I went down to Luton tonight for their rather excellent 10,000 chip £250 Freeze, huge fun it was, too.
Only 30 odd runners, but what a field - apologies for those I forgot, but I can recall Willie Tann, Jim McShane, Paul Alterman, Aisling Collins ("skrikera"), snatimaras, M3Boy, James Browning, Kevin "Lovejoy" O'Leary, Rookie (Rodney), Sonny Osman, Dave Lloyd (now happily reinstated at Luton, as is Lovejoy), Paul Alterman, Brian Johnson, Jac Arama, & included on my opening table were Dingdell, Carlo, Stu Nash, Jeff Buffenburger, & Dave Courtney. How much have that little lot won over the last 5 years?
My table had the ability to run over me, so I decided to try & brush up the image a bit early doors, & Re-Raised on the end of an all-paint, flushing-straighting-Boating Board to take a nice pot with 6-5, smirkily showed. Me a LAG now.
Next up, I limped UTG with AK, got 5 callers, then a Raise & a call to my right, so now I shove all-in pre, God bless the squeeze, though there was much humming & harring before everyone dutifully folded.
Next up I limp with
, & we see a flop of
, so I lead out, Jeff Buff calls, but I bet big on the blank turn & take it down, I'm on fire now. So I call Carlo's R with
& catch the K high flop to bust his stated but not shown
, & I follow this by busting Dingdell's
by bravely calling with
The game's too easy, I decide, when the very next hand, Stu Nash Raises it up, a few callers, & I chance my arm with
, who knows, maybe I can nick this if they all miss.
We see a juicy
, & Stu bets out, Carlo suspiciously dwells & limps, & I decide to protect my flopped straight with a huge over-bet. Stu gives it a big tank job, but I'm watching Carlo now - & I KNOW he's itching to get his chips in. Stu Nash eventually passes (
alleged) & Carlo has never moved so fast - ALL-IN!
I don't wanna see a flush draw, but obviously, I call, & he turns over.......
.....! Same hand, but straight-flush draw freeroll! And he hits the flush, my balloon is deflated, & my 16k is suddenly 4.5k, so it's back to tikay grinding, dammit, that had been so much fun, mixing it with the big-boys.
And then a quite remarkable thing occurred, & I kid you not.
With a measly 5.1k left, I can't mess about calling, but when Stu Nash makes it 1.5k, & Dave Courtney also calls, I just can't resist taking a flop with
.
We see this flop......
Stu checks, Dave Courtney bets 2,000, so I decide to move in with my Flush Draw & plonk my remaining 3.6k in the middle, & it's only 1.6k for Courtney to call, which will make a nearly 12k pot. Now, he can't Pass, can he, 1.6k into a 12k Pot?
But he falters........then says "I misread my hand, I thought I had the Ten (!)..........I have no hand, no draw, but I guess I have to call".
And he calls, & shows..........
................!
The Board is dealt out, & it ends up
........
So it's chop-chop, & maybe the first & last time in my poker life that I've chopped a 12k pot, with blinds at 100-200, with 9 high......My image is in tatters.
I dodge bullets all night, & win every race, thus recovering to Final & soon being chip leader when 3 more Races all go my way.
I bust M3Boy in one of these in the cruellest way imaginable. I bet with
, he moves in with
& I'm committed to call & do so. The
hits first card, but I'm mortified to see the
as the third flop card - until it's noticed that the Dealler burnt a card beteeen the second & third flop cards! Gotta feel for Paul there.
I eventually blow most of my stack, though it was huge fun, especially the banter with Rookie (giant stack) & Paul Alterman. I was seriously cross with myself to bust though, in 7th (6 paid). Matey Boy had moved all-in on 5 hands on the bounce - he had 45k & Blinds were only 2k-4k - & I'm thinking he's having a laugh, so I lose my discipline (ALWAYS MOVE FIRST WITH MARGINALS!) & call with
.
He had
.
All that luck, & I go & blow it, pft.
Well done to Luton, a terrific comp. Only two small niggles - the music is SOOOOOO loud. I appreciate G Casino is not all about Poker, & the non-pokerists are entitled to entertainment, but does it HAVE to be so loud?
And, my never-ending moan - timely starts. 33 Runners, yet the Tourney started 30 minutes late. I guess Vegas has spoiled me, but surely it's possible to start a Tourney somewhere in the UK on time?.
That apart, well done to all at Lovely Luton, my lucky venue.
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