Team Eat My Stack won the Virgin Festival Forum Challenge during the ealry hours of Sunday 29th June.

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At last Bas is being noticed by the UK poker media. Inside Poker have featured Bas on their online site.

Inside Poker

The MSOP 32 was a $15+1.5 buy-in game that attracted 1955. It’s a deep stack NL Holdem game with 3k starting stack and a slow structure to begin with. I started this deep stack tournament like normal which is play a tight game to begin with and only looking to get involved with premium hands or with playable hands in position. Then as the tournament progresses and as I get to know my opponents I start to play and hopefully stay around average stack throughout most of the game.
As a result by the first break my chip stack was at 3225 from a stacking stack of 3000. I didn’t pick up anything and given my rock image I got no action from hands I decided to play. Therefore nothing much happened for the first hour.

Not long before the first break I was moved to a new table so I had to gather some info again on my new opponents. Only two hands into doing so I already realise that the guy to my right seemed to be loose. This was confirmed over the next few hands as he played them all despite previous action. The 2nd hand that I was there went to showdown and he had j6s in mid position after some1 had min-raised from UTG+1. He played the next hand and min-raised UDG the hand after with 34o. So by this point only a fool would not know how loose he was. He got some stick from other opponents for this as he was outdrawing them.
Anyway, my first real hand began about 10mins after the break where I was on the BB at blinds of 60/120 holding 98o. On this hand there was a limper UDG and two in late position as well as the SB. Now this hand was a disaster for me as I played it bad but it was what really set things off for me. Flop was 762 with two spades. I had a straight draw at this point and I would have to confess on reflection I was a donkey for what happened next. SB makes a 3BB raise and I decide to draw for my straight. However to my horror the guy UDG min-raises and the two in late fold and the SB flat calls the raise. I am actually stuck in a horrible situation as this was likely to get expensive and I should not have been drawing but I decided to call. Turn comes a 2 and SB min bets, I flat call and the UDG guy raises and I fold. It turns out the guy had 92s UDG. Now I was fuming/tilty at this point as I am thinking how could he play 29s UDG and in the manner he did.

After that hand I was down to 2215 and would have to put myself in the tilt category. I realised I didn’t play that hand well but I was more angry about the guy with 92s. On the next hand I got the monster 24o on the SB which kicked off my tournament. UDG raises to 295 from 120 and we get 3 callers (1 mid and two in late position) including the guy who has played every hand on the button. Well to be honest 99.9999999% of the time I am mucking 24o but I decide to call the raise and see the flop as to be honest I couldn’t have cared less if I busted out LOL. BB folds and the flop comes 44J rainbow. Bingo I hit the kind of flop I needed. I check and the initial raiser checks. The guy in mid position puts out a 300 bet and gets called from the loose goose on button. The action is to me and the pot stood at 2195 and I had 1920. Now at this point I am gambling and looking to atleast double up if not better. I decided to call the bet and the UDG initial raiser also calls and turn came a Q, rainbow board. I checked, UDG checked and the guy in mid position fires 700 and button min-raises to 1400. I now pushed for 1620 and it gets called by mid position guy and button. River comes down J so the board reads 4J4QJ and I was worried and cursing Full Tilt Poker! There were only 6 possible cards I didn’t want to see on the river and that was one of them. Mid position guy checks and button fires out 1800 and gets called. It turns out the guy in mid position had QTo for two pair and the loose guy on the button with AA. So I pick up the main pot of 7655 and button picks up the side pot.

At this point I was slightly above average stack so I am in reasonable shape and had no need to get too silly again. I pick up some reasonable size pots in late position without showdown and reach the 2nd break with above average stack of 19935. The loose aggressive guy to my left was still in (29s guy!!) and got his stack up to 15k. At this point I decided to play tight and to try and maintain my stack if possible with average stack at about 9k. I didn’t play many hands at all during the 3hr hour and my stack had gotten to around average stack so I had to get some chips. I stole some blinds and was able to make it to the 3rd break and made the money 20min later.

