Back from Brighton [ ] I will update my blog more often....

Just got back from Brighton where I played my first two events on the grosvenor poker tour. For anyone who doesn't know I put up a staking thread on blonde and managed to get backing for the main event and Flushy put me into the £300. I was feeling very confident having just finished 4th in the daily 80k on stars for $6000- my biggest score for a while. Travelled down with the family and it was nice having them around while I travelled for a change. It's not always easy playing these events with a wife and 4 (yes FOUR) kids but my wife is thankfully very supportive of my chosen path (and the money it can sometimes bring!) We check into 8 Bright Apartments- 2 bed for £75 a night- can't be bad! Very enjoyable stay and had fun on the beach and looking at the many sights Brighton has to offer with wife and kids in tow (nice to spend some of the trip outside a casino for a change)

As mentioned previously this was my first experience of the Grosvenor poker tour. I've played 5 gala events so will try and make some comparisons:

Staff: The grosvenor dealers are very competent on the whole and jovial enough but I find the ones on the gala to be better. This is probably due to the fact that I've won an event and obviously know Mark, Robin and his team very well.

Atmosphere: I don't whether it's the venue or because there's more UK pro's playing the GUKPT but the armos was very stilted and much more business like. They call gala the people's poker tour and there are a lot more amateurs playing the GCBPT which always creates a good atmosphere.

Standard: tbh the standard of both tours is pretty poor imo. My table (yes I only got to play one in the main event!) was very soft with only Tony Phillips and Micky Wernick providing any meaningful opposition.

Stucture: This is where grosvenor is streets ahead of gala. Their side event and main event structures are a million miles ahead of gala, also with lower antes. However you are paying DOUBLE the price. I think people forget this when looking at the gala tour- you're paying £500 quid for a pretty good structure!

Now onto the tourney's themselves. First the £300- not to put too fine a detail on it but I should have cruised to day 2 but a mixture of luck and spewage saw me bust out 6 mins before the end shoving my short stack straight into's Dominic Kay's AK. I had 40k before the final 3 levels of the day (300/600, 400/800, 600/1200) with average being around 18k. I had to laydown QQ twice post flop. The first laydown to James Sudworth on a J323J board. I think I made the right laydown but played the hand pretty badly- not c-betting and getting too trappy.

Anyway onto the main event- my tournament report is as follows- please comment on my play- I'll always take constructive criticism!

Sat down at table 5 seat 5- very cold but overall please with my table. Micky Wernick sat to my right but apart from that no names at my table. Im going to try and post as much detail I can up to my bust out.Don't play a hand for a round or two. Very standard table. Not too aggressive but was a fair amount of action mainly due to people hitting the flop hard (saw at least 4 flopped sets in first half hour)I limp utg for 50 with 87ss (sorry for not raising flushy!). 5 to the flop which comes down 853 one spade. I lead for 150, big fish at the table repops to 450 so I decide to peel 7 clubs hits the turn putting two clubs on board and I check call a 1200 bet. 6 clubs on river so the board is 85376 with 3 clubs. check check on river so I think my hand is good but no, my opponenet has checked the 53 clubs behind for the flush. Down to 8k- great first hand!

I pick up a couple of pots and get back up to around 9k and open utg with tens to 175. SB re pops to 600 and I peel off a flop which comes down J92 rainbow. He continue bets for just 650 so I flat. The turn comes Kc - and now he pots it. 2200. I fold.Next significant hand I play, 2 people limp and I look down at AQcc on button so raise to 500. I get the sb plus the two limpers call. Flop comes 766, two spades. checked to cut off who bets 300- obv very weak bet so I make it 1200- perhaps should have folded on a wet board with two opponents behind me but felt like a good spot to put the pressure on. SB cold calls behind. check check 10d turn and check check on Js river. He turns over the 98ss for the turned straight and rivered flush!So down to 6k I'm feeling a little aggreived!

I open in the hijack at 50/100 with A3dd for 300. Fishy button flats.Flop comes A35 two spades. Lovely! I c-bet for 400 and he insta calls. J on turn. I bet 1500 this time and he calls quite quickly again. 2 spades on river so we check check and he shows AQ. I scoop but am annoyed at not being able to value bet river.Reach first break with 9300 which Im very pleased with considering. I'm still happy with my table but a little annoyed that the cards aren't being kinder- I seem to be playing multi way pots even when I'm the aggressor and my c bet success frequency is very low.

Back after the break player to my right makes it 450 at 75/150 and I peel with KQhh. Flop comes 10, 7, 3 diamonds. check check. He then lead for 600 on turn when 9 hits. I don't put him on much but decide to peel off a card instead of raising. If a blank hits the river I plan on betting. An offsuit jack hits giving me the nuts! He then leads into me for 1800. I make it 4600. He flats so obv ship! NO- he has flatted me with KQ. WTF??? Chop it up anyway.Tony Phillips moves to my table. Never played him before but he immed starts to run the table. 3 limpers to my button for 150 and I make it 700 with JJ. Everyone calls me! Am I getting my bet sizing wrong??? Flop comes AQ2 checked to me and I bet 1600. Thankfully everyone folds and I'm at my peak chip count of 11k.

Next significant pot I play I get two limpers from seat 1 (nothing to worry about limping a lot ep) and seat to my right. I make it 800 with AJ. Colder caller from button (fishy fisherson). UTG and limper fold. Heads up and the flop comes 866 two spades. I lead for 1300 into 2k. He flats. 4 hearts on the turn. I decide not to double barrel as I'm unsure whether he has a draw or a pair ( and I know he isn't folding a pair) so check it to him. He bets 1500 which immed tells me he has it. I fold AGAIN and he shows me 88. MBN

Down to around 8k and again two limpers in pot. Notice the theme??? I don't know whether I should be limping along here or what cos my raising pre and c betting post flop didnt seem to be having much success but I make it 1k with KQdd from the cut off. SB (fishy fisherson believe it or not) calls and one limper calls. Flop comes a very helpful 854 all clubs. check check check. even more helpful on turn. check check check and finally a jack on the river. fishy bets 1k which limper calls. Fishy shows 10 9cc. MBSFN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Down to about 6.5k now and I open to 600 with AKcc. Tony Phillips asks me for a count before repopping to 2k from sb. I shove he calls with JJFlop comes BRICK BRICK BRICK.