Dec 16th - A day at the Vic

With the missus back over in Dublin preparing for Xmas I found myself at a bit of a loose end this Saturday so I decided what better way to spend the day than a day at the 'Vic' for the two tournaments down there.

First up was a £30+£3 NL Hold'Em rebuy event which kicked off at 3pm.

Twenty four runners started with 1k in chips and I managed not to rebuy in the time alloted (1 hr) and with the automatic top up I started the 'proper' phase of the game with circa 4k in front of me.

The speedy rise in blinds (20 mins) means that you're always looking to move up the ladder as quickly as possible as if you don't then you start to struggle fairly quickly.

I soon found that my hands weren't standing upto scrutiny too well so was forced into a cycle of 'all-in' bets which seemed to go ok until I got the Kc-10c in EP.

With 2900 in chips (blinds were 300-600) I went for glory but was collared with a guy holding A-A directly behind me. A King fell on the flop, so the chips would have been in anyway, but all to no avail. I was out in 13th spot...£63 poorer.

Not to worry though eh...there was always the £50+£5 freezeout event which started at 8pm.

Forty two runners for this one and I doubled through early when my 9c-7c made a flush on a flop of Ac-Kd-4c-10h-9c. Unfortunately the guy with A-K was cursing away merrily...as you would.

Once again though the ever increasing blinds started to catch up with my chip stack after the break and despite getting to the last three tables (24) I again ran into a brick wall at the 300-600 level. With 2700 in chips I decided to take a punt on A-9 raising the pot to 1200. I get one caller and a flop of 10-8-4.

I go all-in but my charade fooled no-one as my opponent called and flipped 7-7. Still a few outs though but no help came so gone again in 24th spot and again £55 in the hole.

Entries -> -- - Place -> -- - Loss -> £128 ($243) Profit/Loss for 2006 -> +$17723
(As from 30th Nov 2006 rate of exchange is calculated at £1 = $1.90)

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Talking of poker...as I do...I came a credible 11th in the Pokerstars Sunday '$215 Warm Up event' for a payday of just over $1350.

What irked me more than anything though was the way my demise was cynically planned by the software!

I had $750k in chips when in the space of 3 hands I was gone.

Hand 1: SB (Blinds are 12k-24k) I get Ac-7h fully intending to fold to ANY raise. The button flat calls and, as there'd been no raise I decide its worth the exta 12k and so flat call. Three of us see a flop of Jc-9c-7c.

Now I'm not going to get cheeky here, even WITH the nut flush draw, so I check it. The BB also checks but the button bets $128k. Seems a bit small so I call. The BB folds. The Js comes on the turn and again I check, as does the button. I still have bottom pair when the river card brings the 4h (or something like that). Again I check but the button bets another $128k.
Now either they have nothing or a monster but with a pair of 7's I decide to call. The button flips J-9. Oh really!!

Hand 2: Button. I pass (now down to 428k approx)

Hand 3: One off button. I get 6-6. Its passed around to the player immediately to my right (who had J-9 a minute ago) who raises to 72k. Well a pairs a pair so I launch an all-in bet. Its passed around to the original raiser who calls. They flip Q-Q.

Now you know that these hands are set ups because the flop with ALWAYS bring a situation where you're all-in anyway and a flop of 2-3-4 was always going to invite me, with 6's, into the pot. The turn is another 4, the river another 2.

So close to a decent payday...but I'm just not THAT lucky!!