GUKPT Final

News / John Tabatabai / 01 December 2009 / Leave a Comment

I want to write quite a deep and meaningful post, however, I'll do it in a week or two, so it can be like a roundup of the year and the lessons learnt.

Would be nice to actually have a useful post that will DEFINITELY help others' lives in a more profound way than just explaining why I believed calling off 500bb with 3rd pair was correct, only to find my opponent flip over top set. Marv.

Most recently I played the GUKPT final on Friday (won by Tony Cascarino) just gone, it was a tournament that I was looking forward to quite a lot especially as it has a decent prize pool with its £3k buyin. Unfortunately, if I was to be honest, It was probably the worst I have played in over a year. I just wasn't able to concentrate on the game at all. The saying is 100% true, if you have other major things going on in your personal life, it is incredibly difficult to block it out and play great poker.

Unfortunately for me, I wasn't even able to play ABC poker! The only hand of any interest that occurred was when I limped into the pot after a very loose, fish player limped with 56hh, the blinds completed. Blinds are 75-150. The flop came an eye appealing 6-6-4 with 2 spades. It gets checked to me, I bet 400 into 600, the BB called as well as the fish. Unfortunately, this is the 2nd hand that the BB had played in the entire tournament, which has now been running for 150 mins. I'm already half thinking that I'm in trouble to a higher 6, however, this is way too cautious even for non existent Mr Tabatabai. The turn came the J of hearts, again checked to me and now I bet 1300 into 1800, the BB had a little think and called whilst the fish folded. At this stage, I did not believe someone who had been this tight would call a 1300 bet with a flush draw on a paired board, esp out of position, although it is possible. The only hand I thought I could beat at this stage was some mid PP which is reasonable or a draw. I definitely think he would have folded a 4 by now. Anyway, the river came the 8 of spades and now the BB bets out a meager 2,000 into 5400. So tilting to know you are playing bad the whole day, donk off half your stack, then flop what perceives to be a monster and find yourself in a situation where you can't really beat anything. I am probably one of the most creative calling stations (notice how I made a bad thing sound cool...creative calling station!) however, even I could not find what I could beat here to call from this profile of a player. I folded, he didn't show, end of hand. I busted a few levels later making a resteal from a LP raiser to pick up the money in the middle and unfortunately he had me dominated. gg john.

Last night I played my first "local" live game in a long time, I use to be a regular at the London cash games a few months ago, then I took a little break, and have started online again which is incredibly fun (HU obv). They started a small £250 with 1 rebuy at the Barracuda on Baker Street in London which although only got a small crowd of 16 runners, reminded me why I actually enjoy poker.

Playing online day after day, thousands of hands here and there, it becomes a bore sometimes and messes with your head. However, when you mix in a small local live game like last nights, you mingle with non professional poker players who have real jobs, who are part of the real world and you actually end up having REAL conversations instead of constantly talking about ranges, who screwed over who, and god damn boring BAD BEATS!! It actually is fun listening to someone explain how they got into the honey producing industry, or how this jeweller managed to get some diamond at 40% discount then trade it in for a car which he then traded in for a Patek Philippe watch (which by the way, you never own, you merely look after it for the next generation!). oohh, plus, playing live you can get massages from attractive young ladies. Win win situation J

Ok, I'll start writing my year round up. Until then, best of luck, play within your bankrolls and have fun.

John

Catch John on the Betfair Cash Tables