My Irish Open.
It has been a long time since I have played a main event. I managed to bubble 11 majours in the past 18-24 months so my feelings for tournamnets were not at an all time high.
I have mangaed in the last year to win 2 smaller events and a couple of top 3 finishes but no quite hit the big one.
Poker is a game. In order to deal with the lows you must understand that.
I went into this tournamnet feeling good, I had high expectations and was feeling possitive.
I had a game plan and I stuck to it.
I was drawn on table 3. This was good news as I would not be breaking tables until the very end which I consider to be amajour advantage in the game.
I built up my chip stack from 10K to 20K in the 1st level/hour. From there I went to 37K at the 1st break after 2 hours and was the chip leader. I had no intention of ever looking back.
in Level 3 I played a hand badly QQ v KQ and with a K on the board my oponent was not laying it down. I also put pressure on a nother player who wanted to reraise me and my AQ out of possition had 2 choices all in or pass. I know the pass was the right option but I also didnt believe that he would committ all of his chips pre flop in level 3 with AK, but he did lol.......I was back down to 30K but still in good shape.
I was running all over my table and I had the chips to play the game I love. level 4 was bad and I lost a few hands. down to 18,700.
I took a decent pot down before dinner and went to my room with 26,500.
A light salad for dinner and a freshen up I was good to go for the next half of the night.
The feild was dropping at an alarming rate but that was good for me. A lot of the players were over beting, calling stations and playing to fast for the structure but I was happy to take full advantage of this.
Level 6 I was up to 27K and after a big poy where I lay down 2 pair I finished level 7 with 23,600.
Level 8 it was time to change gears. I played my heart out and went up to 49,400. This was the end of the day and I was 24th out of 250 still left in.
250 from 708 in 8 hours of poker. This is sick and shows how poker has changed.
not that long ago it used to take 3 days to eliminate that many people from the WSOP. Strange!
Day 2
Feeling pumped and ready for action I set off to my table. Good thing was their was no re-draw so I knew all the players at my table but more important is that they now new me!
Towards the end of level 9 I made a standard raise and was called by a rock and then reraised all in by a nother rock! I thought and thought and decided to lay this down as the bet was big enough to hurt me and I did belive I was behind. I finished the level with just over 50K.
A nother hour passes and I didnt do to much. I was in no hurry but I increased slightly to 51K.
The next level hurt me as I lost a few pots. 1 in Particular was where I raised on the button with
the man in the small blind who is new to the table and not played to many pots calls me and the BB moves all in. The bb is a bit of a rock but the raise is only another 25K approx. with the blinds, anties, my raise and the call in there I was hoping I was live. I had to think for a minute as I had several optoons. I could call and hope the sb flat calls. I could call and see if the sb moves all in in which case I have to decide now before I call if I call the reraise. Of I could reraise myself and force the sb out and go heads up with my hand or I could fold.
I thought for a while and decided to flat call. My thinking was that the sb will also call for the value and I have a shot at a huge pot.
I called but the sb folded. The bb had
and with a
board I needed him to hit a set. It wasnt to be but the sb got angry with me.
Por que! I pushed him out of this pot which he would have won! Well I did not poush him out I let him in but he didnt know me and I didnt know him. He thought I had a monster raise on button call in sb re raise in bb and flat call on button! he would have beaten the bb but he didnt call. I explained I only called as I thought he was defenatly calling to give me the odds.
Never mind on to the next.
level 12 was a little nerveracking I went down to less than 9K when we were approx 90 players left. I am on the button when I look at my cards.
. the cut off made a weird raise and it was time for me to make a dessission. Well most people think there is no dessission here but I am not a player to call of my stack just because I am a 50/50. I thought for a long while and desided that this was not the spot to try to double up. I had a whole round, maybe I would not find a hand as big but I can get my chips into the middle first and hope to double up or to steel a few blinds which were now 2000, 4000 with 200 antie.
A few hands later my TT held up v 66 and I was on the way up again. By now I had a huge crowd behind me and on the rails supporting me. (always nice). I then take a few pots uncontested and finish the level with 26K
I manage to find
at the right time. He bets 12K 3xBB and I move in for the remainig 13K more. He calls me with KQ and with a Q on the flop I had to sweat it out. Back to 50K+ now and not looking back. Just glad I folded the 99 as I coul be out. I ended the level with 72K.
