I was given a free entry into an online satellite for the ISPT, where the top ten would win a seat for day 1a of the tournament, by writing a post about it on my blog. Cool eh? Places eleven to fifteen get a copy of Jared Tendler’s The Mental Game of Poker 2.
This is the true story of what happened; inspired by Gus Hansen’s legendary book, Every Hand Revealed, where he details the major hands and decisions that enabled him to luck box his way to win some donkament.
You may notice a few subtle differences.
I register for the tournament around noon, and see there are only thirty runners so far. At this rate a third of the players will win a seat. I like those odds.
The trouble is, I very rarely play online anymore and I’m guessing these media types live and breathe poker. They have their push / fold tables stuck to the wall in front of them. They are probably structure nerds, bubble exploiters, Sharkscope subscribers. I play twice a week for a fiver against pub donks. So all you button clicker out there, bear that in mind!
So I need to decide on a strategy. I’m going to play tight. Surprised eh? I will play good starting hands in position. I don’t want to bust out to some ridiculous three street bluff, or hero call with second pair. If I get a decent run of cards at the right time then I still figure I have a chance at a top ten finish. Let’s do this.
Beth goes out to play the Monday game at The Palmerston. We wish each other luck and I’m alone with the laptop. And a cat. I open the DTD software and find the tournament lobby.
Fifteen minutes to go. The nerves are starting to kick in.
There are now sixty six entrants. Bastards. It’s a super deep stack, turbo freeze out. Starting stack of 15,000 with blinds kicking off at 50/100. So that’s 150 big blinds. Sweet. No need to get busy too early.
It’s eight o’ clock, a message pops up wishing me good luck and I’m seated at the table.
Here we go.
“Dealing first hand.” Yells my computer.
Gah, I quickly go to options to turn this off. Why do they have that? For blind people or something? Yeah, I guess that would make sense.
Couple of nothing hands and then I get dealt 88 in mid position. Folded to me I raise 3x and get called by the big blind. Ok, gimme a decent flop here, with, I dunno, an eight or something.
Flop is ATJ. Big blind checks. Hmmm. Standard thing is to c-bet here, but I remind myself to be patient. I save a bullet and check it back. Turn is 7 and the big blind leads out. I give him credit and fold. Well that didn’t go too well.
Five minutes in and blinds are up. Blimey, I seriously didn’t think it was that quick. My lovely 150 bbs are suddenly cut in half, as they will be again five minutes later, and again five minutes after that. This might not last very long.
A few hands later I’m dealt AJ in the cut off facing a raise. I decide to flat in position and the big blind calls too. The flop is J55. The raiser c-bets, I call as does the big blind. Turn is a 4. Check, check to me so I bet a third of the pot and I’m fairly relieved to find two folds. Back up to 15,500.
I don’t get any decent hands for a while so I decide to jot down some notes of what I’m getting.
73. 92. Q6. Blinds go up. Twenty minutes in now and I’ve got 37 big blinds. 64. 95.
Someone in the chat box asks for the name of our blogs and I’m the only fish to reply. I’m not sure why it matters; I just thought it might get me a few readers. I don’t think it did though.
What it did do though was tip off Paul Seaton that I was at the same table. He immediately tweets, “Playing the #ISPT Media Freeroll, ten seats worth 300 euros up for grabs. Nice table save for @williampowell14 he lahhvs the pokers!”
Damn he’s on my table and I have no idea which player he is. If you don’t already know him, Paul Seaton is a very famous UK poker writer and feared poker player. He recently took down the Birmingham Superstack for close to a bajillion pounds. So he’s rich as well. Follow him on twitter @PaulSeaton.
I tweet him to ask him which one he is. “That would be telling :)” I get back. Swine. I should stop messing about on twitter and concentrate on the game.
Hijack min-raises and I call in the small blind with KJo, big blind calls too. Flop is A85 and we all check. Turn is a J. I lead and hold my breath. Fold, fold. Back up to 15,500 again.
Q5. AT. 95. 74. 92. A4.
Yes I fold AT in early position, but now I’ve got A4 in the small blind. It’s folded to me and I min-raise. My plan was not to mess around with crappy aces but obviously folding isn’t an option here. Big blind folds and I add that and the antes to my stack. Up to 15,775.
I have just under average stack so it’s not going too bad. Everyone seems to be playing solid poker. Not much is going to showdown though so they could be raising with all sorts. (c @daraokearney)
Thirty minutes in and I now have 26 big blinds.
