Last two tables

111 entrants, 3hrs 20mins of play and I make it to the final two tables(flying the flag for my commrades), So my game has tightened up, however there is still one more turn of the screw, the cherry which is missing on this triffle and thats to build a stack and make it to the final table, if I could do that my game would of become a lot better (worthy of a beginners tournament finish at the vic).

so i'm dealt pocket 8's first hand and win the hand, a loooong wait and I get AQ off, the flop comes down 36Q, hell yes I raise and the only follower raises I call, turn is a 9, I bet 300, trying to rope him in he goes all-in, i wait ages and get time called on me and fold, he shows 6, 9. I got away from that at 9.10pm. just.

i'm dealt pocket kings and raise the minimum and everyone folds (dam it) 2 rounds later, kings again and the flop is A,8,A I go all in on the flop after going down to 1100 in chips, I get a dirty look of 'eh? hold on a second' and he folds.

I know my table image was that of a rock which didn't help matters, because I was being grinded down by the blinds.

After the break i'm moved downstairs and go on a run, I'm dealt A,K first hand and i'm all-in with one caller who has K's, the board produces a straight for both of us, a while later i'm all-in again with pocket 7's and win, i'm riding my luck here and cruise to a second table finish. So not only have I played past the bullys at previous table I've played my longest reign of poker ever and for my reward, the most education i'm ever going to get to date, so the question or task next is, how do I build my stack like the bullys while folding rags and marginal hands? Once I have that down my final table debut will be close.


-Fig-

The Final Table - 4th Place

Let me set the scene for you if I may. £30 Freezeout, Gutshot, Sunday 21st August, 8pm.

Starting chips 2000 - Shuffle up and deal!

First Hand I get, A K unsuited, the first things to run through my head was "Shit I didn't want this!"

Reason being is that in the last competition I saw this same hand go "All in" then "All out!" to trip 3's on the first hand, well not only that but I prefer to see and observe other players for a while before I play to get a feel for the table, so first hand, I raise preflop 200 on the button, partly to get action and party to hope I don't.

1 Caller

The Flop: 2d 5d Kd (I have no diamond)

Well that slowed me down!

I'm last to act so I have the advantage. "Check" I pause for a moment.... "Check"

The turn: 9d

"Crap crap crap crap"

I bet 500, (a bit gutsy I know) "Call"

Turn: To be honest I don't remember but I know it wasn't a diamond!

He turns K Q (No diamond) I turn A K, and think to my self that I have been very lucky here, now that I'm in a very nice position to sit here for a while, anyway I think I played one more hand then the table was broken up! "Great"

After being moved into the room with the hideous fruit machines I thought, "This is nice, no outside interference, no other noise. Well I didn't play another hand for a while, at least 20 mins I think, and then who walked into the room and sat at the table... yes you guessed it! ***Ms Tiffany Williamson***

Now I'm thinking to my self how cool is this, I'm playing poker with someone who made it to the WSOP, well kinda playing, why? Well with me being the rock I am I still did not get into a single pot with her, one thing I did notice is how she looked at opponents who bet at her. Scary man! I noticed also that when people bet at me when I was in the BB and letting it go, she gave me a look as if to say, why are you not fighting to keep your chips!? Like, your crazy man!!!

I just smiled and continued... then she got busted out anyway. Ah well! It was a bad beat mind she had the better hand all the way to the river.

Finally a few hands later I'm in the BB I look down to see 7d 9h, now I'm starting to get a bit stressed, I want a few hands to play with but there not coming today, about 4 people call, I check.

Flop 2c 5c 3c

Checked round to me, I smell weakness, I bet 200 and take a big pot considering all the calls that were thrown in to it. Anyway at the end of the 1hr and a half I'm left with 2075 chips. I'm trying to stay positive at the break, after all I'm up, right!? ;o)

After the break I'm back at the table I look down to see KQ unsuited, now to me this is looking like pocket aces, I mean I've not seen a hand like this for nearly 2 hours now, and this is KQ we are talking about!! I think I was BB, there was 1 caller, so I doubled the BB and again he called.

Flop: 2c 5h 10c

Me: Check
Tai: Check

The Turn Kd

Me: "I'm all in baby!" I think this was about 1500 - 2000 can't remember the exact amount, but after some deliberation he folded saying he felt he had me beat, whilst showing a 10. I just smiled to my self. Who knows what could have happened!? Then someone else at the table said he would have called like a shot! Claiming I didn't have it, I could see all there eyes staring at my cards as I went to muck them.

Hey you gotta pay for that kind of information!!!!

