Whenever I have a big chipstack coming into day 2 I always feel a little more pressure than when I've scraped in. When I finished 16th in Manchester and made day 3 I think I was second from bottom and had 15 bigs.
In 2009 IPO I was the overnight chipleader. 30 mins in I was all in with tens vs AQ. With my rep people are bound to assume I blew even though most people know what can happen in tournaments. It doesn't bother me too much but I'd rather not be at the bar 30 mins after having 140k at 800/1600.
I recognised no one at my table. One Irish chap had close to 200k to start with and knocked out a couple of players quick time to move closer to 300k. He was two to my right though which was good and also didn't seem to be getting too out of line so we didn't get into 3/4/5 (or cock measuring wars as I like to call them) bet pots. He was openign quite bit too so unless i had somethign I was folding.
I was playing a lot of pots, esp. round the bubble. I had no real hands of note but was min opening from the get go. The table wasn't playing back at me much. I won a decent pot when I defended AQ in the big blind and got value on the river on an ace high board. First big hand I played I flopped the nuts (mbn). I was in the hijack and opened to 4100 at 1k/2k with 10 9 blue. Villian smooths out of the big blind playing around 80k behind. Flop is J87 one diamond. He checks. I bet 5600. He c/raises to 17k. I thought about just 4 betting there but on that board just looks super strong and he has an awkward stack size to 5 bet it with fold equity so I just peeled.
The turn is the
. He now leads for 26k. I now set him in. He tanks calls it off with 108. River is an 8 so I was always getting his stack. I move up to around 280k. As I'm stacking my chips I look down at KJ blue and open to 4100 again. Young Irish guy who seemed capable 3 bets from hijack to 13k.
I am sat there thinking "fold, fold". Think Joe Hachem talks about the concept of chip ownership. I know he's not supposed to be very good but I think this concept is very important. Just after you've won a big pot sometimes it's good to just sit back and make them feel like you've had them a few hands. Sometimes losing a pot just after you've won one can lead to the things spiralling out of control. Might be talking BS but it works for me. Plus do I really wanna play a marginal hand OOP to a capable player. He has 150k back and I decide to peel. But you all knew that anyway.
Flop comes J82 one diamond and I check call a 17k bet. Turn is a 4 and I check. He now reaches deep and bets 42k leaving 80 behind. Now I'm regretting the peel lol. "You should have just folded pre" I'm thinking. I look at him and get the distinct impression he wants me to go away. As I've mentioned before though I don't always trust my live reads. I call having no idea what I'm doing if he shoves river. River is a blank and I check. He sigh checks and announces AK. Boom!
I then open 95ss utg and get two callers. One from a young Irish guy who has around 300k and from the big blind. Flop is 678ss. LOL. Run worse George. I bet half pot. Irishman peels. Big blind folds. Turn is an offsuit ace and I know bet close to 2/3 pot and he calls again. River is an off suit Ace and I pot it for 66.4k. He tank calls and I'm now up to 450k. Chip leader and cruising. Cameramen are interviewing me. I'm buzzing. This is my time. This is the UKIPT I'm gonna win. I'm opening so much that when I do find a real hand I'm gonna get paaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiiiidddddddddddddddddd- careful what u wish for............
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