IPO trip report (long)

[JChapman]

I'm a self aware man Cos.  You did miss the degen bit where I had to flip Niel for 50e to play and won cos I picked th wrong hand, then got KK and Blatch decided to 3bet my 12e open utg and lose to KK only to get QQ next hand and donk it all off!  Blatch wasn't pleased at losing 50e!

[Royal Flush]

Ha yeah my 50Euro spin was mev!

[George2Loose]

Next part coming up today!

[DaveShoelace]

Next part coming up today!

Will the final trip report post end:

"So that was my trip report for the 2009 International Poker Open, I am now off to pack for the 2010 International Poker Open"

?

[George2Loose]

Sorry this is taking so long- hope you’ve not all lost interest….

So here I am- playing like a spewbot. Cash game trundling along. Flushy and Blatch getting the lot (as usual!). Apart from Cos, Blatch, Flushy and myself the rest of the table is quite straightforward. Playing fairly tight and limping way too much.

Irish player to my right, very solid limps for 5 Euro (straddled pot) I look down at 10,9 and decide to make it 18 to go. Blatch peels from the big blind (with God knows what) and Irish guy calls.

Flop is 10, 7, 5 rainbow. Solid player checks. I bet 25 Euro and Neil calls. Heads up. A queen hits the turn. If I recall the board is still rainbow. Neil checks and I check behind. A 5 hits the river and Neil leads for 105 Euro. Now I’m pretty sure I’m beat or we’re chopping so I should probably throw it away. There’s two things to factor in here however:

1) I was in no mood to fold
2) Me and Neil NEVER fold to each other. It’s pretty ridic really but we never ever believe each other and we ALWAYS want to hero the other. The meta game of bragging rights is just too tempting.

So I call and declare 10 shit kicker. Neil declares 10 shit kicker. I’m not even noticing that if we both have 10 shit kicker that the Q on board plays. I ask “How shit?” He says “Very shit” I declare a 9 and Flushy pipes up “Chop chop” Phew I think!

This is where I’m a bit of a naïve dousche. Neil is quite clearly slow rolling me. It wouldn’t be the first time and would certainly not be the last. He flips his 10 and then inevitably flips the 5. Bastard!!! First he cold calls out the SB with 10 5 then the bastard slow rolls me hard! I have to give him props tho it was a pretty classic slow roll. I handover my money and am now down to around 200 Euro. That’s sure gonna last long!!!

I build my stack up to around 220 Euro when the following hand occurs…..

Tight Frenchman in EP limps. Neil makes it 20 Euro to go and Cos peels. I know that Neil’s range for raising is hella wide as is Cos’s calling range (although I think I have to worry about his calling range more then Neil’s opening range.) I squeeze the top of an Ace and decide the other one is irrelevant. I’m ahead of both their ranges with that one card and shove 220 Euro all in. Frenchie insta folds. Neil asks how much it is and calls within a nano second. Oooops! The other one better be good. Cos dwells and dwells and dwells some more before folding.

Before the flop is dealt Neil asks what I’ve got and I declare I’ve looked at one. Neil says he has a genuine hand. FML. I decide to take a look at my other card. I peel back what I think is the Ace and it’s 4 of spades. SHIT! A4. I’m in the shit. I then look at the other one and it’s a 3. I look back at both and realise I’ve squeezed the top of the 4! I have 4 high! FML FML FML FML FML!!!

“I hate my life” I say. I keep repeating the mantra as the flop comes down:

AK2. I’m still repeating the mantra as the 5 hits the turn. BINGO. I keep saying it. Wanting to exact some revenge as the Q hits the river. I don’t slow roll as such as I keep saying I hate my life saying I’d mistaken the 4 for an ace. Flushy double takes and starts laughing as he realises I have a straight and Blatch tries to claim J10 when he shows a 10. In fact the sicko has snapped me with 10 9 saying he knew I was reshoving weak! Errr- I misread my hand mate- nice read!!!

