APAT part 2....

Before I go on I would like to talk about another hand which I forgot about during the first level!Simon opened from second to act to 150, small blind called so I over peel with 95cc The flop comes 8h7c6h So I've flopped the second nuts. weeeeeeeeeee mbsfn! However the board is very dangerous.

Before I can decide whether to lead the flop or not (I was leaning towards betting out) the sb to my surprise bets 300.Now I knew he had something but I was fairly confident I had the best hand. I don't think he'd lead with the nut straight here so I just flatted because:
1) Although I'm winning I'm not looking to get my chips in on this flop. Villian could have a very good combo draw and I'd have very little equity against his hand.
2) Simon may re raise us both with an overpair which will help build the pot for me and also help define the sb's hand
3) It's level one! let's not go crazy just yet!

So I call and Simon folds. The turn card brings the 10d Great. If I am winning my chances of getting some value from this hand might be stuffed! The sb leads once more this time for 600. Now I could raise for value here- however I'm likely only to get action from hands that tie with me and the villian will certainly shut down the river if I raise now. I'm thinking he either has a 9 too, or maybe two pair or a set. Flatting also could mean I'm on the flush draw and the villian may have to pay me off if he checks to me. Continuing with my small ball style I just call once more hoping for a safe river so I can take sb to value town

Unfortunately the ugliest card in the deck falls the 7h Puke! Now villian tank/leads for 1k. I am beating nothing on this board and only tying with a 9. I reluctantly fold my straight and later he tells me he had a boat which I fully believe!

Sometimes poker can be such an easy game. You raise with QQ you get a Q1010 and before you can think about extracting value your opponent had bet into you! Sometimes however it can be the sickest of the sickest games in the world! This APAT was beginning to have a familiar feel about it......

Back to second level 4kness. I tighten up a little bit but continue to limp in position- playing flops and trying not to get too bogged down with my stack- after all I still have 40 bigs. I managed to run my stack back up to 6k and go on break to discuss my sick hands with Kev and tuck into the "buffet"

Unfortunately Kev is also on a similar stack after getting his money with 10 10 on a 9 high flop against A9 only for the turn AND the river to be an ace. However we still now there's plenty of play left and time to rebuild our stacks. I must say- I give Kev a lot of ribbing about his game but it has improved no end over the last 12 months and his results locally have been much better than mine. However he still has the tendency to do Mike matasow blow ups with huge stacks!!!

After an early dinner I'm ready to get back in the saddle and continue small balling it up! I decided however I needed to play a little more aggressive in position. After a couple rounds of the button I've noticed that the gentleman to my right keeps limp/folding so I decide I'm going to try and hoover up his chips. I had Val gray and Simon on my left but they hadn't shown any tendencies to go crazy and 3 bet so I felt that with position I could either take down the dead money or play a flop in position. So said gentleman limps in cut off- I look down at J2 and make it 750 to go. Unfortunately Val colds calls from the small and said gentleman, as predicted folds. Val then leads on an 8 high board and I fold, cursing my timing and back down to 5k. Marvelous!

Next hand a player to my 2 to my left makes it 525 to play. I look down at A9 and 3 bet to 1550 for a few reasons:

1) GTFO small ball poker
2) I sensed some weakness from said player
3) A teensy bit of tiltage

Number 2) was the main reason I 3 bet. I thought I could take control of the pot but also that Mr player was weak.My player calls (somewhat unexpectedly) and we're heads up to the flop. I am probably shoving most flops he checks to me, whether I hit or not so when the board comes it's a shock when he bets 2.5k! I only have about 3.5 back!Now I start to run through his hand range. What could he have on such a dry board?

1) He could have slow played JJ-AA. I'm pretty sure that he doesn't have QQ or JJ as my stack size would probably have meant he stuck me all in pre. However I do think he might have slow played the two best pre flop hands in poker. However if you're going to take this line wouldn't you check on such a dry board? Maybe if it comes down or your putting me but surely not this board? So I discount those. For the same reasons I discount a set.

2) Much more likely is a weaker 9 or even a draw like I look over at him and he really doesn't look comfortable. Live poker FTW. I stick my chips in and when he asks how much more it is I do cartwheels (metaphorically of course) My opponent has to call the 1k or so extra and flips See how easy poker can be? I still get the sick sweat when the comes down but a on the river sees me double up to around 11k. Weeeeeeeeeeeeeee..............

It's been a while- APAT Scotland Part 1....

