Wednesday, May 20, 2009

I Wish I'd Gone to Macdonald's..

It’s a rare thing, me wishing I’d gone to MacDonald’s. There I was in Leicester Square all fired up a bit of poker at the Empire, just about to have a nice Big Mac and fries. For some reason I had a crazy thought that a nice pub meal would be very civilised.
Off I trotted to Yate’s in the square where I ordered the ‘Beer and a burger’ for £5.75. I had to have John Smiths as the computer said I couldn't have the Bitter I wanted, so I took my semi warm pint and sat down for about thirty seconds before my food arrived. I say ‘food’ in the loosest possible terms, as the burger was clearly micro waved about ten minutes ago and looked anaemic and processed, the bap was stale and the chips were limp.
The menu said the burger was ‘Prime Beef’. If there was any beef in that burger I’m sure it must have got there by accident. I wished I had a camera so I could film this sorry excuse for a meal and send it to trading standards. Instead of taking the meal back I did the British thing and ate it without complaint.
I sat in Yate’s for another half hour as I really hoped I would throw the whole lot up on their floor. I wanted to see if they were any good at cleaning, because their cooking was awful. Just before I left I noticed a smell of sick in the area I was sitting. I figured it was the proceeds of yesterday’s ‘Beer and burger’ meal deals.
All in all not the best preparation for a night of poker action!

The Poker Bit
After not being sick I got to the Empire at about 4.30pm. The £20 rebuy doesn’t start until 6.30pm so I played some 1/2 NL cash and lost £60 over the next hour and a half. My busto hand was when I flopped top pair and overplayed it against someone with a flopped straight. Prior to that came this hand:

I have 9 8 of hearts in mid position. The loose aggressive player UTG makes it £10 to call. There’s a caller and I think ‘I should push here for my last £42? Did I push? Of course not. I folded and watched the flop come Q, J of hearts and a blank. The other two players got their stacks in on the flop and of course the ten of hearts came on the turn, which would have given me the stone cold immortal (2nd) nuts on that board. It goes without saying that the £100 + pot was won by two pair. Sigh....

Shortly after my busto hand I start the tournament. I have a few hands of note ;

Hand 1
I’m playing my usual tight aggressive style when I pick up Queens. A player who’s folded makes a comment that the button looks keen on his hand as he tried to raise out of turn. I ignore this and put in a 4 x BB raise to which the button makes a minimum raise. I decide it may be ace king and call to see a raggy flop. He checks and I put my last 400 in before even thinking. He insta calls with his aces, the board bricked out and it’s time for an early rebuy!

Hand 2
I pick up pocket fives and fold to an early position raise when I had a feeling I would have flopped a set. The hand ends in a four way all in where I would have won with a rivered straight. At least I made the correct decision pre flop.

Hand 3
Coming to the end of the rebuy period I find AQ UTG and push all in. I get one caller who has A9 and my queen kicker holds. I now have 1500 to take into the freezeout period, 3500 after the £20 add on. 5k would be better but 3.5k will have to do.

Hand 4
I go through my customary survival period where I get no hands at all and I go down to about one or two big blinds. I hear you all saying ‘Don’t let it get to that stage!’ Every time I get aggressive with two or three tables left I bust, and most times I hang on and hang on I cash, so I have to go with what I know...
The blinds had just gone up to 600/1200 when I was moved to a new table, straight into the big blind. Bugger, 2100 left and in the BB for my tournament. I looked down to see KQs and I am happy with that. UTG limped, a big stack raised and I pushed. Both called and I was up against pocket sevens and Ace five. I spiked a King on the turn to triple up to 6500. Lovely old stuff.

I got to the final table where I needed to come 8th to break even on the night. I worked out it was £246 each for a nine way chop and offered it to the players. To my surprise and joy we agreed on taking £200 each with the other £450 being put on 1st, 2nd and 3rd. I busted out 9th when my pocket tens was busted by the legendary king two offsuit, but by then I was happy with an £80 profit. It was a great deal for me considering I was short stack at the table and was looking at a paltry £60 for 9th.

I'm looking to take my new work colleagues to the Empire for their first taste of live action. I know they will get ripped to bits. Is it cruel of me to be looking forward to it?

I grew these!!!!!!!!!

No comments: