tilted behaviour

After an enjoyable night’s sleep I left my cousins house in nearby Yarraville ready to tackle the $2,200 PokerNews Cup Main Event.

Playing day 1b, I took my seat on table 30 to find Petar Vujic two to my left, Michael Zowie in the ten seat and the old Asian guy that bad beat in the satellite a few days earlier on my immediate left. No one of note was on my table, but the few that I had recognised weren’t strong players from previous occasions we had met on the felt.

With a 20,000-chip starting bank and 25-50 blinds that stretched for an hour there was never going to be too much action during the first level. I finished the level with just under 18,000 after losing a few pots via continuation bets and a making a bad float with a weak pair.

I then played a hand terribly in the next level when I opened to 350 over a limper holding K♣ K♠, only to be raised to 950. The original limper called and I decided to call behind as a trap knowing that the limper was a terrible player and the raiser was an aggressive donkey (maybe this is why I should have four-bet). The flop fell down Ace-high and was checked round to see a brick land on the turn. The limper check-called holding Ace-Queen and I check-folded when the raiser fired at the turn holding Jacks.

Now down to just under 16,000 I managed to scoop a multi-way pot when I was dealt A♣ 3♣ in the small blind. I raise to 300 from a player in the middle position saw six players see a 3♠ Q♠ 3♦ flop and a bet of 600 follow from me. Only one player would make the caller to see the 2♥ fall on the turn and a bet of 1,050 follow. Again my opponent made the call and when the A♠ landed on the river I was sure to get paid off so I made a smallish bet of 1,750 into a pot of 5,100 hoping to be raised if he had made a flush or maybe make a weak call with an Ace or Queen. Neither would occur as he quickly mucked his hand as I moved back to over 18,000 in chips.

Three hands later I called a raise of 300 holding K♠ Q♠ to see a K♥ Q♠ 4♥ with four players. After it was checked to me I fired out 800 only to be min-raised to 1,600 by my nemesis – the old Asian guy. I was the only player to make the call, and when the K♣ landed on the turn, I checked to be faced with a 7,000-chip bet. I moved all in, the old Asian guy made the call holding K♦ 5♦, and when the river blanked, he headed out the door as I shipped the justice to move to 34,000 in chips.

Another three hands later I opened from early position to 250 holding 9♦ 8♦ and was met with five callers to see a 7♦ 6♥ 2♦ flop fall and a bet of 1,300 follow from the big blind. I bumped it to 4,500 and when the remaining players folded, the big blind moved all in for around 12,000. I called and wasn’t in the worse shape against the big blind’s 7♥ 6♦. I dinged the 3♦ on the turn and the 10♥ on the river to see me soar to 53,000 in chips – from 15,000 to 53,000 in just seven hands!

It wouldn’t be until late in the 100-200 level that I next faced a dilemma after opening the pot with J♣ J♠ to 450 and being met with one call before the often tight Vujic made it 1,500 to go. Another well-known nit in Zowie made the call as it folded back round to me. With the majority of the times my Jacks being dominated or in a race, I decided to just call to see a flop of 6♦ 4♣ 8♠ fall. I checked, as did the other three players to see the 3♥ land on the turn. I definitely should have lead here, but again checked to see the random in the hand fire out 10,000. Vujic and Zowie folded as I sat in the tank pondering whether or not my Jacks were good here. Nothing just seemed to make sense as this random old Greek guy had fired 10,000 into a pot of 6,300 leaving himself just 5,500 behind. After about five minutes in the tank I put him all in as he obliged making the call for his tournament life with 5♣ 5♦. The 7♠ on the river nearly made me barf on the table as I slumped down to just under 32,000 after nearly having a formidable 350bb stack!

I dropped around 3,000 to Jonathan ‘xMONSTERxDONGx’ Karamalikis when I check-raised him out of the small blind with middle pair and then barrelled the turn before we both checked the river and he turned over nut top pair. I took them all back off him with profit a short while later when my 10♣ 10♠ held true against his 10♦ 8♦ after he double barrelled the 9♣ 6♣ 4♥ A♣ 5♥ board.

During the 150-300 with 25 ante level I made a terrible read with top pair against an overpair when he barrelled every street as I slipped to 17,000. The next hand I ran a bluff before being put to a test for all my chips on the turn and eventually folded a straight and flush-draw to leave me with a demoralising 9,000 in chips. During the next 200-400 with 50 ante level I didn’t play a single hand to eventually dribble down to just 3,600 as we broke for dinner.

On return, there was never going to be much waiting as I shipped first hand holding K♣ 7♠ and doubled through Zowie’s A♥ 10♦ before being eliminated six hands later when my 6♣ 6♥ were unable to outdraw an opponent’s 10♠ 10♦.

PokerNews Cup Main Event Chip Stack Graph

I was extremely disappointed with the way I had played the Main Event.

After watching a few online training videos the night previously I was hoping to take the stuff that I had learned and apply them to see me end the day with a solid amount of chips. After building a stack earlier, I made a few poor decisions – along with a bad beat or two – to see me just leak chips until my eventual derailing and elimination.

Potentially looking at a 100,000-chip stack by day’s end, exiting just after dinner made me feel more than a little annoyed!

From here on, I just need to play . . . better . . . and maybe use some additional tools like online training videos to improve parts of my game as well as learn a few more things to add to my poker arsenal.

With a deep-stack series coming up in November, I must get a big score during it, while also winning several Aussie Millions Main Event seats to boost the bankroll.

On a side note, congratulations to James Bernard who finished in 24th place for a $6,000 collect . . . and since we did a swap when we won our seat together – he also earned me $600!!!

It was another early start today as I headed into Crown to play the 10am Phase One Satellite.

I busted relatively early when I three-bet all in from the big blind holding A♠ K♠ but ran into Kings. Bricked out, and the next hand I decided to commit by two bb stack with 7♦ 8♦ but bricked out against some rags.

I decided to play some $1-2 NLH to fill in the time and after about two hours my stack had moved from the original $80 buy-in to fluctuate around the $220 mark. I then proceeded to lose every hand for the next hour until I had slipped to around $120.

Then, after being dealt Q♦ 3♦ on the button I three-bet all in on a 7♦ 2♦ 3♠ flop and was met with a lone call from the original flop better. The turn landed a 3♣ and I leaned over to my mate Oatsy telling him that that was a good card for me. The river was a blank and as my opponent – who had been there since the night before – looked up at me I rolled over my three. He rolled over a seven, and both me and Oatsy looked at each other and just shook our heads knowing the outcome. I rolled my Queen and he rolled another seven to take the pot down.

I rebought and the following hand floated with bottom pair and eighteen backdoor draws. I turned trips, got it in, but again ran into top set and was forced to rebuy once again.

My third buy-in went nowhere and I decided to play the PokerNews Cup Super Satellite that I had some luck in the other day.

I took my seat in the forty-three player field and started donking early. I had $200 to have some fun with and use to get off tilt. After getting stacked three times I decided to switch it up by letting the dealer play one card and myself the other.

Good meant paint, mmmm meant sixish to ninish and a swift shake of the head meant terrible. If we both said good I moved all in, and if we both said mmmm I limped hoping we had a pair or a suited connecter.

I managed getting to the end of the rebuy period with around 5,000 in chips and after having a quick chat with Michael ‘TheBigSiCkO’ Guzzardi he decided to do my $150 triple add-on and consequently take 50% of my action – although the percentage was incorrect I didn’t mind too much as I was hoping his share on me might change my day’s luck.

From thirty left to about twenty or so I played very solid, picking my spots wisely but was still unable to accumulate due to the high blinds. I found a double when I pushed Q♥ 10♥ and doubled through against eights. I then knocked out a player with Kings against Queens as we broke into two tables. The first hand of the next table I re-shoved holding Aces and knocked another player out to have one of the top few chip counts – not that it meant too much due to the quick levels and high blinds.

Having position on Guzzardi didn’t mean too much as we were trying to stay out of each other’s way, and in the meantime I managed to double up the same player twice as Guzzardi dispatched of Lisa Walsh as we hit the final table.

