Short n Sweet as I Can

Short n Sweet as I Can

Hectic since the weekend and to be honest also the week leading up to the team Challenge coupled with the death of my Mam after a very long illness last Tuesday. A death is never an easy thing to deal with and accept but sometimes with certain situations and illness it can be a blessing in disguise. Quality of life is something we should be aware of and fully appreciate as we aint here that long. Playing poker gives people the opportunity to meet alot of totally different people from all walks of life and it also gives the chance to see how some conduct themselves and treat others.
Last weekends Team Challenge to me was the perfect example of this compared to other games Ive played in recently which threw up alot of total wankers carrying super sized egos and treating other people as if they are far lesser mortals than themsleves. For fuck sake man to those like that get a life and get real. Last weekend proved by a million miles what Poker should be played like and thats amongst great people with the object of winning yes but mainly enjoying themselves. Set the right atmosphere and get the right people there and this will happen. Thank you once again to all concerned and all who turned up and experienced what we did.

OK personally Im going to keep this as short and as sweet as i can. Was drawn on what I called "the feature table" due to it being the eventual final table location and had the NPF Banners surrounding it. Total random draw may I add but very pleased with my table and my position. That famous blogger Amatay directly across from me and a couple of faces I recognised.
1st few levels are always a strange affair as players go about trying to stack build, get lucky and suss each other out and this game was no different. Had "Peter Stringfellow" look alike to my right who opened up 1st couple of levels very strong and guy from Hartlepool to his right who picked up some nice hands. These 2 soon built decent sized stacks but me personally was very happy with my stack growth going in the right direction with to be honest very little cards. Flopped top straight early doors but turned heart to give possible flush reduced the payday and apart from that stole some nice pots with well timed moves and continuations.
Tall guy introduced into table from Geordie Poker followed soon after by a little grey haired fella from same team and his team captain to his right. Cudnt understand this to be honest by cardroom staff having 3 players from same team on same table in team event and as such had a quiet word. They tell me its just way the cards are drawn when breaking tables but surely some common sense should be shown here and players placed in more suitable tables considering the type of tournament it was.
Some starnge action followed all these 3 players. Lets call tall guy "John Motson" as he could yabba on and loved giving running commentary of hands and what players had plus made alot of comments on how players were playing-from his point of view of course!!! I love playing back at these type of players and they simply dont even realise the information they give away to you. The older grey haired fella was obviously an absolute fish as the John Motson had pleasure in telling all and who to be honest didnt have a clue how to play yet had came to table with decent stack then went about flat calling his captains raise pre flop and on a Jack high board checked to his skipper pushing all in with top pair to snap call and proudly flip over AA to take him out. He then on 200/400 called utg and table chip leader who had shown down nothing but big hands to make it 1600 in late position and old fella calls. Flop is JQ2 and raiser makes it 2k and old fella called. Turn brings safe card and anutha 3500 bet and call. River blank and 4k bet by initial raiser for old fella to call. Initial raiser shows AhKh and old fella proudly flips over 23 off!!!! lol fkn classic and chip leaders face had to be seen to be believed. He then seemed to go on semi tilt eventually making shove move to my BB with K4 with me holding AQ and tbh from his body language I certainly sensed weakness but if I lose this hand my stack would be crippled. I eventually make the call and my AQ holds up. This now gives me the stack to play abit more and as such play back in a few hands to "John Motson" and get greta pleasure in taking him of 2 or 3 pots and showing him the bluff and funnily enough made him go all quiet for some reason!!!
I make good progress with my stack when late on in evening with not many levels left I pick up my 1st premium hand in hours of play with AA utg. I make standard raise and total rock to my left shoves all his 20k+ stack in the middle and I cant wait for it to get back round to me for snap call to which he groans at my hand and flips over AK. Killer flop when 1st 2 cards come out KK and I lose pot that wudda took me into megga strong position in comp although Ive still got healthy enough stack.
Guy from Nottingham is then brought to table and I had played on his cash table on Friday night and he could obviously play but had a proppa edge to his way he spoke to people yet was something about him i liked and dont really know why. By pure coincidence I seemed to pick up hands on his BB or if he entered the pot I would be the one he was up against. Took some nice pots from him and he was now vunerable due to his stack size and last hand of the night I raise to his BB in mid position with JQ and he makes call. Flop comes J93 and I announce all in. He has about 12k left and we then spend 5 mins in goading each other and I persuade him to call with him announcing "I know Im gifting you this but Im not coming back tomorrow light" and flips K9. Happy days and blank turn but river 9 gives him the pot. Not so much the damage done to my stack but had feeling this guy with chips the following day would be a very dangerous player and another double up for him would put him in very strong position. Finished the day on just over 30k yet with the right luck cudda been easily 80k.
Think there were 40 odd players return and made good start taking some nice pots down then went on run of hands that took my stack to over 100k none more so than picking up KK as Mrs Cardguard shoved with big Ace that didnt improve. Took a nice pot involving Amatay when calling his raise to my BB holding 67. K6rag flop which I think went check check and blank turn which I bet to be called and river brought nice looking 7 giving me 2 pair and my bet was groan called by Amatay showing JJ. He came back to get his revenge soon after in very important pot and bite my arse in big style.
He raised in late position and I call in button with KQ together with sb. Flop comes K45 and its ck ck to me and I bet 12k 3/4 pot I think it was for sb to fold and Amatay to shove all in. Big worry to me here was obviously AK but made my mind up quick his bet size was to take me off the pot and didnt really want a call. I made call and from his reaction was obvious he didnt want it as it was also for his tournie life. He flips 6c7c which I didnt have him on at all but boom the turn brings the 3 and he scoops a very nice pot and puts big dent in mine.
I then folded AcJc in mid position to an early raise by him and lost big pot calling another guys shove when Im holding 88 to his KK.
17 left now and Teeside guy shoves his last 15/17k in with me holding AcJc but guy infront of me makes call and I fold. JQd v AJ which AJ wins.
Hit total card dead period now and suffer a few orbits on auto fold and get dragged down to big big danger zone. Then the hand that totally pissed me off more than any other and my big mistake imo from a very solid performance.
Pick up Qd5d in sb and all fold to me and LIMP call. (ffks was so annoyed and no idea why) Flop came J66 with 2 diamonds which I bet all way for BB to call showing J2 off and my limp cost me about 20k. Semi tilt now but hold it back yet no hands come. Despo now and shove think it was approx 4 or 5 BBs utg with KJ for 2 callers both with big Aces and Im gone in 12th. So close yet so far and totally gutted as so wanted to at least final table in our own event and experience what I knew was going to be a fanatastic final table.
Fucked off up the bar area to chill and get my head back and what a laugh I had. Sat next to Dicey from Kracked Kings whos a giant of a bloke and a lovely guy and then Mike Saban and his Mrs who are a lovely couple and also the guy who bust my AA with his AK who also was from Kracked Kings. None of them would let me buy a drink and I must of had about 8 pints in no time and throughly enjoyed both the company and the crack.
Back to final table to watch later stages and make presentations and after having watched them back on video- fuck me could easy tell I was well pissed.

Great day , great weekend, great people, great organisation and great advert for poker.

As for Teamdobbs - omg was a total disaster with all the team crashing out before the points which considering some of their games is amazing imo and I was left to be the lone flag bearer bringing in a few points for the team who finished an embarassing 16th place. Get back soon Gypos & Mcnally!!!