July 22nd - $120+$10 NL Hold'Em - Ladbrokes

Ok. Tonight I tried, for the first time, to win a seat into Sunday nights on-line 'final' in order to win a seat on the Ladbrokes cruise in Jan. This cruise is for 9 nights or so and goes out of Miami on Jan 14th.

With only around 35 entries I was expecting a tight game. Only once I was playing did I realise that there would be rebuys and add-ons! Not for me their wouldn't!

At the end of the 'rebuy' period there were still around 27 of us left. With rebuys and add-ons there were to be 4 seats given away so I was around a 6/1 chance of getting a seat. All I had to do was beat 23 others...easy!

After experiencing the fun at Partypoker where any two cards can win I was hoping that similar software advantages didn't exist at Ladbrokes. I should have known!

Firstly my all-in bet with A-K gets called by a stack about a quarter the size of mine. He makes an unlikely runner-runner staight and I lose a good chunk of chips. A few hands later I get Ks-Kh and raise to 3xBB. The SAME player calls and we see a flop of 6c-9c-Qs. He bets the rest of his chips, and I call leaving me down to the felt. He flips 3c-3d! Looks like I'm on easy street! I'm shouting at the screen..'no 3...no 3'. Well I'm lucky and unlucky. No 3 falls but the turn is the 5c and the river the Ac and I'm shot by a not so clever flush!

Just HOW do you beat these games?

I go out a short time later in around 19th place. Better then than 5th I suppose!

35 Entries - 19th - Win $0 - Loss -$130 - Acc. Total +$137.89