VC Student Poker Championships!

My first TV tournament! I was very excited about playing this competition as it was a new place to play and there was a lot of money at stakes. My seat was worth about $3.1k in this 17 runner $50,000 free roll!!! !7th got $500 and 1st gets $20,000. Before the event Dave Jamie and I were thinking if we win the money do we buyin into the WSOP main event! Most of us were thinking YES!!

6 out of the 17 runners in this student comp were players from Warwick University, which is pretty sweet and a great achievement. Well the day did not start well, I woke up an hour late and then I fell down the stairs!!! (In my house as I was half a sleep and in a rush). Then on the tube I left my phone on the seat as I got out I quickly saw it and jumped in and out of the tube just in time! Things were not going well! When I arrived I was told I had to wear a VC student poker T shirt, which is fair enough as VC have given about $100,000 away in terms of free roll, cash prizes and a few ipods and laptops! I drew seat 1 table 1, which meant I would be on the TV table.



The first few hands in and the table was crazy! The blinds were 25-50 and the average pot was like 2k!! Players were raising re raising so much in the early levels, which I am not a fan off as there is nothing in the pot to really win. I then played my 1st pot. I raised in middle position with As3s, the BB calls and the flop is 9 6 3. He checks and I bet out, he then raises me and he looked kind of weak, so I thought I’d re pop it and find out where I am. I was pretty sure he put me on AQ, KQ or something like that and would not have connecting with the flop. He then re re raises me! Opps!! I fold thinking he must have at least a set to make that play so early on, he then turns over 8-2 no draw no hand!! What a Player!!!! Hmmmmmm got me thinking. Was everyone playing for the cameras? I and Jambon were on the same table just making funny looks at each other thinking what the hell is going on! Then we remember its STUDENT POKER which means everyone bluffs! Everyone re raises and everyone goes all in! They play way to aggressive at the wrong time in my opinion. I then decided to sit back and wait for people to go crazy.

I remember two hands which illustrates my point. Pre flop two people limp to 200 and the BB raises to 4.2k!!!! What a Player!!!!! Another hand was about a 5k pot at 50-100 where the players had 3rd pair, which was good after someone else called a bet and a raise on the turn! It was just crazy stuff!!!!

I then get my self in trouble again with 66s. This Muppet who has been calling down with poor poor hands raises and I call. Flop is Q 5 3, he bets 400, he raised 400 pre so I saw this as quite weak, I did not want to raise as this guy could not spell fold, so I thought I’d see another card. The turn pairs the 5, and he bets 1,000. Now if i'm good on the flop I should still be good. I then decided to put him under pressure as I had position but I felt raising was not the best option. I thought seeing a free showdown on the river would be more valuable. So I ask him how many chips does he have left. He was not comfortable with this chips and took a while counting. I then call. The river is a safe 2 and he FIRES OUT!!!! Opppps that’s trick did not work! (btw any home game buddies, I will use this as a reverse trick next time or a reverse – reverse trick, so don’t read too much into it!) BUT he fires out 1,000 again. Now he should only bet here with a bluff or a strong hand. There was 50+100+400+400+400+400+1000+1000+1000= 4750 in the pot and I didn’t think I could fold for 1,000 with that many chips in the middle. I call and he shows KQ! Nice hand sir!!!!


I then play my last hand! I raise with AK and get re raised for the 5th time in the tournament! I then think for a while I have about 4.9k left if I fold and blinds were going up soon to 200-400. So I commit the rest of my chips the eventually winner calls with KKs, no help on the flop and I am out 1st!!!!! Booooooooooo!!!!!

Such high hopes in a 17 runner $50,000 free roll, especially as the talent was not very strong. Warwick ended up winning the tournament! The Clutch won taking $20,000 straight no deals!

Oh well guess next time I have to do better, although I still got $500 and £150 for travel. Was a shame as this was my last student poker tournament and I was hoping to go out on a high!!! The show will be on poker zone in 5 weeks or so, hopefully I don’t look too stupid on it but not sure if I’ll even be on it!!! But that’s poker! Sometimes things just do not go your way!!!