with KT, for an up and down, Flash folded and Jamie called with Ah8h for a pair and a flush draw! The pot was £350+ in the main and £220 on the side, which me and Jamie were in for. We went on our backs. The hands were shown and I asked Jamie if he wanted to take £100 back from our side pot. I didn’t want to reload, and I wanted some insurance by taking a £100 I could play with that stack (although it ended up being the last hand of the night! If I knew that I would have played for the whole pot) Anyway! The odds here are interesting, I have the best hand but in the 3 way pot Jamie is a 42% fav, im 35% and Rob is 25%. In the side pot between me and Jamie I am a 53% fav! The turn is a club! Which gave rob a flush draw, so I have half the deck to dodge! The river is another club and Rob scoops the main pot with a runner runner flush!!!!!

That was it! I was £75 down which was not too bad considering I got some pizza paid the dealer and had some fun! Also running into big hands did not help. What was really interesting was Kader, Dave and Tom were the only three up by more than a reasonable amount. I feel Kader and Jamie dictated the game a lot. Kader although had more influence because he was playing well and also hit the deck nicely! The two players with position to Kader was Dave and Tom!! So position was very important in my eyes in this game!! Which shows what kind of edge there is in this game in the long run!!!

5 Minutes of 'FUN'!!!!!!!!

OK i am STEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAMMMMMING!!!!!!

I dont normally likely to complain about bad beats as its a part of poker and in the long run focusing on bad beats will have a negative effect on your overall game! (also trying to aviod doing my coursework)

BUT I just need to let off some steam about 4 hands i played in about 5 minutes!!!

Poker Stars : Buyin $215 : Million Gtd!

I have basically not won a hand for an hour. I just shoved in the last hand with 88s and the limpers folded as well as the blinds.

I find QQs!! next hand and CO+1 raises 3xBB and i shove with QQs, he thinks for a while and calls with 55s!!! The 5 hits on the turn and i am outtttttttttter of here!!!

Fair enough not too bothered, wasnt deep into the comp and i was only a 80% fav

Rivercard: $2/$4 NL : Stack : $380

I call a raise with AJ and another player does aswell. Flop is K J J. They check to me and i bet out $32, the initial raiser folds. The caller re raises to $90. I shove for my stack and he calls with KQ!!!! and the KING hits on the river!!!

Ok another two outer, very annoyed but that poker!

Ultimate Bet: Buyin $215 : 200k Gtd

Just donked off most of my stack to Action Jeff he called me down with middle pair. I know you thinking what a player but he then called an allin with Q2 (2 high flush draw) and got it in with AK with 69 or some rubbish like that. The annoying thing here is that i did not relaise he came on the table to have some fun, he is a high high stakes player who was clearly messin about in the tournament, the unfortunately thing is that i had to be the sacrifice for the table to find out that information!!! anywaysssss

In BB with 6 2 and check. FLOP 2 Q 6 i check and someone bets pot, i then shove and he calls with 65!! Bit strange but to be fair i didnt have too many chips. Turn K and river K!!! CHOP CHOP!!!

Ok REALLY PISSED OFF NOW with in a few minutes i cannot seem to win a pot!!

NEXT HAND i find AK, someone raises and i shove, he calls with AQ! I turn round and say hmmmm he got 3 outs! thats plently!!! The RIVER IS A QQQQQQQQQQQ!

HAVE A NICE DAY EVERYONE!!!!!

Back to $2/$4!!

Not posted for a while!!!



Thought i'd do a quick update

Been playing at lot of tournament online (156% ROI on UB) and some cash, live poker is a monday and tuesday night for me now. Where every monday is poker soc and every tuesday alternatives from DSOP (deep stack tournament, www.warwickpoker.com -home games) and Warwick High Stakes Poker on the other tuesdays (which is the most fun!)



Last month had a really good month and feel that i had the roll to give $2/$4 another shot, Started last night and turned $392 into $1600 in two hands. Limp with J9 and BB raises. I call, flop J Q 9, he bets i call, turn a big blank and he bets and i raise, he calls, river blank and he checks. i bet my last $149 (although i do not agree with making this play 100% of the time, hard to get called by a worse hand but i feel AQ KK and AA will not fold as its not alot. but i do not like saying that line too much these days, ie only betting with near nuts on the river, by playin like that definately miss out a lot of value bets.)

Next hand find J9 i limp and BB and crazy guy calls. Flop Q T x, BB bets outs $16 and me and the crazy guy call. Turn was a sweeeeeeeet 8! It checks to me and i bet $50, muppet calls. River is an even better blank and the crazy guy goes allin for $850 and i could not call quicker with my last $700+!!!!!

Need to try and cut down a bit now on poker! (sayin this while playing $2/$4), assignments comming fast at uni and need to get down to some work!!

On a nice note just brought ProEvo6 and Micro machines on the Nintendo DS!!!!