However by this stage I was really short and struggled to take down blinds as again I was moved to a table where I happened to have a loose guy to my immediate right who played a good proportion of his hands. They 2nd key hand of the tournament was my 2nd showdown hand (hand 233) where I got lucky. At this point blinds where 1200/2400 with antes and I was on a very short stack of 13285 and was about 96th out of 99. It had been difficult to take some blinds down as already mentioned so when I picked up A7o in mid position I pushed in for a total of 6BB. This gets re-raised in by the button for 15710 and called by the small blind 12520. They both turn over AKs and I need help and help was what I got. Flop comes down 872 giving the small blind a backdoor flush draw but neither improved and I tripled up to 43590. About 10 hands later I go to war with the big stack that had 217k at that time. I open for 3bb with ATo in mid-position and was flat called by the big stack in CO and rest fold. Flop came T25 all spades and I had top pair on a potentially dangerous flop. I decided that I would commit to the flop and made a half pot bet and get set in by the big stack. He turns over JT diamonds and did not improve so I was up to 80k.

Nothing much happened after that, I tried to maintain my stack til the 4th break. I got moved to a different table before the 4th break and had been sat at this table for 20 hands when I got my next double up in a SB vs. BB encounter. I got dealt 5’s in the SB and push into the BB who calls with ATo. My hand held up I was up to 160k with around 47 players left. A few hands later I picked up kings and open raised 3BB which held up against the small blind’s 3’s and I’m up to 260k. A couple orbits later I get moved to chalkycjb’s table and I was involved on the very first hand with what would be the 2nd and 4th place finishers. The hand had no real action until the river where both the SB and UDG limper had full houses and it was an unfortunate situation for the SB. On the final hand before the break Chris pushes for 62k in mid position and I had QQ on the button. SB had around 59k and BB had 106k. Now I flat called here instead of raising in but it worked out anyway. My queens held up despite both holding a FH on the river and I am up to 265k with 29 opponents left.

Not long after the break we were down to the final three tables and nothing much happened for me til we got down to the last 18. I was moved to another table and I was seated to the 29s guy’s left. He kept up his loose aggressiveness which saw his stack drop from the peak of 800k to 320k. It got folded around to him on the button and he limps in. Blinds were at 8k/16k and my stack had whittled down to 200k. I decide to take a flop with 66 so made up the SB and the BB checked and I flopped a set on a 67Q (2 spade) board. I decided to check it to him hoping to check raise, but he also checked. Turn came a 7 giving me a FH and I checked again and he bet half the pot. I flat called; BB folds and the river got checked down. I wasn’t happy with the way I played the hand and on reflection I should have probably raised on the turn. So was up to 290k with 14 players left. Not much happened after and I was back down to 220k. Then at blinds of 10k/20k, the 29s guy made up the small blind and I checked with J9o. The flop was J96 all diamonds giving me two pair on a potentially dangerous board. He bet out 80k into a 55k pot and I pushed all-in and he folds. I’m was now up to 350k and we reach the bubble about 6 hands later just before the 5th break where I was the short stack with 335k in 10th position. A few hands after the break the bubble popped and I made the final table.

Final Table
The table was as follows,
1.N1CKYBOY, 963916.94 (MP+1)
2.123PUNK, 846372 (UDG+1)
3.BlackList_77, 818380.94 (CO)
4.MAX355, 716059.06 (SB)
5.Enkael, 652229 (MP+2)
6.AALastWarrior, 585015 (MP)
7.MONTABARNAK, 573884 (D)
8.Phingroov72, 376868 (UDG)
9.LSE, 332275, (BB)

with blinds at 12k/24. At this point I really didn’t have any expectation of winning. My plan was to try and double up as soon as I could and hopefully do as well as I could.

