Circus Anniversary cup 2/8/09

Well I've decided to just do a little blog on last nights game, whilst it is still relatively fresh in my mind.

As you all will know it was the Circus Anniversary cup yesterday the biggest poker comp in Stoke this year. I was really eager to play in this however realistically I could not afford the £165 so had a crack at one of the online satellites, which cost me $24 and I managed to scrape a place.

So I turn up on the day, not really knowing what expect, but I am pleased to see plenty of familiar faces. Once everyone has sat down I think there was 238 runners meaing that the total prize pool was around the 38k mark but I was trying not to think about that.

Due to the high number of runners extra tables had been put on, and I was on table 23 which wasn't even in the card room it was right in the corner by the door to the smoking area which felt a bit weird.

First 2 levels, was really tight no one on my table really playing a lot of hands. I was involved in loads of flops but donked off about 3k trying to chase draws none of which I hit and hobbled to the first break with about 7k left.

When I returned from the break my table had been broken, I was moved to table 9 where Dave Glaze was. At this stage I just went completely card dead, and must have sat through about 4 levels(2hours) without playing an hand.

By this point I had been blinded down to about 5k. With blinds at 300 - 600 I find jacks UTG raise to 3k get raised by big stack who then gets -re-raised by another player so I fold. One had A A the Other had Q Q both hit a set.

Bad news is I'm now on the big blind with about 2400 left and blind goes up to 400 - 800 so realistically its very hard to fold now on my blind. 4 players limp and amazingly I get see a flop which brings 6 7 2 board, I have 4, 5 and slat my remaining 1,600 in get called by ace high(good call) but the dealer put an 8 straight on the turn for me, so happy days.I now have around 6,400 chips again with the small blind through me about 6k.

Still in need of a double up I find pocket tens and call another short stacks push who had 7's they hold up and I now have 14k.

Next blind level jumped straight to 600 and 1200 with a 100 running ante, totally card dead I did manage to pinch a few blinds, which were well worth it at this point and just managed to keep my head above water for a few more orbits.

Last level before the break average chips are 30k at this point, I only have about 12k left so get it all in with AK double up against AJ another short stack, I think not sure on that one.

But it takes me to about 22k.

By this point the break can't come quick enough for me as I have a soar throat, I'm sweating like pavarotti in a pie shop and I needed a dump.

Just before the break, probably the worst hand I played all night, blinds still 600 - 1,200 everyone folds to the blinds, I call the small blind with k 10 of hearts, the board comes 4 4 6 with two hearts. (The other player is Mick Fletcher who finished 2nd), so I check he checks behind turn is a queen of diamonds putting another flush draw on, he bets 4k and think for a while and call. River is the king of diamonds giving me top pair but completing the flush, but he instantly asks how much I left and the dealer says 15k, 15k it is then he says. Bearing in mind he about 50k behind him its not really gonna hurt him too much.

I think for ages and ages thinking he probably may have bet a 4 on the flop, but the fact he bet 4k on the turn was a bit strange. And also he could easily have picked up a diamond draw on the turn and decided to bet it as at that point it didn't appear any of us had much.

The only thing I thought is would he go all in if he had hit a flush knowing Id called the turn, no he probably just try a smaller bet. Confused and knowing I'm still only beating a bluff I sheepishly fold and he was quick to show two random black cards that had no bearing to the board.

About 50 left now, I see sleazy heading out on another table. I suddenly hit AK and AQ back to back, don't get any callers but the blinds are 800 - 1600 with the running antes well worth winning. I continue to get good cards and get up to about 30k.

30 left now I'm still short stacked blinds 1 - 2 k I am hovering on the brink again and don't find any hands at all in this level. Starting to get that sinking feeling again.

With blinds at 1500 - 3000 it all goes mad, I find 10 10 against Ak and double up to 60k but the average is about 80k and the very next hand I wake up with Q Q and run into A A spike a queen on the turn to double up to to around 130k. At this stage there are about 26 left and so the games slows down because the bubble is on 24. I play a few hands in the next level and stupidly double Dave Glaze back up with my AJ against his AQ. Break at the end of this level and really need it now.

The break does come and calm myself down, a few reassuring words from Brasso, Sleazy and Peskie and I'm all fired up again.

We sit back down with blinds on I think 4,000 - 8,000 and manage to negotiate that level and the next one just stealing the odd pot here and there. I think I managed to make 2 or 3 really good laydowns during this part, as I was getting a good sense of what hands people were pushing with.

I get to the top 14 which means a slight increase on the payout (£400) and the next bubble is 11th. Battling away I get down to the top 11 with only about 100k and blinds ridiculous now I think about 8,000 - 16,000. Most people on our table have less than 8 big blinds and all the money is on the other table. Theo is really short stacked and Im basically waiting for him to knocked out so I can make the final. However he lets the blinds go through him leaving him with 1 big blind.

Next hand I finds Jacks on the big blinds, the only player who hadn't seemed to be letting the bubble effect him and was pushing frequently was Andy Higginson. The pushed all in on the button and Ive got jacks on the big blind. If I fold now I wll be very short, and even if Theo does get knocked I wont have much ammunition for the Final Table, so I decide to go for glory and call unfortunately for me he had kings and that was the end of me.

I really enjoyed myself though I couldn't argue with my return. Thought all the UKPI boys did a belting job updating and all in all a very well run comp by all the staff.

I was glad to see that no chop was done until the final 2, mainly because of the old guy who refused to deal even when he was offered £10,500 with 6 left bearing in mind first prize was only £11,100.

Stay lucky chaps

Andy