Monday, November 26, 2007

THE WINNERS ENCLOSURE (Again, finally)

Ok, 41st in the IPO for €410. Got angle shot on my exit hand. That was annoying.

Out after three hours or so in the ME in Waterford after I get it in with Ac9c on a QcAh2c flop in a 18k pot at the start of the 100 / 200 level against Connor Doyle. He calls with 2s3s for my shove of 7.4k after some of the most unusual speech play ever. 2d on the river. lol. Such a sick, sick man.

Then finish 12 of 118 in the €250 side event for a paltry €400 after a grueling 14 hrs of play. But that was ALL my fault after I misplayed three hands in a row to go from comfortable stack to out.


After all of that I was undecided on whether to bother with the €1k in the SE. Made the decision on the Thursday and headed in to pay though - cause I have teh sickness.

Didn't seem like such a good decision after play finished on Friday mind. I ended day one with 14.5k after one of the most horrible days of tournament poker ever. Basically, David Callaghen is better at poker than me. It was a frightening experience to be on a table with a truly world class player who was going after me and kicking the balls off me. But tournaments are a skill game obv; and my squeeze shove with 6d9d beating his AdQd AIPF in a 40BB pot was just one of the numerous beats he took on his way out of the tournament. Being the best player don't mean a whole lot sometimes in donkaments - despite the fantastic structure in the SE.


Anywho, I turn up on day two with a positive attitude and double up on the third hand. Declan open limps in mp. I limp KsJs in the CO. Button and both blinds come along. Flop has 3.4k in it already and comes down Qs9s3x. DING DING DING. Time to gambol. Declan leads for 2k and I make it 6k with 7.4k. He calls after a little thought. With Declan this is top pair a lot, so I figure myself for 15 clean outs and that he would most likely fold if the turn is an Ace. So, without looking at the turn I shove when he checks. He dwells for about 3 mins; gives me the immortal line that is "I think I'm behind..." before calling with Qd10d. However, I run good and river the 10s for a straight flush. Sweet. 30k.

A few hours later I'm on 80k, helped in part by some missed draw chasing to meaty flop and turn bets by the Canadian Danielle. Her whirlwind descent from 81k to busto in less than an hour of 300 / 600 / 50 was quite a spectacle it must be said. Later Frank Callaghan makes it 3700 or something (basically a bigger raise than it should be) when folded to him on the button at 400 / 800. I make it 13k with KK in the bb and hold versus his AQ to move to 100k. I take out Reggie Corrigan in a 15BB pot when he shoves over my open with AdQh. Obv, his AA never beats my Q on the flop; trips on the turn; one card nut flush on the river. Seemed like a nice fella.

Take my only step backwards on the day after a short stacked Cormac shoves his small blind when folded to him. As the hand is being dealt I ask him if he is open pushing the top 70% into me. He chuckles and agrees. Sooo, when he shoves I make the insta call with A2o and lose to his Q3o. lolz.

But that setback is righted when I make it 3500 with 89o second to act and a guy playing 45 - 50k calls next to act. Heads up to the 885 with two hearts flop. DING DING DING. I lead for 5k. He thinks and calls. Turn 6. I make it 13.5k and he ships it after a little count. I call quick and beat his A5.

So we have like 140k and Michael Trimby is just settling into the seat on my right with 80k when he raises his button to 3900 at 600 / 1200 / 100. I call with 77 in the sb because we are deep and I have no idea what his range is; plus he is apparently a very tough player and playing a re raised pot OOP against him with no reads or gauge of his range is probably not ideal. Anyway, flop is 662 rainbow. I check. And he gives away his hand by saying "better check for that 6"; rechecking his cards and checking behind. Images of 56; 67; A6 flash through my head when Ursula turns a 7. DING DING DING. I lead for 8.5k. He thinks and makes it 21k. No need to slowplay here so I just wave the hand and go all - in. He snaps with 63. A 3 on the river comes just in case we don't like betting and raising monsters on the turn.

I take out the bubble boy (a decent PPP qualifier) when I win a race with AK > 1010 and end the day with a quarter of the chips in play at 265k.

Yesterday I just played patient and ground out chips. Didn't play particularly well and made a few mistakes. Missing value bets; calling a little too light sometimes; and making the most retarded preflop fold of KK ever. But I had the bigstack; the structure was great (90 min clock ftw); and unless I got horribly coolered or outdrawn my style of play and huge lead was always going to see me through to the business end.

And, as it was, Rob with 295k; Declan with 400k; and myself with 395k decided to chop it €16k each after Roy made an unfortunate error in a raise size preflop which committed him to doubling Rob up and crippling himself ( he lost A9<22 next hand). We left the remaining €1.7k for the dealers and that was that.

It feels good to be out of it for the year and seeing some profit (including online) on 2008. It is a relief to get big win number two out of the way exactly one year after GJP one. The reality is that I have played much better poker in other games this year - particularly last May during two days of ducking and diving in defense of my title which was to fall short on the bubble. But I ran well this weekend and got lucky never to get unlucky. That's tournament poker - an individual win will never be flawless or particularly significant in of itself. But do the right things often enough and you'll get there in the end. Hopefully people will shut up now and leave me to it. We'll see. Meanwhile, I'll chug along and aim to improve. I HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO AND LOADS OF LEAKS TO FIX.


GRIPES

For all the positive things about the poker room in the SE and all the great work John and Alex do - it must be noted that some things are simply not up to scratch. The 6pm - 6am opening hours are not sufficient. The lack of a regular kitchen sticks out like a sore thumb. And the catered food thrown up to us over the three days was abysmal at best. Roy and Peter Heslin having to duck out to Eddie Rockets for dinner is simply unacceptable. Compare that to the steak dinner we were treated to by Mike Lacey last year - and he was only charging a €70 reg.

John and Alex have their hands tied and would surely murder the competition if they were let bring their ideas to fruition by upper management.

6 comments:

smurph said...

Nice Report lloyd and well done, I was very impressed with your play and discipline....

I think that your biggest critic is yourself, and I know you are a competitive person, but I do feel that a more relaxed approach to the game by yourself will in itself reap rewards....

Well done, you obviously like November....

El_Stuntman said...

well played sah!

I told you at the IPO you'd turn it around - you're too a good player not to.

lol at the food critique, I never ever eat in there for health and safety reasons...

Mellor said...

Nice result and nice report lloyd,
if your gonna run good at least you make sure i counts

Rory Cartwright said...

nice win lloyd

Shane said...

tr plz!

snoopy1239 said...

Hey, didn't realise you had a blog. You gonna keep it updated? Would enjoy reading it.

Also noticed I got a shout a few posts back, but what the eck does pillow talk mean?