The first showdown that occurred on the final table was between Phin and Black. Phin raised all-in for 376868 and it got called by Black with AQs. Phin turns over A9o and rivered a 9 to double up. Therefore things weren’t looking good me as I was now the clear short stack with just over 10bb’s and an M of 5.7, so I had to get moving. Nothing much happened at the table until the blinds got to 15k/30k and I was on the BB. Black min raised in the CO and I decided to take a flop with a8s. Flop comes JT9 giving me a flush draw and an open-ended str8 draw. Given I had decided to gamble I check raised all-in and he flips over two pair. I hit my flush on the turn and I double up to 715k which was about average stack. A few hands later I picked up AQs on Blacks BB and we go to war again with my AQs beating his Jacks and I bust him out in 9th. As a result I became the chip leader with about 1mil chips. A few hands later UDG+1 Max open min-raised and I flat call with AKo. I end up playing the hand quite passive and won the showdown. Personally I could have been more aggressive with the hand and potentially could have stacked him at that point, but I decided to control the size of the pot and not go for full blood. Plus the board had paired on the turn which wasn’t great. I was now up to 1.3mi and blinds increase to 20k/40k on the next hand. A couple orbits go by and I hadn’t done much apart from maintain the stack at 1.3mil. Montab had now become one of the two short stacks and he pushed all-in for 300k in mid position and I re-raised all-in in the CO with AKo I hit an ace on turn and now took a commanding chip lead with 1.75mil chips with Nick being my closes opponent with 1mil.

After that I took down some blinds and then I decided to slow down just as blinds increased to 25k/50k which possibly was a mistake. I ended up being over tight when I should have used my stack to apply the pressure but given I didn’t I was blinded down to 1.3mil and the stacks of the last 6 opponents had started to even out as a result. Then it was the final hand of the level and I decided I had to remind opponents that I did exist and I picked up the aggression again and I re-raised the button (Enkael) all-in and I took down the pot and was back to around 1.5mil. Thereafter my stack fluctuated between 1.3mil and 1.6mil and I was on 1.45mil by the final break.

Just before the final break we finally get a showdown hand at the table (the last showdown was when I took out Montab)!!. AALast pushed all-in UDG with A7o and it got called by 123Punk with 9’s. AAlast hits his ace and doubles up and 123Punk is left crippled. After the break I lost my HUD as PO has an issue with 10k antes apparently but luckily for me I knew my opponents well enough by now and the stacks where

1.LSE, 1450880
2.AALastWarrior, 1195570
3.MAX355, 1165120
4.N1CKYBOY, 963916.94
5.Enkael, 970676.94
6.123PUNK, 149335
123Punk pushed all-in on the first hand after the break and got called by the big blind Enkael and we are down to the last 5. I take down some blinds and pots vs. small blind Max and got myself up to 2.1mil chips.

Enkael eventually went out in 5th after being left short stacked after Max outdrew Enakels Aces which was really sick. AAlast pushed UDG with TT and got called by Enkeal with 99. Many hands late when blinds are at 50k/100k my next showdown happened. I raise 3BB UDG w AJs and got called by Nick who was now the chip leader on the SB. He bets out on a J high board with top pair and flush draw (TJs) and I re-raise all-in with my TPTK. My hand holds up and I took a huge chip lead of 3.6mil leaving nick with 2.5BB (250k). Nick doubled up on the next hands with 8’s against AAlast’s AJs who did not improve. On the very next hand pushed with KJo which does not improve against Max’s A9o.
Finally 3 handed with chip stacks as follows:

1.LSE, 3511758
2.MAX355, 1725696
3.AALastWarrior, 687546

I eventually take out Max in a SB vs. BB situation where I hit trips and he hit a flush draw and missed. There weren’t really many hands 3 handed. If AALast decided to play he would simply push and max was just too passive.

1.LSE (4,479,908)
2.AALastWarrior (1,385,092)

So we are heads up and it lasts 5 hands. In the end I raise 3bb to 360k and AALast pushes in for 1.1mil. I call and my AKo holds up against his Q9o.
The game didn’t last long 3handed or heads up so not much to say apart from I was ahead and I stayed ahead. I kept up the aggression when needed and used Max’s weakness against him. As for AALast he simply pushed every time he decided to take a pot and lucky for me my hand held in the end otherwise anything was possible given I raised all 3 hands heads up from the button and he pushed both times from button. He simply was all in or nothing on every hand turning it to more of a lottery if I had nothing.

Summary
I still can’t believe I managed to take this down as you need alot of luck in fields this large. One of the key reasons for doing so well apart from the luck ofcourse, was that I was never scared to go bust. I was willing to commit to the hands I decided to play on some potentially dangerous flops if i thought i was ahead. I suppose the biggest hand for me was the AJ vs. TJ situation where I flopped top pair against Nick who at that time had me covered as well as many outs. Had I been scared or just thinking about the prize money I might have just folded hoping to move up a spot given I had the chips to fold. It was the key hand which won me the game really as it was simply a case of win it and have a very dominating chip lead or lose and bust out in 4th. I think this is the first MTT in sometime where I haven’t let the prize money affect my play. I simply wanted to win and take it down. Anyone that might have watched me play before or played against me in the old PNL days would have saw in the past that I generally preferred to move up the prize money on the final rather than risk my stack. For once I did the right thing and went for glory

In an effort to increase Zitty’s bed sales..here goes.

