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Who says poker is not a sport?

Today I played the longest afternoon freezeout ever! Only 44 runners but 6 hours straight. Played a solid game and with a little luck before the final table, I got in not the short stack for a change. It took an hour to get from 9th to 3rd, and by that time I was physically drained. Mistakes after mistakes and finally I was out in 3rd. I was short stack and small blind, went all-in with 5 6 suited, and the big blind called with J 6 suited. Still could’t believe I had made that move and his call baffled me too, but what could I do? 141 quid.

45 mins break and I was off again. This time the WSOP qualifier. I really wanted to win this, not on the grounds of going to Vegas (I can’t anyway, I am going back in 2 weeks), but just to get into team Gutshot. It would have meant the world for me.

I started off well. Had some good hands and got paid off. By break time there were only two tables left and I was 5000 up. Then, it only took two consecutive hands to get knocked out. The geezer under the gun raised. I act after him and had pocket Qs, so I went all-in. Gandi, who was short stack and across the table, went all-in with 2000, under the gun folded and I was heads up with Gandi, only he showed the rockets. It held and I was severly crippled.

The very next hand I raised under the gun with A Q, a guy called and another one raised for another 1000. Slightly on tilt, I went all-in, and guess what? I ran into pocket As again. No chance for me and I was out. Two pairs of rockets back to back, just like that.

Bad read!!! Argh!!!

Came 4th in the afternoon 20 freeze. Went lucky in one hand but generally played well. Final hand (4 handed) I went all in under the gun with A 9 off, button folded, small blind folded, big blind called with A Q. Flop came a 9 but he made a flush with a river. Nothing to complain about. Won 88.

Evening 50 freeze I made a brilliant if extremely lucky start. Third hand of the game a geezer raised before me. I called him with an A K. Flop came 10 8 2 rainbow. The geezer went all-in. I put him on an overbet bluff, maybe A J or A Q, so I called him. He turned his cards over and showed Q 10 (error 1), but an ace hit in the river so I knocked him out plus doubled my chips. Bad read but was bleeding lucky.

Then a couple of missed flop saw my stack quickly reduced. My final hand was entirely my fault. I don’t know why but I limped in in middle position with A Q (error 2). The big blind said, ‘I am not gonna let you guys limp in on my blind like this.’, and he raised to 700, I thought about it for a while and I went all-in (error 3), and he quickly called. Of course he had A K, it was so bloody obvious.

Too many mistakes tonight. Time to take a break. It has been a good week tho.

Crashed out at the afternoon 20 freeze. Two tables left. Low stack, big blind with AJ, button raised with K 10, I went all-in, he called and hit runner runner two pairs.

Cash games. Won 100.

Evening 20 deep stack 15 mins blind tourney. Good start, then no cards came and was bleeding blinds. Moved to a new table, blind level 250/500. I was slightly short stack (7 times big blind). Three guys limped in, I was big blind with pocket 5s, went all-in. I knew I had the best hand at that time. One folded but the button called. Small blind folded and the button showed Q J off suit. At the end he made a bigger flush and I was out.

It took half his stack to call my all-in with Q J. It is just not a calling all-in hand. I dunno, maybe I should’ve waited a while and try to read the players a little better, but I just didn’t think that I did anything wrong. It was still a winning night for me, but I just felt a little cheated that’s all. 

Haven’t played in more than a week. Went down to Gutshot yesterday and played the 20 freeze. I was deal-playing and I made two absolutely tedious mistakes by mucking my hands twice after I made bets, one of them even was my final all-in hand!!! Outrageous it was, I will never deal-play again.

20 down in the most comical fashion, decided to play PL cash to recoup that loss. Ended up winning 200 thanks to a novice donater. But the absolute highlight of the cash session was Aussie poker pro Tony G came down and had a seat at our table. He only played a few hands mind, mostly folded, but when he was in the pot his trash talk was just like on TV! He left the table soon after and moved onto challenging people heads up. Contrary to belief, he is actually one of the nicest people there is. Still can’t believe I’ve played with Tony G hehe.

