PokerStars Daily $80K. 2150 runners, the ususal stars big field. I always enjoy this one nonetheless and have cashed in it a few times, though nothing massive. If nothing else, the big field buys you plenty of play for your dollars. The standard is usually pretty average, I’d say slightly worse than the norm for a $55buy in event.

So off to my usual tight start, while the blinds are low.

First hand of any note, my 9cTc takes down a 550 pot vs a very conservatively played AK. Nice enough. Followed by 400 gained from a Jd9d on a 9 high flop. Then my first premium hand of the session, AKs, raise, get one caller, flop comes K high. Bet two thirds of the pot and he calls. Turn an Ace, giving me top 2, he folds to my turn bet. 600 chips.

Then my first real big pot. I limp A8, CO and BB come along for the ride. Flop AJ8 two diamonds. Take the risk and play it slow, just calling CO’s flop and turn bets. BB folds. Turn and river are 5 then 6 no diamonds. Bet smallish on the river, hoping to induce and he obliges with a re-raise to 950. I re-raise and he folds – a nice 3,000 chips.

Flop trip 7s in the SB shortly after, but can’t get any action. Then raise with JJ, flop comes with two aces, but my cbet works. Then lose 600 when my 55 loses to JT on a J9993 board. Nasty river call on my part!

My first lucky hand results in a big pot when I call a raise with AJ and board comes 5J4 two clubs. Oppo (holding AcKc) fires out a large cbet with his flush draw and I put him in. Turn and river are 8 then Ace and my hand holds up to double me up to 9,000 chips with the average around 4,000.

Nice 600 pot with 66 vs QK, neither of us improve. I start using my stack to steal/bully a little more. Resteal a 3x raise with 8Ts, flop middle pair and cbet takes it down. Nice 2300 pot.

Next hand, I get QQ and my raise gets one caller. Flop comes K high, I cbet and he calls, which I’m not liking much. We both check the turn (Th) and then he fires a smallish river bet after a 6d appears. I call and he shows A10! 4275 extra chips, stack growing nicely.

Sadly, I then lose a couple of thousand, reraising with AK and totally missing, having to fold to a big turn bet. First real setback but I’m still in good shape with around a 10K stack.

Another AK gets no action but nets me 500 from the blinds. Then I gain 1600 from a limped JT vs 9T – flop 10 high, but an ace on the turn slows us both down.

Then it’s double up time. I limp AJ and call a raise. Flop comes 2AQ rainbow. Oppo can’t get away from his KK and doubles me up to 20K stack with average around 7K. That’s twice tonight I’ve got lucky with AJ.

A little stealing with middling connectors and face cards here and there. Table is playing pretty tight, so it’d be rude not to.

Another big one. I raise from the CO with A9 and the flop comes 9 high. BB calls my flop bet, turn a K, we both check. River a 2 and he pushes out a 4k bet. I tank for a few, decide there’s enough hands I beat. He shows AJ and I pick up 14.5K chips. Running bad seems a long time ago already J

A while later I get 66 and limp into a 4 way pot. Flop a beautiful 996. Bet it out and get 2 callers. Kerching! Turn is a 7 and I ramp up the bet sizing. One folds but the other goes all the way with J9. Huge 33K pot and now I’m really in good shape.

Hit a set again with 88 on a A83 board. Oppo finds a fold on the river but I gain another 13K.

With the blinds up to 500/1000 I try to steal with K9. Short stack pushes, and I have to call as it’s only another 4K. Board brings 9xx9x vs his AJ and I continue to run good!

Well, I’m due a setback by now. I run JJ into KK and lose 14K. Stack now back to 50K, but still in good shape.

I raise with 33 but this time I get re-raised – I make the call (dubious) and flop comes T23. Nice. Check raise all in vs KK and I’m up to 110K. ( I did actually miss some flops in this game, I’m just not including those!)

Call a short stack in all for 12K and my A9 has his A7 dominated. He doesn’t improve.

An 88 resteal nets me 15K. Then I raise with 7c8c and get shoved on by another shortstack. Have to call and pair up to beat his AJ. Running very well. Seems I can’t lose with AJ whether it’s me holding it, or the other guy.

I go card dead for a good while. Steal a few blinds but otherwise quiet through the bubble period.

Then I get the hand I’ve been waiting for. Pocket rockets. And…. everyone folds. Great.

A re-raise with TT nets 50K. Then raise with 88, get one caller. Board misses me with A34 but cbet takes it down for another 43K.

Blinds are big now, 3500/7000. I steal with K7s, get a caller and flop comes K high. Cbet wins out for 96K. A few hands later, AK gets no callers for 22K.

Then a Q9 steal gets reshoved by a short stack, have to call, he has A6 and wins. Stack now 280K, still all good.

Or so I thought. I get QQ and lose to AK. Down to 167K. A big dent.

Thankfully I win back 200K next hand, with AJ. I raise, flop comes QQK, I cbet and he calls. We both check the 7 turn then he throws out a river bet when another K arrives. I’m getting 2-1 and he is really really bad. That’s enough of a read and I call, half expecting to split. He has JTo (missed his draw). Good read me.

