Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[tikay]

The £200-er at Blackpool -  3pm last Saturday - was a great little comp. 62 runners I think, but if they promoted it, they could get 150, easy, & it could be a regular gathering.

For £200, I think I had the most value per minute I can remember in many-a-moon. Not because I cashed - I fell over in about 18th - but because of the psychological value it gave me. I know these things don't interest many of you, most seem to prefer AK v 88, how to play - but the psychology of poker, as in life, is an awesome thing to be studied & enjoyed.

The context was this. I lobby for more of these type of comps, and I have - well, lets say less of a negative edge in these than faster ones - & I expect to run well in them. I'd got home to Derbyshire from the Luton Friday night-er at 8am, £1,500 to the good, got 3 hours kip, & then driven the almost 3 hours to Blackpool. So I need to do well, to justify that excess of hedonistic self-indulgence.

Beautifuly structured - perfect - 45 minute clock, & 15k of Starting Chips.

So I'd put myself under pressure already - I'm nailed on to score here.....

[tikay]

And relax...

OK, OK, you're right, I'm having a gentle rant here.

They'll be calling me The Moaning Minnie next Tom.

I've been called tikay, cult leader, Legend, Grandad, & I got another mauling yesterday. And now I'm being called t bloody j...... Not been described as a sex-God yet. Give them time, they are shy.

Ho's the diet going? (Next case, that'll shut him up).

OK, back to Blackpool.

[tikay]

My opening table was a bit of a mixture & with this structure, I pretty much sat out for the first 2 orbits, to do some studying of who was what.

Mostly rocks, two loose geese, a geezer with 3 mobile 'phones - gotta be a lag, surely? - Brian, a wise old grinder, good game, Bigalhx - not played with him for almost 9 months, nice to see him - Kaibobble, tight, with a few moves, and a guy with fingers bigger than my wrists, and an outdoor complexion. The Table Station, big-time. He was my mark. Obviously a fisherman. I bet him a quid I could name his job - "go on then" says he - "watchmender" says I. "Nope, I'm a roofer" says he, straightfaced. Close.

He was a £10 player, having a ball in a bigger game, he called a straight a run, never passed any Ace - ever - & a lovely fella as it happens. The whole table had him sussed, & were having wagers who'd get his chips. Meanwhile, he ran his 15k up to 45k inside 2 levels.......

He's my man.

[tikay]

No action for almost 2 levels, no material, no problem.
 
3 phone man was busy, & I picked up a fault, he'd bet out on the end of any board if he had top pair, & totally ignored any runs - sorry, straights - flushes, or Paired Boards.

He's my # 2 target.

I find AK, both black, Raise, 3 phone man calls. You'll be alright mate. Flop is all hearts, but K high, he checks, I bet, he calls. Turn comes the 4th heart, I'm done with this, check check. River is the J, check check, & he flips over a rivered set of Jacks, both black. I got a bit unlucky there.


I've barely played a hand in almost 2 levels.

OK, time to make some action. Let's look for a spot. The cards are irrelevant, I've built image, any two will do.

Ask, & ye shall be given.

50-100, and there are SIX Limpers on my Button, including Roofer Man. Perfect.

I make it 1,000 to go. Pass, Pass, Pass, la lala lala, & my man Calls. All going to plan.

Got him.

I've not looked at my cards - I always bottle it if I do - but now I do. 2-3 spades. No worries, that's not the point.

The flop comes higgly piggly, 2 clubs, J high. He checks, I chuck in 2k.

Got him.

He calls. Gulp.

Fire again, that's what they say.....

Turn, a third club, the Q - a good bluffing card this.

3k is my bet. Job done, he's dwelling now.

"This am a shocking call, but I'm gonna call, I like you".

Dont you just hate that?

No, PLEASE DON'T CALL, I REALLY REALLY LOVE YOU

The River came the fourth club - but, first to act, he still does not bet. "Check" says he.

Shit.

What do I do now? I gotta bet. Flushy would.

3k is my bet, & he dwells again.

"OK, I call, probably a shocker". (If you did but know, mate....)

And he shows A-8, with the 8 of clubs for the 4 flush - he'd been callling to catch his ace.

Marvellous. My 15k is now 4k. I've just run the world's worst bluff, with no need to, against the Table Station.