Firstly I am not very good on the memory front (cant remember why) so this is going to be lacking the precision of many of the live event reviews.

Sat down with IanUK to my left, Simon Trumper (of PNL fame and a bounty) next to him and The Chairman (Steve) two to my right. Simon didnt play the first half hour or so and it was very cagey at first with few flops and When there was some action the boards seemed to get checked/ or check called down..even a guy who raised with 1010 and then checked all the way despite no scare cards. Anyway then a test for the probability junkies. Our dealer managed to get the first all in and IanUK was dismayed to see his AA up against ..AA for a split pot. Next hand..A10 v A10..10 on the flop and another split. Amazingly next hand…Q high flop and KQ v KQ split again. I also had AK v thechairmans AK but we checked this down each not wanting to make an early error on an unhelpful board.

I had played a few hands, raising with QJ and raggy aces to test water but the few limped pots went nowhere. Did make a straight with 75o in bb and got my value bet paid off which was a good early test of my usual routine not to look back at my cards once I have seen them (which is hard sometimes with the suits). I dont know whether this makes any difference to my opponents but I find it helps me focus on the playing of the hand. Ok goes a bit vague here..I ended level 5 (the first break, with each level 24mins) with 8k which was not a great improvement on starting stack but at least it was positive.

After the break I struggled with a lack of action, cards and unable to use any marginal hands in good positions due to raises beforehand or risk of getting shoved on. I had to lay down AQ after raising in cutoff, called by Trumper and BB pushed leaving me in a spot. After Ian had unluckily gone out to a bigger ace with an Axx flop, I was joined briefly by Jeff. We didnt have many chips and someone kindly gave us some big issues to sell while we waited for what seemed inevitable doom. Jeff did go but I was still hanging in there and we were down to three tables.

I was moved for the first time onto a table with Mick, Dr Owl, two team mates (Camking & Lucas) and two DTD bounties to my right. The bounties managed to clash with a push allin with 33, called by AA, flop 3xx but turn A. Someone had folded AQ apparently so a nice 1 outer redraw.I was seriously short at this point, resigned to going out shortly and ready to push with anything. Anyway to my relief, UTG I get 88 and shove..mid position instantly raises, and there is some discussion over the amount. I am obviously thinking I am going to be well behind and out but after the delay, he flips over a surprising 77 and my hand holds for a double up. A few hands later I get KK and shove again…Camking calls with 99 but again my hand holds..I have knocked a team mate out but at least the chips stay in the family as it were.

Get moved again to a table where I have played with 3 of the players quite a bit previously in the tourney, plus Supergran and some fellow short stacks to my left. I stay patient and as the table shortened I decided to take some risks and push as frequently as possible as the blinds were crippling. I wanted to get to the final table but knew I couldnt wait and better to go down fighting and have a chance for a moan afterwards than fizzle out like a second hand firework.

So back to raggy aces and K10 to keep me afloat using image and hoping not find a caller. Managed to get to 20k this route and another break I think. I did have one moment where I was going to push with KQo and was moving chip piles behind line when the guy to my left says allin…I pause thinking I had made a mistake..but dealer clarified I was still to act.. and I of course folded. Then with my image a bit looser, pre FT I managed to get KK to hold twice, knocking two players out including a bounty, both times getting the call, once with 77 (not a good hand at DTD?) and 88 in BB for a bounty (Always worry that there is a neon sign flashing on my forehead saying ‘Big Hand Alert’).

Anyway somehow I had got to the final table with 50k+ chips which was way more than I expected, but maybe a reward for patience and being brave enough to push a lot pre FT.