Pull off a nice squeeze with 99 in the BB. One raiser and caller in front of me, and my shove takes the pot.

I then call a raise with 55. Flop comes 94T. He check,s I bet and get called. We both check the turn, another 10. River an 8 and we check it down. My 55 wins, up to 300K in chips.

Then a curious pot. I call a raise with KJs in a 3way pot. Flop K88 rainbow. I check, original raiser cbets and then gets raised all in for 120K. Original raiser folds and I call the shove. He shows down QT (??) and busts out. I’m up to 500K.

Next hand is KK. Reraise with it and oppo folds. 550K.

I then pull off a bluff with J6 on a scary board to bump me up to 600K.

AA again. Everyone folds again. I want AJ instead from now on, you can keep them.

Then a biggish setback. My AK loses to 88, I have to fold on the river, halving my stack.

But I get very very lucky. Slightly tilty resteal all in with A6 and get called by AJ. Turn card is a 6 and I’m back in business. We all need our 3 outers now and then!

I then call a 235K all in with TT and oppo shows Q10. He misses and I’m up to 830K.

Reraise with AK and get a fold. 890K.

Final Table!!!

I keep it fairly tight for a while, pretty card dead.

Then a tough hand. Get A7s on the button and raise it up. Chip leader in SB calls and flop comes A9J. Bet out and he just flat calls. Turn is a K. I bet again and he promptly sets me all in. He could be bullying but also could have a hand like JK,QT and I just have a weak pair. There are several short stacks, so it’s a no brainer fold leaving myself with 660K. Bit of a dent but a call would have been bad.

Then a huge pot brews up which I’m fortunately not involved in. Turns out to be AA vs KK vs TT. The aces hold up and the other two exit. Nice double ladder!

Then an 88 vs AA confrontation, again the aces hold and we’re down to 4.

I’m the short stack by now and start to come back out of tight mode. I re-steal with K4 in the BB when the SB raises me. He calls with AJ. I luck out with a 4 on the flop and then river another. I’m 3rd place now, but a long way behind the big 2 stacks.

(Now, go back and count the pots I have won both with and against AJ – pretty incredible)

Then the sickest beat on the other short stack ladders me up to third. He has 33 and gets it in on a 8A3 board. Big stack calls with K8 with just middle pair vs the set. He then proceeds to catch an 8 and then a K for a runner runner full house to beat the short stack’s smaller house. Really sick beat, but it nets me $4k extra, so my sympathy manifests itself in a smiling kind of way.

I’m 3rd by a long way so when I get ATs in the BB and the SB raises me, I push. Sadly he has a hand this time and I fail to improve and can’t match his QQ.

Game over, 3rd place for $9,230.

I ran very well in key spots, though ironically it was my big hands that cost me chips. But still, I hit some great flops when up against better starting hands, so I can’t grumble. After a very frustrating 2 or 3 months of running (and playing) ugly, this was a nice cash.

A special mention to all the railers, most notably Mick and his obsession with a certain bodily function that I won’t go into. Read the thread is all I’ll say. So a big thanks to all the EMS’ers for the railage and support. And respect to all the hugely talented players on the site who I’ve learned tons from since I joined up.

Here’s to the next one! Never folding AJ again!

day1

Woke up in the best mood ever looking forward to the festival and meeting the EMS’ers, we got to Newcastle in less than 3 hours so it was a smooth morning and stress free which I think helped a lot. At the last 2 DTD and Loose Cannon events I arrived at the last minute and couldn’t relax.

I sat at my 1st table and had Camking there but had no clue about the others, I wasn’t too bothered and decided with 10k chips and 45 minute blinds I had loads of time to sus out the table.

The lady on my right was playing most hands limping and cbetting the flop but folding to raises and was crap imo, but it turns out she is an editor for some poker mag so I would of expected better. Another player was an old man on my table he was very good and very aggressive, apparently he was known as bigbadken I think so stayed out of his way.

I was playing so tight Cam asked if I’d actually played a hand yet lol In fact the only hand I played was a limp with A3s and I rivered the flush but with 2 pairs on the board I checked the river and took the pot, maybe a bad play but what if villain had FH? I didn’t want a CRAI so early

When we broke for dinner I had about 9k and tbh was happy to still be in , but after the break I decided to get busy with the beer and loosen up.

These hands aren’t in order because I can’t remember the chips or blinds but the ones I remember are……

One hand against BigBadKen, I had 1010 in late position and he raised, I flat called and the flop came all low cards. He raised and I re-raised, he tanked and folded, nothing much but I beat the scary man and smiled.
My first all in was when the cut off raised 3xbb and I reraised 3x that with AQ on the button, flop came Qxx and he shoved. I insta-called and he showed Q10 and I sent him home.
I got QQ twice in a row but not a lot of action.

Another lad was getting very busy and I was getting loose and shoved on him in the BB with 44 he tanked for ever then folded show 1010. I’m sure he gave me too much respect as I had been super tight and aggressive.

