Star City , Poker Soc, Rivercard and Poker Stars

So I last blogged mentioning I was going to star City played the early tournament at 4.30pm a £20 rebuy, I played very tight as I normally do in the 1st level, watching who actually can play poker, who you should bluff, who you should not bluff and who is willing to rebuy.

In the 1st 45 minutes I did not play one hand! I know that sounds like an exaggeration but seriously it is not, I checked my BB and limp in SB but never got to a turn. I finally played my 1st hand a minute into the 2nd level with TTs, I limped in early, someone raised with 3 callers and I shoved. Somehow it helped up!! Then I saw there hands was up against Q9 A7 and Q9 so I guess it was not that hard to believe. I then played a few pots and started moving in a bit, hey it’s a rebuy after all!!! But I could not win a hand! I ended up in for £160!!! I shoved blind twice getting called by JJ and AQ was not goooood!

So I start the freeze out with 10xBB the minimum chips possible! Oh well!! The guy next to me says, ‘oh looks like you not going to be here for long!’ which I did not appreciate, although 10 hands in i doubled up off him when he limped on the button with JT and I shoved with A8, he calls! And I win! Then I looked at his stack and laughed at him :-) (I know that is bad but I really didn’t like this guy)

I get my stack up but still in the 15-20BB bracket where the only move in a place like that with the blind structure is allin allin allin!!! Someone opens up, I see AJ and I shove! This is not a move I will always do but it felt right and I feel I am ahead of his range or flipping which I don’t mind at that stage of the tournament. The short stack in the blinds finds QQs and calls, the opener thinks for a while and says I cannot fold this hand! Thinking it something like 88s or 99s, but he calls and shows JT!!!! The flop came J T x and he scooped the pot! He then tells me as I get up, JT is statistically the best drawing hand agasint any other hand, I said not against AJ, he says YES IT is!!! I left and smiled! Guv went on to make final and cashing £144 in 7th place

I played cash and just played a lot of pots, I was in for £160 and could not hit a hand, I eventually went on a little rush, and when you hit on that table you got paid!!! I lost a £100 pot with AA vs J8 allin on the flop of J 5 5 board which was annoying (Jack on the river) but somehow I was £80 up!!!

At poker soc played a shootout out style tournament £10 freeze out, I drew a tough table with Flash Dave Jambon and with only 2 going through it was not going to be easy. I played tight and was really focused on going through but going through with chips was important! (Shootout is basically the top 2 from every table go through to the next round and take their chips forward to the final table) But with only 8 getting paid and given points you need chips!



I play a sick pot with Dave in the 4th or 5th level. I’m on the button with K2 and limp. Dave is in the SB and Flash in the BB, Dave calls and Flash checks and we see a flop. Flop is Q 8 5, they check to me and I bet half pot (to look weak), I know that one of them are going to make a play at me. Tom even gives me a cheeky look when I bet half pot. Dave then raises and Tom folds, I call with air. Dave bets the turn and instant shove and Dave mucks quickly! Shiiiiiip Ittttttt!!! Apart from that move I played really solid poker, although I actually flipped a coin to decide whether to call Dave’s allin with K high! He called Heads and it landed on Tails which meant I had to fold!

We get three handed and the structure is awesome me flash and a wild guy are still in, he opens shove on the button with like 30 BBs, I look down and see 99s, hmmmmm I think this is a really tough spot, I know that I can play small ball and steal blinds very well and take chips instead of getting all in with 99s. I lay it down! Although I don’t think a lot of top players do but I felt I could go through with more chips with a lot less risk even though 99s is a huge hand 3 handed. The exact same thing happens again a level after where Flash had a lot of chips and me and the aggressive guy had a bit less, he shoves but this time I see JJs and call, he has A4, flop is Ace high and Im down to virtually nothing. Few hands later flash gets all his chips with QQs on a 9 7 3 board where the guy had A7. Moved to final with no chips but 3BB!!! Did someone say Drupoker????????

Somehow I get lucky I shove with no callers, then I shove with 7s8s, Kader raises with TTs and Flash moves in with AK, which I felt was unnecessary. Kader clearly commiteed himself with his re raise and Flash had no fold equity and they both had huge stacks, without fold equity in that spot with AK I don’t think it’s a great move because most of the time you are beat and at best splitting, only a few times Kader has AQ there imo, plus Flash had a lot of chips to dominate the table rather than gambling there, I hit a flush, Kader hits a set and Flash loses a big pot! I then shove a few more times with no calls and then got 4 handed, Button opens I see an Ace and shoved he calls with 44s, I have A3 and go home! Good Game! I got lucky to get that far, so got nothing to complain about!!

Rivercard been going really well although a couple of bad hands hurt but that’s poker! Playing a lot of poker atm so cant complain about all the bad beats because if I do see over 100 times and if my KK loses to TT it should do Twenty times!!

Poker stars on the other hand is just sick!!! I keep coming 2nd for the $650 seat! Played a $50 freeze at DSOP last night after I went busto on the big screen, I limp with QQs about 3 hands in, BB makes it 300 to go and I shove for 3k he insta calls with K2 and flop is K 2 x, oh well!!!! That’s just sooooooo standard atm, need to take a break from stars I think! Lost in a Double shoot out for the $650 seat with 4 to go with JJ vs 44 on a 44J board!!! Just sickness constantly!!!!

Rivercard : $3,600 Poker Stars : $270 Live : $940