I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles

So I managed to bubble the Gutshot Open. Out in 12th with 9 paid.

I can't be upset about the way I played it however the final call was pretty much forced given the stack in front of me and the blinds.

Day one was a rollercoaster. I had decided to play it a bit loose early on and try to get a stack going and moving into level 3 I was sitting pretty on 18k after some of my connecting hands had hit.

A beauty was when I limped into the pot from the hijack (blinds 100/200) with 64 and saw a flop of A23 rainbow checked to me so I check along. The button puts out a bet of 400 into the 800 pot and its passed back to me and I call.

The turn brings the 5 and I check again. The button puts out 600. I smooth call.

The river is a brick, 9 or something and I dwell a little before betting 2000 into the 2800 pot hoping the button has an Ace and puts me on the steal.

The button dwells before calling and flipping 45 for the flopped nuts and the now second nuts.

However the medium unsuited connectors that gave me the stack started to take it away as I misplayed a couple of key hands when I should have got out of dodge.

Going into level 5 I was down to just over 3000 and in big trouble, in need of a minor miracle. It came in the guise of AQ in middle position and an easy push to the UTG limp. UTG starts to dwell and counts the pot and counts his chips and counts the pot again. Finally he calls and shows AKs. What the fuck was he thinking about?

So now I am crushed with a dominated hand, but the flop gives me a pretty queen and a much needed double up. Back in business.

I then proceed to go on the rampage stealing pots and blinds and soon get my stack back up to 14k. It is then that I get moved and to my horror it is to the "seat of death", Table A seat 1. Seven players had been knocked out from that seat, all holding overpairs.

I sat down muttering a mantra of "there is no such thing as an unlucky seat" over and over and it wasnt long before I realised why it was so "unlucky".

To my right were the 2 current chip leaders. Aggressive players who were involved in almost every hand with a raise or a re-raise. The had the chips to play like deep stack cash game and were hitting draws and pushing people off pots.

I decided to play it cute a bit and be passive two thirds of the time and put in a re-steal one third of the time. It did me ok and I got my stack up a bit.

Then I get my first (and as it turns out my only) big pair of the tournament. KK in the SB. The chip leader makes his customary raise and I flat call not wanting to get in a pissing match with him just yet. The flop is Ten high 2 hearts and I make a bet. He raises me and I push all in. The amounts escape my memory. He dwells for ages before passing and saying "I had a pair". I tell him I had a pair too.

Up to 30k now.

I then take down a 27k pot with AK. I raised the UTG limper from 2nd position and it folds back to him and he makes the call. Flop is AT2 with 2 clubs. He checks and I put out a 2/3 pot bet (around 6k). He dwells before thumping his stack into the middle for 11k more.

I mutter "oh dear" as I am not sure that I am ahead. AA re-raises me pre flop, but could he have got involved with AT or even TT?

Its not much of a decision and I make the call. He shows AJ and I get my stack up over 40k

I take down some more pots with position bets and occasional pre-flop steals and at the last break I am up to 52.5k sweet!

The last hour and a half is a real battle as I go card dead and dont get too many chances to re-steal against the big stacks on my right. By the end of the day I have what feels like a mediocre 44.5k

Going into day 2 I am surprised to find that I am 5th out of 23. However that is about all the good news for the day and I remain card dead for the first 2 levels and battle to keep my stack where it is.

I then get a couple of steals picked off by the re-raise and one where both the blinds come in and get busy on the flop.

with blinds at 1200/2400 and a 400 ante I have a tiny stack of 24.5k. On my BB I have decided before the cards come that I am pushing to any raise if I think I have fold equity. Middle position player moves all in and I am ready to muck them when I find AK.

It only takes me a second or 2 to call, Its a no brainer with that stack. He flips Jacks, hits one on the turn and its game over.

So close. The guy who took my chips only just had me covered and went on to 2nd place and £8000. Bastard.