The Goa Experience

Goa was great. Great weather, great hotel, great beaches, great company. Goa was great.

Unfortunately, poker-wise, I wasn't.

First slight disappointment was, having been drawn on the feature table, that the cameras weren't set up ready for the start of the tournament so I began on the table furthest away.

Mistake number one, and I would say my only mistake during my three and a bit hours of play, was to persevere to the bitter end with 55 with no help on the board, to be beaten by AA. He also had had no help from the board and the fact there was a possible straight may have saved me from losing more chips than I did (around 2000). My opponent, Richard En, made the final table two days later.

Shortly after, our table broke up (the first to do so). I had better luck at the next table although it was the one I went out on ! I won a decent pot with 66 v AK after a flop of xK6 and then lost a small pot when with a board of four spades my 10 (with Ad) was beaten by the J.

Then came the final hand before the first break when I was dealt QQ, raised and called the short stack's all-in to be faced with AA. For good measure he picked up an A on the turn. Just a few hands before I had been on over 12k (starting stack was 10k) but went into the break on 7k.

On the return to action I bluffed a few and was given respect, and on other occasions I bluffed but was reraised, so folded.

By the time my final hand came I was down to 5k and was happy to see (black) Aces. My opponent had raised something like 3xbb, I reraised to 1500, he put me all-in and I called. He had (red) Kings. The flop had the A of diamonds, plus two more diamonds ! The turn was a K but of course it was black so that's ok. Obviously I'm still ahead, the river can pair one of the rags to give me a full house, but of course it doesn't - it throws out another diamond (the 6) and from nearly being back to 10k and starting again, I am out of there. 121st out of 142.

The only thing it does do for me is give me more time by the pool or on the beach !

The colleague from Punters Lounge, Richard, that we travelled with made it to day two but unfortunately his final hand was also AA v KK. The flop included QJ, an A on the turn was unnecessary, as all it did was leave the door open for the 10 which came on the river to give the Kings the straight. What made it even more amazing was that someone else at the table confirmed he had folded Tens so there were only two left in the pack !!! The winner of that hand went on to win the whole tournament and $320,000.

It was a great trip though and if the tournament is repeated next year my plan is to be there .....