With that 200 win I had a pop at the evening’s 20 freezeout. Had a few good hands from the start which amassed a big stack mid-way through the tournament. At the late stage I had mid stack and thought there were two tables left so I decided to grind to the final table, but only at the break that I found out there’s three table left. With the blinds level I could not grind with my stack, so I had to play ultra-agressive. Luckily it prevailed and I made the final table.

Second lowest stack going in, but a couple of double-ups made me the chip leader with 4 players left. Then I suffered two bad-beats which had me with only one big blind left. Eventually I was out in 4th, winning an okay 171.

About 400 up tonight. Gonna take another break.   

Two days. Two final tables. But I am not celebratory mood…

Start with yesterday’s 20 freezeout. Only 20 runners so it didn’t required much effort. I got doubled up early in the game and that’s enough to get me to the final table. I was medium stack (for a change!!!) and funnily enough they kept knocking each other out, and I climbed into 4th place. At that time I was the lowest stack of all and I went all-in with the rockets, a geezer called me with 9 8 off and he hit a straight at the end!!! Bad beat no.1.

The evening I went down to the Vic to play the 30 freeze. That place is quickly become a farce. A fiver registration fee for a 30 pounds tournament, and only 1500 starting chips?!?! Anyway I got knocked out mid-way. Low stack and tried to steal blinds with KJ and the big blind with A9 called. My mistake.

20 freeze at Gutshot today, about 40 runners and almost a mirror of yesterday’s tourney, which I made a good start and grinded to the final table. Lowest stack, went all-in with pocket Js and met with big slick and pocket Qs. A K came and both me and Patrice were out. 9th for me.

The evening 50 freeze one is the one I had real beef with. I made a bad start but managed to climb myself back up. After the break I still had a decent chip stack (above average). A player has been moved to our table. He is one of them young chavy, gangster-wannabe loudmouths who thinks he really excels in poker, but he was just lucky.

I was on the button with A 10, so I moved all-in. The small blind quickly folded, and the big blind, who was him, started to give me a go, "Are you mugging me?", "You dun wanna mess with me" those kind of bollocks. The other geezer at the table told him to stop yapping it off and decide, and he called with an A 4. I had him dominated but guess what. A 4 came on the flop and I was out. I was baffled. I just cannot believe he would call it with that shitty hand. Another bad beat. I am bitter, and I feel sick, SICK, S-I-C-K!!!

Two tournaments. Two early exits.

Dunno what’s with me today. The usual tight, folding Raph didn’t turn up, and instead the illogical, super aggressive Raph was called upon.

In this afternoon’s 20 freezeout I was raising out of position, chasing flush, calling all sorts of shit. To sum up in one simple, understandable sentence: I was throwing chips away. With almost nothing left, I raised all-in under the gun with pocket 10s, and was called by the big blind’s pocket Ks. The Ks held and I was out. Nothing to worry about, I told myself, I would just alter my play in the evening’s 30 freeze and everything would be fine…

About 10 hands into the evening’s tourney, the Portugese geezer Michael, who was on a low stack, raised. I was big blind and held cowboys so I raised him all-in. He thought for a second, and called. He flipped his over, bloody 10 9 off suit!!! I thought I had him but the flop came a 10, and then he hit a 9 on the turn. Fooking bad beat. He was laughing that old slimey bollocks, and I just sat there, trying to take it in but I just couldn’t, I was on massive tilt.

With 700 chips left, I still had a chance. One hand I hit top pair and went all-in, but another geezer called and he had hit a set. Took the walk of shame back home…

A day to forget.   

Went to the Vic this afternoon to play the 30 freezeout. Again my tight, folding play worked. Grinded into the final table with the lowest stack (2400). I was almost destined to be the first out, but a couple of players got knocked out before me, plus a couple of my all-in held which quadrupled my count. And before I knew it I was 2nd chip lead with 4 players left. That’s how fast poker can change and fast change it certainly was. A few hands later I had A K on the button, so I went all-in. The big blind, who was the chip lead and had J J, called. The pair held and I was out, finishing 4th (winning 150). Disappointed with the final hand but to have made a come back like that, I ain’t complaining.