With the four chip leaders sitting in the nine, ten, one and two seat, I drew seat three, but having Guzzardi in the two seat would hopefully help in discouraging people from stealing my blinds.

I was unable to catch a single thing on the final table, and with four seats up for grabs plus cash I was extremely focused on winning another seat. With blinds at 2,000-4,000 I pushed for my last 11,000 holding Ace-King and was snapped by the small blind with Jack-nine while the big blind threw in his last 2,000 holding Ace-four.

The flop of Jack-Ten-Nine saw be drawing to just four outs and on the verge of being eliminated, but when a repeat ten landed on the turn I added a further six outs, but alas, it was to no avail as the river landed another ten and I busted in sixth place – one short of the money and two from another seat.

BRAIN SPASM TIME

Holding my two hole cards I just kept shaking my head lamenting at yet another PokerNews Cup Main Event bubble and just clenched my fists together due to me being more pissed off then I can ever recall (poker sense that is)!

Not realising I had the cards still in my hand, I threw the mangled and destroyed cards down on the table and walked straight to the PokerNews desk, chucked my bag on the floor and went to the bathroom to splash some water on my face and cool off.

I returned to the desk, grabbed my keys from my bag, ignored everyone that tried to speak to me and made my way to the car to get changed as the Tony G Celebrity Bounty Event was just kicking off.

END BRAIN SPASM

Once I returned from my car I was directed to see Jonno regarding my little incident.

It was agreed that my presence behind the computer as a member of the PokerNews Live Reporting Team wouldn’t be a good idea tonight, and he decided that I should have a night off before returning tomorrow.

I explained the situation to Heath, and although I was letting the team down there was nothing more I could do about out.

I decided that I would head to Geelong for a couple of days, but not before putting myself through some more satellite hell when I finished forth once again in the PokerNews Cup satellite on TonyG Poker.

Today I was dumped from behind the computer to be on the floor for the PokerNetwork Online Vs Live Invitational – Heads-Up Round.

The day wasn’t too exciting with the Online Team whipping the floor with the Live Team.

The top four spots would pay, and when four online guys in Rayan ‘rkrouk’ Nathan, Andrew ‘Adgee’ Jeffreys, Michael ‘TheBigSiCkO’ Guzzardi and Steve ‘stevoL’ Leonard were the last standing they decided just to split the money but flip for the title.

When it became a flipament Adgee was never in doubt, and consequently he raised his eight-deuce off proudly to capture the title!

Bruno Portaro, Van Marcus, Steve Leonard, Billy ‘The Croc’ Argyros, Sam Youssef, Tony Dunst, Andrew Jeffreys, Michael Guzzardi

I headed into Crown early today . . . well early for me as it was just after Midday . . . to take care of my poker urge.

I sat down on a $2-3NLH table with my $200 and turned it into $302 in about thirty minutes after making two-pair against two players. Peter Aristidou and George Cotaidis were cashing out and asked me join them for some lunch before they played the PokerNews Cup Super Satellite at 2pm.

The Super Satellite was a direct satellite into the PokerNews Cup Main Event with a buy-in of $70 with $50 rebuys. I sat down with $300 worth of $25-denomination chips just in case I felt like getting a bit crazy with the rebuys.

I was in for one rebuy before slowly chipping up nicely before being rivered in a huge pot by Karl Krautschneider when he made a flush against my top pair. Once the rebuy period had ended I decide to do a triple add-on for $150 to see my stack soar to around 9,000 from the original 1,000.

From then onwards I played fairly solid poker before being moved to the feature table with just twenty of the original forty-two players remaining. I then lost the majority of my chips to an old Asian guy when I turned the nut-straight in a raised pot and he turned a flush.

Both Peter and I made the final table along with the old Asian guy, Joe Cabret, cash game player Crazy John and a handful of weak players.

I offered an Insurance Swap with Peter whereby if one of us wins a seat then we pay the non-seat winner a sum – in this case $250. Peter turned it down, and we went straight into the final table with myself sitting fairly low on chips.

