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

For the first time I was scheduled on with Marc Convey and his onslaught of British humour as we battled back on forth like the old guard and convict relationship of yesteryear.

Covering Event 41 – $5,000 No Limit Hold’em Shootout we were thinking it would be a relatively light day with blogging duties mainly consisting of colour stories and the occasional hand.

280 players started the shootout and thirty would sneak through after defeating their table in a sit-n-go format; Barney Boatman, David ‘The Dragon’ Pham, Jennifer Harman, Mark Teltscher, Neil Channing and Phil Ivey all made it through to day two to see us end the night fairly early.

The following day saw us come back with five tables of six with the winner progressing through to the five-handed final table.

One table sparked particular interest as it included Barny Boatman, Phil Ivey and Jennifer Harman but it was obvious who everyone was cheering for.

During one level Ivey took off his hat and put it on the table. As players went to break he headed out to the back parking lot to rest up, and on return he was wearing an identical black Full Tilt hat . . . I wanted the idle one!

I talked to Amanda Leatherman about stealing it from me, but after Ivey lost a race to be left with only 7,500 in chips (blinds at 1,500-3,000) he put both hats on in preparation to go – the end result . . . he was sitting on 200,000 about three orbits later.

Phil Ivey and my hat

So I waved goodbye the idea of having in my possession Ivey’s (spare and one of many) hat, but was able to share a 45-second conversation with him.

(in reference to Barny Boatman returning late from a 20-minute break)
”You know he could have gone to dinner”
“What do you mean?”
“Well it was a scheduled dinner break, and he may not have realised that we were just taking 20-minutes”
“Oh . . . well we’ll wait for him for another 5-minutes and then start playing”

Yep . . . that is all . . . and that’s enough!

As we hit 9pm I was sent to cover the Event 44 – Seven Card Razz while Change had to pick up Pauly from the airport.

I only blogged several hands as it was mostly timed with dinner break and once done there I was straight over to help Eric on the final table of Event 39 – $1,500 No Limit Hold’em.

I was on the floor running hands for him, so that it was easier for him (and to of course by brownie points off him if I need to be driven anyway). We firstly saw Alex Jacob donk off a chip lead followed by Brandon Cantu before Ray Foley took home the gold and the $657,969 first prize.

With no notables at the Event 41 final table apart from Danny Wong, it was always going to be a boring final table apart from the fact that it may finish relatively early as it was only five-handed.

As I started to set up my laptop etc Marc strolled in to take a seat beside me. Then out of the blue, GG comes walking in with a little pace behind him.

”Hey, I need a favour”
“I need someone to work day two of the Seniors event and this shootout doesn’t really need the both of you”
“I’ll pay you double for the day, and buy you dinner”
“Please . . . “

Since this was Marc’s last shift for the series I decided to take the fall and stuck my hand up to put myself through the pain and torture of watching 50-plus year old’s limp-fold, min-raise and nit their way through a guaranteed 13-hour day!

‘Minneapolis’ Jim Meehan, Berry Johnston and Barbara Enright all cashed, but in the end it was one event I’d rather not recap and bore you all with!

Ship the day off tomorrow!