Poker Player Grand Prix

Played in the PP Grand Prix II final sponsored by Betfair last night at the BiGSLiCK cardroom in Purley / South Croydon. This time I played as solid as I could and was beaten by the cards, not by me pushing a self-destruct button as it was in the APAT tournament.

Started with 2500 chips (30 minute blinds) and after two hands I was down to 1900, after twice trying to play Ax suited. Don't particularly remember any hands after that up to the first break at 90 minutes but I was up a little to 2000.

The only hand I remember up to the second break was raising the BB from the SB and calling his 99 all-in with my K-10 suited. By the river I thought I needed a K to make top pair or a J for a straight, completely forgetting that a 10 made me a good enough pair also, and a 10 duly came. That helped me to 3500 at the break.

Then the one funny hand (other than one when I was staring into space because I had folded in my head, but not in reality !). I had lost track of the blinds and when I thought the dealer was asking me for my 800 BB - and I gave it to him - he was actually asking if I wanted to call ! As I had been doing from the BB I just put my guard on my cards without looking at them until I had to and then realised the real BB had gone all-in, probably because I had just limped in ! Fully expecting to see 35os and cursing the waste of 800 of my 3500 chips I was surprised to see I was holding 77 - so made the call, faced AK and doubled up to 7400.

Then came the move to my second and last table. I raised to 5000 under the gun with AQh and was called all-in by the BB to 4000 with 69c. The flop came Q5x so I am further ahead, then an 8 on the turn, and someone tempts fate by saying a 7 would make him the straight, so sure enough the river is a 7 !!!

So now I am the BB for 1200 with 10 3 os. Three seats away goes all-in, so I hum and hah and fold.

So now I am the SB for 600 and get 55, so I call the attempt (by the 69c player two hands ago) to put me all-in and he has a respectable AJ. The flop is 8 9 10 and the turn is a 7 for his J high straight. J on the river would give me a split pot, but it is not to be, and I am out in 16th. My nemesis went on to finish second.

I got to meet old friends and new from PuntersLounge and was at least the highest placed PL representative. I got a shirt to mark that I had played and several free glasses of coke until the free bar ran out and a free buffet and a four hour journey home at 2am to make sure I was back for work this morning ! The PokerPlayer guys were also good company and I hope to qualify for the next one.