I lost a key flip with nines against King-Ten and was left with just one big blind. I waited several hands until finding sixes in early position and managed a near triple. Eventually as play hit six-handed we made a deal whereby the $1560 put away for forth was split $560 for fourth and $500 for fifth and sixth. Being the shortest of the players I was happy to agree, and getting the insurance for my efforts so far was better than a kick in the ass.

With nothing really to lose I started getting really aggressive shoving at any chance I could get to add to my stack. I built it up to around 30k with blinds at 3,000-6,000 as we lost the old Asian guy in fifth. I continued my aggression – especially pushing on Crazy John’s big blind – until the action was folded round to me in the small and I sweated a red Ace. I moved all in and Crazy John instantly called turning over fours. I peeked down to see another red Ace and was more than ecstatic at the possibility of locking up another seat for the Main Event.

Alas . . . not one, but both of the fours would land on the flop and turn to see me bubble for a seat yet again – but at least this time I would collect some money for my efforts.

With the PokerNews Cup now upon us, this weekend was my last chance to play before we start working.

I packed my car full with shoes, hats, clothes and everything in between before driving up the highway to Geelong. My first stop was at my cousin’s house in Yarraville to pick up his spare key I was going to be staying there while working the PokerNews Cup.

Taking my seat in the freeroll I sat down with $325 worth of green 25-denomination chips just in case I felt like rebuying . . . thirteen times that is!

I chipped up quite quickly before losing a race and was forced to rebuy. Nothing happened for the next umpteenth hands until we hit the end of the rebuy period. I did a triple rebuy for $75 and saw my stack increase to just on 6,000 which was roughly average.

As the 206-player field was cut down to below 80 I began accumulating thanks to a player donating his chips with eights to my Queens. Now up to 14,000, and then 16,000, the imaginary heaven to land phone rang . . .

“Hi Tim, this is God again. How have you been mate? Enough of the small talk . . . I think it’s greedy of you wanting a second PokerNews Cup seat and consequently have decided to flick the doomswitch on you . . . talk soon mate!”

Sitting with double average chips at the 500-1000 level, an old Asian donk limped under the gun (with only 2,600 behind), as did some weak-tight lady from middle position, before I made it 4,000 from the button with Ace-Jack. The blinds passed but the rest of the old Asian donk’s chips went into the middle with King-Queen as the old lady folded. Queen on the flop and that was that . . . well until two hands later some random donk shipped it with Ace-Five and I re-shipped with Ace-Queen. Of course a five fell on the flop, and even though I turned a flush draw, I still lost and slipped to 6k.

I found a double with Aces against Kings before doubling up the big blind when I opened to 2,200 from the button with J♠ 10♠ and was forced to call an additional 3,000. He flopped an Ace and I was back to just over 6k. Next hand someone open shipped with A♥ 8♥ and I snapped with Kings; only to see me exit in 35th place when an Ace landed on the river.

I played some $2-3NLH once the Grand Final was wrapped up by the cats and profited $92 after being up $205 at one point.

Using the Phase Two ticket I had won on my last visit to Crown, I took to the felt with around 100 others. I turned middle set first hand to take a nice pot down until losing a big one holding A♠ 10♠. With three limpers for 100, I called before the player on my left made it 200. Everyone called to see a ten-high flop fall and the action checked round to the preflop raiser who made it 200 to go once again. Everyone folded to me and I made the call to peel one street just in case he actually had something better then top pair.

The turn landed another ten and I fired out 600. He tank-called to see an eight land on the river and an all-in bet follow from me once I saw that he only had 1,700 left. About two minutes went pass before he made the call – and after I tabled my top trips – he slammed down his rivered set of eights . . . WTF!?!?!?

I was unable to grab one of the nine seats up for grabs when I shoved 10bbs with Ace-Jack and got called by Ace-Queen.

With word of a home game, I decided to venture out to Kew as the night was still young.

The game was 25c-25c round of each, and after being down to $12 from my original $100 buy-in I eventually cashed out for $105 courtesy to a great Omaha Hi-Lo orbit.

2am read the clock, and time it was for bed as the game broke and I headed back to Yarraville for the night.

Waking up bright and early I headed to crown to play in the PokerNews Cup Event 1: $230 No Limit Holdem $75,000 Guarantee.

