Thursday, March 13, 2008

Finally, I'm in the Bubble!

Came 4th last night... yay! Back in the money again... well, it's only €70, a €10 profit is better than going home with nothing!

I changed my playing last night, played far tighter than I usually, got more aggressive with pairs, called and slow-played the premium hands... I was actually card dead 70% of the time, I folded several blinds but any pots I got involved in - I took it down well! I built my stack up slowly and gradually like a rock from 8k to 23k...

Then we went to the final table and my focus just went out the window! We had a 'Whistler', a 'Drama Queen' (DQ-think Hollywood sighs and tuts) and a Grey haired Mouthy SwearBag (GHMSB) on the table... The ensuring acts they pulled was so distracting and a lot of time wasting! I've no respect for the GHMSB since the row over not showing his cards when he said he would if I folded(!) Fooooooo! The geezer was in his usual cocky form with 9k chips, the Whistler was chipleader with almost 60k and DQ was after losing a big pot and sulked petulantly with his 25k chips. Tattoo Pee-Wee look alike was a loose aggressive player with 35k.

Susie Woosie and Paul S also got to final both short-stacked and fighting hard to hold on. Paul S is a decent player, a league topper, but his playing has been off form lately, he told me the other night that "you need a bit of luck first, then the skill, otherwise you are playing a losing game". Wise words...

I was card dead the first few hands, blinds were 1k/2k was on the Button when I got pocket treys, DQ was UGT+1 and raised to 4k, I called him, everyone else folded.

Flop: 4c5c6c

DQ checked, I had the 3c and knew I've a nice open-ended possible straight, flush or straight flush, I threw in 5k continuation bet, DQ raised to 10k. Whoa! Knew from his usual game play he didn't have flush, as he would have just called to milk me to the very end if he had... I put him on a top pair here.

With 10-16 outs I felt I stood a good chance to take this pot, so called to see turn.

Turn: 6d (eeeek!)

DQ shoved his remaining chips over the line... I had no choice but fold, the risk was just too great and I didn't want to be out first from final table!

I asked to see the river: 2c .... Aaaaahhhhh FFS!!!!

The very next hand I got A10o, two players went all in: GHMSB with 9k and Paul S with 4k... DQ called(!) I thought hard and decided, no, laid them down...

GHMS: A9o
Paul: Ad4d
DQ: 6s7s

Board: Ac 10d Kd 4s 9h

Another missed opportunity... FFS!!!!

After this I just played tighter, but being card dead and blinds eating into my stack, I held on. Paul, Susie were knocked out. We were down to 5 players and 2k/4k blinds and I was down to the last 3k on BB - it was looking very likely I will be Bubble girl again(!) :-(

I had QhKd

There was 3 callers (SB folded), DQ went all-in, the Whistler called him...

DQ: As6s
Whistler: AKo

Board: 9c 10s Jd Ad Kc

And DQ was gone! I was back in the game with 14k... just about!!! I had planed to lump the lot all-in on the next best hand I had but remained totally card dead as the blinds came around again... twice! Was down to 5.5k and shoved on A3o but was beaten by Whistler's A5o.

A funny episode happened in the next hand after this - Tattoo went all-in (he had barely 23k left) GHMSB and Whistler called him and lost, making Tattoo the new chipleader! I cheered and congratulated Tattoo. GHMSB was not amused, "huh you want me to loose?!!!" (oh yes!) He went on to win the next hand and roared at me "oi - I won, where's my cheer?! Hello?!"
"oh" sez I, "yeah well done... I suppose" (rasssssp!!!)
GHMSB sees two other bystanders and roared "are ya gonna cheer me?" On cue the bystanders did a joint "yahoo!" and we all fell about the place laughing! What a gobsh1te!

Not too disappointed to be out in 4th, and am glad to report neither the Whistler nor GHMSB came first, both moved all in with Aces and Tattoo called to take them down with a full house Qs over Ts!

GG!

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