Live Pokery!

Sorry for the delay – didn’t realise my pages were being viewed with such anticipation!

I was intending on writing up my live pokery report as I played in the Bloggerment, but go so pissed off after losing yet another hand when over 90% favourite on the flop, I shut down the laptop and haven’t been online since – I don’t even know where I finished or who won!
Thankfully, this was such a contrast from my first live tournament – I’ve played a few home games with friends, but never in a ‘controlled’ environment.

Anyway, on to the live game. Not sure about so many things before the game, when to turn up, what to wear (some places have a dress code), how to behave, what to say, what not to say, nervous about going out early and looking like an idiot etc. I tried to prepare myself mentally – Keith Jarrett’s Koln Concert was a great soother – read a little of Vorhaus before heading off to the venue about half an hour before start time. Most were already there, and there was about 55 in total for a £5+£1 Freezeout, with 7 making the final table and the money. I didn’t do any calculations, but noted that about 33% went to the winner, so this was my aim.
Sat down with my 1500 chips and stared intensively at the other 7 players on my table, trying not to look nervous or out of place. Dealer said hello, the manager came round to lay a few ground rules (this was a ‘beginners’ tourney – though how they know who is or isn’t, I don’t know!) and wished us the best of luck.

First hand I was in mid position and there was a 5 x bb raise before me. First player trying to stamp his authority? Folded to me and I look down at 10 10. I think about this for a few minutes and keep looking at the guy, thinking what to do. I flat call and it is folded around the rest of the table. We see a flop of 6 2 2 and I am confident I am ahead in the hand. He bets about half the pot and again I wait a few minutes thinking if I could put him on a hand. No reads here, just a gut feel I am ahead, so I flat call. Thinking back, this was probably a mistake and I should have raised, and may have a got a call when I learnt what he had.
The turn was dealt, and a nice 10 was shown.
I reached down for a drink, and tried to do what I was doing before so he doesn’t get a read. He bets the same he bet the flop, and again I use a few minutes to think what to do. I raise double his bet – hoping he may feel this is a steal attempt, but also to try and win some chips without scaring him off. He flat calls. River was a K. He thinks for a while and bets a small amount (can’t remember the exact amount now). I re-raise him, putting about half my chips left in the middle. He calls and shows 7 7. Nice pot comes my way and this gives my confidence a real boost!

The next 45 mins was pretty much fold, fold, fold with the exception of one hand I called and didn’t hit on the flop, then checked the BB and folded to a bet on the flop that I didn’t hit. One piece of great discipline (I think!) saw me fold AQ in mid position to a raise, then the BB re-raised all in and after a call, they turned AK v JJ – and the JJ held up (No A or Q so I would’ve lost a lot of chips if I called). Half the field had gone within the first hour, though I didn’t see any real donk calls or play. There was a lot of calling, then folding on the flop – which may be donk play not knowing what they held – but if this was really full of beginners, it wasn’t too bad. I didn’t have a maniac or aggressive player on the tables I sat at, but didn’t watch what was going on around me, keeping my concentration on what was going on in front of me.

There was a bit of commotion on another table, and later I learnt that it was an AQ v A10 confrontation (not joking!) – with an A on the flop, AQ had pushed and A10 called. As the 10 hit the river, I heard ‘How can you think you’re ahead there?’ and the reply ‘shut up, bitch!’ created a little tension at their table! He later apologised and they had a beer at the bar afterwards so I don’t think there was any real harm done. I didn’t see the hand, in fact, I saw no real ‘bad beats’ as such on the tables I played. The contrast against online poker could not be more obvious. AK held up against AQ in a confrontation, AA beat JJ in another, and a flopped straight held up against a flush draw – all seemed to go the way of the favourite – but that was just my table.

So after about 2 hours, we were down to about 12 and the money was getting closer. I get KK on the button, and with 3 limpers already in, make a 8 x bb raise and they all fold. Maybe this was a little excessive, but my ‘online’ experience with KK is that an A will hit the table, so I didn’t want an A rag hand to call and hit lucky. After being amazingly passive, I decide to ramp it up a little at this stage as the blinds were increasing. QJ suited on the button next hand, and my raise isn’t called around the table. 2 go out on the other table and I was moved for the first time to accommodate 2 x 5 player tables until we are down to the final 7. 1 player from each table is eliminated and my table went ultra tight as we waited to see who would be bubble boy. I took this opportunity to steal about 5 pots (just blinds) and after about 30 minutes, a player went off the other table, and we were down to the last 7.
After ‘well dones’ were exchanged, and a 10 minute break, we began. I was about 4th in stack size, with 2 players having a pretty hefty pile in front of them, and 2 players with hardly any. One of the small stacks went out when his mid pair lost to a flopped straight, and we were down to 6. I called from the SB with 9 10 sooted and semi-bluffed with a half pot bet after flopping a flush draw, to which the BB folded. Then I was probably too passive for the next few rounds, folding when I could have been more aggressive, but we were down to 5 when the small stack pushed with K10 and ran into QQ.
With the small stack on the BB. I put him all in holding A2 and he called with 44. No A saw him double up, but it didn’t deplete me too much. Got my revenge the next round, when my 88 knocked out his AK and we were down to 5. A few hands later and it was 4 with AJ v 10 10 and the J on the turn knocked out the pockets. Another period of passiveness from me, but I made it to the top 3 when another player fell by the wayside. I was now a huge shortie and went out shortly after when I pushed with KQ sooted and ran into AQ and neither improved. I stopped to watch the heads up battle and after about half an hour of pushes and folds, there was a confrontation and the winner was crowned and £85 was his prize. 2nd place got £60 and 3rd (me!) got £35

Looking back, I was really happy to have made the FT and the money, pocketing a profit of £30, but feel that I played way too passive throughout. I folded hands where I could have made an impact – but I was still a bit nervous, and again conscious of making a move that made me look a donkey. I was learning as I went along, and played a really tight game, which paid dividends, but may not get me too much action on premium hands in the future as opponents pick up my game. I learned a lot about playing live, pissed the dealer off no end by constantly asking ‘how much’ and apologising for having to be prompted all the time to put my blinds in – but he accepted my apology at the end with a smile – I am a beginner after all!

Next one is in 3 weeks time as they shut for refurbishments, so looking forward to it already!