Sunday Circus Comp

I started a 12 day holiday from work on Saturday and had a cracking first two days. The sun was blazing and good quality time with tha missus and the bairns was just what I needed after work after work and more work. I had a really busy time after dealing the GUKPT and some lengthy shifts to boot.

I had already been to Newcastle once on Sunday after spending all day shopping with my little family whilst turning into a lobster at the same time. I got back home and was hungry for a game of poker. After finding out their would be definate appearances from Ridla and my old friend Mounty this was enough of and excuse to play, not that i needed one.

Meet, Greet and Register - I arrived at Circus about half an hour before the game was due to start and wasn't at all shocked to find just 8 people had registered. Not because this was an unpopular or shite game but this is the norm for Circus. Players either pour in with 2mins before start time or register late, mainly cos they've bust outta the 4.30pm Aspers game. The game was £20 + £20 giving an optional 1 rebuy or 1 top-up. 6k starting stack + another 6k if required. Upon arrival I was greeted by Mounty who was the eager beaver playing for his first time in Circus. I got myself registered and players began to turn up as well as some familiar faces - Ridla, Jimmy Chipmunk, Apokolypse, Paul Hart, Crazy Chef, Johnny the Greek, Rob Taylor, Riaz and a few more (sorry if ya wern't mentioned cant have a post of just a list of names. lol. ok i forgot ya). Names were drawn and the tournament started with 58 rising to 69 after late registrations.

Sitting Arrangements - I was sat on table 1 seat 6 with a couple of recognisable faces. Ridla was at my table as well as another Circus Regular Chris (Packard)Both of which are good players. I know Chris likes to mix it up alot so some obvious tussles between us was inevitable. Also at my table were a few unrecognisables but soon realised the bloke (youngish indian fella, we'll call him Doug for comedy value) to my left was anexperienced if not decent player due to pre game and realtime table talk. There was one more person whom I had the pleasure (others not so) of sharing a table with was the unformidable Jean Barr. I could spend all day talking about Jean. Her background, style of play, history and so on but guessed it would just be easier to show this video. This is Jean...

Early Stages - The first few levels of this tourney really set the standard for this table, with check/call been the popular move of the game for alot of the players. lol. I understood the blinds were tiny but it was still impossible for a raise to get through without several callers (always including Jean). I kept out of the may for most of the first few levels playing very few hands, allowing alot of the others to gamble with their rags trying to catch a massive hand then trying to get paid. I picked up 8-8 in UTG of course got like 4-5 callers including Chris in the BB. Flop come 4Q2 and Chris leads out for 250, I know Chris is more tha capable of making this play with a 4 or a 2 so i call and to my amazement everyone passes. We both check turn and river and my 8's r good against his 4. Standard. I took down a few other standard pots and finished the break with 8k just above my starting stack. I used the option top-up method giving me 14k to come back to.

After the break...We get back to buisness after the break with a few players down and some new arrivals. We had Joe Peel make an early exit through Jean when she limp/calls Joes 2.5k push with QJs and strikes again. I thought the play after the break would improve due to the fact no more rebuys were possible. This was not to be as time and time again players were limp/calling with 7-3, 10-2 and other garbage from all positions. This was not a problem I just needed to get a hand to get paid.

The next big hand for me saw me in the cutoff and Jean's BB. She was rushing to get back after just nipping out for a cigarette so we slowed the dealer down to allow her in. We all wanted her in. lol. UTG player makes it 2k to play with only 1.8k behind. The action is passed to me. I squeeze my hand to reveal A-A! I think for a few seconds decided wether I want to isolate or invite Jean into this pot. On normal circumstances i'm isolating 95% of the time but this time was different. I smooth call the 2k and hope Jean comes along for the ride. She looks at me and says "I would like to see a flop but i'll pass". So its me and the UTG player heads up. Before the flop is even dealt he ships his remaining 1.8k into the middle and announces he's all-in regardless. I insta call and flip over my aces. His pocket 10's are not looking good and an ace on the flop sees him drawing dead to running 10's. I scoop that pot and another player exits.

