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
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