OK so where to start- I hadn't even bothered to look at the click fest for Scotland but decided last minute that I fancied a crack at the Scottish event. Why?

1) 130 runners to get past instead of the usual 150-18
02) All those Scottish players??? Valoooooooooo (or so I thought)

I applied on seat exchange and managed to get a couple of seats. One for me and one for Kev "the bagman" Smith. Unfortunately Neil couldn't make this one and may not to be able to participate in future events now he's a "pro"

So we set about booking flights/hotel/ etc etc. I booked the flights whilst Kev took care of the hotel. He knew a bloke who get us a "discount" at the holiday inn- more about that later......Ideally we would have flew up Friday for the night out but unfortunately my poker passes for the year are expiring fast. So we got the 10am flight from EMA to land at 12pm. We went for brekkie (I lost the flip) got a cab (I lost the flip) had some lunch (I lost the flip) and then made our way to the venue.

Running hot on flips, Kev queued up to pay (cos of the card payment errors) with me thinking that I had paid for my seat having shipped the money to the person I bought the seat off. Des then informed me that JBworldwide hadn't been charged so I would have to pay. FML!!!! 150 quid for an APAT seat- knowing James I'm sure this was a genuine mistake and we're currently sorting out my money back

I caught up with a few faces both old and new- Jim Lang, Neil Dawson, Leigh and of course Boshi. I also bumped into Micky P whom chided me for only making Day 2 once. I think I've played 7 APAT events up to this point and made day 2 once- not the greatest record. We chatted about my playing style early and I whole heartedly agreed that I was trying to "outplay" everyone early doors. A ridiculous strategy. Yes I'm probably better than most of the field and I hope people don't think I'm arrogant in saying that but Phil Ivey I'm not.

This is easily the most focussed I've been for an APAT event. I deiced that I would play a lot of flops early and keep pots as small as possible. Punishing limpers, even in position wasn't working because:

1) People tend to limp a lot stronger in APAT events
2) People tend to raise a lot tighter in APAT events
3) So because they open and limp a lot stronger- they fold less to raises which means all I'm doing is inflating pots pre.

With this in mind I was limping a lot more in position, playing flops and generally winning a lot more pots. I was mixing my play up between opening and limping and the strategy seemed to be working quite well- I wasn't accumulating but I wasn't panicking. I was fairly card dead but using position to keep myself around starting stack.My opening table didn't have too many familiar faces. I only really knew Simon Auckland but only by reputation- I had never played him before so treaded carefully trying to get reads. Like most APAT tables it was extremely tight early which is why I think APAT tourneys get so crap shooty later on- people don't exit so stacks are naturally shallow.

Anyway some hands! As I've said I'm playing mainly small pots not getting involved too much when I look down KJhh at 3rd to act. I open for 275 at blinds 50/100 playing a stack of around 9k and the sb calls. I later find out the sb is Alan Horburgh (I think). He was constantly making comments about my "celebrity" which is always nice to hear. Getting approached by players and shaking hand and meeting people is very flattering!Anyway the flop comes 963 rainbow one heart and Alan checks. I c-bet for 350 and Alan calls.

I'm not sure what range to assign him but it's a pretty dry board so I'm putting him on a mid pair, maybe 78 for the up and down or 45. He could perhaps be slow playing a big pair but unlikely given his line. I'm looking to barrel most turns if he checks.The turn falls jc Alan checks again. I continue with my plan as I'm fairly confident I have the best hand now and he may get stubborn with his pair so I want to get some value from my hand. I could check the turn and then value bet the river if he checks to me but if he does have a medium pair there's so many river cards which he'll check/fold to that I want to get some value now if possible.

I bet 750 and Alan calls quite quickly. Heading into the river I'm sure I'm winning. The river falls the Kc

BINGO! How much to value bet? I like to value bet between 3/4 to full pot as people often think I'm bluffing so they'll pay the maximum to "catch" me. Alans knuckles it for the 3rd time and after dwelling up I bet 1875. Alan chucks in a 5k chip and at first I think he's just called. But the dealer tells me he's made it 4k total. WOW!

WTF was going on? I go back through the hand and replay it. Has he got a set? Did he flop it? Is he bluffing me on the river? Whichever it is I have to pay the min raise on the river with such a strong hand on such a dry board. I really don't like it but reluctantly call and he turns over Ks Kd !!!!! WP sir! Sick hand and suddenly my small balling has me down to 4k!!!!