The Ridla was involved in a pot with Jean that made him cringe. I dont agree with the way it was played and he would agree but the boi done good and got away pretty cheaply as there is no way Jean can pass. The hand played like this (Quoted from "The Riddlers Tales" his own blog

"I'm in the small blind with K4 off and see a flop 5 ways.. Now, having been killed on the FT against Loosey with J4, i decide not to go too mental with a flopped set (KKJ). I bet out about 2 thirds of the pot, Chris (Packard) calls, and Jean calls (as expected). Either that or i checked to Chris, who bet out.. i can't remember. The turn brings a queen and knowing i have 2 others behind, i check.. as does everyone else. The river brings a 10, putting KKQJ10 on the table.
It turns out Jean has called the flop bet (on a KKJ board) with 9 2 off and hit a straight on the river, we're both left shaking our heads, and im just pleased i didn't go to town with my trip kings, because Jean simply does not pass.. ever! She of course once again had an excuse to back it up though: "Well i just thought, well.. just because".. what a fcking chestnut that is. Oh right ai, just because eh? why the fck not.. what a psycho. At this point i was beginning to wish i had actually been knocked over by that dosey woman on friday. The odd time she did manage to pass preflop i nearly fell off the chair..."

Read More from Ridla @ http://dollars-nonsense.blogspot.com/

Action, Prezzies and Hero's... - I was sitting quite healthy with 40+ players remaining and increased my stack further from some action a few prezzies and hero calls. The first one was against against Chris. After two limpers Chris raises to a stard 3 and a half times the blind. Im next to act and look down at A-Ko. I dont want to give away the strength of my hand by re-popping him and on a dangerous board can let this go without too much hassle. I flat. Everyone elses passes and we are heads up. We see a flop of 4-Q-J. Chris open-checks and I fire a 3/4 pot size bet. Chris thinks for a while and raises. I feel hes just trying to push me off the hand and can float him unless a dangerous card hits the turn. I flat and the turn changes nothing with the 2d. He leads out for 5k with only 4k behind. Now I start tanking. Could my read on the flop be so wrong? I wondered if he could pass for his extra 4k if i shove. After an age of thinking I come my decision based on a few factors.

1. Chris knows that I know he purposely displayed he was pot commited and a shove would be suicide unless I had the goods (of course my A-high wasn't the goods). Thus a shove would show real strength.

2. I sensed weakness on the flop and only called so i could continue if the turn bricked, which it did.

3. If my shove is called i'm obviously behind but could still have 10 outs for the best hand with an A,K or Q (more likely the A was no good) but still leaves between 7-10 outs.

4. The size of the pot was just making this move a profitable one against a player like chris imo.

5. I had enough left behind if i was to lose that would keep me very much still in this game.

So, I shoved my stack over the line and waited for Chris' decision. He hummed and harred and said that I must be ahead and eventually mucked his hand. I later found out that I actually WAS ahead and he had A-10 and was making a move. It was potentially a good move by him but on this occasion was found out. I trusted my instincts on the flop and it paid off. This was a nice pot and put me on about double the chip average.

The gift and hero call came against a player that was moved to our table and had only been there for about 20mins. He was Glen (not the geek) a circus regular. Glen leads out and gets two callers. I look down at K-K. I make a decent raise and Glen calls everyone else passes. The flop comes Q-5-9. Glen leads out for half his stack and I admittedly hollywood a little then re-pop enough to put him all-in. Glen calls and to my horror table 8-6 for a GutShot straight draw. I avoid the 7 and pick up another decent pot that can only be described as a GIFT.