The games goes without incident until it breaks and I for some reason decide to flip for stacks with Neil and Flushy. Neil is shortest with 220 Euro so we flip for that and I win. Weeeeeeeee. I’m up to 800 Euro somehow. Boom! Flushy has 300 Euro left and now offers the re-flip. I really wanna say no but it would be poor form I think to refuse and although I make two pair on a K5476 board flushy finds pocket Kings heads up. MBN! So I leave the game even and we head back to the hotel…..

We order pizza and for some reason all 9 of us- pizza in hand decide to get into the lift. BIG MISTAKE! It stalls and we’re trapped. Neil goes a a very pale colour indeed (anyone who knows Neil knows how pale he is anyway!) He is panicking and the other 8 of us can’t help but laugh at our fate. It’s 3am however and I’m beginning to think I’m going to spend the night before the tourney trapped in a lift. 15 mins later and we’re free. We eat our food and I eventually fall asleep about 4am- dreaming about winning the Boylesport International Poker Open………

[GreekStein]

You missed the Q9 hand!....

Btw I had 10J that hand and woulda made the nuts when it came AK25Q. Would have been such an epic board to slowroll each other on too.

[George2Loose]

You missed the Q9 hand!....

Btw I had 10J that hand and woulda made the nuts when it came AK25Q. Would have been such an epic board to slowroll each other on too.

sorry dude didn't have time to put up all the hands I played like a donk.

And no that slow roll would have been painful!!!!

[ZZZZZZZROPE]

very comedy so far

[George2Loose]

And now the end is near….

OK so about 2 weeks after returning from Ireland I’m close to completing this report.

I awake on the Sunday morning at 11am and do my daily ritual (no not that one) and ring Shelley and speak to the kids. I know I’ve not mentioned them much during this report cos it’s not really cool to say you miss your wife and your kids while you’re jollying it up with the lads and play poker everyday but who cares- I’ll say it anyway. I missed them!!! I spoke to to them all and they wished me luck (apart from Ace who just held the phone I think!)

I get a cab at 11.45 (being organised FTW) and take my seat and unbag my chips. Unbagging is awesome when you have loads of chips and I was still chip leader. Boyle come and do a quick interview with me. The organisers announce that we’re playing hand for hand (151 remain and 150 get paid) and we painfully start the first level.

We quickly become 150 and people start to drop right left and centre. On the whole I’m not playing too many pots but have an aggro image from yesterday (a couple of the players are seated with me from my last table yesterday). Cat O Neill who’d I’d seen on the Women’s Poker Open (yes I’m a tv Poker junkie, I have like ace in your face or whatever it’s called) raises to 11k at 2/4k/500 utg playing about 60k. I look down at tens and set her all in. She folds and I take down my first decent pot to maintain my stack.

A round of the button later, a player I was playing with yesterday makes it 14k out of a stack of 120k on the button (spewy raises FTW). I have AK and 3 bet to 41k. He shoves without any thought and I SNAP high five call. He has A10 and I’m already feeling some sort of dread. A10 or any hand containing a 10 scares. Superstitious I know but I always seem to lose.

The KQ3 flop looks okish until the J hits the turn. Cue the over celebration from my opponent. I really hate this. Fine if you win when you’re ahead or even if you win a big flip- fist pump a little. But when you suck out, keep quiet and take the chips.

So I’m down to 180k and am a little tilted at my opponent. He was a nice chap but the celebration had made me dislike him quickly. I was getting annoyed at his play too. He was obv getting a lot of hands and over-raising all of them. He tended to bet big pre when he had a pair/AK, raise small when he had a premium pair or limp when he had junk he wanted to see a flop with. He limps for 4k. I look down at 64 red and can’t help but raise to 18k. Cat O Neill now shoves for like 20 more and when it folds back to me I have to call. Her Kings hold and now I’m down to 140k feeling pretty shitty.

Two hands later and mr over raiser son makes it 20k at 2k4k. I peel at 10 10 and shove for 140k. Being chip leader at the start of the day and being all in 20 mins into the first level back was not the plan but eventually my opponent tank calls with AQ. I’m not losing flips this weekend and do a little fist pump myself (something I never normally do) when tens hold without a sweat. Back to 300k. MBSFN!