As if this wasnt enough we were now aproaching the buble and I was playing well and on a rush. Players were moving all in and I was calling. The scandi Peter who was playing very well moved in UTG for 50K I decided to call my
and he reveled his
. The flop was all high but 2 clubs, the turn brought him a pair but I managed to survive. He was gone and the dealer pushed me a load more chips. I couldnt stack them quick enough before she was pushing me more as the sb moved all in on me and I looked down to see
. I know he was making a move as at this stage I could have been happy to give up my BB. He was wrong though I decided to call him and my
beat his
and I finished the level with 268,000.
As the new level started a new player came to the table to ruin my parade. He came with over 350,000 chips and was not afraid to use them. I raised with 99 and folded to his reraise. I then have my BB and am raise by a solid player and am facing a reraise from the chip leader. My hand!
. What do you do. I know if I move he has to have a real hand to call me but the origional raise only has 40K left and has to call. Am I beating him or even getting a raise with 2-1 on my $. Could I be walking away from this event if the new guy has QQ KK AA or even AK I do not know how he plays he might just call me. I thought for over 5 min and decided to pass. The raiser calls his reraise and they are onb their backs. 88 v TT WOW and no help for anyone and the new player takes it down. I needed to re group and tell myself I made a good lay down. I thought to flat call and hope to check it sdown to the river but dont like this play with JJ.
I ended the day with 275,000 and was in 4th possition with 41 players remaining.
Day 3
TV TABLE
Ok I have not been so successful on TV before normally a bad beat or big bluff but this was going to be different.
I ended my session on the TV with 415,000 in chgips and respect from my table. we were down to 25 players and I was still in good shape.
I knocked out a player in my bb when he raised to small for me to pass. I had QJ and decided to bet the flop if no A or K came. check fold if A or K came and check call if the Q or J came. The flop was 443 so I srt him in he called me with AK and I spiked a J on the river.
From there I didnt have to show my hand once. I reraised with AA hoping to get a push and then raised my BB with 5 limpers and no callers. I also played a few hands and wom them with no show down. This was a good session.
moving on and down to 19 players. I make a raise with
am reraised from Sorrel and the shory stak moved all in. I called and with only a 30K side pot and 180K+ main pot we checked it down J66 3 J My A high rivered the lot and I was up to 580,000. We were now at 16 players and were redrawing for seats.
Back to the TV table and in possition of Roland who had 1.5million chips.
I made a great read and lay down with my 77. There was an early limper and my raise was called by him. He was an agressive on line qualifier. The flop was 9 high 943 and I called his bet of 140K on the flop. I didnt want to move in as I could either get a free card on the turn or bet if an A came out as now I have to think he has TT or JJ. The turn paired the 3 and bought 2 hearts. He thought for a while and moved all in. I went deep intot my think tankls and felt I was behind so I laid it down. I was damaged but still had time. A few uncosted pots and an hour later we were 6 handed per table and intot he last 12. I could smell it..............
I am in the BB when the short stack made a raise. the blinds were 10K 20K with 2K antie. 42K a round. I needed to find a hand soon. He made it 60K to play and look down at
I moved all in and as I had been playing tight I thought I would juat take it down there. He went into think mode and now I am thinking I want the call. I start to talk to him and encourage the call. I know he has live cards but I need a double up and I prefer to get my money in when I am in front. After a little talking and a lot of time he calls me and revels
. WOW the flop was Q high but the turn brought trouble. The J gave him a pair but I was left still with 6 outs. Any K or any A it wasnt to be and I was crippled. Down to less than 50K This hurt.
The next hand I was in the small blind and knew I had 5 hands to wait. I also knew I needed chips and that maybe others would be knocked out before me making a final table of 9 which could help my situation. everyone folded and the BB Sorrell annoced he will call me blind with his 1 M chip stack. I look at
and am called by a blind
His Fours hold up and my tournamnet was over.
I played well and know I got my money in ahead. This is all you can do but it still hurts.
I had a great time and picked up some spending money for my time. I miss the feeling of playing big events but am now involved with work on DTDPOKER so have cut down on playing time. I hope to be at the WSOP lets see!
Thank you for all of your support, the emails, texts, phone calls, forum posts etc.....
Good luck and remember dont hate the player.........hate the game.........
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6 callers as normal as if you look up respect in the dictionary you will see my picture! the flop comes 
to which I continue to bet and get 2 callers with the river 
a further bet with only 1 call. 