First Live Game Since Starting Blog....

Tuesday 31st March - My first live game since I started this blog was played in Circus Casino, Newcastle. This game was a £30 double chance freezout (3500-3500 chips). I fancied my chances in this game as my at my last appearance at Circus before this game I took it down. finishing 1st from 35.

When I arrived at Circus I wasn't too chuffed at the turn out as there were only 15 people registed for this game with only 5 mins until the start time. Of course players have the option to buy-in up to 1 hour after play has started.

The tourney ended up fielding 56 after a mad rush of bodies through the door (plus the guarantee) which gave a healthy pot and something to play for.

Early Stages - I was sat at my first table with 3 people whom I knew from previous games. 2 of which I knew were strong solid players that I didnt really need to get involved with too much early on as there were far more profitable spots elsewhere. The other lad I knew was one of those who think they are Gus Hansen. He will play "any two" and play them really agressively often without taking position, player image and betting patterns into account. Obviously Gus Hansen is known for his "any two" style but he has such a good understanding of the game this makes his style profitable. Not this lad. So I knew I could easily trap this lad with a strong holding and felt it was just a matter of time. The rest of the people at the table were unknowns and would stay reserved on opinion until I saw how they played.

It turned out this was one of the craziest tables i've ever seen! Circus certainly lived up to its reputation for lets say unconventional players. The standard opening bet for 50-100 blinds was like 1200 and always got 3-4 callers everytime at least. Trouble was I couldn't pick up a thing. It wasnt going great and hadn't played a hand when i picked up -

On the button. This seemed like a nice spot although player x UTG had limped, but this wasn't unusual as he seemed to limp fold so so often. So, with the blinds at 50-100 i made it 450 to go. SB and BB both pass and the UTG limper (fish) flat calls to see a flop. Flop -

Now this is not the best but not a bad flop for me, giving me the up and down straight draw from a well disguised preflop bet. Player x checks and I continuation bet for 725. Once again he flat calls. At this point I know I have to hit my draw to win the hand and the likleyhood is the calling station ain't gonna lay down his pair to any bet at any stage. Turn brings -

No help to me. And once again player x checks. In different circumstances I consider firing another bullet here and hope to shake him off his hand with a potential overcard to his pair. I decide to check behind with my draw knowing if I hit i'll most definately get paid off. River -

Total brick. leaving me with 10 high and no chance to win the pot unless I can shake him off it. To my suprise player x leads out with a bet! A measley bet of 100. The pot size is well over 2000 and huge compared to his 100 bet. lol. I consider coming over the top to try and make him fold but I dont believe he's putting whatever he's got down. I guess I gave up my right to steal by checking the turn. So with an enormous sigh and twist i announce pass and turn my hand over. He announces "no matter what you bet i'm not gonna pass!" He shows -

For a pair of eights shtie kicker. The fact this fella limps UTG with garbage then announces that he's not passing on any street regardless of the bet tells me a million and one things about his game and how looking forward I am to taking chips off him later on. joke.

Not much improved up to the break picking up no cards and had to settle with picking up small pots in decent spots to keep me above water. The break came and ended with me just over my starting stack holding 8,100

Middle Stages - Things improved after the break when the table was quickly broken up after a couple of early exits. Although I was sad to leave the fish at the table, I was welcoming a fresh start on a new table hoping for a few playable hands to get involved especially now the blinds would be increasing at a faster rate than previous levels.

I picked up a few spots and managed to build my stack to around 14,000 when I was moved again with 30 players remaining. Once I was moved I decided to try and get myself a crazy image as there was only 1 player here that knew me and knew that I knew he could play. So I raise my first hand with marginal holdings to start and put this table to the test. Everyone folded, which was a major contrast to the crazy table I was sat at from the start. Next hand and I pick up pocket 7's I raise again and once again everyone begrudgenly folds. You could see that most people thinking I'm at it which is exactly what I wanted. Now all I needed was a strong hand and play to my image. A couple of hands went by and bang -

I bet the same amount as previous and hope that someone takes the bait. The action passes to the button that looks me straight in the eye and announces "Im all-in" I snap call and immediately table my aces. He reluctently turns

I win a nice pot and eliminate another player at the same time as I had him covered.

I ran pretty well after that as I was moved again and played on the fact that my table image follwed me and had a good run of starting hands. I got paid with AA v K8 on a K high board, 10-10 v 6-6 and AQ v KQ. Building my stack to a pretty 49k with about 23 players remaining.

I lost some of my stack after raising and having to pass to a counter-push on two seperate occasions. Both times I was shown and wouldve been crushed should I have called. We wittled down to the bubble and became an all-in fest with the majority of the table with some trying to double up and others clinging on to cash. At this point is where i got lucky. I rarely get lucky and always try to get my money in ahead and is normally where i find myself. With the blinds at 1,000-2,000 I raise on the button with AsJs small blind passes and BB pushes for 8k more. My intial bet was 7.5k making it 15.5k to go. I cant pass in this spot but fear the worse. Player x tables Aces and I feel crushed with my AJ. As it happens the flop brings a flush draw for me and the river completes for a sick suckout and my AJ cracks Aces. wow.

Final Table - I make the final table and I found myself just shy of average chip stack. There were some decent players at the final including two that I rate and lads I play regularly with. After some standard bet, fold, fold fold FT hands. Its only a matter of time for the first clashes. Two players go head to head with one eliminated and out in 10th. 9th and 8th followed pretty quickly as i saw my decent stack diminished to one of the short-stacks just by high blinds. There is no way I wanted to get blinded out anymore as I needed to get involved while I still had decent fold equity. I raise with suited connectors in position and get two callers. I flop a flushdraw and an inside straight draw in which i dont connect and have to pass to a river bet(other player had two pair) with 9high leaving me a shitty 18k with the blinds at 3,000-6,000. Now with 3BB in needed severe help to repeat my last performance and win it. I waited a few hands but not even half a hand to push. I know that i cant wait any longer and if im gonna push i need at least live cards to give me a chance against two overs. So hands like k2 or q5 were outta the question. I eventually pushed with 84d and oh what timing, I ran into aces! with a KK2 flop im crushed and begin to stand up. Nothing changes turn and river and i'm eliminated in 7th place.

Overall I had a good night and some funny banter. Another cash also goes down well, not huge but a cash nevertheless.

Keep on rolling....