Sept 19th - £500+£50 Omaha Hi-Lo (Victoria Club)

Its not often that I play at this level of buy-in and to be honest the swings in the NL Hold'Em put me off from playing that high a buy-in in that sort of tournament.

The Omaha Hi-Lo event is nice as you can win pots with crap hands as well as good ones and as I get my fair share of crap hands I thought it'd be a good idea to try and see how I got on at an event like this.

My initial table line up was full of celebrities (in a poker sense). Lally Khadjuria, 7 card stud master, sat immediately to my left. Next door but one to him was Jeff Lisandro, recent WSOP bracelet winner. Next to him was Thomas Brihl. Recent winner of the HORSE event at the WSOPE and the winner of the 7 card stud event the previous night. Two doors from him was Woody Deck whose speciality seemed to be the Hi-Lo events.

Finally sat immediately to my right was Vicky Coren. Vicky is a bit of a celebrity down the Vic which was proven by the fact that she couldn't sit still for five minutes as a collection of 'B' TV celebrities passed by eager to be introduced to one of only to female players to win either an EPT or WSOPE event in recent memory.

With this sort of line up what chance did I have??

Actually quite a good one. This was a 2k (double chance event) meaning that you started with 2k in chips and could have the other 2k at any time in the first hour. During that first hour I got dealt A-A-x-x twice and scooped nice pots on both ocassions. At the break I had 9k whilst two or three 'professionals' at my table were struggling somewhat.

Three hands into phase III and I get As-Ah-Kh-7c. Three of us see a flop of Kc-9c-7d. The guy across the table bets out. I re-raise all-in and he calls with K-J-J-10 no clubs. Two harmless cards fall and my A-A wins again. I'm now up to 14k and promptly get moved tables.

In MP I get 2-3-3-8 and flat call the blinds. Flop is A-3-9. Paul Alterman, a player who's been around the circuit as long as I have (early 90's) bets the pot. I re-raise with my set of 3's and he's all-in. I call to se he has 2-4-x-x. Looks like a splitty.

The turn is a 9, completing my house, and the river a King giving me the scoop. I now have 27k in chips whilst the average is 14k and I'm flying.

With blinds at 400-800 and 17 left I'm feeling good totally unaware that the next hand I get dealt is to be my 2nd last!

I get 3-4-5-6 in LP and 4 of us see a flop of 5-7-Q. I have the wrap and I'm not going anywhere.

EP player bets out 3k (obviously with high). MP player calls (obviously with a straight draw like me). I duly call.

Turn card is a 10. No help to anyone. EP player knows this and bets out 9k. Now I KNOW he's on a high and I would have passed here if it'd been heads up but MP player callls 9k as well giving me extra value should I hit.

River card is a 2. To me that looks an excellent card as if anyone HAS A-2 as the low draw its just knocked them out and my 3-4, for the low, must surely take half the pot.

Again EP player bets out...this time for 14700 (all his chips). MP player passes leaving the way clear for me to take the low with my 3-4. I call.

EP player flips A-3-Q-7 for two pair high (as anticipated) and nut low (NOT anticipated). I was fecked good and proper and have 400 points left.

This went in next hand and I was out of the door seconds later. Hit by the perfect storm!