Motivated, I decided to pop down to Gutshot and enter the ‘big boys” tournament - 300 freezeout. With that 150 quid I won in the previous tournament, it was a discounted roll-in. Value.

It was the biggest tournament to date that I have entered, and I wasn’t planning to make the final table or anything, just wanted to learn from the big players, and to see exactly where I stand. Tabled with a couple of known house and seasoned players, along with two of the Vietnam Massives, and within minutes I knew I was in trouble. Being one of two tight players at the table, I was bullied all the way by their aggressive play. I just couldn’t see the flop without calling their pre-flop raise. Throughout the tournament I had only won two pots, and I just couldn’t hit the flop, so I was bleeding and eventually crashed out.

Still made half-way tho, which I can take heart from. All in all I have learned a lot tonight, and I fully appreciate the fact that I am a mickey mouse tourney player. So for the time being I better stick to them tourneys and improve my game there before I even think of making my step up… 

Into Feburary, and back into the money.

20 freezeout this afternoon. Played a solid, tight game. Was never big stack at any stage of the tourney, and at one point I was about to crash out but lucky the rockets hit me and I doubled up. With that stack I managed to grind into the final table.

Going in short stack and into the big blind. Didn’t win a single pot but my patience folds were rewarded by three players got knocked out before me, and at the end I finished 6th, delightfully winning 60 quid.

So, I got a freeroll into the evening’s 30 freeze. 90 runners, made it half way but disappointingly crashed out. Highlight was I made a monster fold (folded pocket 9s and let the pocket 4s and A 3 sort themselves out. The pocket 4s made a quad). Lowlight was the final hand. I had cowboys and big blind. A geezer flat call with Q 8 of hearts, so I raised, and he called. Flop came J 8 3 rainbow, I checked and he went all in. I called. The turn and river was hearts so he made a flush….

Poker poker poker…

Played two tournaments today. Lost both.

Cannot really remember what happened to the 20 freezeout. Tho I focused harder than before and was really aware of not making previous mistakes, I had no luck. My down cards was absolutely unplayable and the player on my left kept getting premium hands. On a few hands I bluffed with position but he re-raised me with his A J, A Q, pairs… Being a good sport he is, he actually showed me that he wasn’t bluffing. Just another bad afternoon in the office I guess…

In the evening it was the Dortmund EPT qualifier. Didn’t know it was a handicap tourney (There was EC handicap and tournament win handicap). I had one tournament win, boosting my initial chip count by 550, but at my table there were people that were 5000 up, so I was the low stack. Got nothing out of it, and was eventually crashed out.

70 down.

Afternoon 20 freeze. Made the final table. Finished 8th, but off the money.

There were 30 runners only, and I was the dealer/player at my starting table but did a lousy job on both front. My chip stack had never exceeded 3000 throughout the tourney but luck grinded myself to the final table.

Went in the lowest stack, and soon it was my turn. I was big blind and small blind put in all-in with 6s. I had A 8 off. The pair held. Only 30 players so only top 5 got paid, but I was satisfied with my effort for making 8th place.

Then I played a sit n go for the evening’s WSOP qualifier - The qualifier’s qualifier. I did extremely well from the start. Knocked out 5 opponents and was huge chip leader going in final 3. Then I made a bad, bad move. I had A Q and it was the low stack to act first and he went all in, small blind also went all-in and of all stupidity, I called. Small blind had A K and he won the pot. I don’t know why I did that. Should’ve let them sort themselves out. And that was the turning point…

Heads up. I was the low stack. On one hand I held A J and I was like, ‘Ok, gung-ho, let’s go’, and pushed all-in, only to went into the bullets and came 2nd and missed out a chance to go through to the WSOP qualifier.

Not bothered to pay the buy-in so I went home.

I was bitterly disappointed with myself tonight. I knew I am a better player than that but sometimes I make mistakes like this that cost me some games. Gutted. Let this be a valuable lesson to me. Sigh…