Am I stupid, or what? All this way, 3 hours kip, 15k stack, a £20 LL with Ariston (who has 70k now, ffs), & I'm down to 4k. And making a complete tit of myself.

[tikay]

I gotta get my head together, this is a bloody disaster.

I try & settle myself. It's not even 100-200 yet, & I've still got 4k.

Tom would grind it out, I know he would.

I win a small pot, 4.5k now.

Then I find the hand - Jacks, Brian makes it 650, Roofer Man - of course - calls, this is my spot.

Here we go.

ALL-IN.

Brian - he's been round the block a time or two, knows what he's doing - will Pass, Roofer will call, & I'm home & hosed.

Brian asks how much - & Calls. Quickly. Roofer Man Mucks.

Read that well, eh?

Brian has AK, I flop my set, I got my 2xup.

Phew, thank gawd for that. Life is good.

[bobby1]

No action for almost 2 levels, no material, no problem.
 
3 phone man was busy, & I picked up a fault, he'd bet out on the end of any board if he had top pair, & totally ignored any runs - sorry, straights - flushes, or Paired Boards.

He's my # 2 target.

I find AK, both black, Raise, 3 phone man calls. You'll be alright mate. Flop is all hearts, but K high, he checks, I bet, he calls. Turn comes the 4th heart, I'm done with this, check check. River is the J, check check, & he flips over a rivered set of Jacks, both black. I got a bit unlucky there.


I've barely played a hand in almost 2 levels.

OK, time to make some action. Let's look for a spot. The cards are irrelevant, I've built image, any two will do.

Ask, & ye shall be given.

50-100, and there are SIX Limpers on my Button, including Roofer Man. Perfect.

I make it 1,000 to go. Pass, Pass, Pass, la lala lala, & my man Calls. All going to plan.

Got him.

I've not looked at my cards - I always bottle it if I do - but now I do. 2-3 spades. No worries, that's not the point.

The flop comes higgly piggly, 2 clubs, J high. He checks, I chuck in 2k.

Got him.

He calls. Gulp.

Fire again, that's what they say.....

Turn, a third club, the Q - a good bluffing card this.

3k is my bet. Job done, he's dwelling now.

"This am a shocking call, but I'm gonna call, I like you".

Dont you just hate that?

No, PLEASE DON'T CALL, I REALLY REALLY LOVE YOU

The River came the fourth club - but, first to act, he still does not bet. "Check" says he.

Shit.

What do I do now? I gotta bet. Flushy would.

3k is my bet, & he dwells again.

"OK, I call, probably a shocker". (If you did but know, mate....)

And he shows A-8, with the 8 of clubs for the 4 flush - he'd been callling to catch his ace.

Marvellous. My 15k is now 4k. I've just run the world's worst bluff, with no need to, against the Table Station.

Am I stupid, or what? All this way, 3 hours kip, 15k stack, a £20 LL with Ariston (who has 70k now, ffs), & I'm down to 4k. And making a complete tit of myself.

I love it, do you remember when people played poker with the cards they had and then it became a must that everyone had to be tricky,loads of moves, at it, a bit whooo and a bit whaaaa?

You only had to get a hand and he was prob gonna call the same way he did in this hand but you picked three high and fired 3 times.

and before the whooo and whaaaa crowd come along to rip me up, my tongue is slightly in my cheek!

[tikay]

Family Pot, unraised, I have 2-2,

Call, why not, you never know?

Flop - WOW - 2-2-J.

Oh my giddy aunt. Keep cool, think, don't be hasty, let someone hit something. There's an art to playing these quads, you know....

3 phone man - first to speak - BETS!

I LOVE YOU

Dwell, call.

He checks the Q turn - I KNOW HE's GOT TOP TWO! And I got 4 TWO'S......

I bet half the Pot, he calls quickly.

River is a brick, he checks, I bet the Pot, he calls before my chips are in. And mucks fast when I show the quads.

This poker lark is a cynch, I own these Blackpool boys.

[bobby1]

Family Pot, unraised, I have 2-2,

Call, why not, you never know?

Flop - WOW - 2-2-J.

Oh my giddy aunt. Keep cool, think, don't be hasty, let someone hit something. There's an art to playing these quads, you know....

