Flock in numbers.... As I have mentioned before in previous posts the first Tuesday of the month in Circus casino is the £50 freezeout competition that is one of the most popular games in Newcastle. I have played this game a few times before and always has an awesome attendance. This Tuesday was no different as I decided to head down and get a taste of the action. The game started with 100 runners which increased to 110 after late entries. The game was filled with familiar faces and plenty members of the NPF were there. Some the NPF players were - Team Dobbs, Koyte, Looseman, Mark Trett, FullTilit, Buzz, Kidha, Roscopiko, Mr. Entertainment, John Devlin, Ohmahha, Avkid, BossHog, Jimmy Chipmunk, Txtrevb, Apokerlypse, Stumpy, Madasawasp, NRH and Gimac. Some other noteable players were - Ray Chan, Steven Lui, Gary Collins, Dave Knight, Lk Johannson and the in-form Ali.
Off on the wrong foot.... Started the game with a decent table with some recognisable faces. On my table was Koyte, Cecil, Dave Knight and Mr. Entertainment. So with Koyte and Entertainment on ya table you can be assured some fireworks, friendly rub-downs and overall decent crack. This definately proved to be the case as Koyte came out with some cracking one-liners that nearlly reduced me to tears.
I started badly in this game and managed to lose 1.5k of my 9k starting stack in one hand in the first level. This is normally something that I detest. Players whom get too involved early on when the blinds are so low really narcs me. Nevertheless UTG player open bets for 300 and action is passed around to me in the cutoff. I check my holecards and reveal Q-Q. I feel the best move here is to re-pop but I decide to flat thinking if i see a scary board I can release quite easily. I flat and we both see a flop of 8-7-2 all hearts (Neither of my Q-Q are hearts). The UTG player C-bets 350 and I still think I am good on this board and should of raised to find out. Instead I flat and the turn is an A. Now I have to think im beat and convince myself im finished with the hand. Then the UTG player checks his option. I determine his range between A-J to A-A although I cant be sure for the length of time i've played with this lad. So i check behind thinking maybe hes done with the hand. The river is a brick and the UTG leads out for 600. I know the only hands im beating in his range are 10-10, J-J and a bluff is unlikley. Yet i convince myself to call and he tables A-J FTW.
Mr. Entertainment bust out early in this game to Koyte in a crazy but cold hand. Koyte limps UTG as does half the table into Mr. E's BB. Mr. E. looks down at his stack and announces raise. He makes it like x5 BB to go and Koyte is the only one who calls. They both see a J-high flop. After some thought Mr. E open shoves the flop only to be confidently called by the already generously stacked Koyte. Mr. E tables Q-Q and Koyte K-K, with no further help for craig, Mr. Entertainment busts out early and increases Koytes stack to 20k+.
I never played a hand for a while but lost another BIG hand in the 3rd level with KQ when I flop a Q and the other fella calls me down with A3c and hits runner-runner flush. nice. He said he was sorry and thought I was bluffing which made me feel REAL better. lol. So i was down to 3.5K from 9K starting and felt as tho this wasn't going to be my night. With the break quickly approaching and afterwards running antes been introduced I knew I had to make something happen pretty quick to stand a chance in this game.
I picked up a few small pots but not the double up I needed and waited patiently for any sort of playable hand. I managed to claw myself back to 8k to come back to after the break. Which i felt was just enough to work with and make something happen.
Droppin like flys..... After the break people seemed to be exiting the tourney every couple of minutes as the numbers continued to drop. Early on I won a few uncontested pots and was sitting on 10k. Second level in after the break I was involved in a tasty pot when my flopped two pair was couterfeited on the river and forced me to pass leaving me with only 6k! This left me chasing now with the blinds ever increasing and antes taking full effect it was a shove or pass game for me now, real make or break. Were down to 64 players and seemed to be dropping out like flys (including Koyte), I had to avoid been one of those flys.
Dave Knight whom I know is a good player and has been playing a sort of LAG approach open bets from early position. Action passes to me in the SB and I look down at 6-6 my thought process is that Daves well-stacked and his range here is pretty wide, although not an ideal situation i needed to make a move and this could be an opportunity i cant afford to miss. So i shove my 6k stack into the middle and after some humms and harrs Dave makes the call and tables 4-4. Great result for me as i couldnt of wished for a better chance. I won the hand and got the double up I needed. I was now sitting on 14k with the average about 16k.
Soon we were down to 40. I won a few more hands and with a stack of 21k my table was broken up. I was moved tables and found myself on a really tough table. On my table was S. Lui, Proff. aka Batman, Ali, NRG, S. Collins and Jimmy Chipmunk and few other solid players. My second hand at the table im UTG+1 and look down at K-K i lead out for 6k with the blinds 1-2k only to be raised by the button for 8k more. I hollywood a little and ship my stack in the middle. Only for the inital raiser to pass for 7k more. He said he had AQ but was getting like 4-1 and a questionable pass. Anyways ill take that and was now sitting on 35k.
that one race too far... Down to the last 30 and the blinds and antes were so big that this was no longer poker. This was a shove fest and a case of time to get lucky. After winning a few uncontested pots and a few blind+ante steals i managed to keep myself afloat with 35k. Then this one lad who had pushed his stack 3 out of the last 5 hands pushes again around to my BB. I look down at 9-9 and make the call for 14k. He tables KJo and first card out is the J. No help for me and a massive dent in my stack leaves me on the verge of an exit. With 24 players left action is passed to my button and I ship my 10k hoping for the blinds or a lucky double up. S. lui calls from the BB with 9-9 and houses up! Night Night Varzee but a decent game overall. 24/110 aint bad but not the cash i'd hoped for.
All-in-all really enjoyed the banter of this game with plenty from the likes of Koyte, DC, Mr. E and others at my table. Even tho this game always develops into a crapshoot feel like i will definately play this game again in the future.
Looking forward to Saturday for the Team game where we have entered a Staff Team "G-FORCE" watch this space for future post.
