Aug 6th - £25+£2 NL Hold'Em - Grosvenor (Luton)

Having stated that my form is CRAP since returning from holidays last month I ventured upto Luton this evening to play in the £25 satellite event for a seat in next Thursday nights £750 event. Eighty three others joined me in the quest but with only 1000 points to start with and £25 a pop for rebuys it wasn't going to be a cheap night!

To begin with I did ok and got upto 2000 points without much of a sweat. I then ran pocket 3-3's into A-A, pocket 5's into Q-Q, A-Q into A-J (Jack on the turn) and I'd pretty much exhausted my buy-ins (£125 worth) when I get A-8 in LP and shove it all-in for the umpteenth time tonight. I get called by K-7 and luckily I double through!

Two hands later I get A-J and call a 300 'raise' from across the table. Flop is 9-10-Q. No messing and its all-in! My opponent calls with A-Q but a lovely 8 on the river doubles me up again!

I then get J-J and, in a 3 way pot, get all my chips in again. I'm against K-Q and A-9. The flop is J-K-Q-7-A and I'm suddenly on 8k which I then sit on till the break!

There are 14 seats guaranteed (£10,500) but with 60 odd runners still in there was a long way to go.

Shortly after the break we get broken and I get a seat next to 2 old dears who are guarding their chips for dear life. I pick up A-A (first time in AGES!!) and, luckily for me, Mr 'almost as many chips as me' goes all-in. I duly call and he flips A-K. Another double through and I'm upto 20k with the average around 7k. Then the wheels fell off!

Holding Ah-6h in MP and with blinds at 300-600 I raise to 1500. I get three callers! Flop is 3-4-6. I bet out 3k and get 1 caller! Turn is an Ace. The caller, who's BB, goes all-in and I duly call. He flips J-5! A 'two' on the river gives him the straight...grrrrrr!

Holding Ah-7h on the button I decide that a mini-raise from EP deserves a bigger pot so I go all-in. The original raiser calls and flips K-K! I sigh! I'm dealing though!!

Flop is J-7-A (yesssssss!!)...10...(uh oh!!)...KING!! Feck it!

I got bashed by a 20/1 shot on the river (ok...he could have hit a Queen as well for the straight)

Form is a wonderful thing...not!!

Entries ->84 - Place -> 40th - Loss -> £152 ($281) Profit/Loss for 2006 -> +$9680

(As from 7th August rate of exchange is calculated at £1 = $1.85)