Thanks to all at Blonde for organising this event. This was the first live tourney I’d looked forward to for ages. The regular local stuff becomes so…well regular after a while and it made a change to play in such a warm, friendly (clean aired) game.
Also the staff were exceptional. Every single casino employee seemed genuinely personally invested in us having a good time. I’ve been recommending the Broadway today at the Gala and will do again. Well done Bluewolf on a well run tourney.
There were a few names I recognised at my table. I personally didn’t find Scottish Dave’s table chat a problem. Infact being a Notts regular it made a change for it to be in English (ish) and in a friendly tone. I hadn’t meant to take my extra chips straight away but Rod Paradise (a true gent) was two to my right and he took his straight away saying he intended to be very aggressive. If I was going to defend myself in the blinds I was going to need the chips. That turned out to be academic as Jamier-host took over the table playing premium and filth equally strongly and connecting with his filth. Foxy minx and her traveling partner tried to put up a fight but eventually paid the price, as did RyG who’s 10,10 was no match for Jamier-host’s 7,5. I enjoyed watching him play and the table getting wound up but when he went it was by his AA getting cracked so there was some poetic justice in the end. I had a really dry night and after an uneventful game eventually went out when I had a go at Reddogs BB with k,9 and Booderham called from the SB with A6. Two Aces on the flop and I’m on the rail.
I then played 3 STTs. In the first one Rod paradise chipped me up early. He made an outrageous play at my BB from UTG with A,5 and I defended myself with A,8 as I said I would in the main event. There was an A on the flop and after a semi bluffing war my rag played and his didn’t. I threw a few of Rods Chips at the charming Zelda and the only slightly less charming MalcM but still made top 3. I couldn’t make Sven put a hand down however weak it was and however much I bluffed at him so I went out third and he used my chips to batter Phil and take 1st. My second game I had an early

on my 1st BB. I thought Poppet7 raised from 1 off the button and I tried to bully her off it by pushing all in with my KQ. It turned out to be one of those ‘seat 10’ situations where I hadn’t spotted it was actually an UTG raise from Kiv and I ended up all in against AK and JJ. That’s the end of that then.
Game 3 way a quieter affair although there were some laughs when AndrewT got caught making big moves with his 8,2 off (huge physical tell I might share with him if he asks) Kezza paid off my AA early doors with a Q,10 on a K,Q,x board. She played Q,x quite strong on my table in the main event so I thought I was gonna get paid when the flop came like it did. If I didn’t have AA,AK,KK QQ or KQ I couldn’t have called though so fair play to her. I made a few moves but basically nursed those chips through to HU with 4dam who I’d noted had a nice game. with only a 3/1 chip deficit I fancied it though and gave it some chat about annihilating the Rookie HU

. 4dam then went and got KK and AA first two hands. My 5,2 was easy enough to get away from first hand but the A10 was inescapable and dominated and I had to settle for 2nd.
While waiting for the 3rd STT to go I relieved the Nun from dealing a HU match between I know it and Chili. The first hand was a checked down not event. The second was I know its’ A10(?) v Chili’s 3.3. I flopped a 3 and as it won her the match Chili mauled me

. I know Glenn and me are both kickboxers but I’d rather chat to him about it than find out how good he is first hand

. Well done on the result Glen by the way. (even now I can hear Daves voice in my head when I type “
by the way”)
We need to be holding these things regularly. It was like going to a family wedding but meeting the relatives for the first time. Not one person did a thing to spoil the atmosphere. Infact I don’t remember being in a group as large and friendly as that in my life. I’d had a bad night with a teething baby on the Friday night so wasn’t my usual outgoing self and today am kicking myself for missing the opportunity of shaking more hands and meeting more Blondites than I did.