Pokerstars Madness

In Tuesday nights $10+$1 10pm R+A tournament on PokerStars we'd all been playing for 3 hours and 15 minures. Blinds were 1k/2k and I had 89k in chips.

For a short time now Stars have added an extra 'middle' ante level where instead of ante's bounding upto 1k/2k from 600/1200 they now go 600/1200 - 800/1600 - 1k/2k. Because of the amount of chips in play antes progress at the top end as well from 20k/40 to 30k/60k and then finally to 40k/80k. Anyway the point is that it now takes around 3.5 hours to get to the money, in these events, instead of the 3 hours it USED to take. In a moment you'll see why I've bothered to explain all this!!

There are 100 players left and 63 get into the dough. I get Ah Qh on the button and its an easy call for me when some player goes all-in for 25k. He flips 10-10 and I don't get there. I'm down to 64k and still looking good for the money.

There are 79 players left and I get AK in MP. The player, to my immediate right, goes all-in for 40k. I make the call and the bloke is at it with A-7. Pokerstars comes to his rescue, of course, when the flop comes 4-5-6-Q-8 giving him a straight! Oh really!

So now I'm down to 16k. The button is on me and antes are now 1.5k/3k. There are 73 players left. A player from across the table goes all-in for 5k. I have Ad 6d and fancy my chances of grabbing his 5k so I flat call as I didn't want to commit all of my chips just in case some lucky git behind me went all-in. I'd have passed if that was the case!

Unluckily for me the SB decided that it was too good a chance to miss and stuck in the remaining 3.5k to call. The BB also called for 2k extra.

Flop was 4-5-6. I had top pair top kicker and once it had been checked around to me I went all-in for my last 11k. The SB called. The BB passed. So its me versus the SB. He flips 7s 6d! WHAT!! So we all knows what happens...the turn is a KING...the river an EIGHT giving Mr 7-6 a straight. The all-iner had A-9! I was out in 73rd spot with 90k of chips gone inside 20 hands.

When Pokerstars don't want you to win you ain't gonna...its that simple!