June 23rd - £20 NL Hold'Em - Cavendish Club (Belfast)

Last week I played I somehow got my knickers in a twist about the blind structure being kina wierd for the first two hours of rebuys.

I'd now like to make a correction to the blind play there and this is the definitive guide! Start with 1500 points (1000 if you start AFTER the game has started). 20 mins at 25/50. 20 mins at 50/100. 20 mins at 75/150. 20 mins at 100/200. 20 mins at 150/300. Break. Blinds then increase every 15 mins at the rate of 200/400, 400/800, 600/1200, 800/1600, 1000/2000, 1500/3000, 2000/4000, 3000/6000, 4000/8000, 5000/10000. Ok!

At the break, and after my rebuy (4000 points for £20) I had 17700 points. I was well the chip leader and looking good for at least another final table placing. Suddenly in a 4 hand slodge I was on the rail and on my way back to the hotel!

Hand 1. Get 10-10 in mid position. With blinds at 300/600 I raise to 3000 and get 1 caller. In situations like this I'm looking to go all-in after the flop if I don't see any Q's K's or Aces on the flop. The flop came J-9-6. I go all-in and he calls me! He flips Jd 9d and I've done 11K.

Next hand I get zip so pass. Hand 3! I get 10-10 again. With 6k left I raise to 3k and get two callers. The flop comes A-4-4. I check. A player goes all-in so I pass. 3k left.

Hand 4. I get Ad-5d. I flat call and there are four for the flop of 9-9-10. I go all-in and get one caller who flips A-10. I'm dead! Ho Hum!!

36 Entries - 18th - Win $0 - Loss - $144 (3 rebuys) - Acc Total -$103.11

June 16th - £20 NL Hold'Em - Cavendish Club (Belfast)

I've been posted upto Northern Ireland for a while and it's given me a great chance to try out this part of the world's ONLY card club.

The CAVENDISH club (www.thecavendishclub.com) is close to Belfast city centre and so isn't that difficult to find especially as the 'directions' on their website are pretty precise.

On a Wednesday night its a £20 rebuy event with £3000 guaranteed. Forty five runners started the event across 5 tables (out of the 10 that the club seem to have) and there's a two hour rebuy period which seems to do the job in generating a good prize pool.

The ante structure is a bit odd. For 20 mins its 25/50. Then its 50/100 fo approx 30 mins then 75/150 for an hour which takes you upto the break where you can get an extra 4000 points for another £20. You get 1500 to start, unless you're late when you get 1000, and the rebuys give you 2000. All very different from what I'm used to at the Fitz.

So...at the break I'm on 7K and buy in for the additional £20 so start the 'proper' game with 11k. To say they are a 'mad bunch' of players would not be an understatement. I saw 'all-ins' called with hands like J-6, K-7, 5-6 etc etc. I just kept out of the way and plodded along to where I got to the final table with 29K in chips but with the blinds at 3k-6k to come.

Those passed me by so I have 20K left when I find Ad-Ks. 'All-in'. I get two callers and when 4 diamonds arrive on board I'm up to 60K.

Next hand I double through again when I flop a flush with Qd-Jd and my opponent has the 8d-5d and suddenly I find myself in 3rd place with £445 locked up. I go all-in with A-Q and, unluckily for me, I get the BB with KK. No Ace on flop and I'm gone! Not to worry and I'm back in credit for the year...even if it is only $40!!

45 Entries - 3rd - Win $801 - Nett win - $693 after 2 rebuys - Acc Total +$40.89