G League Final Report

So I turn up at the G well before play is due to begin, and I pretty much love my table draw. It looks pretty soft. There's a lad called Jamie, who definitely has some chops, but I have position on him. There are 2 super tight players and Christine, who I hate, so I'm looking forward to knocking her out (more on that, later).

Also at my table, directly to my left, is Glen the Geek. He has about 21k, so could put some real damage to my 31k stack. Before the game, I catch up with a few of the lads and have a pint with Nemesis and chat to Spoona, Sensh and CGK for a bit.  By 3pm, the cards are in the air. Unbelievably, only 36 of 50 players have turned up, and with £4100 in the prizepool with £2000 up top, I'm feeling confident I can do well.

It would be impossible for me to report all the banter, action and good times from this tournament, so I'm just going to select a couple of things. First of the bat, thanks to the G for a slick and well run tournament and especially to Candice and the Big Cheese for just having a good time and running things so smoothly.

Early doors my plan is to be tight. Blinds start at 50/100 with a 25 minute clock throughout, so I don't need to get funky at any point with over 300 BBs. I know that a lot of people would limp lots of small pairs and suited connectors with my stack, but obviously it's effective stacks that we're concerned about, and more than one person at my table had between 40-60BBs. I don't need to get involved and I'm hoping when the blinds go up I can play a few pots profitably.

Not how it turns out, though. Within the first level, there's a little less action from the short stacks than I expected, so I start playing a normal game, loosening up a little. I raise AQo in late position in the second or first level and someone ships the whole farm from the BB. It's about 3k more to me, and frankly, I don't need the flip so I sigh and pass. Later still, the Geek limps UTG and I check my option with K4ss in the BB. I lose a small pot when I brick a flush draw. Good thing I do, Glenn has trips and the NFD by the turn on an AA36ss board with A8ss. I lose a couple of small pots when I brick the world twice with OESFDs, when I've over limped or overcalled with suited connectors in late position. This is pretty standard I think, I've only lost a tenth of my stack and I'm not worried at all.

An interesting hand happens the next orbit when I'm in the BB. With the blinds at 100/200 (first hand at this level), Glen makes it 700 UTG and I elect just to flat in the BB with AhKh. I'm out of position, and I think Glen will overshove most pairs 88+ here when I raise and I don't need a decision for 20k chips, thanks. I'd rather control the pot size, out of position as I am, and I check fold a 9JQ one heart flop. This flop smashes Glen's range in the face, and I'm drawing to a ten ball at best. Turns out if I'd lead the flop, I would have picked it up as Glen shows TT. Unless he liked his OESD on the flop. Ha. Still, I don't mind check-folding here. I'm looking to control the potsize anyway. Against a smaller stack I'd have probably raised pre and called a shove, but it's suicide against the only stack on the table that can significantly dent me.

 I'm down to about 24k at one stage, and I'm not happy. I can't hit the board for toffee and I'm bricking draws. When a new player raises early and everyone else folds I shove AKo in the BB for about 5k effective. He calls with KK. Flop brings 3 diamonds, turn is an Ace and he's dead because the case King is diamonds and would make me a flush. I run pretty good.  From then on, I tear it up, I start checking to induce bluffs, floating and barrelling and generally playing my A game. I lose a pot to Christine when she tank calls QJo in the BB to my EP raise with AQs and we check it down (she always check calls every street, I hadn't hit the board, so I'm not betting really as it doesn't seem like a value bet with A high. She calls the entire range she's beating me with and the board is J high).

I then take a couple of hits with standard cut off raises running into '3BB more' shoves from the BB. I'm never flipping with him, sigh, he always has a value hand and it's pretty frustrating. He then spews these chips away by bluffing B v B and limp folding 7BBs, but then I go double him again with A9s running into AA for about 30p more. *sigh* I don't give up though, and flop trips to get three streets of value from one idiot, and then raise with 78s in late position again. The BB (him again!) shoves on me and I snap. He has AQo. Finally a hand where I'm not dominated. Persistence is virtue and I flop 2pair. One hand later I raise in the hijack with QJhh and get shoved on for not much more by a different big blind. I'm priced into call and hope I'm not dominated. He has 99. Nice. I flop two pair and turn a house. Nice. That's the 2 table bubble and we're joined now by Nemesis with mirrrrions of chips and Glen the Geek rejoins, having been moved just after he took my 700 in level 3. Other players I don't know.

Nemesis has position on me, so I tighten up a bit because he's capable of three betting light. Jamie, a teacher, who I have a lot of time for and was excellent banter all day (including agreeing to put a £5 bounty on Christine's head) gets coolered when he shoves the short stack from the button and before I can even finish saying 'I'm calling you light' I snap him off with JJ. He has TT and my stack is north of 45k for the first time. Ul Jamie, good playing with you.

I win a pot against Nemesis when I limp the button with JTs (horrid, I know, but I've been stealing his blinds a little and I want to play a pot with him for a change!). He raises as expected and I flat. I call his bet on the flop QJx board, call again on the turn which puts a third spade up there, and tell him that I'm going to call a third barrel on the river, so he checks and I check behind. He never calls Ace high here, but he might raise and I don't want that. My stack is north of 65k now with only those couple of showdowns. We're short handed and near the final table bubble

A few hands later, Ian gets me back. I raise in MP with JJ and Iain shoves. I was really close to calling, but I passed. Truth is, I didn't want to lose a flip when I think I can outplay everyone else at the table. I was closer than Nemesis thinks I was to calling, he told me he thinks I need KK+ to call here. I'm calling with 99+ and AQ+ normally, but the table dynamics dictated a fold. He shows me K8s. Nice hand, you fish! :D Ian was continuing to apply pressure to people and wanted to be the table captain. I was fine to let him and pick off the weaklings. Heh.

Eventually, I don't know how, we make the final. I have 63k from 490k total. First hand the geek moves all in for 20k. I tank fold AJs and Nemesis wakes up with QQ. Obviously I'd have rivered an Ace. Sigh. Right fold though.

Some sick hands later I take out christine who's been bitching about ten not being paid because she had about 5BBs. This woman is so standard. I fucking hate her. When it's her BB at 1/2k, I make it 7k UTG with ATdd. This is totally below my usual UTG range, but I want that fiver, considering she only has 4.8k or so. She calls with K5o. Board runs TT33X and she complains about badly done by she is. I really want to tell her to fuck off, but I don't. Play better. Or talk less. I don't care which.

Rob Taylor is our bubble boy when he shoves something and Nemesis snaps. Ian is playing well, but the deck is smashing him in the face! I've never seen anyone run that good.

Anyway, this is long now, so we'll avoid the drama of making the deal and Stephen Craik not wanting it, then wanting it after Nemesis punished him with a shove every single time he raised. Basically, I have £500 locked up and can win a further £500 by winning it. I decide not to ladder and try to rechop later, I'm playing for the win so when I raise the button with 44 and Iain ships the SB, I auto call. He has AK. River is the cruelest Ace ever for a third of the chips in play. *sigh*. I mean, it's standard, but meh.

Ian then smashes the deck some more, cracking KK with QTs by flopping a house when Spoona already passed QT. Wow. He then got Dave in some other ridic spot and finally Spoona, who rocked the short stack admirably, and played super all day long, when Ian turned a 6 ftw in A6 v AT aipref.

I had such fun. £500 is my holiday spending sorted. Great game and wpwpwpwpwpwp Ian. You might run like God, but you played great, too. Well done to everyone that final tabled, of course too.

Ok, enough now. Comments appreciated.

Gl at the tables,

--mulhuzz