tilted behaviour

After Marc, Mat and myself were the longest lasting PokerNews team in the Media Dream Team, the day finally came round to see us take to the felt in the $1,680 Dream Team Poker Main Event!

Playing on behalf of PokerNews, and for only 30% of ourselves, we were still more than willing to enjoy the day off work to battle it out with the 122 teams and 366 individuals that donned a Dream Team jersey.

I saw my starting 10,000-chip starting bank slip early over the first level until I managed a double holding K♣ Q♥ after I opened to 475 and was met with two callers in the 100-200 level. The flop fell down K♦ 8♥ 3♦ and I lead out for 800 and was met with one call before my 1,000-chip bet was called when the K♥ landed on the turn. The river fell 3♠ and I tried to feign weakness as best as possible before throwing out my remaining 5,000-chip. My opponent sat in the tank as I hit under my PokerNews cap, before he eventually called holding 8-7.

Now up to 14,000, I fluffed a few times after opening, but eventually clawed my way back to 20,900 after opening with Q♠ 10♥ to 750 at 150-300 and found two callers. I lead out for 1,100 on the 3♦ J♠ 8♠ board before my opponent made it 3,300 to go. I really felt that he had a Jack or at worse a pair of nines etc or even a flush draw – consequently I took my time before re-raising all in for a further 11,600 on top. He tanked and tanked before eventually folding A♥ J♥ face up . . . oh yeah, ship the gutter-ball!

I had this annoying player on my left that kept owning my soul and when she opened to 1,200 at 200-400 from under the gun, and I looked down at Aces in the big blind I knew it was a chance to send her packing. I flatted, and check-raised all in on the ten-high board to see her stack shipped towards mine as I moved to over 33,000.

I moved tables, and folded for three full orbits before calling a button all in shove with A♠ 3♠ to be ahead of Q♥ J♣. I flopped a flush draw, and my Ace-high held to climb back to 35,000 after slipping to 28,000 in chips. I then chipped up to 40,500 when my 7-4 in the small blind flopped trips and got two streets of value. As we were about to hit another break, I eliminated a PokerRoad intern (right) when he open-shoved 7-4 and I made the call from the small blind with Aces. I held, but doubled the small blind up next hand when my Nines were outdrawn by his Ace-10 as I headed to break with 38,500 in chips.

I then ran my Kings into Aces and was left crippled with 15,800 before moving tables as we hit the 1,000-2,000-200 level. I stole a few times before doubling with Sevens against Ace-King. With 69 left, and the top 36 individuals being paid, I headed to dinner with 27,000 in chips.

I devoured a sandwich before returning only to bust soon after when my A♠ K♦ was outflopped by the big stack’s A♥ 6♣ when the board ran out 6♠ 5♥ 2♠ 4♦ 10♦ to see me exit in 57th place.

Our team ended up finishing in 60th place, which wasn’t a bad result after Marc was bad-beat twice and Mat was card dead until elimination.

On a side note – congratulations to Pauly and his team Tao of Pokerati for capturing the team title, and to Kenna James for taking out the individual title!

Tao of Pokerati and Kenna James

With a day off between the two previous day two’s and the upcoming day three there was a Dream Team Media freeroll held for anyone that worked in the media.

Marc Hodge, Mat Pater and I teamed up to form team Tilted Behaviour. We joined several PokerNews teams in a battle to be the longest lasting to win a seat into the $1,680 Dream Team Main Event in a few days time.

I busted early when I shoved Ace-Six with my short-stack and was snapped off by Ace-Nine. However both Marc and Mat would hold the fort down and see us take down the longest-lasting trophy and $1,680 freeroll!

A few hours later we all combined once again to take part in the PokerNews Freeroll!

Everyone had a random bounty on their hand to go along with the prizepool, and before the cards were in the air, Garry and I revealed our t-shirts.

GG had both DK and Mel on his team with pictures of me and the words of Sometimes . . . me and my mates . . . we just like to grind, while Donnie, Eric and Mat were on my side with a picture of GG’s mug on it and the slogan of Who the f**k is Garry Gates?. Everyone’s t-shirt however had an alternative slogan on the back with mine saying Mate Ditcher, Mat’s saying Plzzz Mate and Eric and Donnie’s saying Pay Forgetter.

Our T-Shirt Battle

I was out of the freeroll fairly early when my Ace-King was outran by Marc’s Queen-Jack. The flop fan out King-Queen-Queen, but no improvement would fall on the turn and river and I handed over my bounty to Marc. However, I quickly grabbed it back so I could read what it would be . . . Tim Duckworth owes the holder of this card $20!

Unveiling my bounty

WTF! I had to pay my own bounty . . . firstly rival t-shirts and now I lose out in a freeroll . . . so ridiculous!

Melissa and F-Train went heads up in the freeroll and chopped the money, but Melissa would officially take it down as we now all prepared for one of the greatest party’s in the world . . . the PokerStars Player’s Party!

With a few hours to kill before the party kicked off, a few of us grabbed some food at the Rio before making our way to the Palms at the Rain Nightclub.

We made the most of the open bar as Donnie and I ventured into the Hachem VIP area to mingle for a while. We paced the dancefloor bumping into a pro here, a media member there and a fellow colleague everywhere else before we waited round for Nelly to come on to the stage at midnight.

He performed a bunch of songs, and soon after we walked out the door to witness some degen gambling by nearly the whole PokerNews crew that remained – apart from the wiser and stronger Aussie boys!

Back to work tomorrow, but here is a rough video I put together of Nelly performing (note – the sound quality on this camera is fairly terrible, so I cut it out and just added some recorded tracks).