Anyway this is how the whole night pretty much went, the only other hands before the final table that helped me out were pocket 10's all in vs 8's, a complete double up at one point I couldn't even watch!! I saw a 9 come out but I could have sworn it was an 8! O and I knocked the guy out that was on the bubble with pocket 6's. That was nice!! We all cut a deal though so he didn't leave empty handed.

I had about 20k in chips when I got to the final table, I couldn't believe that, I was thinking to myself how the hell did I get these!?

I picked my card I got seat 1, not bad considering that makes me on the button, for those of you who know him, Adrian got seat 9 so I had wonderful position over him.

Well I folded the raises all the way round to when I was on the SB everyone folded to me, I look down to see Kh Jh suited so I call, the BB (Ade Bayo) goes "all in" 6k total, know I know I should have folded but for the 1st time I had chips plus I thought (wrongly) he was on a half steal, I call.

Turns out he had AA vs my KJ, Flop J 5 K (WOO HOO) A (Do'h!!) River to come can I catch the full house!?!?

No.

Ah well, a few hands later we are down to 5 people, I'm on a very small stack in the BB next hand and thought to myself if I see a picture card I'm all in, I need to make a stand. I post the BB and look down to see Jh Qd, well now is a good as time as any? "All in" I get called by the massive chip leader, he turns 8 10, and I win the hand. Couldn't believe that.

Well the hand I got knocked out with was strangely enough ***Pocket 10's*** (10d 10c) I went all in as I was still low on chips, and got called Ad 8d, ok that's kool!?

Flop 5d 2c 9d

The Turn: Kd

(At this point I was thinking, yes yes yes!)

River: 4d.

NOooooooooooooooooooooo! Ah well, I was told that I played very well and people did not want to get involved with me unless they had something strong, one guy actually said that

"I ain't calling you unless I have a good hand, I've seen when people raise you and I can see you take it personally and you will fight for what your chips"

This was a very good thing to hear. Well until the next tournament: -

"May all your cards be live and you pots be monsters!" (I think)

Hell Yes! The Fig is BACK

I've found a technique which has improved my poker in leaps and bounds on the bluffing side.
I've taken it from the drunken master the only thing I can say is when bluffing do what they least expect.

I will be trying this new technique out and combining the strategy slow thinking side, with the extreme bluffing side, I'll let you know how I get along.

~Drunken Fig~

All play and no bite

Well, down at the Gutshot yesterday for the £30 F.O and it went well, Adrian, James and me were slapped banged next to each other. This lasted for 30 minutes before the table was broken up, in which time i had got A, 5 early, I raised for the flop to come down 9, A, 9, I bet 100 with one guy who followed. I bet 200 on the turn and he folded.

Moved upstairs and barley surviving upto the break, get pocket Jacks and in the excitement I go all in with 1800 left in chips, this was more to circumvent the two people on the table who kept raising heavily. The last hand I was down to 1100, first decent hand in ages A, J I raise 600 (first mistake should of gone all-in) just to be raised and re-raised so i'm all-in my right has JJ, other guy has KQ, KQ wins it with Kings and sixes and i'm out.

Now out of the three hands that were playable all night I feel I played correctly apart from one element of the game, I did not bluff, why I don't know, intimidation or fear of going out early, I feel that if I get this part of my game right then I can do a lot lot better. A couple of well placed stands here and there could of done it, but with 2,000 in chips and bigger stacks going all-in I felt paralysed to do anything

This will be rectified!

-Fig-

This is becoming a regular occurence

Well not that regular, considering I came 13th in the £5 rebuy last Tuesday BUT:

Out first again in the £30 freezeout last night. But hey, I lasted double as long as I did last time! Yes, it took two hands this week.

£30 freezeout
8 players at my table
Blinds 25-50
Starting with 2,000 chips.

Hand 1: 8d 2h
Fold.

Uneventful hand.

Hand 2:
5th Position, Ac 10c

3rd & 4th fold, I call the BB. 6th & 7th call, 8th & SB fold, BB checks.

Flop: 3d 3h 10h

BB checks, I bet 200, 6th calls, 7th calls, BB folds.

Turn: J

I check, 6th checks, 7th thinks for 2+ seconds and bets 500, you have a jack my arse we both call

River: 6

I check, 6th goes all-in for his remaining one thousand someting, 7th folds, I thought he must have a pocket pair stronger than my pair of tens but failed to get away from my hand.

I call, he turns over two jacks for the boat.



I am having issues with being able to focus properly. While I was thinking about what he had, I could see him staring me right in the face. On a normal day i'd have known I was beat and folded. Yet I knew I was beat and called.

What am I doing? At the moment I really don't know.