I hadnt kept track of the other table (very unlucky Dr Owl) but it was nice to see Lucas my team mate chipped up and of course Mick who is a top bloke in my book. 9 to go, 7 paid but I really wanted to see an EMS team win (mainly as Ram had said he would kill me if we didnt..nothing like
motivation). Of course the team element made play a little bit trickier than if I was just playing for individual pride.

Anyway I had a short stack to my right, a decent player who I had played a good while with earlier. In fact he had managed to come back from the dead with only just over a big blind and winning a 5 handed pot with 102o and then doubling up next hand with AA mid tourney. In the big blind with 1010, it is folded round to him, he pushes and I insta call. He flips KQo and although he hits a pair on flop, I hit a lucky 10 redraw on turn to knock him out and give me some renewed confidence. Can’t remember how long the bubble lasted but Mick managed to get AA v KK and we are in the money. To be honest, until we get 4 handed I cant really remember too much detail after that. I reraised Mick preflop with AKs and he folded and raised with AA but no action and we lost 3 players including Mick. He had played a great game in my opinion and although he annoyed Ashley the dealer a few times on the FT, he brought some much needed personality to the table which would have been a bit dour and over serious without him. He is also an aspiring Jamie Gold in the chat stakes (or is it the other way round).

At four handed we were told, that our team would win if we could basically get 1st and 2nd or the player for the other contending team (OCT from now on) was knocked out in 4th. No pressure then. While Lucas is still chipped up, I am short stacked along with the OCT who was to my right. Not nervous, but tense and focused..while I like a laugh as you know..I do take poker very seriously and of course the Luke ‘twins’ had a bar bill to finance before they were nationalised.

I have a vast amount of experience at managing a short stack (if only that could count as a brag) but this was tough.

Main aim was to try and steal Lucas’big blind without getting caught by the player to my left and hoping OCT got knocked out quickly. Unfortunately it seemed to go on for ever and the longer it went on the more fearful I was going to fail at the final hurdle. Loads of tricky decisions including much agonising over 66 and KJo in BB for all my chips. I folded them but I tell you..without the team element I probably call at least one of them more often than not.

Cant remember if it was before or after those hands but a critical hand when I pushed again with Q2o on button and Lucas called with AK. At the time I was surprised but it quickly passed as a 2 and a Q fell to give me my first proper outdraw of the day. There is no point debating the merits of the hand..the result was great. I doubled up, our win when it came would carry much more respect and it sent a signal to OCT that it was going to be our day. He fell shortly after, we were team winners and when Lucas knocked out 3rd (who played a brilliant game) the dream result was sorted (and I didnt have to be killed by Ram of course).

I was well behind in chips (think Manhattan skyline v Brighton beach hut) and after folding a couple, I pushed with K2o, insta called with A8 and it was over. Lucas absolutely deserved it and remember he also won one of the online events. He also had a tremendous amount of pressure on him as well..ok he was chipped up but that doesn’t take away the fact you have to make it count and try and avoid doubling up the OCT etc. Well played Lucas aka Richard.

At the end of it I was both very happy but also absolutely knackered. I would like to think I am mentally tough but I had really concentrated hard throughout and had nothing to eat since breakfast. Managed to run around the team to thank and congratulate them before a brief ramble to Ram and his trusty microphone.

On the money front, I got £414 for 2nd (less a donation to dealers fund) and the winning team members got £390 each..so a nice payday. We were winners of the team trophy, would get individual trophies and at some point some DTD tournament vouchers on top. I also got a bounty
but it was so late and I was driving that I didnt bother with a drink..much later of course I realised I should have got champagne but I will be writing to DTD to see if they will put the value to the dealers fund. Congrats to everyone who played and railed for EMS and especially EMS team 4 who did a great job online and live.

I have been putting in a good line and length online with a lot of decent but unspectacular cashes and FTs for a good while now now..but today was more Geoff Boycott or tailender. This was my fifth live game, first this year, having played twice at the EMS weekend (13th in the EMS event - AK lost to 88) at the Broadway and two APAT regionals (which were only 18 players with a 4th (AK lost to Bas)and 6th). The Virgin Festival is going to be a lot different with a much bigger field and I guess a lot more action early doors. This has given me a lot of confidence but I am well aware I have to play much better in the first half of that if I am going to do myself justice.

Finally DTD…great place..great people and hope they continue to be a success. Eat My Stack…One time?…no..every time.