A little help from your friends... After 5 limpers including Jean and Ridla I found QQ on the button. If raised to a decent amount to hopefuly get heads-up or take it down there and then. I was shocked to see call, call, call. I reckon people were getting restless and wanted some action. The action got to Ridla and prayed for him to give me some protection by re-raising and getting rid ov tha fish. He thought for a while and announced he was all-in. I got what I wanted and re-shipped to make sure we were heads-up. He tabled AJ and no help for him say my Queens hold up and take out a good lad. Shame it had to be him but dont think he minded too much.

I went into the second break as chip leader shortly after that hand with 26 people left.

Road to the FT... The next few levels were pretty boring for me. Became card-dead and everytime in position there were previous raises so there was little opportunity for steals. I didnt need to get involved too much anyway. I was sitting on my stack a little too much tho and soon went down to two tables after my table was broke up.

A few hands in at my new table I lead out in early position with A9c. Action is passed around to Ali who is a circus regular who calls. We see a flop of 10-7-4. I continuation bet and ali calls. before the turn was dealt i decided i was gonna fire one more bullet then give up if called. The turn came an 8 giving me a very well disguised up and down straight draw. I fire again as planned and yet again Ali flats. I now pray to make it otherwise i gotta give up on this decent size pot. River is dealt - 6! weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. I make my straight and there is no way Ali can put me on it either. I obviously fire again but nicely in relation to my previous bet sizes. Ali says "U've got AK or AQ so i call" I table my straight and Ali whinges that this was a disasterous suckout. He showed J10 for top pair mediocre kicker. Does he not understand that all i done was c-bet, improve to a up n down then make it on the river. I had 11 outs on the turn so y shouldn't i shouldn't i bet. Maybe hes upset because i didnt check so he could bet, so i would have to fold. lol. He could of raised at any point and i'm done. He let me get there IMO if anyone played bad it was him. That was the last real hand i got involved with until the Final Table. We agreed a bubble prize of £40 then once the last person was knocked out we went for a quick break.

Final Table Time............ I started the final table with a few people i recognised. Paul Hart, Ellie, Riaz, Mr. Chaudry and the lad I named Doug whom had sat directly next to me all of the way through the tournament even after moving tables 3 times. Now he was sitted to my left.

First Hand of the final table and I picked up A-K UTG and open-bet. I got one caller, C-bet the A-high flop and took it down. Very next hand in the BB action passes to Riaz in the SB who puts in the extra to see a flop. I look down at J-J and fire a tidy bet. Riaz passes and accuses me of stealing. lol. Certainly the rep i needed.

I was second in chips and wasn't long before the first two dropped in pretty standard races. Down to 8 and sat out for most of the time. I stole a few times but no real action involving me. We went to 5 handed after an hour or so and remained that way till 4.30am. The short-stack was always doubled up and chips were just been passed around. I managed to maintain second in chips after a couple of uncontested pots.

I was involved in a hand with mr. chaudry where i could of lost alot more than i did. I raised on the button with AK for mr. chaudry to limp-call from UTG. Flop comes down Q-Q-A and mr. chaudry leads out. I flat wondering if he would lead out in this spot. I know hes an inexperienced player but cant decide. The turn is a K which is irrelavant if he does in fact have a Q. He checks to me and I check behind hoping for a massive payday if he does have a Q. The rivers a blank and he checks to me for the second time and i immediately check behind and think my A-K is good. He shows Q-10 and scoops the pot. Was pretty pleased with the minimal damage tho.

After some interesting play and no-one budging Doug eventually exited to when someone pushed on him on a A-high board. He held A-Q and made the call. The other bloke tabled A-10 only for the turn and river to bring running 10s and give Doug his exit. He played well throughout and seemed a decent player.

We were four handed and just about level on chips as the blinds were sooo big that any lead was irrelevant. Paul hart suggested a chop and it would pay £350 each. Everyone agreed as it was really late and probably of went to a chip count anyway.

I was happy with the cash and another decent result in Circus. Overall it was a good nite.