Saturday, May 31, 2008

Poker: Annual Satellite 2008 : Heat 4

Martin was luckily able to get a heat together at short notice (thanks) so went round to officiate. Martin, his friends Andy and John, plus his son Luke and his friend Chris being the players.

Level 1 started quietly with little pre-flop raising, and any raise pretty much taking the pot.

Once the blinds went up, Martin seemed to wake up a bit and start sticking in some raises and all-ins!. He mostly took the pot uncontested but then Andy called him pre-flop, called on the flop and stuck in a re-raise on the turn. After some thought Martin folded.

Chris and Luke had so far also been busy texting on the mobiles which got them some stick but as the action hotted up they seemed able to "fold" their mobiles... Chris played his first hand and although he hit his flush and had a showdown was only a small pot.

Went back to the standard call, call, raise, fold, fold scenario with Martin being the aggressor a lot of the time. Andy came back at him again and showed KK when the pot was taken uncontested.

The Kings kept coming up as Andy re-raises Martins pre-flop raise to 1000. The flop comes Q-9-4 rainbow and when Martin checks, Andy goes all-in and takes a sizable pot. He shows KK again!

The last hand before the break sees Martin raising again, but Luke on the BB calling. Luke checks and Martins bet takes down a reasonable size pot

Soon after the break we have our first casualty. Chris had been sitting quietly most of the night, but raises from the button. Martin goes all-in and Chris calls. Chris shows the ladies (QQ) but Martin has the gentlemen (KK) ! No-one improves so Chris goes out in 5th place

Luke is now the short stack and sticks most of it (around 2000) into a 600 pot with the K-Q-8 flop and takes it uncontested. He shows A-4 (Martin shows A-6) so seems Luke has been taking note of his Father style and adopting it :-)

It is Johns turn to be small stack and lumps it all in when the flop comes 6-4-2. Martin calls with pocket 3's but doesn't improve, doubling John up.

The action is really hotting up as the blinds increase, and soon see Luke going all in on a flop of A-Q-7 He must feel pleased to get a caller when he shows his A-7 but his hopes are soon dashed when Martin shows 7-7 and takes down the pot.

Luke has 1000 chips, Andy 4500, John 8500 and Martin 6000

With the high blinds Luke has to get busy but manages to get a caller for his QQ. Andy's TT seem to be in trouble until the flop comes T-7-6 Two 5's don't help so Luke is out in 4th

The chips move around the remaining three players and it is all quite close, then Martin decides Johns all-in push on a board of 9-9-7-9-4 is a complete bluff...... but Martin shows K-3 and although John only needed an A to beat him, he actually showed T-9 so was way ahead from the flop..... so Martin finished 3rd and we are heads up !!

John has around 2:1 chip lead but Andy is playing very cagey. Lots of cautious play so its a tense time. The blinds go up to 1000-500 so neither player can afford to give up chips easily now so start seeing calls and raises pre-flop. Andy takes a reasonable pot and goes chip leader, but then John pulls one back and the chips are moving around.. eventually both players feel they have the better hand and all the chips go in the middle. Andy takes the pot and a well earned victory, but we'll see John in the semi's

Well done to all and see you at the next one!

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