Even though I arrived forty minutes early there was a line that stretched at least sixty people long when I hit the back of it.

Once I was finally registered I took my seat in the 465-player field. With only a 4,000-chip starting bank and a fairly fast structure I decided that I was going to take a solid and tight approach until I could amass some kind of stack . . . only problem was that I wouldn’t even have a chance to get near a stack!

For the ninety minutes that I was in the tournament I only played two hands. I lost half my stack holding 9♥ 9♦ in the big blind when my lone opponent turn a gutshot wheel against me. Then during the 75-150 level I opened to 375 with A♠ Q♠ and was put all in by my opponent from the previous hand from out of the big blind. I tossed in my last 1,500, but made my way out of the tournament in 380th place when his pockets flopped a set.

I quickly gamboooled away $200 on a $2-3NLH table – gamble being just an understatement as I saw my original $200 soar to $300 before straddling and blind betting my way to the felt- before taking my seat in Event 2: $115 Deepstack PokerPro.

Everyone started with a 25,000-chip starting bank, and after triple-barrelling Andrew ‘Adgee’ Jeffreys with A♠ 10♠ on a Q♣ 8♣ 3♣ 5♣ K♠ board I was up to 33,000 after Adgee reluctantly folded a pair and I tabled my bluff.

Nothing really eventuated as both Adgee and I, along with Dennis Huntly, exchanged banter until Adgee fell and then Huntly.

I would eventually perish in 23rd place of the 90 starters when I shoved 61,000 at 3,000-6,000 with 10♣ 10♠ and ran into an opponent’s Q♦ Q♠. He flopped top set, I turned a flush draw, but made yet another early tournament exit.

Food . . . bed . . . then a long night of poker-based thinking ahead!

Finally being back home in Geelong I decided to venture to cricket training at my old club Alexander Thomson (ATCC).

I’m still unsure if I’ll return to ATCC or continue playing at the Richmond City Cricket Club for the third year running – it is really a decision of where I’ll be living and if I can commit to the club 100% or not.

I bowled marginally, landed it well and spun it a little, but I was really impressed with the timing of my batting as I thought that would have suffered the most over the winter break due to the wrist injury that I picked up at the latter end of the 2008/09 season.

With cricket training wrapped up I packed my stuff, had a shower and headed up to Melbourne to join James Bernarkopoloupolous in our aim to ship a PokerNews Cup seat.

I sat around watching the start of the Dogs (yay) and Cats (boo) match before Crown Director of Tournament Operations Jonno Pittock dragged me up to the bar for a chat and a drink.

Discussing all things poker and beyond for over an hour, work eventually came calling for Jonno while I bought into the $65 PokerNews Cup Phase One satellite.

Both me and James sat down to play, and once he lost to a three-outer to elimination, it was left to me to hold the fort down. Only two tables made up the tournament, and consequently only three seats and some cash were on offer. I flopped a set on my first hand to increase my stack by 800 or so, and after eliminating someone with Ace-Jack to his King-Queen, I was on the final table. I found a double up with a dominating Ace-King and a few orbits later we were four-handed. Everyone chucked in $40 and I put in a little extra with $45 to make up four seats for all of us as we were fairly even in chips with crazy high blinds.

I grabbed James from the cash game tables and we grabbed a drink and took a walk along Southbank to bitch about shit while we waited for the 7:10pm PokerNews Cup Phase Two satellite to begin.

After speaking to Mat and deciding that we were going to do something after the satellite, he decided to come in and rail the both of us.

Lining up on the feature table and seat one meant that it was the perfect spot for Mat to view from as this seat is right on the rail. It’s not a great structured satellite with quick levels and only a 4,000-starting bank, but it’s probably the best you can hope for when the buy in is $250.

With blinds at 25-50, an early position player made it 250 to go and I flatted with Q♣ Q♦ before the small blind made it 625. Original raiser folded and I called to see a flop of J♣ 8♣ 4♣ fall and a bet of 1,200 follow. I tanked for probably five minutes before folding figuring that at best I could be up against two overcards and a flush draw and at worse a bigger pair with a club draw. My fold may be disgusting to some, but I felt that I could find a better spot (even though that sounds weird holding an overpair and flush draw) with my edge and skill set against the rest of the table.

