APAT Birmingham

Had a great time in Birmingham last weekend and it has taken me so long to post on here that I'm afraid I am going to cheat and the following is reconstituted from my posts on the Punters Lounge Forum ! :-

The weekend ended (strange place to start) at about 2.00am on Monday morning as Avon (the Mrs) and I stayed to the end to see the winner crowned (actually cupped and medalled) - a lad called Daniel who I think lived local to Birmingham. We enjoyed meeting all the Punters Lounge players and supporters, some for the first time, along with people from other forums / gaming rooms and I didn't see anyone playing or watching (which I did too much of on day 2) in anything but the right spirit.

We had a few M6 traffic problems going down but not too bad, compared to the traffic jam at the casino trying to sign up with membership forms from the APAT email or off the casino website - which they no longer accepted. Perhaps the one area that could be improved on. On my first table I was sat next to PL player Danarama and opposite BurnleyJoe. Don't have a great memory for hands but do remember Dan's AA getting beat by 56 (2 pair) so when I got them only a few hands later I effectively over-raised and got no calls. KK a few hands later picked up 2 or 3 more blinds and was around 11k when our table broke up and I was sent to the 'table of death' (where the first two out, and four of the first five out, had been sitting - chip leader already over 70k).

The hand that basically kept me in overnight occurred quite a bit before the 7pm break when with QQ I called PL player MoneyIvey's AK raise to 2400, only for both of us to be put all-in by the guy on my left, who had JJ. No A K or J to be seen on the board but a Q on the turn I think for good measure. That put me on 23k, dropped to 20k by the food break, and ended the day at 11pm on 22k - but happy to have survived.

Then the Sunday disaster. Straight away I am the BB for 3k and the guy in seat 2 or 3 raised about his fifth pot in a row - 4 last night and the first today - up to 7k. I hate Q suited, and don't play Q suited, there are threads on here in which I confirm I don't play Q suited - so of course I called with my Q8c ! Flop is J 8 5 with the 5 the only club. I now have middle pair which is more than I had 2 minutes ago so I announce all-in and he calls before my chips have moved ! KJos gives him top pair and although the club on the turn gives me hope the 9d river seals my fate. He did go on to finish third after being chip leader at the food break and chip leader when down to three.

I'm was annoyed with myself (and put it down to my brain still trying to get over having finished full english breakfast at 11am followed by the chinese buffet arranged by APAT at 1pm) but have still enjoyed it. Can't say the same a few hours later when I spill a whole coffee latte down me and have to go back to the car to strip and change into yesterday's clothes ! Coming to a CCTV show near you soon !

Even more annoyed when around 7pm we discover someone has picked up my glasses case and walked off with my prescription sunglasses - hope they give them a headache. Mind you they might have been after the lipsyl I also keep in there ! If you see a man wearing sunglasses, bumping into things, but with glossy lips, in the Birmingham area let me know.

Playing live is very much still a learning curve for me but I look forward to getting back on this particular horse in the PokerPlayer Grand Prix final in London on 4th October.