The £10 specials are always interesting games, and this proved to be the same. I was feeling a bit spaced out by now, after the late night and working all day, so will doubtless remember even less than normal for my write up !
My evening started well, by not being on the same table as Sean ! (who scuppered me in the last £10 special) although do have Bill to contend with. My table was pretty laid back and solid in the main, especially in the early stages. The first couple of levels I dropped around 500 chips from the 2000 starting levels, then won a hand or two and was a little up mid-way through the first hour. I vaguely remember I get into a hand with Bill and take a good chunk of chips to get myself into a good chip lead on the table.
At the break, I have a healthy chip stack, with the extra 2000 I think I’m around the 10’000 mark…. this stack gets bigger when I get 8-7 on the SB and only Karen on BB and Steve W see the flop. The flop comes 7-x-x (3 clubs ) and I check then call Steve W smallish bet (even with top pair and flush draw I wasn’t sure I was ahead, but was relatively cheap to call) The turn sees another 7, so I check call another bet by Steve, but then the river is a spectacular 8 ! so check call the all-in by Steve W, who had flopped a flush ! Talk about a bad beat !!
With players starting to drop like flies on the other table (Steve is knocking them all out!) we are soon down to 9 players. I get tangled up with Bill again, who calls my confident bets on each street… can’t remember what I had, but was ahead ! and therefore took the pot, took out Bill and we’re down to the final table
Jon is ecstatic as he made the final table for the first time this year ! Unfortunately he is first to fall, but at least he gets a point
Darren is short stacked and gets it all in on the flop with a flush draw (I think) but doesn't improve and is next out
With the blinds now up to 1000/500 we see Alex making a big raise and takes down a pot uncontested and shows KK. Next hand he makes another big raise but this time Derek goes all-in and Alex calls…. then shows KK again ! Derek has Q-J so is in heaps of trouble, even the J on the flop doesn’t help… but the J on the turn certainly does., and Derek takes Alex down to about 1200 chips. It is only a hand or two before Alex has to stick it all in but doesn’t get lucky and Steve takes him out
Karen gets taken out next by Derek but can’t remember the details now… and Andy follows soon after with a mad lunge at the pot with not much
This leaves us with three players and the blinds at 2000/1000 I had been OK chip wise but had given some chips away to Steve earlier so think I am down to around 17’500 (avg = 18’500) with Steve the chip leader.
A few hands in, we see a key hand for me, when dealt 6-6 on BB I just call when Steve completes on the SB (Derek had folded) The flop comes something like J-6-2 and Steve immediately goes all-in ! His timing is very unfortunate as I am insta-calling all-in for 20’000 chips Steves A-7 is well beaten already, but I hit another 6 on the turn for quads and am now the huge chip lead !
With very few chips and big blinds, Steve makes a valiant but ultimately futile attempt and is out in 3rd
I have around 40’000 and Derek is around 16’000 and there is very little time left on the clock. After a hand or two of exchanging blinds, Derek goes all-in pre-flop. I had J-J but on checking the chip counts, if I double Derek up he will be slight chip lead so decide to fold as the timer signals the last three hands to play. Next hand I have 9-7s but decide to call Derek's 4000 raise to see the flop. Nothing comes for me, so fold to his bet. I also realise that by now I can only just afford the 3000 blinds to be around 1000 chip leader after the next two hands, so need very good hands to justify doing anything other than folding. Both my last hands end up being rubbish so fold and win by around 2000 chip difference in the end
I was delighted to win, just a bit disappointed not to be able to “finish the job” by knocking Derek out, but that’s the nature of a time constrained game I guess
Overall, it was a very enjoyable game. Even the people knocked out early seemed to be enjoying themselves, especially those involved in the cash game !
League wise, we are now halfway through the season and I am points leader with 61, but Darren and Alex are not far behind with 42 each and Derek on 49 makes up the top 4
All still to play for… see you next time
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