PAN Poker 17.07.10

17th July 2010.

PAN Poker Live Game.

£20 Re-buy (discretionary)

7 Handed - £140.00 Prize Pool

*2 Rebuys = £180.00 Prize Pool

1 - £80

2 - £60

3 - £40

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Entrants:

Seat 1: Stevo (6th)

Seat 2: Brev (5th)

Seat 3: Ronan* (4th)

Seat 4: Brad (2nd)

Seat 5: Manslow (3rd)

Seat 6: Andy (1st)

Seat 7: Jenny* (7th)

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It had seemed like an eternity since the last game - think we've just been spoiled playing regularly with a new game going up on the calender the day after the last one had finished. It had only been four weeks but everyone was itching to play some cards!

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My goal tonight was to kick on from bubbling or cashing in 3rd to getting heads up and playing my normal online heads up game rather than my mediocre overplayed heads up game a usually resort to in the live game.

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The game started pretty lively with big pots moving around the table early on, first big hand I was involved in saw brad min-raise with JJ, I flat called with 10's, Jenny then called with A9 and position inviting Brev to call from the big blind. The flop came 789 rainbow which was a great flop for me to represent a stronger holding than I had. After Brev and Brad checked it into me I four bet knowing I could be beat but had a good draw to accompany my over pair, betting with 3 live players I oped would represent a big pocket pair. Jenny called with top pair, Brev folded and Brad too, thinking I had KK or AA, with the field narrowed I decided to slow down in case Jenny had hit a set, I knew Jenny would bet the turn if I checked it to her so when the 3 came that's what happened another four bet from Jen saw me calling to hopefully hit my draw. The river came a 6 giving me the straight which was a great card as otherwise Jenny would definitely have put my 10's to the test I value bet and Jenny called with her top pair, fearing I had a set but my bet size forced a crying call. Stevo from out of the hand made a great read calling my 1010 at showdown. Nice pot early doors.

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Jenny was first to fall when her AK clashed with Brad's AA preflop the aces held and Jenny was out. Jenny then re bought and hit the booze to make the night go with a bang! Woo Hoo!

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Big hand involving Manlsow. Manslow I think called Brads min-raise with KK, I call with A7 on the button Stevo calls with A7 from the small blind and Brev calls from the big blind with 44. The board brought a monster flop - A44!!!! Ste, Brev and Brad all check, then Manslow leads out to find out where his kings are at. With 3 players behind me, Manslow leading out, and a pretty crap kicker I get out of the way with the A7, Stevo does the same, Brev is obviously up for the ride and Brad gets outta the way. The turn comes a Jack and then an Ace on the river, which presented Manslow with both an opportunity to not lose all of his chips with Brev slowing down, but in hindsight maybe an opportunity to bluff at the pot with Brev fearing that ace. Manslow checks it down losing a big pot to Brev's Full Boat. That ace doesn't come on the end this could have been much worse for Manslow, as it happened he was more than still afloat in the game.

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Ronan and Ste had been card dead for the first couple of hours, with Ronan lacking the confidence to play J3 with any quality ;) !!!!

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Stevo landed a hand and re-raised brad all in taking a decent pot down with Brad folding his AJ to Stevos suited AK which Ste showed.

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Still tight Stevo raises with AA, and Brad made a dubiously creative call with K3 suited. Now this hand caused some controversy -I'd say that Stevo played this well, but I would also say he gets really, really unlucky. Ste just over three bets his Aces - I think Ste wants the call here, Brad obliges in the best possible way, ie: with suited crap. Sadly, and unjustly the poker fairys decide to shaft the best hand in the business with Brad flopping two pair on a board of K 3 10. Sick in anybodies book, but once ahead here you can't let the embarrassment of the loose call hitting stop you extracting every chip possible. Stevo was knocked out in a very ugly way, I do think Brad was a bit embarrassed by the suck out and therefore attempted to justify the play making the beat worse. I can't help thinking Brad may have had the bounty in mind when he made that call, or maybe forcing the play a bit after losing a big bet to Stevo's all in re-raise. All in all, an ugly moment!

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Brad then went on to be quite up and down his stack yo-yoing for the rest of the night, getting stacked and getting short, clawing it back and getting short again. Ironically this happened just after he commented on Brev's tendency to not hold on to a big stack.

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I, in the mean time had a card drought, lasting for about 2 and a half hours.

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Jenny took Brev out next with a great call of Brev's all in with AJ with her pocket 99s which held knocking Brev out.

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I leapt back into action when I limped into Ronan's big blind with 77, Ro had 23, and the board came 457, inviting Ronan to push with the open ended straight draw v my set, I called and it held giving me 13500 with blind at about 400/800.

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Ronan requested a rebuy, it was fairly late in play and there were short stacks at the table, I objected to the rebuy but the majority allowed it. In hindsight we have decided to look at when and how we allow rebuys as Ronan re bought as we were on the bubble providing an unexpected obstacle for those short stacked in their efforts to progress. We are gonna look at once the 6th place player falls (and doesn't rebuy), there are no more rebuys. It is my belief that it should be a straight freezeout, if you're out you're out - I know we all love to play but sometimes you go out first hand! Rubbish, yes, but there is still serious drinking, chatting, dealing, online poker or XBox to play, that would be my solution.

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Manslow went out next, he was as good as blinded out and his 42 which paired on the river met Jens back door flush. Ronan was next to go his AK, beaten by Jens 57.

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The bubble burst and despite my wanting to push to get heads up - it was clear that I could afford to hold on with the two aggressive players Jen and Brad had been clashing a fair bit, with Brad taking risks even on the bubble losing a big pot with A9 v Jens JJ. Sure enough Brad and Jen clashed a few times 99 v A10, then Brad's AJ re raised Jenny all in with A9, she called, Brads hand held.

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Jenny pushed fairly short with 56, Brad called with 1010, I look down at AA, knowing it'd piss Brad off and hoping he'd play back at me a raised it up despite the pending knockout - it did piss him off and he made a lay down I don't think I would've(I'd have tilted all in) putting down his 10's. The aces held and we were heads up.

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I played a good game heads up, playing small ball poker, gaining a chip lead and getting Brad all in twice for him to win from behind. A little blip in bravado from me allowed Brad to get back even and we decided to chop the money.

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We both were fight for the top spot in the league and wanted to play on for the points, nice that players are taking the PAN Poker League as more important than the money - and with the money out the way we played on for the points. With a bit of aggression and a card drought at just the wrong moment for Brad I kicked on to take the win.

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I played a good game tonight. I had the cards at good times, and crucially made them pay big! I rode out a big card drought and a mini confidence blip heads up to result in first place. I can't tell you of many mistakes I made, I made one crying call against Jenny and perhaps laid down 1 or 2 hands when ahead early doors, but crucially they weren't costly mistakes.

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Really pleased with my showing and was glad I got to play a decent heads up for the first time live in ages!!!!