[SuperJez]

Fantastic series of reports

[George2Loose]

Are we nearly there yet???

I’m extremely relieved to be back to my starting stack at the beginning of the day and am thankful to survive after a huge flip. I know the absolute ribbing I would have got from the lads for min cashing after having the chip lead.

I tighten up my game as my image is pretty loose anyway. I keep my stack afloat by nicking the blinds occasionally but the chances to open are becoming very limited. The guy to my right is having the card run of his life and is opening every pot. Showing all kinds of hands. His pattern is to clearly overbet small pairs and with the table being fairly tight combined with the fact he is overbetting every pot he is taking a lot of pots without showdown.

I keep thinking to myself- be patient. You’ll catch him but obv I can’t help myself. At 3000/6000/5000 he opens to 30k in hijack+1! I’m sitting on 300k still and look at 10 4 off. Now this is a CLEAR fold as I have 4 players to act behind me and 3 bet/folding here would be ultra spewy. But for some reason before my brain can engage my mouth kicks in and says “100k” FUCK. What are you doing??? My chips are going in and I’m praying that it gets thru. I have 200k left behind which obv is not going in if the guy 4 bet shoves. In fact he just flats. Oh WP Sir. Set mining or looking for a 7 high board? The flop comes down A75 rainbow and I’m thinking that if he checks I’m c betting for half my stack. Pretty fucking awful but I’m sure that he doesn’t have an ace.

Another top read by George as matey saves me 100k when he insta shoves all in. NH Mr AK and well played! He does indeed flip AK after I fold and I mutter something about how lucky he is to hit his 3 outer “Put a King high flop out there one time!” I proclaim dramatically. The thing that was tilting me the most was that the villain had played the hand in the worst way poss. Cold call AK, wait for the A high flop and shove all in! Thank fuck he didn’t give me a chance to c-bet!!!

The break arrives at the right time and I have a chance to calm down and check in with the lads. I ring Shelley to update her and tell her about the guy on my right who’s tilting me. Shelley is SUPERB in these situations and calms me down “Don’t worry- you’ll get him. Do what you do best (she hasn’t seen me play poker much recently) and just play your game!”

I return to my table with Shelley’s words ringing in my ears. The blinds are now 5k/10k so 20bbs for the win. Mr Villian has something like 800k and is clear chip leader of the tourney. His stack is awesome and I’m left thinking about the AK hand. What a perfect start that would have been…….

About 15 mins pass when the following 2 hands occur which would flip the tourney on it’s head. I have about 220k at the start of the hand and a very good young Irish player opens for 25k from the hijack. Mr Villian flats in the cut off and I look down at QQ. Squeeeeeeeeeze. I think for about 5 seconds and then announce all in. Original raiser folds and Villian is now tanking hard. I keep thinking “call call call” I don’t care what you have. There’s no way my Queens are getting cracked. After about 5 mins, he calls with AJ. Blanks on the board see my QQ hold up and I now have villain covered. Very next hand he opens for 45k and I look down at tens. I decide just to call whilst I’m still stack my chips.

The flop comes down an orgasmic K104, one diamond. Is there ANYTHING better then flopping a set in poker. Running a big bluff is awesome I know (we’ll come to that later) but the feeling when you flop a set is sometimes indescribable (I need to get out more) He bets 40k. I peel because:

1) His c bet obv means he doesn’t have much
2) There’s not many draws out there so I don’t have to worry about him catching up/the turn card killing my action
3) After losing a big pot, this guy might just spaz out on the turn.

The run comes an and he insta shoves. SNAP call buddy. He has just shoved about 300k with a flush draw. He flips A6d and before I can think- dealer don’t do it! The river is dealt out a beautiful. Black rag card and suddenly Mr chip leader at the break is out, I’m stacking around 800k and can hear Shelley’s words ringing in my ears. I stack someone KK vs QQ about 5 hands later (after opening almost every hand since the coup) and I am up to a huge 925k. That’s what I had in mind for today!!! My table breaks and I take my 4 chip trays (shameless brag) off to my next table for some more fun……..