The only luckboxing I did was my 66 sucked out on the river on 99 when allin preflop but he was very short and I had lots of chips, so not that bad and he did shake my hand on the way home after the FT.

I only saw AA once and I over bet preflop. I chucked in too many chips and the dealer said 4000 to call and the blinds were around 300/600. derrr brain, so no action

Then my first table move.

This new table was very chatty and had one mega drunk lad. He raised from sb into bb and the bb shoved so the sb grab his neck to check his pulse rate lol. The bb took it as a joke but that how pissed he was. Anyway the only hand I remember was whilst watching this drunk was when I looked down and saw 1010 so I made a raise and looked back at the drunk messing about. Suddenly I hear ‘allin’, I look at him and see about another 8k ish and insta-call but then realise it’s 22k he pushes in! I thought omg I’m out!!! He shows AQ and the drunk said “you’ll be fine AQ is shit today and it hasn’t won all day”, he was right and now I’m chipped up.

I ended the day on around 50k I think but I couldn’t believe I made day 2.

day 2

Started with full english and a walk on the beach in Tynemouth so it was nice relaxing start again .

I don’t remember much about the first few hours,I was doing OK, steadily gaining a few chips. Then Realscot turned up, he called me off my table and said “erm don’t know how you feel about bubbling but I think you should shove in late if folded to”. I sat down thinking ok I will, so when the first hand was folded all the way I shoved and took the blinds. The next hand folds to me and I shoved and took them again. RealScot called me off the table and said “I don’t mean every hand “, I laughed, first time was QQ and then AKs

I was sat on the right of pro girl player, I can’t remember her name but she was a bounty.a One hand against her was when I had AK and made a 3xbb raise to 15k, she reraised to 35k, I shoved and she said “ooops” and folded. She went out soon after when her 99 was called by AQ and he hit.

I did start making plays with anything then as it tightened up to the bubble and made a few chips, then it burst and I’m in the money .

wooooooooooooooooooooop!

Dean grabbed me and gave me his reads on the feature table players when I moved there, I was quite happy because I’d come so far and had cashed, but Dean, RS, Woody and the others weren’t letting me min cash. They would even tell me the cash levels when we were down to 16 players left, they gave me advice and were always at arms length which was amazing and I thank you all so much.

I didn’t do a lot at this table apart from this hand. I was in the BB and one guy, who dean said wasn’t that good, raised my blind again. I was about to fold again but as I looked at him he was shaking so bad I thought wtf? and kept staring. He couldn’t look at me so I shoved and he folded. He didn’t do it again. Even Woody said he could see him shaking from the rail lol. And to make my day even dean was proud of my play

So we were down to 12 players and the tourney directer said we were about to have a break, but then 2 players on each table went allin and I couldn’t believe what was happening

THAT I WAS GOING TO PLAY ON THE FINAL TABLE

final table

OMG I was sooooo nervous I almost couldn’t breathe. Dean told me to calm down and gave me that “just think about what your doing” talk
The commentary started and I was announced. OMG , the cheers were amazing and I honestly felt emotional. I’m a donk and well out of my depth and all these people are watching the cameras on me. I’m live on the internet and I am 10 places off some serious money.

So we shuffle up and deal, and there was an allin almost straight away. That was 10th gone and Matt announces a £540 prize and then 9th and 8th went. I was thinking, wtf is happening here? I can’t keep up with play. I’m trying to relax and get a grip of myself and people have gone already?

The only hand i had was AQs, but with an early position allin and a call, I mucked it. Not sure if was the right play but whatever, I thought let them go and I’ll get more cash.

So then it cools down until I cracked. I was card dead and I was getting so frustrated that I just couldn’t work out when I had position to make a move. Then i got dealt K10s, the shortie goes allin and I asked for a count. It was 60k ish to call and I thought I would have a few chips left if I lost the hand. I thought i would be a race but I was wrong, he had aces . I was so mad at myself I tilted straight away and couldn’t stop thinking what idiot. I was gutted. The same player went allin again and I called with AQ and miss again.

I was out 5th place and £2500

I shook hands with the other players and walked off stage gutted. The virgin girls grabbed me for a photo but I couldn’t smile, it took 4 pictures until the camera man was happy with the pic. All the ems crew come running over and shook my hand and congratulated me which was amazing. I felt like a celebrity . A lot of other players I’d met along the way also said well done

I gave virgin my details and said my goodbyes, on the way to the toilets with my head down I met 2 EMSers, first Scottie who said “its your first live final televised table and be proud, forget the K10 for now” and the second was Seventh who said the same but then told me that the K10 was played wrong for so many different reasons and then told me all of them which was great, honestly woody thx it was the bollocking I wanted.

so I have a wee grab of my beautiful wife and drive home laughing my balls off about how I’d just come 5th for £2500

so thanks to ..

ram, for this forum
Shuck , for all the help since I’ve been an EMS’er
The irc lads, for the railing advice on the last few mtts
realscot, dean, woody and all the emers at Newcastle. I couldnt have done it without you