GukPT Satellite 4th November 2009

Its 3.45am I have just got home from playing in the final satellite for AWOP members for one of four seats in the forthcoming GukPT Main Event in Blackpool. Eighteen players started the final with it being streamed live via The Nutz tv. The structure of the game was 10,000 chips with the blinds starting at 50/100 and a 25 minute clock. The players who qualified, or bought directly in were:

Brian ‘weebrick’ Clarke
Mick ‘schoolbully’ Tetlow
Linton Holling
Carl Pickles
John ‘The Viper’ Prescott
Ky Hutchinson
John Hare
Will McMurray
Tim France
Paul Murphy
Paul ‘swampy’ Gardner
Joe Egerton
John ‘riverasusual’ Millar
Dave Jackson
Mick Fletcher
Chris Michael
Pete Mason
Rob Bright

The game started slowly for me and I lost a succession of hands early on and I found my chip stack had dwindled to about 5,000 when I picked up 10,10 in position. I raised it up and picked up one caller. The flop came 7,J,7 and I put a 2,400 chip bet in as I felt my pocket pair was good. Rob, the other player involved in the hand, re-raised me putting me all in and I knew that a wrong decision was me out of the door. I considered the hand and the pre-flop action and made the call. Rob showed Q,9 and my hand held. This was the turning point in the first session for me and I settled into my usual game. By the break I had 17,000 chips and was comfortable in the middle of the field and my confidence was high.

After the break the field thinned as the blinds increased however I managed to maintain my chip stack on or about average until the final table was formed (10 players). The final table saw me draw seat 1, which is my least favourite seat as I struggle to see seats 10 and 9. The first period of play on the final table was uneventful for me until I picked up pocket nine’s. I got it heads up against one player and the flop came low (I’m sorry I can’t remember the exact flop). The other player bet the flop and I re-raised strongly. The action moved again when he pushed ‘All-In’, a count of my chips revealed that if I made the call I would only be left with 800 chips out of my stack of 19,000 ish. I spend a minute or two considering the hand, the pre flop betting, the action that had occurred post flop and also the player who I was in the hand with. Once I had done this I called and the cards were turned over, I was right with the other player showing A rag. My nines held and I took down a 40,000 chip pot. This hand put me in second position and in a very strong position to achieve my objective which was to win a seat for the Main Event.

The field thinned to 5, the bubble, whilst there was a cash prize of £160 for 5th place every player at the table wanted the seat not the cash.

The final five players were Dave Jackson, Paul Murphy, Chris Michael, John Millar and me. The bubbled lasted for nearly 90 minutes and as the blinds increased it became push and fold poker for the short stacks. I just locked up as I knew that I could afford to play strong hands in position and maintain my stack, when I did enter a pot against one of the short stacks I ensured that my pre flop raise was strong enough that the short stack was playing for their tournament should they call. Eventually John Millar ended up as the unlucky player taking the 5th place.

I achieved my objective of winning a seat in the main event of the GukPT and the chance to play with some of the best players in the UK. During the evening I played the best poker of my life and have also demonstrated to myself that I can make big calls based on information and not ‘hero to zero’ calls.

In closing I want to say a hugh thank you to Alistair ‘The Fox’’ Findlay and all the other AWOP staff for putting this event on and I can now look forward to and plan my festival week.