Oh What A Circus .....

Well my last post was somewhat prophetic - played the Poker770 Monster Final on the 29th Dec with an EPT Deauville package up for grabs. Several hundred runners and managed to stay out of trouble for a long time but with slightly less than average stack and blinds at 200/400 I pick up As Jh in mid position and pop it up to 1200. All fold except the lunatic in the BB who pushes all-in, and given his past play and range I dont hesitate in calling - though naturally he has me covered. Delighted to see Ad 7c revealed, and a flop of Jd Qc 2c. Less happy when a 6c is revealed on the turn and naturally another club pops up on the river to give the moron a flush to his weak kicker, so I'm out in 116th. Thank you iPoker, the natural home of the runner runner flush and the outrageous two-outer. Ah well, two more chances on the 10th and 11th Jan but may hedge my bets my taking a stab at the qualifiers on Stars.

Blue Square are running a series of online GUKPT shorthanded games in January – they’ll count towards GUKPT rankings - a kind of Poker6 without the hassle of having to go to Bolton. Played a $10 rebuy satellite between Xmas and New Year for the $200 game in Jan, seat for 1st, $195 for 2nd. Came 3rd for nothing. Was well hacked off – despite the fact that with 5 left I had to sit out and drive my daughter into town, when I got back 25 minutes later, there were still 5 left. Made up what I’d lost through the blinds, was sitting nicely in 2nd with 3 left, then got outdrawn twice by a lunatic who eventually won the thing. Essex121 – he plays a lot of GUKPT qualifiers but I’ve never noticed him win anything before, and don’t think he’s played any of the GUKPT live events because I Googled him to see if I could find out who the hell he was, only to find he is some little guy who advertises himself on a gay contacts site. Didn’t recognise him from his picture – however, I need hardly say that he’s definitely not my type, too many legs. So after the satellite played a bit of cash $1/$2 for about an hour and finished $70 up.

Played the £100 DC Freezeout at Stoke Circus on 4th January. It's the first casino I ever played a live competition in and I always feel comfortable there. Though on a personal note I dont think I have been dealt a pocket pair there higher than Jacks since 2007. And none at all on my last two visits. But cardroom manager Andy Gray does his level best to promote the place and although there are sometimes the odd complaints about the structure - and often the standard of play - it's a well run place and is starting to be recognised as one of the premium Stanley venues.

Stanleys ran their Second Chance Classic - a £550 buyin tournament - at Star City in Birmingham last November, but I would imagine the group holding a major event at Stoke during 2009. As the biggest casino group in the UK it's surprising that it took them so long to get an online cardroom up and running - circuspoker.co.uk on the iPoker network - but now they have I believe they are looking at ways of breaking into the live "tour" market which Grosvenor and Gala currently dominate. Hard to see where their niche will be, with Gala hitting the £500 level and Grosvenor the £1000, so hopefully they will come up with something innovative rather than aping existing formats.

Anyway, the £100 Freezeout was very well supported - 228 runners, with alternates - but the standard of play was very iPoker-ish. Got good hands early doors which got me into trouble - just like the Star City event - AQ twice - first time I had to lay down on the river with three spades on board, then lost with the nut flush to a rivered full house with the other guy playing 9 4 off. Hey ho. Dont say you want those calls, please. Lost again with the nut straight on the turn to a different guy ALSO playing 9 4 off when he ALSO rivered a house. Just knew it wasnt going to be my day - good hands in position outdrawn by bad hands being played out of position all day long. And folding hands like A3 off in early position when it would have been my turn to river a house. C'est la vie. Maybe I need to loosen up a bit for Stoke.

Eventually with blinds at 300/600 and only 4200 in front of me, about a third of average chips at the time, I look down at 3 7 off suit in the BB. All fold to SB who completes. Flop Q 3 7 - all diamonds - and SB leads out for 600, so with two pair I bang my remaining 3600 in, hoping that he hasn't made his flush - what are the odds, eh, in a SB-BB confrontation? - and he dwells for a long while then announces "OK, I'll gamble, cos my wife's already out". Lovely, just what you want to hear. And he turns over two small diamonds. A seven or three was not forthcoming on turn or river so off to the rail I went.

Although I couldnt get a break all day I wasnt that bothered with the outcome and will play the competition again. Met up with some people I knew and enjoyed a brief mini-AGM of the Glenfiddich Gang with Brian Martin (aka MCFC66, aka Mole's Mate). Next meeting: Walsall GUKPT. By which time I hope I'm running better.