Nov 7th - £50+£5 NL Hold'Em - Loose Cannons (London EC2)

While the big guns of the European poker world hover around Amsterdam hot spots like a swarm of bees us poorer poker players seek out the best value tournaments and attempt to have a good night out knowing that we won't be too broke in the morning!

Tonight saw the first leg of the £5000 added VC Grand Prix event held down at the newest poker club on the block, Loose Cannons, close to Cannon St station.

Entry costs £50 and the idea is is that tonight, and for the next 3 weeks, 25% of all entries qualify for the Grand Final night to be held on Wed Dec 6th. Prize money is accumulated throughout the 4 qualifying weeks and with the £5k that Victor Chandler is kindly adding there should be around £15k to play for come the big night! Not bad for a £50 comp where the final may just about comprise of 50 runners or less!

So...with that said, 34 runners sat down for the 1st heat (expected to grow in weeks to come) and 9 qualifiers were sought. Where did I finish?? Read on...

Firstly let me say that strategy in these 'qualifying' events is simple. Survive! Its not about winning. Its not about making re-raises with A-Q. Its not about playing aggressively! Its about nicking the odd ante, flat calling where possible, hitting the odd flop and waiting. Waiting for other, not so-experienced players, to gamble it up and knock each other out!

Of course you need chips to play with and if you find yourself short then you must not let yourself get ante'd away with half the field remaing. That said you should do ok!

With Loose Cannons attracting a certain type of crowd - city workers & the like - its very likely than 90-95% of the field have little thought on what the game plan should be. They're there to win! Big mistake!

Antes started at 25/50 and we ran a 25 min clock starting just after 7pm. With a 3500 starting stack there was no need to panick...ever...just roll along!

By the break (3 levels in) we were down to 3 tables of 8. Ten players had busted out. Duh???

My chip stack hadn't moved. I had 4100. Best hand I had was 6-6 and didn't connect on the flop. Oh well never mind! Passive play was the order of the day and that hand cost me 100 points!

After the next level (150/300) another 8 players had gone. We were down to 16. I had 3900 and was going nowhere. Its ok!

After the next level (200/400) I'd managed to nick a couple of antes and my chip stack stood at 4000. We were down to 13. Four more before we all qualify. Easy right???

Things started to slow up. People with similar stacks to mine were still intent on going all-in though and were getting called by the monster stacks. I saw some terrible play. We were down to 10. One to go!!

With blinds now at 300/600 I had dripped down to 3100. Enough for approx 15 more hands. Nobody was moving. I pass both my blinds. I have 2200 left. I'm on the button and I get Ah-9h. Its passed round. That 900 out there sure looks tasty. I go all-in! 'Call', says the BB, who has a mountain of chips.

He flips A-10 (gulp). Flop is J-5-6 (uh oh). Turn is 7. (I shout for an 8) River is EIGHT!!! I survive!!

Blinds flip to 400/800. There is one small stack at our table. Its hand for hand. Small stack goes all-in for 2800 on the SB. I'm in the BB and look to see A-J. Can't pass that as I'd still have enough for a round or two even if I lose. I call. Short stack flips A-Q! Oh dear!!

Flop is 10-JACK-5-7-3. Its over. I've qualified. Perhaps there is a poker god??