I ran my heat yesterday (Tuesday) with myself, Lynn, Martin, Andy and Simon playing
It was quite a lively affair, but I was keeping my nose clean and playing tight and timid. Didn’t pick up any hands to start with, but then had a couple of good hands on the trot and was a few hundred chips up.
Then got AJs and raised, with Simon calling from the button. The flop came A-Q-x and I put out a small bet, with Simon re-raising to 1000 I knew Simon would have an A, but wasn’t sure if he had 2 pair, or an A with better kicker so decided to fold. Simon showed his AT when I showed him my A Although I was ahead I was happy enough with my decision
Lynn was playing OK, but then got involved in a hand with Martin. He made substantial bets preflop and on the flop but checked the turn and river, showing pocket A to go with the A on the river ! Lynn had been drawing and hadn’t anything and was only left with 1000 or so chips (but was lucky Martin hadn’t been more aggressive!)
It was nearly an hour before the first person went out, when I knocked out Lynn, which took us to the first break. I had around 6000 or so chips as did Martin, with Simon getting a bit short stacked
After the break I had a bit of a purple period, getting pocket 8’s I raised and only Andy called. The flop came A-8-x with two spades so decided to bet aggressively and put Andy all-in. Andy had nut flush draw and straight draw, so called for all his chips… but unfortunately for him no help came and he was out in 4th
Couple of hands later, I got pocket T’s and raised, with Simon calling. The flop came T-5-x giving me top trips but to my surprise Simon quickly called all-in when I put in a bet, showing pocket 5’s ! Neither of us improved so I had taken out Simon as well !
It was now heads up with myself and Martin, with me having around 13’000 chips to Martins 7’000. Martin had been playing unusually steady and solid all night , so seemed really determined to do well. I therefore started out quite playing quite passively, resulting in us soon having virtually identical chip stacks. I got some good hands and had made a few chips, but was still very close chips stack when a key decision came….
I had pocket 8’s and raised from the button and Martin went all-in I had previously folded a couple of times to an all-in thrust from him pre-flop, so wasn’t sure what his shoving range was… my initial reaction was to fold, assuming he had a pair, but in the end decided his range would be any good Ax or any pair so decided to call his all-in. Unfortunately for me, he had pocket 9’s and hit a 9 on the turn for good measure! I thought it was all over but actually had more chips back than I thought. Even so I ended up with only 800 chips and with the blinds at 500/300 things weren’t looking good for me !
The next hand I went all in from the small blind and doubled up, then had a string of good cards so was either going all-in with Martin folding, or Martin just folded his small blind. I quickly was up to about 3000 chips. Then another key hand happened….. I had T2 in the big blind and decided to not raise (for a change!) The flop came A-x-2 so stuck all my chips in but Martin has A6, so I am way behind…. lucky for me help comes in way of a T and I get a good double up !!
With my aggression continuing, by the time we get to the 2nd break we both have around 10’000 chips again so it’s game on again !!
With both of us with 5 blinds each, it was never going to last long… so two or three hands into the round, I get AJ diamonds and raise, Martin re-raises all-in and I call. Martins A3 clubs is well dominated, but the hand played itself really…. the K clubs came first, but it was the 3 that came on the flop which proved decisive and Martin had taken a well deserved victory.
It was a great game, ending up with an amazing heads up struggle which on its own took taking an hour for it to conclude…. having thought I was out once on a bad decision by me, it was good I was able to claw my way back and go out in a more befitting style (not saying I wouldn’t rather have won it of course :-) ) At least I came out of it with a heroic tale to tell and a second chance in the semi-final play off…..
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