Best Poker day ever - The EPT

Well it has finally sunk in. The Caribbean Poker Classic and the EPT French Open, both secured in one glorious Sunday night.

The amazing thing is that the two games were so entirely different. The EPT I led from fairly early right to the end, whilst the cpc, I scrapped onto the final table in last place, was well behind in the last three, in fact the first time I was in front was the hand before I won it.

I thought it might be interesting to take you through both finals and see how they were won.

EPT
We join the EPT Final with just six left. I started well in this tournament, moving slowly up from my 2500 chips to 3500 in the first level. I managed to double up when one guy got annoyed that I min raise him twice. The second time I had KK and he had 56off!
I started with a quality table including Kinghawko and ThierryH

Upon reaching the final table, I was in first or second postion and then took a nice jump when my AK beat AQ.

This is the final six
Seat 2) ClintonO 44k
Seat 4) Jeff2901 9k
Seat 5) ThierryH 19k
Seat 6) Bigadzc 19k
Seat 7) UTOPIA 16k
Seat 9) lmack85 6k

This was a great position to be in and I really did not one to blow it! I was playing fairly tight, but raising when in position.

12 hands later and we were down to 5. ThierryH takes out lmack85. I have moved up to 52k, thanks to a pair of cowboys.

Hand 30 from our starting point sees the blinds at 300/600. UTOPIA calls a 3xbb raise in the bb with J6 spades. With a flop of 3s As 9s, Christmas comes early and he manages to take Bigadzc for all his chips who was holding AQ. All the money going in on the flop.

5 hands later, we are down to 3, Thierry H takes out Jeff. I have managed to maintain my stack without getting too involved.

ClintonO 52k, ThierryH 32k, UTOPIA 29k. I know my opposition and they are top draw. Blinds are 400/800, so there is plenty of time to play. I am going to have to be at my best to win this one.

Hand 61 sees me move up to 67k, I call with 78 diamonds and get a 9 high flop, ThierryH the intial raiser overbets the pot, which usually means he has missed the flop. I have been very solid throughout and bet when I have the goods. I decide this is the time to make my move. I call his large raise. The turn brings a 5, if he checks, then I bet. He does and then folds.

By time we get to hand 83 since I started this review, I am sitting on 70k. Blinds are 600/1200, I turn over 66 in the big blind. Utopia with 13k left, min raises. I decide its an attempt at my blind and push my chips in. He calls incredibly with 89off. The flop brings a 9 giving him the pot. Did I need to be so aggressive, maybe not, but I am suprised at 89. I drop to 56k in chips, I must keep composure.

The next few hands I play KQ and A9 and end up throwing them away.

93 hands down, I have 39k, ThierryH 33k and UTOPIA 40k. My huge lead has gone, I must hold it together. To come this far and throw it away would be criminal.

Hand 95 is the one that effectively wins me the tournament.

I am in the BB with KK. UTOPIA min raises again and I call.
Flop 2d5c9d. He checks. I bet small 2400. He immediately reraises to 4800. A check raise, I am suspicious, but am not throwing my kings away at this point. I reraise to 12000. His move here is crucial. If he reraises all in, he probably has a set or Aces, as I look committed. He in fact calls.
The turn brings a 6d. The flush is a possibility. He bets 12k of his 15k. I have 27k left. I have the Kd as a small hope if he has the flush. What to do. His bet of 12k intrigues me, why leave 3k, does that mean anything, why not go all in. If I am calling 12k, I am calling 15k. This is crucial in my decision.
I have left myself a small amount behind before when I want to look very strong. Also I have bet twice on the flop, if has the flush why not check and let me bet as I am bound to do.
The final thing is last time he made a flush he bet the minimum, why bet 80% of his stack.
These 3 things lead me to believe I am in front and push in.

He turns over Ah 9s, so top pair with top kicker. He has 4 outs on the river, but that comes the 5d, making me a flush.
I have never thought so much about a pair of kings before. I could have shoved the chips in and had the same result!

The Heads up last 19 hands, out chip count had not much changed. Blinds are still 600/1200. I have TT in the big blind. He calls the big blind. I raise to 3600, he moves all in for 24480. Whats he got a big pair, he is surely calling here. He is happy to take the pot right there. Mid pair or Ace x. Thats good enough for me. He has A7. Great! He effectively has 3 outs.

8h 7h 2s. He has hit a 7. 5 outs now. Turn 4d, river 8h. Victory! I am off to the French Open in Deauville.

The CPC follows tomorrow.
ClintonO