A funny old day

When i woke up this morning my day was already planned out, my intension was to go to work for a couple of hours, get finished up for about noon, drive down to london (about 3 hours) and play some serious poker at the Vic. Unfortunately like all of the best made plans mine went pear shaped when i was still in my meeting at 4pm oh dear, i was not a happy chappy !

When i returned home about 5pm, well and truly down in the mouth, i sat at the computer read blonde as you do, then descided to check out another forum. To my delight the other site was advertising a satalite for the 5k event at the Vic, 1 seat guaranteed and 1k spending money mmmmm i thought.

So was my day going to get any better ? i certainly hoped so, when i sat down at 8pm this evening i was well focused and put my game plan into action. Ultra aggressive from the start, gather some chips early, and rob em all to death. Oh dear, the first big pot i get involved in i miss the flop completely, bluff on the turn, matey calls, big bluff on the river and matey calls, thats half my 2500 starting chips gone and we are still in level 1.

I get the feeling that this is just one of those days when nothing is going my way, or is it just bad play ? i take off into a quiet corner and give myself a right old talking to. Your the best player i tell myself, it's not bad play by you, it's those loosers im playing against, how dare they call me !. After my little chat with myself i descide that grinding it out is the way forward. For the next 3 rounds i maybe only play a 5 hands, ive not got any more chips but im gonna get a decent hand soon and double up.

When we take the first break im in poor shape and card dead, i descide that if i continue to see no cards im gonna have to start making some moves. So after one and a half hours of play no cards means it time to start picking my spots, i go on a bit of a rush (still getting no cards) and by the next break i have just above the average stack but ive still not had to show any of my rubbish hands.

It's descision time yet again, do i continue picking on the weak guy's ? shall i just nick a few blinds to maintain my position or shall i wait for some hands ? i descide to just go with the flow and see what happens. Another twenty minutes or so go by and after almost two and a half hours of play my best hand has been a9 off, WTF is going on here ? my mind wanders back to last nights 50 comp at notts where it was exactly the same no hands at all.

Right thats it i say to myself im going on the nick, we are now well into the third hour of play im gonna get mega agressive before someone else does. Anyone limping into pots are going to get put to the test, i come over the top every time someone limps for about 20 mins and they all fold, he he lucky me i manage to build up to about 3rd in chips with about 15 runners left and sit tight on my well earnt stack.

Before long it's the final table and im chip leader and my only hands have been 55 and aj suited, im not one for sitting still when i have chips and descide to push on..... i cant believe some of these players first time i raise for a while and get 3 callers.
I try the old betting out after missing the flop yet again and i still get 2 callers, how dare they, do they know who i am ? im down to 3rd in chips. Ok so i have to get a hand soon, and at last i do. AQ in the bb and button goes all in, i call & he's in big trouble with a3 off. Im in good shape now and starting to pull away as we get down to 5.

Im dominating the table now raise raise raise when i get another AQd, 2nd in chips calls my raise, he must think im at it,and he defends his bb, flop 7 9 q he checks and i check my top pair top kicker, i just now he's got some of it though,turn 3, he checks again and i make a real weak bet into the large pot and as expected he reraises about half his remaining chips i put him all in quickly and he calls with a9 no 9 comes on the river and im in real good shape now. Another 2 players fall quickly and i have a 3 to 1 chip lead heads up. after 5 or 6 hands i get jj and limp in, matey raises half his remaining chips and i rr all in he shows a3 and my hooks hold up.

What a day misery to extacy in just a few hours, typical i suppose but what a feeling to win one, first time i played the site too, see you guys n gals at the weekend in london.

All the best and be lucky

Steve Read.

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