Back in the Winners Enclosure

It been two months in coming but after 5 final tables in 5 days, a win is back under my belt. A belt that has been tightened a notch this week after being ill!

It was not the £12k unfortunately I managed 24th place and a cash finish, tried to make a move before I got too low and ran into a better hand. Not suprisingly I fared better than the infamous 'shymanic' who finished back in 40th.

The tournmanent win comes in the £800 GTD, the first time I have ever played in this.
Only 35 runners and a cash prize of £320, but a win is a win!

I hit the final table in 2nd position with 7.2k in chips. Chip leader had 8k. Only one short stack at 1.6k, the rest had over 4k each, so there was to be plenty of play.

The top 5 get paid and by hand 42 of the final table the bubble has burst and 5 remain

Pokerboy1 (5335) Tight, aggressive
Hickok#10 (8085) Loose, survived all in with JJ versus AA Hand 7 final table
Airlibird (23062.5) Chip captain, using chips very well.
ClintonO (11082.5) (fill in your own comment here!)
Poiree (4935) Very Tight, I donated chips to him in a SB vs BB battle.

Hands 43-45 (37,76,43)Airlibird throws stack around with little resistance
Blinds 300/600 Hand 46 (K7)Hickok all in for 5.5k called by Poiree. Hickok T8, Poiree KK. Board 38AT5 - Ouch - Down to 4
Hand 47 (A5)- I raise from SB with A5, take blinds
Hand 48-49 (K5,J7) Pokerboy is shortstack and moves all in twice with no callers
Hands 50-51 (72,J8) Airlibird uses his stack again
Hand 52 (52) Pokerboy moves all in again, Hickok instant calls. Its T9 vs A5, Board 495Q6 - Pokerboy doubles
Hand 53 (92)Hickok all in
Hand 54 (Q4)Hickok all in, called by Airlibird. Its QT vs A5, board helps no-one 3 left
Hand 55 (52) Airlibird takes blinds

Stacks now
Pokerboy (10k)
Airlibird (34k)
ClintonO(8k)
Time to start playing, any cards please!
Hand 56 KdJd Best hand I have seen in 30 hands, I raise, Pokerboy all in. I feel I am comitted at this stage and call. He turns over 22. First card is J. Back in it
Hand 57 KhQs Airlibird limps in, I check as I know he will bet in to me. Flop JdTc7c. Nice flop for me. Airlibird bets 1200. I call. Turn Ad. Bingo. Two flush draws out there also, so I raise to 3000. He calls as expected. River is a 3rd club. He bets 1200 again. It feels weak, but he could be worried about the flush or milking it. I call, he turns over J8 for two pair

What did I learn here, well he bet he out with top pair, there is an opportunity to slow play later (called my raise when Ace hit the board, I had checked preflop), I also believe if I had raised on the river he would have called.

Hand 58 55 I put Pokerboy all in, he has J2 - No Jack appears - its heads up (25k vs 27k)

Hand 59 (T5) time to find out how to play the heads up. I limp. He checks - Flop 266. He checks I bet and take hand. He is not usually that weak, he had absolutely nothing.

Hand 60 (42) He raises, I fold
Hand 61 (93) I limp again, I need to check his tendency to raise weakness. He checks. Board KhTh8h. He bets, nothing of board and fold.
Hand 62 (Q7) He raises, I fold - Blinds still 300/600 and both have big stacks, I persuade myself it is okay to fold here
Hand 63 (2c7c) Reverse strategy - I raise, he calls. Flop 6s9c7s. I have middle pair and backdoor flush draw, it could be worse. He leads out with 1200. I am assuming he thinks I have missed the flop. I reraise to 3000. He waits to the very last second before moving all in. He could have hit something, have both straight and flush draws, or just put me on a total bluff. I don't like it but there is plenty of time left I fold.

Chips Counts (19k vs 34k) - I am 4 hands from Victory

Hand 64 (8cTc) He limps for the first time (weak or strong?) Flop QdTd3c. I check middle pair, he also checks. (Weak or very strong?) Turn Th. Bingo! I check to not scare him away, he bets 800 (stringing me along, or still weak) I call. River 5c, That helps noone, I lead out for 2400, he then min raises to 4800. Beating me is full house, or a ten with a better kicker (includes a 3 or 5) I have trips heads up, thats a monster hand, the chances of him having a ten are very remote. I can't put him on a full house, I move all in. He calls Q7. (2 pairs)

This time he did not bet his top pair, he only bet when it was possible he was behind and called a reraise when I show strength. I know I will win this game

Hand 65 (5s7s) Will test for tilt mode, I call he checks. Flop K32. He checks flop, I also check
Turn Jd. He checks, he says he has nothing, so I bet and take pot.

Hand 66 (Qd9h) He calls, again I become suspicious and take the flop. Qc5dKd. Happy with the flop middle pair and flush options. I check he bets 800, that keeps me interested I call. Turn Ad.
Another good card, I am drawing to the nut flush and its unlikely he has an ace. I check, he bets just 800 again, I call. (What are these minimum bets, I would tend to see strength, but I am really believing these are weak) River 9c. No Diamond but two pairs. Only a monster hand has me beat, I bet 2400 he calls with 88. Those bets are weak, he is betting min bets with a flush draw and 3 overcards out there

Hand 67 (5h6h) I limp, he has never raised me yet preflop, so lets see it. Flop Qh6d7s. Again some help with bottom pair. He checks, lets see another. Qc. More than likely my 6 is good here. He checks, so I bet 1600. He moves all in for another 6595. If I call and lose I will still have a 32k to 18k chip lead, so that is a good reason to call. But what does he have. If he has a queen, surely he calls and milks it. A seven would he not have bet earlier, my guess is nothing much, I believe I am in front and make the call. He turns over K2. River is a J. The tournament is over!

Victory at last!
ClintonO