During the next level I would get those chips back when I flatted from the big blind holding A♦ J♦ when the three-bettor from the above hand made it 300 to go from early position over a limper. Three of us saw a K♠ Q♦ 8♠ flop and checked it round to see the 4♣ land on the turn and a check from me and the limper. The original raiser tossed a single 500-denomination chips, and after deliberating for a little and putting him on a Queen or a pair of Jacks or tens, decided to make it 1,250 to go. The limper passed and after telling me that I had nothing, the original raiser folded as well.

Not much would develop until during the 300-600 level there would be three limpers round to me in the small blind, only to have me shove for my last 3,800 with K♥ K♠. The first limper – Kane Sherwell – instantly called holding Queen-Jack for his last 3,500, and when the board ran out with a Queen on the flop and river I was left with just a small blind and a small case of tilt!

With twenty players remaining I officially gave up and went over to James to bitch about my bad beat. I quickly raced back to see what my button would deliver, and when it was a pair of nines, I shipped it in and double to 1,200. Next hand I shoved the cutoff with King-Jack and picked up the blinds and antes and was up to 2,100.

I went on to fold the next few hands before doubling though my Queen-Jack nemesis and then once again when I picked off a triple barrel bluff from the nit on the table as we made the ten-handed final table.

Sitting with 13,000 in chips and needing roughly 35,000 to have a chance at capturing one of the three seats or $1,320 on offer I looked down at fives on the first hand after a player opened to 3,000 with blinds at 500-1000. I mucked and when I flopped a five I felt a bit sick – he did show pocket tens when he took the pot down and I patted myself on the back for making a good fold instead of being so results orientated like everyone else.

I slowly began chipping up and knocked a player out holding Q♦ 3♠ to his pocket eights when the board ran out A♥ J♥ J♦ 4♠ A♠ to see me sneak into the chip lead with around 28,000 – basically he shoved my big blind for like 3x and I had to call, I wasn’t just being a douche!

Bernarkopoloupolous was still on the final table and seated on immediate right with a short stack. Before the final table began I tried to give him some advice about letting players crumble round him and to not do anything silly or unwarranted. I also told him that he could shove my blinds without any risk of me calling if it meant that those chips would see him come out of the danger zone. However with blinds at 1200-2400 James decided to ship it in with K♣ 6♣ for 13,500 and when I looked down at A♥ A♦ I threw my head back, shook my head at Mat and – wanting to fold – made the call to put my buddy at the risk.

Of course the board ran out 10♥ 9♥ 8♠ 7♥ 2♠ to see him double up as I was left crippled with barely 10,000.

The volume dial on my iPod went up, and I just tried to regain focus as I still had a chance to capture my seat with seven players left.

I folded until I was dealt K♠ Q♦ under the gun and managed to double against Ace-King when a turned a Queen. I stole some blinds, and before I knew it I had snatched the chip lead back.

Once I knocked out a player holding Q♦ 2♣ when he shoved my big blind with K♥ J♥ for a little over a min-raise we were down to just five.

Michael Pinzone and I shared the chip lead while James sat comfortably in third. The other two however were very stubborn and just waited for the other to be knocked out so that they could walk away with the whole $1,320.

After three orbits of chips getting passed between us three, the two shorties eventually decided to chop the money once both their stacks were equal to just one big blind!

SHIP IT ONE TIME FOR THE CHIP AND A CHAIR was all that was going through my head as I was able to achieve one of the toughest poker accomplishments – come from a single chip (well in this case just a small blind) to win the whole tournament (well chop first as it was a satellite)!

Summoning Jack ‘Treetop’ Staus, I hope that the feat I achieved in the satellite can see me turn my $110 investment and back from the dead story into $250,000 and title of Champion of the 2009 PokerNews Cup Australia!

To celebrate we went to Stalactites Greek Restaurant in the city before heading to David Saab’s house to round out the night with lots of laughs and banter.