3 phone man - first to speak - BETS!

I LOVE YOU

Dwell, call.

He checks the Q turn - I KNOW HE's GOT TOP TWO! And I got 4 TWO'S......

I bet half the Pot, he calls quickly.

River is a brick, he checks, I bet the Pot, he calls before my chips are in. And mucks fast when I show the quads.

This poker lark is a cynch, I own these Blackpool boys.

lol, as above!!!

[tikay]

I'm in great shape now, way more than average, but during the 20 minute 10 minute break, I get a bunch of 'phone calls, there is trouble on the Forum.

Sky Poker's software has been compromised - WHAT? - & I need to see what's what, & I ring a few folks, & Tom promises to keep an eye on it for me. I alert the Sky Suits - this is ridiculous shit - but Tom soon gets back on the 'phone - it's cool, it's just a sore loser suffering bad variance, & the thread has turned humorous. Phew. But however ridiculous it is, when you are offline, & can't see the thread, it's a bit unsettling, it's part of my job at Sky to handle these things.

So, I sit down to my very nice stack.

This is gonna be fun, I got dancing chips now. Forget that 2-3 idiocy, lesson learned.

Players are starting to drop out now - 52 left - & young Zippy gets moved to my immediate right - bad - & Howard Plant to my immediate left - good. Both have good chips - double mine. I can handle Howard all day & night, but Zippy is different class, perma-Raises, & it's soon clar Zippy has targeted Howard, & I'm the meat in the sandwich.

No worries, plenty of time, let them cut each others throats.

And if I find a hand, I'm gonna be in easy street, but I'm not gonna mess about yet awhile. I just can't play a deep-stack, I always donk-off, so I'm a bit out of my comfort zone in a weird way.

But it starts to get embarrassing, &, tongue-in-cheek but a bit serious, Zippy is taking the piss now - "you awake old man?", "you ever gonna play a hand - so I can bust you - it's way past your bedtime - NURSE".

FFS....

And the problem is, he can play me like a fiddle, & he knows it. If I Re-Pop, he's gonna set me in - I just KNOW he is.

What to do?

[tikay]

Zippy SB, me BB, & Howard makes it 2,500. (400-800). Zippy calls.

PLEASE let me have some sort of hand.

I look down - wonderful. 10-3 clubs. Jeez.....

Look, you've got plenny of chips - you gotta make a stand eventually, they are taking the piss.

CALL I say as confidently as I'm able. = not very.

The flop - aye-up - comes K high, 2 clubs.

Zippy CHECKS - WHAT? I KNOW he was gonna bet, to take this off Howard. What gives? Monster?

I check - lack of minerals - & Howard checks, too!

What is going off here? Still, free card, lovely.

And it hits on the Turn - the club, the most beautiful club I've ever seen.

Zippy bets big now - eh?

Well, I got lots of chips - let's use them. I can represent the Bare Ace here.

ALL-IN.

Howard quickly mucks, but Zippy ain't going anywhere yet, & I get a verbal grilling. "You got the bare ace old man?"

Dum de da de do. I'm cool, relaxed. Sort of. Inside I'm churning.

Why on EARTH did you go all-in? He has a big Club, & he's gonna call.

And after what semed like 10 minutes, he says "CALL".

"Pardon"

"CALL".

"Shit".

I turn my hand over, the made 10 flush. And the most amazing, beautiful, sexy thing, happens.

He mucks - with a card still to come. It took a while to sink in - he's drawing dead!

45k, & cruising. Old Man indeed.

I got you boys numbers.

(Zippy later told me it was all Howards fault. Zippy had the K, & was trapping Howard, & Howard was supposed to bet the flop. But he did not - I think he was telling someone about his car at the time, & got distracted - "wanna tour of my Bentley?" sort of thing.

Jeez, I love this poker lark.

[tikay]

Bloody hell - it's 3am, & I'm up at 7, for a 9am meet. Gotta go, will finish this later. Bet you can't wait.

Well I'm enjoying it. It's comps like this that make poker the fun game it is - the ebbs & flows, the mind battles I have with myself. Well, it is for me.

[bobby1]

great stuff mate.

[Rookie (Rodney)]

great stuff mate.

[Karabiner]

Still loving this diary Tony

[kinboshi]

great stuff mate.