HuckNall chops for 2nd in Stake-A-Shark Tournie at DTD
After a sumptuous meal of salmon fishcakes and chips, (I’m learning to eat cheap meals after being made redundant!) I tell my wife that I’m off to get some milk – won’t be long. I head along the A610 to the Nottingham ring road and DTD. I had forgotten to tell ‘her indoors’ that I have qualified online for the prestigious Stake-A-Shark sponsored tournament, part of the eagerly awaited EMS forum weekend of fun.
On arrival, most of the usual suspects have already arrived and after a last fag I find my tournament seat. Lo and behold I’m parked next to the buoyant Stanters as usual, (Spurs have turned the corner!) - not a good start!
Just the second hand in I pick up 88 in the SB and call a raise and another call. The flop comes a juicy K 8 2 which I obviously check and following a half size pot bet, a fold, I coolly call. Another blank card is followed by another good bet which I just call again. The river looks innocuous so I check raise all in, wondering if I am gonna be the first one out, only to face a fold. Still my stack is up 65% after just two hands and I sit back smugly.
Over the next two hours I collect KK and QQ twice only to face an A on the flop and in all three hands I know I am beaten and fold – back to starting chips, but hey, I’m still in!
Around 1145 I find myself with below average stack of about 7,000 and on the same table as Chris Bayliss. He has three bad beats in ten minutes and retires to ‘the rail’ only to be replaced by Bas. Unusually for him, he is not having a good time and after a few hands I am in the BB chatting to an adjacent player when I hear Bas go all in. I pick up my cards to be welcomed by the monster KK and poor Bas disappears after producing 22 and no help on the board. Sorry Bas!!!
Past midnight now and call from my wife asking where the fxxxxxg milk is! I explain that I am at the news agents awaiting the early papers.
Down to 25 players now and cashing looks a distinct possibility as I have an average stack for a change! No real dramas until my table collapses when we reduce to the last 18 and I am moved to seat 9 with Dean on seat 1!
A few battles between us but honours are even after an hour. EMS’ers left in now were Dean, Chris Spinks, TallGuy, Camking, myself and one other who escapes me (I’m still knackered, sorry!). We are soon down to the bubble which seems to go on for an eternity and I pick up 88 again. I decide to shove UTG and get called by the BB who is the big stack. He has 85s and I am very, very happy with this and after a nice board double through to above average stack. Shortly after TallGuy unfortunately makes a departure and we are down to the final table where I am joined by both Camking and Dean.
I am placed immediately behind the big stack who has about a third on the chips in play. I am fortunate to get 2 shoving hands following a raise by him to which he reluctantly folds on both occasions. Shortly after he raises again and I pick up AA. I think about it and figure he’s got to call another shove but after dwelling in the tank he again folds. By this time, Camking has bowed out and we are down to 5 with Dean still battling well with a good stack about the same as mine.
The blinds are now 3000/1500 with antes of 300 and after a fold round to the big stack in SB, he shoves and I look down at J8 suited, and after a brief dwell I put him on crap and call. He has 83 off and after negotiating a friendly board, I double through to around 3rd biggest stack. Dean shoves a couple of raises by myself which I decide to put down and I start getting a bit worried. I’m now a short stack so I start pushing.
A fold round to me and I look at T2 off and think that if it is good enough for Doyle Brunson I’ll give it a go and shove. I am insta called by KJ and a pretty board comes down with a couple of deuces and I’m back in the hunt. Dean gets himself involved in battle with the original big stack and they lock horns leaving leaving Dean bloodied with just dust. He shoves and regretfully makes his way to the bar. Shortly after we are down to three and I am happy that I will depart with a 4 figure reward come what may and, after all, as I had qualified in the EMS qualifier, it had only cost a fiver – so a good days work!
Its 3am and we do battle for another 20-30 minutes and the stacks become pretty even. I am thinking about my wife awaiting her milk for her cuppa so I agree to a chop which finds me in 2nd again with £1719 and entry to a £100 buy-in event!
All in all, another good night and I must thank all those who stayed to the bitter end offering their usual encouragement and another good performance by DTD.
I finally arrive home at around 3.50am and I wake the wife up to request some refreshments and find a bottle of milk disappearing up my backside!
Entries (RSS)