I should have offered to split...

Played the Bell last night.

Was a little late starting, spent the day making the most of the good weather working the garden. Was wary walking in, glancing around the tables checking for the GHA... he wasn't there, phew! Heard a few more choice comments from others what he was mouthing on the final table about me and boy, I will so lose it with him next time... Just hoping to harvest the feeling and use it at the DPN's End of League night coming up soon - I'm dreaming of kicking him out in SPECTACULAR fashion, not just winning mind, but a sick sick bad beat.

Anyway I digress... back to the Bell.

I sat down at my table with Mr Muscles, Phil (Ro wasn't there), Young Swedish Bluffer (YSB), Sharkfin Hair Guy (SHG), Tweety and 2 newbies: Bleach Blonde Yob (fish) and another bald yob (fish). In my first hand I had QJ off in BB (25/50), 5 limpers then YSB (in CO seat) raised to 250. YSB is a notorious stealer, he raises in the CO/Button nearly every time, no way was I gonna let him steal my blinds! So I called, Tweety called and the rest folded. Flop came out K10x rainbow; I checked, Tweety checked, all eyes on YSB who threw out 500, with 1050 in the pot and a straight draw I called the 500. Tweety folded. Turn was 9, putting a possible flush draw... I threw out 1200 expecting him to raise me, he called. River 8 (no flush) and I was home dry. I debated whether to shove, putting him on AK, KK or 10 10 here or playing strong enough to extract the most money from him while indicating my strength, I bet 4k... and YSB called. Expecting him to show QJ for a split pot, or KK for 3 of a kind at least, poor lad turned over AA in dismay. Then the comments started '250 is too small for AA'... 'you should have re-raised after Jules 1200 bet'... 'did ya not see the straight?!' I really felt sorry for the lad; he is a decent enough LAG on marginal hands, steals blinds good, but truly falls apart on the monsters like AA, KK, QQ, AK etc. He really needs to lose his loose bluffer image at the table to be taken more seriously in future games...

Two orbits later, YSB was hovering on 4k when he pushed AIPF with K10, suited into my AJ off, Flop AAJQx. Ouch! He stood up came around the table, shook my hand firmly looked at me in the eye, smiled and made all the right noises 'NH GG WP etc.' then he was gone. Good breeding and gamesmanship there: he produced a good strong hand shake with the correct etiquette - I admire that in a person... don't trust the weak hand-shakers who don't look at you when they shake your hand either. Get a good grip, look at the person in the eyes and smile/make your comment directly. YSB: your mammy should be proud of you!

After these early leads I was hand dead, lost most of my chips to short stacker's AIPF calling one player's 77 with AK and another KQ off with A10 suited on ... no help on the Board and they are back in the game. I folded K10 to another AIPF (I would have been leaving 1.5k had I called) and was initially raging at myself when the board came out K10xxA then delight when player showed A10 to win... so glad I wasn't in that pot or it would have been early doors for me!

I started the final table on 10.5k (2nd smallest stack) to Phil's 32k chiplead and 4 players on circa 25k. Paul joined us with 11.5 and SHG was on 5.4k. I had no notion of winning at this stage was was determined not to play too tight, with 4 well jarred players who I knew would trip up sooner or later and boy, was I right! I got ultra LAG pushing all in with any suited hands with high kickers, low pairs etc got no callers just gained a couple of blinds then made a cheeky move!

I was in push or fold mode with an M of 7 and UTG with 15.5k, Mr Muscles (TAG) was BB (1000/2000), One of the Drunks who was half nodding off woke up to his cards, started licking his lips, and got into his 'ready to pounce' mode that singled he was going to bet big... what a tell! Last time he did this he got called by a Short Stack and turned over J8 off. I had Kd4d and had a good feeling about this, I shoved. He called me as I predicted The cards folded around to Mr Muscles who went into the tank for an age then called. I yelped! This Silver Drunk I can face but Mr M??!! He wouldn't only shove all-in from BB without some sort of monster hand. I was right: black AQ off. The Silver Drunk slurred 'Snap!' turning over his black AQ off - but I just knew I had the edge!

Flop: Ad xx [ooooooh!]

Turn: 5d [yesssss! One more Diamonds!]

River: ?d [yaaaaaaaay!]

My sincere apologies to Mr Muscle for my mad whoop of delight! I know you think I'm a 'decent player' at the best of times but I went totally loose and it paid off... sorry! Mr M is off to Vegas this week for 8 days with €8k (niiiiiicccceeeee!) I'm sure he'll run good and bring home loads of interesting stories plus a double up or better!

Phil lost his chips in equally glamorous fashion getting knocked out very quickly. Paul S, Tweety and Drunk Eamon followed suit. Til there was just a Newbie sitting on a big stack playing very few hands so I had no real read on him as a player. And SHG of course.

SHG played the tightest game ever - folding his cards OOP without bothering to look at them(!) Only pushing three times, and getting called, with AAs twice and AK, working his way up from 5.5k stack to healthy 26k.

I was on 75k and raised to 20k (blinds 4k/8k) with A6 off; Newbie woke up and raised to 45k... leaving 10 or so behind. A well jarred SHG shoved all-in. I thought for a min... SHG had shown nothing but AA, AKs, AQ, QQ all night, being drunk made him tighter not looser. Damn - I had to fold. Newbie showed KQ suited, SHG had AK, Flop: Ax6xx

Meh! I had folded the best hand!!! FFS!

Now I was down to 55k and SHG was the chipleader on a massive 70k+ hand... Newbie pushed all in with his remaining 20k and got called by SHG won with high card A. And I was into HU with SHG!

Susie Woosie who was railing me (for a change!) indicated that I should ask to split. But before I could offer, the dealer had dealt out the hand pushing out the blinds from our stacks. I just thought 'ah I'll wait til after this hand...'

I was in BB (now 8k/16k) and well covered by SHG. I looked down on K3 suited; SHG (SB) called for 16k and I checked... flop came out KQJ rainbow... SHG checked, I checked... turn 6. SHG checked again. I thought 'right - top pair... shoving time...' and in I went. SHG insta-called me turning over the nuts: KQ(!) I hate slowrollers... tut-tut!

And it was GG... NH... goodnight!

Awwww... I should have offered to split!