Post GukPT slump?

Ok so the GukPT is over, I had promised myself a few days off from poker after a heavy week however after cashing in the head hunter I realized that I needed to focus on The Castle league which had started the same week as the GukPT. The league at The Castle has been good to me over the last 2 events, the fields tend to be smaller but I cash on a frequent basis. In addition the real motivation is the end of league Final Table which has yielded a nice pay day on the last 2 leagues (in excess of £3000).

The game on Monday is £15 (2000 chips) with 2 top ups, first top up (4000 chips) second top up (6000 chips), tonight there are 40 players generating a prize pool of just over £1600. My tournament starts in unusual style for me with my chip stack being up and down like a bride’s nightie, I’m usually a grinder who steadily builds chips. I make the break having had my re-buys with a fairly average 7,600 however I know from past experiences that the tournament starts after the break. As with recent games I play solid positional poker and build my stack steadily making the final table without too many scares. I am average in chips and just focus on using every opportunity to take pots down using low risk positional plays, this works well and slowly one by one other players depart the card room. The End result being heads up against James Jones. By this time its 3am and we have both got even chip stacks, a deal is suggested and a chip count is done, (blinds 5,000/10,000) James has 10,000 more than me and takes the top points for the league. A good game for me after the roller coaster of the GukPT, league points in the bag and a nice cash too.

NO RESULTS AVAILABLE ON AWOP

Tuesday evening I play at the ‘G’ in the £30 double chance freeze out. I go out an hour after the break. I use my experiences from the GukPT well and play position well but like all poker players you can’t win / cash every time you sit at the table. I wander down to the cash table and show a nice profit on the evening which covers my poker costs so all is not lost.

Wednesday sees me once more back at the ‘G’ for the £15 two rebuy tournament, 32 players generate a fair prize pot of £1065. Again it is an evening of positional poker looking for opportunities to take pots down. I move to the final table without too many scares and I’m joined there by my good mate Linton Holling. One by one players go until four of us are left, Linton, Lin Han Li, David Doran and myself. Linton and I clash a few times over pots and my chip stack is once more up and down. I have decided I am going to be uber aggressive four handed as I want to bring this into my game at appropriate points rather than being fairly passive. Linton unfortunately goes out in fourth place, a pity as I really enjoy going head to head with him as he is a good player. The positive of his exit is it will allow me to really play aggressive poker against the other players. I have spent the time on the final table looking for reads on the remaining two players and I’m certain I have both players sussed out fairly well.

I only enter pots with a raise during the remainder of this tournament and one several occasions I re-raise pots with air using the information I have gained from the other two. My uber aggressive style pays off in buckets taking down pot after pot to the point where almost every time I am on the big blind I am getting a walk. Heads up following the exit of Lin Han Li against David, it is only his second live event and whilst he has a decent game the heads up only lasts 20 minutes as I have a 6 to 1 chip advantage and get fortunate when I turn a straight of my kicker to a medium king holding.

Wed, 18 Nov 2009
£15 No Limit Texas Holdem With 2 Rebuys
Entries: 32
Prize Pool: £1065
Position Name Prize
1 John David Hare £495
2 David Dorad £300
3 Lin Han Li £160
4 Linton Holling £110

The games on Friday and Saturday I play like a total donk! Worse than this on Friday I let a player get inside my head and allow this to affect my poker. No way is this going to happen again and I will be working very hard on strategies to prevent this in future!