Poker: Annual Satellite - Final table

At last the final table is upon us.... seems ages since I won my seat, but now we are all here and it's time to shuffle up and deal. Just hope that Sean, Jon, Derek and Karen who had all had recent illnesses don't spread more than their chips round the table :-)

I pull out the Ace for seating position which is a good start, and get a chance to see everyones mood before having to put any chips in. The mood seems tense and tight for everyone, but always see a flop, so just call the blinds with my pocket 3's and bin them when three overcards come, and thats my one hand for the first level . Meanwhile Sean decides to go all-in and wins the 50 chips, showing down pocket K's.... so there is some method to his madness.

Level two sees me play another hand, but the flop doesnt help me and three other players in means its an easy fold. Meanwhile, we get some action with a 5,6,7 rainbow flop..... Sean raises to 1000 (pot around 300 at this point) then Darren goes all in. Sean calls and shows trip 5's but no good against Darrens made straight.... and 8 on the turn gives Sean more outs, but blank on the river sees our first casualty... it was just a bit unlucky for Sean he ran into a monster when he had a huge hand.

I find A-T in my hand and raised pre-flop, getting 3 callers (why do I always get multiple callers when I raise !) The flop is A-3-5 and it's checked to me, so bet 500 into a pot of around 1200 with only Jon calling. Jon checks again on the turn of a Q, so I bet 500 again and after a long think he calls. He does seem to be on a draw but can't quite figure out why he's calling me..... so slightly concerned... the river came down with a T so am a little happier, but wonder if Jon made a monster straight or was slow playing AQ With Jon checking to me again, I debate whether he is slow playing, but decide to bet again. After deliberating again he calls and shows A-2 Must admit I hadn't put him on that hand !! but pleased to take a reasonable size pot

At the first break, I have around 6000 in chips, with Darren on around 7000. The restart see's Bill calling Karen's all-in bet and his top pair gets trashed by Karen's two pair and Bill is second out. Whilst it is fair to say our two wilder players (in my opinion) went out first, I must also say they both went out on hands that I would probably have played in similar ways !!

The game goes back to tense and tight, and am a bit vague on my memories here..... I remember that Simon, Jon and Derek are all running at around 2-3000 chips stacks so are struggling a little, Darren seems to be playing ultra tight and I am just not getting any cards to play at this stage

Jon was the first one all-in with KQ and was against Darren with A5 (?) The flop came with a K so Jon shot into the lead.... but then A came so Darren was way ahead.... only to see a T on the river and Jon made an unlikely staight to double up !!

In the end something had to give, and it was Simon. He was being blinded away so had to make a move. Darren must have knocked him out (as he knocked out everyone bar 1 !!) but don't remember the hand.

On the last hand before the break, Jon found himself with low chips and a hand to play with, but Darren took him out and we went to the break with 4 players left. At the break I had around 6000 chips, Darren was in the lead with around 12000, Karen had around 9000 and Derek around 4000 (and the Big Blind of 2000)

Despite four players being left, the blinds would ensure that the action was fast and furious. Darren used his chip advantage to great effect and started frequently raising and betting the flops (and why not!)

I found myself with 3000 chips and on the big blind so called Darrens raise without looking at my cards.... showing K9 to Darrens A5, but no-one improved and I went out in 4th (again!) Derek was left with 1000 in chips so had a choice of playing the button or the big blind, but also failed to get any luck and went out in third. There was also only 1 hand with 2 players and Karen went in behind and inevitably Darren took her out as well

A great game, I felt I played reasonably well but Darrens solid game paid dividends this time round and deservedly took the top prize (and the coveted trophy)

We'll do it all again next year, but for now good bye and good luck (but it;s only 3 weeks to the monthly game ;-) )