[Girgy85]

Your on a roll! Next please!

[George2Loose]

Nothing much happens at my next table. My stack gets up to 1 million (do you know how awesome it is to say I’ve had 1 million chips live?!?!) and fluctuates between 850-900k. Blinds are getting quite big and the action is slowing down a bit. We’re down to 4 tables. I win one decent pot with AQ but other than that I go on a period without too many hands. I have two fairly tight players to my left and keep raising their blinds. The table gets broken and I still have around 900k.

I get moved to my third table of the day. Cat O Neill is sat there with about 200k and I set about opening my fair share of pots. I’m not being played back at too much and I’m having quite a bit of banter about my lagtard image.

I have about 850k at the start of this hand. This is the best hand I think I have played live and probably would never try this online (cos I’d probably get snapped) but I felt the conditions were right. The blinds are 15k/30k/2k (becoming a bit of a shoot at this stage).

I’m second to act and look down at A6dd and open to 76k. As soon as I did this I was wishing I hadn’t. I mean I may as well have 42cc. I can’t call a shove. I’m not gonna hit the flop hard enough most of the time and I’ll probably be OOP post flop. 2 seats to my left, Frenchman playing about 800k flats and the big blind decides to call the extra so we’re 3 way with about 250k in the middle. I’ve already decided I’m check/folding. There’s no way I’m burning anymore chips…. I’m locking up my chips. Forget this. I still have 800 odd thousand….

The flop is . gg checking the flop. There’s no way I’m checking THIS flop. BB checks and I again find myself reaching for a bet. It bet 104k. I think on a board like this c betting under half pot gets the job done. Frenchman dwells, announces raise and makes it 300k total with about another 400k back. BB folds and it’s back to me. I KNOW he has at best Jacks. Probably more like 77, 88 and maybe 10 10. I don’t think he’d play a flush draw this way. I tank for about 90 seconds and decide he can’t call I shove “I’m all in” I announce and wait for the insta call… instead Frenchman asks “How much?” I love those two words!!!

The press gather round. This is easily the biggest pot of the tourney. Please be right! I don’t want to turn this hand over if he says call. He tanks. I’m sat there motionless, hands cupped over my face. I’m sure you’ve been through this one. I’m sat, looking ay his cards through my Ray Bans, all I’m thinking is one thing over and over and over again…..

“Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold. Fold.”

Eventually he gives up and mucks. I don’t usually but I can’t help myself. I flip the A6 triumpantlly and he physically recoils. He busts later when he gets shoved on and calls off with 55 against QQ. Tilt FTW.

Table breaks once more and I now have a healthy 1.6m. I’m already thinking about the final. They’re setting up the cameras. The area looks plush. There’s no way I’m not finalling this one. No way I’m not taking this one down….. LOL Donkaments.

[GreekStein]

That's a brave shove if you think he has a hand like 1010/JJ! Cohones ftw!

Did he show his hand when he folded?

[George2Loose]

And now the end is near…..

I move to my new table and immediately raise the first pot taking down the blinds/antes. They’re getting juicy now at 30k/60k/5000. The tourney is a shoot at the mo. Average stack is 11 big and I am chip leader with 1.8m so only 30 big blinds. Blinds move up to 40k/80k/5000 and the shorties start shoving.

A lot of meta game factors are also taking place. Food is being ordered and eaten as there is no dinner break and a sheet is handed to each player (there’s around 15 left) asking them to fill in personal info such as nickname, biggest win and occupation etc. I decide that due to this people will start to lock up so now’s the time to push the envelope. Let’s get some more chips for the final! I’ll be greedy! There’s 12 million chips in play and I 1.8million of them so I could easily fold to final if I wanted to….

Looking back on the exit, and it’s well documented, I REALLY wish I had tightened up a bit. I would never normally advocate this play but being at the final would have been awesome. It was live streamed so my family could watch and all in all I knew about 30 people there so when I made my entrance (each finalist was personally introduced) I would have got some ovation. Missing out on all that is worth more than the money. I was also told that I had some backing from a few Irish punters who had put money on me at 400/1. First place was a very healthy 62,000$ plus I myself had managed to put on £11.50 on at the price which would have meant another 4.5k English.