79. T5. 32. Q6. T3. 85. K2.
As9d in the big blind. Early position raiser and everyone else folds. Suddenly all options look horrible here, a weak ace that I will have to play out of position, so I choose the cautious route and call.
Flop is A95, two hearts. I like that flop. I like that flop A LOT.
Sneaky check and the original raiser c-bets as I’d hoped. Calling is maybe an option, but I’m just praying he has a big ace and wants to get it all-in. Check raise it is, which basically has me pot committed. He folds so I guess he didn’t have it.
Stack is up to 19,500. Woo! Here’s a pic at this stage while I’m on the same table as Seaton. I’m mylostpokli, bottom right.
The table breaks and I’m moved to face a new set of players. This doesn’t matter too much as I can’t claim to have any reads on anyone, and there isn’t anyone with a massive stack bullying the table.
Q7. T5.
Blinds go up again. I now have 19 bbs and I’m 21/54.
K2. 95. 79. 38. Q8.
Blinds go up to 600 / 1,200 with antes. I’m starting to think about stealing in position as everyone is playing pretty tight.
Someone limps and I limp along with 33. Small blind completes and we see a flop with four players.
6TT. Big blind bets 18k and we all fold. Damn, I want to flop a full house like my hero Brian.
74. Q5. 33 (I fold to a raise). T5. 64. 92. 92.
And with a lovely 92 twice in a row we are on a five minute break. I’ve got around ten bigs left and I’m 36/47. Things are looking pretty grim but not desperate. Nineteen players have busted out, so it could be worse.
I tweet @PaulSeaton to ask if he’s still in. “Chip leader :)” he replies. Swine. I have a look at the lobby and see a player who was at my table is indeed at the top of the chip count. Story checks out.
The tournament resumes.
Q2, A6. I ponder what to do with the A6 but decide to go for a fold as there are a few players behind still to act. K6. 82 in the sb.
JQ in the big blind. It gets folded round to the small blind who makes a min-raise. I have him just about covered. Decision time. Chances are he’s stealing here and will jam any flop if I call. I decide to make a stand and punish his attempted steal. You wanna dance buddy? OK let’s go. All of the chips in the middle. Whadda you say to that eh?
He snap calls. Crap. I’m a bit surprised when I see he has K7. I’m glad I’m not crushed but really disappointed to see that I got the chips in with the worst hand.
Flop is JAQ. Boom. What a luck box. I just have to fade the ten. Turn is a 7. River is a 2.
Up to 26k. I fold the next few hands and the blinds go up again leaving me with 11 bbs, sitting 18/33.
I get 77 UTG+1 and shove. No callers, up to 13bbs.
There are a few all-ins happening now and they are all showing up with premium hands. I’m being dealt junk and biding my time. A few hands later my time comes.
A min-raise from early position and I have AQ on the button. Before I really think through the situation, my mouse moves the slider and I click all-in for my last seven or so bbs. I get a call and I’m facing the dreaded AK.
Not even a sweat on the flop. I’m out. My virtual chips slide across the table and into the stack of my opponent. Gutted. No seat at ISPT. Not even a book. Nothing. Out in 30th place. Damn you poker.
Could I have folded the AQ in that spot? A better player certainly could have I think. Would you?
Overall was I happy with the way I played? I have to be honest and say no. I did stick to playing tight mostly, but I had to get lucky in a couple of spots. On the other hand I think I was up against some decent players who have more experience than me playing online and in these types of tournaments. I thought beforehand that I’d need some decent cards and a bit of luck to finish in the top ten and it didn’t happen. I decide not to be too hard on myself.
Instead I decide to rail Seaton to see if he can grab a seat. I watch as he gets his chips in against another player who hits a flush on the turn, but the river gives Paul a full house. Damn this man is good. A few hands later he loses a flip to put a dent in his stack. Not too long later he is all-in again with 77 vs QJ. A harmless flop is dealt but a cruel queen on the turn sends him to the rail.
He’s out in 16th place. The pure bubble. A restless night on his mattress of money is all he has to look forward to.
I tweet him: “Saw two players get it in against you with the worst of it. UL, well played.”
And get back: “Thanks mate. Played well I thought but can’t help the cards they do everyone at times WP yrself :)”
Good luck to anyone reading this who did grab a seat, I hope you have fun and win a few quid.
Me? I’m off to the pub to play some cards.
