This is the sixth calendar year I've been producing a blog and I
know I've produced the odd decent one and many mundane ones. You win a bit,
lose a bit, win a few 50/50s 70/30s; lose a few. Only so many ways you
can describe it.
These days I produce most of my blogs for Boylepoker and tbh, I try to
describe as few poker hands in them as possible. They've become boring to me
to write so I assume the reader must feel similar. Unfortunately this blog is going to contain many poker hands as I have nothing else to give.
I only lasted into level six on day 1A of UKIPT Dublin but got to play a heap of big pots for the short time I was in. The first of these was level two, blinds 50-100. I flopped a set of two's on a K 10 2 rainbow flop from the small blind in a four-way pot.. I lead the flop and the button was the only caller. Turn was a 9 and I bet again, the button raised and I called. River was a Jack and I blocker/value bet 20 BBs into the 50 BB pot, button calls and holds KK for flopped top set. It's not often your happy after losing a relatively big pot but this was such an occasion.
The next orbit I pick up the boots, I'm in SB again and playing 12k. There's a raise early and button flats, I raise chunky and both call. Flop K 10 8 with two clubs, I lead for 1,150 and get raised by the button to 2,850. With the board texture and the fact that the same opponent had flat the set of Kings the previous hand, I decided to 'get' m in'. He held 10 8 for bottom two and a King fell on the turn to counterfeit.
This got me to 25k and I had worked this to around 38k over the next two levels until I run Kings into Aces preflop for around Twenty of them. The owner of the Aces dwelt and announced "I think I have to call" when facing the final pre-flop raise, which lead me to believe he didn't hold Aces, however I think it was more the ultimate nit-roll rather then slowroll.
I get the chip back shortly after in a dream spot. I raise 33 in early position, the button min raises, the guy who had the aces in previous hand calls from the small blind and I call to hit a set. Flop A J 9 and I'm suprised to see it checked through. My head is thinking 3 3 3 PLS - bink - a beautiful 3 amazingly appears. SB leads for 1,500, I make it 3,500 and the button now flats, SB folds. I jam 13k on the blank river and the button tank calls. I asked him what he held and he said A J which would kinda make sense except I saw a queen in his cards as he folded. The SB told me later he held Kings in the hand. I'm Lucky in so many ways in that hand.
The table broke immediately and my new table was well stacked and filled with "playa's". Think mirror shades, beat headphones and European accents. I lost 15k of my 40k in a blind on blind debacle. I call the SB raise in position with A6, flop is 10 7 4, I float. The 8 on the turn gave me double gutter outs and with the ace, I decided to put my opponent to the sword, unfortunately he held kings which held.
My exit hand was to the same opponent a few hands later. I had 80 Blinds at the start of the hand, blinds 150-300-25. He raises cut-off and I 3-bet AK from the button. he four bet to 14 BBs and knowing my image isn't great, i elect to shove feeling I can get looked of light enough. Sure enough he calls it off with AQ and gets there.
Usually getting knocked out this early doesn't bother me. Your simply not in the tournament long enough to be emotionally attached. However I was a bit gutted this time around. I consider this a good thing as it should matter and hurt.