A couple of shorties shove with junk (one guy utg shoves with 5 bigs with K5 and another on the button with 6 bigs with 53) Both had the unfortunate pleasure of being called by eventual winner Marcus Sippe who managed to find AQ and AJ to bust both. He then gave them both the rub down by openly criticising their play. It just goes to show that even in a 1440 man field someone without any clue of how to play poker can somehow luckbox his way to a win.

I raise a couple more pots with AQ, taking down the blinds and showing my hand. “Look” I say “I’m not robbing you at this stage!”

I then open with Q6 UTG+1 (5 handed) and get called by Tight Frenchman on the button. I hit a 6 on a very dangerous board (KQ6104 3 clubs) and we check it down. I beat his A7ss and Sippe comment “Qveen Sixsh Eh? So Thatith whateth youareth reallyeth raisheth ussssss witheth”

I ignore him but unfortunately for me he would have the last laugh. Very next hand I open with A5 and tight Irish guy shoves. I have made it 185k at 40/80 and he shoves for another 460k more. I’m getting 2/1 and I know I’m a 3/1 one shot. I also know that I only have to pinch the blinds once to get most of my opening bet back but I still call- perhaps the Q6 hand I’d just shown clouding my decision. My opponent flips nines, we shake hands as is customary at this stage and the flop is dealt

The door card is an Ace. BINK! 1 more to the final! Weeeeeeee I’m running good! Boom!!! The flop is peeled back probably and a 9 is hiding behind the Ace. gg 650k.

So now I’m down to around 1.4m. Still above average and still playable. It folds round to me in the small blind. The right Frenchman has 580k total and I peel back Q10. This is quite a trivial shove. I stick him all in and he calls finding AJ. Fine I think. Just a Q or a 10 then dealer…. The board bricks out and A high is good.

I now have 800k and am still positive. I can comeback from this. We’re 5 handed. If I’m aggro at the right times I can pick up those chips in no time. I know I’ll know more about push/fold strategies at this stage then most of my opponents.

I find AJ utg and with 820k at 40/80/5k it’s an easy shove 5 handed. I shove. It folds to the big blind- an Irish chap I’d been getting on with well. He apologises and says he has to call, flipping Kings. I stand up, my heart is literally sinking. This isn’t how it was supposed to end. I shake his hand and wish him luck. Before the flop is dealt tho Sippe deals his final blow showing him for the type of guy he really is….

Now I know the score here. There are 11 of us left in the tournament. I’m the all in player so I know 10 other players in this tourney are hoping the Kings win. We all do it. We want to ladder. We want the player with the most chips to win. Sippe decides to verbalise this, looking straight at me and saying “Come on dealer…. Just put a King out there and knock this guy out” I very rarely get riled at a poker table but tell him to shut up before I shut him up.

The flop is dealt. OMG. Ace Seven Four. YES. I’ve got out of it. Somehow I’ll have 1.6m again. I’m back. I promise I will nit up to the final. No more pinching. No more lagtardedness. Talking about getting out of jail! All of these thoughts are running through my head in a nano second. I’ve not celebrated but I’m already counting the dough when the dealer stands up, punches me in the face and then sits back down to deal the King on the turn. That’s it? Over? Norrrrr. 11th. Can’t be.

I shake all of my opponents hands minus Sippe- wishing them luck and walk over to find out I’ve won 3200$. Obviously it’s a nice sum of money but when you have your eyes on the prize it’s scant consolation.

I don’t care how many times it happens. Busting a tournament so deep hurts…. To the bone. I had come so far. Beaten over 1400 opponents but what did it actually mean. Not very much. So I was 11th. I didn’t want 11th. I’d rather have 801st. Because I wanted to beat the biggest live field outside of Vegas. I wanted the accomplishment of winning and another trophy in the cabinet. FU poker….. This one is gonna take a while to get over.