Not quite as I predicted but here I am. Back almost 2 months later with my second entry. I am going to try and make a mental note to update this at LEAST once a week.
I'm not going to go too much into my biggest live win- the details are outlined in a tournament report I did for blonde:
Ever heard of a superstitious poker player? Or someone who thought they were "destined" for the win? That was me a week before I sat down to play the GCBPT in Notts. Even after I'd managed to bubble a freeroll live satellite holding the chip lead at the final. Maybe that's the sort of belief you need to win a big tournament. I had no doubt from the moment I sat down on at my first table on Saturday that I was gonna win. I still remember the words of my mate - the 'real' Kev Smith who'd made Day 2: "Be patient, despite the buy-in, there's plenty of easy chips out there." Easy chips? I had Ash Hussain sat to my left, local tough players Nick Hicks and Sam Trickett as well as the now infamous Spencer Lawrence - a man so aggressive he makes Ivey look like Hellmuth. After losing an early pot to Ash and not hitting one set with a gazillion medium pairs, I found myself down to 4,200 chips with blinds at 200/400/25. I pushed all-in under the gun with 8-7 of spades. Nick Hicks made the call from the button - please have Ace King! He flipped Tens. I stood up still believing and out came the Flop, 2s-6s-Qs. I sat back down with that guilty pleasure you feel after sucking out.
A couple of hours later the table breaks and I take my 8kish stack to another table. I double through with 8-8 vs 5-5 and am up to a peak chip count of 18k. I actually start raising a few pots, for the first time able to play some poker rather than shove/folding.
The key pot of the night occurred when I re-raised an early position raise of 3k to 12k at blinds 400/800/25 with Ace King. He pushed and I called. He flipped QQ - a loss at this point would have left me crippled. Never has a River been so sweet as the Ace of spades, what a beautiful card. I win another A-K vs. Q-Q confrontation (this time most of the money going in on a King high Flop) and after a quiet last hour end the day on 55k, which was just above average. I'm delighted having played most of the day with a short stack.
I return on Day 2 sitting down on what I believe to be a very tough table. I have James Keys to my right and Dave Colclough sat opposite. I'm praying for some real garbage early just so I can settle in and get a feel for the table. No such luck, third to act I look down at A-K. I make it 5,000 to go with blinds of 1000/2000/200. Obviously the one caller I don't want calls and I'm heads up with Mr Colclough. Great. At least I have positon. Flop K-J-6 with two diamonds. I continue for 7,500 and Dave flat calls. The Turn comes a Three and Dave checks - now I'm pretty sure I have the best hand. I thought Dave might be drawing or he may have flat called me with a set but on that board I think he would re-raise the Flop. One because it's draw heavy and two because it's a Flop I've most likely hit, so I bet a pot-tastic 22k. David counts out a call and sticks it in. Wow. River Six, no diamond. If Dave had now shoved I honestly do not know what I would have done for my last 20k, he could have filled up so I may have passed. He checked to me so I value shoved all-in, I was certain I was in front. Dave reluctantly called. I flipped my hand and he showed a king and mucked. Double up in hand one, now I could play!
The table broke fairly quickly after that and the next couple of hours were quiet with my stack yo-yoing between 120 and 140k. I'm absolutely card dead at another table of death, Maria, Spencer Lawrence and Dominic Kay all in company. After another hour of folding, I look down at Bullets. I raise, Maria shoves and I insta call. Maria flips Kings and my Aces hold. Next significant pot involves me and Lawrence. He has been liberally raising my blind throughout Days 1 and 2 and I have been letting him take it, in Hellmuthesque fashion, waiting to trap him. For about the third time it folds round to the small blind and Spencer raises; I look down at Ad-Jd and re-raise thinking I've trapped him. He goes all in, I am priced in to call and see him flip Aces. Great. Down to just 20k at blinds 4000/8000, I'm shocked and now looking at a 17th place finish. However, I wasn't too despondent. I STILL believed I would win and There was not one negative thought in my body. I fold a couple of hands and end up shoving for 16k with A-3, the small blind isolates with K-4. Flop K-4... I still believed! This couldn't be over?! Third card is a Three followed by a Three on the River! Double up and after a blind stealing spree I shove with K-K for 75k (blinds 6k/12k), get a caller from A-Q and somehow am heading to the final with 270k!!!
I feel like I'm freerolling. I am fairly quiet early and win my first significant pot when a short GiMac [Gordon McArthur] is forced to commit his last chips with Q-8 on an A-Q-2 board. I hold A-Q. I must at this point mention my faithful following who had come down from the best homegame in Leicester: Paul, Yan, Kirk, Neil, Kev and Satman - thanks for coming down. Every time I won a pot there was plenty of cheering and the occasional weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! First hand after the break UTG makes it 83k (blinds 10/20/2000). I look down at Kings, Hollywood and then decide to just stick it in. He calls and shows J-J, but my Kings hold. I continue to use the re-steal and open pots infrequently, getting a high percentage of my pre-flop raises through. Three handed I make a shove with 9-5 when James Keys (left) raises from the small blind. He calls thinking he's behind but perhaps live with K-J. You’re very live mate, you have the best hand! Somehow K-J beats 9-5 and now I'm down to 300k with blinds of 15000/30000. Button raise from Keys, I shove A-K, he calls A-Q, what a cooler. Three handed and by far the most active player is an Asian player who has loosened up. He makes it 100k (blinds 20k/40k/4000), I think about shoving A-3 but decide to see a Flop. Flop 2-4-5! OMG, what a luckbox! I check-raise his 100k continuation to 200k and he shoves! I double check with the chipleader that he has in fact gone all in and call. I have to sweat a split when he flips A-K, but my straight ultimately holds up to give me the pot.
A few hands later and I'm heads up with almost a 2/1 chip lead. My recent heads up record was played four lost four. I decided I was going to be aggressive. Not many key hands heads up, I saw a few cards and mixed my play up well. Eventually I re-raise Keys' bet from the button all-in with A-9. He calls with A-7. Nine on the Flop but have to sweat a flush draw on the Turn. Board pairs and it's all over, I am the Notts champion! I honestly believe this was my time. I'd like to thank all the staff at the Gala, the fellow players and everyone involved. What a fantastic tournament. See you in Bristol at the end of the year... George2Loose
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