Many thanks to everyone for your support over the last few days as a dream all but came true for me at the ANZPT in Melbourne.  I haven’t updated the blog for a few weeks as I’ve been busy preparing to head to Melbourne for the Melbourne Championships followed by a trip to Vegas for the WSOP.  However it feels somewhat appropriate that my last post was about how excited I was to qualify for the ANZPT.  Fast forward a month and I’m writing about how I almost won one of the biggest events on the Australian poker calendar.

I was excited, calm and quietly confident when I said down at my opening table.  The only player of note was Celina Lin and I’d seen her play many times, so I was happy with my draw.  Looking over my sholder at the tabe of death next to me that featured 6 or 7 insanely good players, I was very relieved.  Interestingly that table also featured eventual winner Chris Levick as we started the tournament back to back, and would end up finishing it face to face.

Early on I lost my first pot with AQ vs Q6, but then got headed in the right direction with one of my only “moves” of the whole tournament.  I was becoming frustrated with the raising of one young player and decided to put up a flat him in position with Js6s.  I don’t remember the flop but I had no pair, no draw and had decided I was going to flat the flop and try and take it away on the turn.  I picked up a flush draw on the turn, then made my flush on the river and got paid off by the kid as his eyes bulged from his head when he saw my cards.

After that I had a big decision with AK on a king-high flop.  I’d been check-raised and made a pretty bad shove in hindsight, but he also had AK and we chopped.  I then got my tournament moving into 5th gear when I picked up 77 under the gun.  I raised and the guy to my left flat called me.  We saw a flop of 364 which I liked and fired a c-bet.  He min-raised me so I called to see what developed on the turn.  I spiked a 5 for my straight and check-raised him.  He lost the plot and shoved and I called.  He had 88 and didn’t even see the straight until the pot was pushed in my direction.  I was up to over 50,000 and in strong shape.

Our table broke and I got moved to a slightly tougher table and just held my own for a little while.  Just before dinner, I went on a nice little heater which continued all night until the chips were bagged.  I had KK in back to back hands and got paid off by AK, I flatted a raise with Qh5h and flopped a flush, I had KK vs QQ hold up, I made a full house in the only hand I played against tough pro Tino Lechich and I twice hit sets against two pair and got the chips in with my opponent drawing dead.  To summarize, I hardly remember losing a pot and ran like God to end the day with a monsterous 214,000 chips.  Somehow another dude came from the clouds to pip me as Day 1 chip leader, but I was content in 2nd palce, way ahead of the field.

Although I entered Day 2 in dominant shape I was quickly back to the pack when I lost KK vs AK all in preflop within the first orbit of play.  It was a huge pot, that would’ve put me over 300,000 chips (the average chips needed to make the money was 240,000).  So I was pretty unhappy to be back with the pack, however I stayed tough and shook it off.  I was pretty card dead but maintained my stack until I picked up QQ and busted a short stack with 99 to get myself headed back in the right direction.

Our table then broke and I got moved to a terribly soft table.  Considering we were approaching the money it was absolutely perfect.  I was sitting on the direct left of the worst player in the field and I had none of the dangerous pros on my table.  I chipped up a little and then picked up AA and KK in consecutive hands.  Both times I got paid off and again I was with the chip leaders.

Fortunately the bubble burst with two eliminations in the one hand to avoid any drawn out pain and I was thrilled to be $5k richer.  Anything from this point was a bonus.  We redrew for the final two tables and I got moved to the feature table for the first time all tournament.  It was here I lost two consecutive pots for the first time all tournament.  I raised UTG with TT and gave it up after my c-bet was raised on a A54 but said worst player in the field.  She hadn’t raised in five hours and I insta-mucked.  I got myself back on track with a little bit of luck a few moments later.  I raised on a steal with JT and c-bet a 992 flop.  The big blind called and I was left with only 100k behind.  Fortunately I spiked a jack on the turn to pair up.  I bet again and the BB laid down what he said was AK (wp).

I then got moved to the other table, much to my disappointment as it was distinctly tougher with Chris Levick, Greg Shillig, Brent Thomas, Kristian Lunardi and Sam Khouiss to contend with.  I struggled against these guys but stole enough blinds and antes with some small ball play to avoid being blinded down too rapidly.  I then picked up KK and Brent paid me off with JJ and I was again confortable.

The play slowed considerably as we eeked towards a final table.  It was here that Chris started to accumulate chips and surge to the chip lead when he busted Brent.  They lost another two on the feature table and we’d snuck onto the final table in 7th place.

Eventhough I was one of the short stacks I still had plenty of breathing room and never felt threatened by the blinds.  I was guaranteed 10k and if I could squeak out another place or two I’d be thrilled.

The next day I was a little toey as I arrived early and had to wait for ages for pre-game interviews and bits and pieces.  I wasn’t nervous all tournament, but I’m not a big fan of waiting, so this was about the most nervous time of the whole tournament.  Once we sat down and the cards were in the air I was settled.  We lost the second Tasmanian on the second hand of the day and I was pumped to jump up $6k in prize money.

I believe my next significant hand was AQ in the big blind.  Ben Savage limped and Kristian Lunardi raised from the SB.  It didn’t feel particularly strong and I thought he was punishing the limper and trying control of the pot.  Kristian seemed like a very smart, thinking player capable of moves, so I felt my AQ was in front and re-raised from the BB.  They both insta-folded and I took down a nice little pot.  Kristian later said he had AK which kind of shocked me, but I guess my image allowed me to get away with a few things.

Soon after I picked up KK and made a standard raise.  Ben Savage then three-bet me to 80,000 or so from the big blind and I decided to four-bet another 95,000 or so rather than see an ugly flop.  My approach all tournaments was to play fast with the goods and try and avoid getting myself into tricky spots or decisions post-flop.  He ended up shoving with TT and I snap-called.  The board bricked and I doubled to get myself back into contention.

I got away with a couple of other little moves.  After seeing Kristian’s reluctance to play pots with me, I had decided to raise his big blind (from under the gun) next orbit with any two cards.  I looked down at 62o and raised it up.  Jie Gao, who was already frustrated and spewing chips, was the lone caller.  The flop was AA5 and I checked to represent a big ace.  He checked behind and I took it down with a delayed c-bet on the turn.  A few hands later I raised AK and called Jie down with ace-high when he tried to bluff the river.

They started to drop away and at dinner I was maybe 3rd in chips with 6 left and guaranteed $27k.  I couldn’t believe it!  I then got a nice surprise at the dinner break as my fiance had flown over to Melbourne to rail me home to victory!

After the dinner break, the speed of play picked up as Jie had a brain explosion.  I continued to chip up against some of the other players while staying out of the way of chip leader Chris Levick.  He was picking up a heap of cards and doing all the hard work to bust the table as I crept up the prize money table.  We got to three handed and I picked up a set and it was the only hand I moved all in with, when I check-raised Chris, but he folded.  Chris busted Greg in 3rd which gave me a 40k payjump to a massive 100k.

We took a break and my head was spinning.  Is this really happening??  I couldn’t think straight and it didn’t feel real.  I chatted to Kirsty and told her I was going to go for broke - take a gamble or two to give myself a chance to overcome the 3.5 to 1 chip deficit I was facing.  I didn’t want to get blinded out of this without a fight.

I got back to the table and focussed more than I can describe in words.  The crowd on the rail were non-existant in my mind.  I couldn’t see anything else other than Chris and the trophy.  It was a weird zone to be in, but a thoroughly enjoyable one of intense, unbreakable focus.

I wanted to continue by small ball approach but it didn’t work early.  I couldn’t find any cards, or hit any boards, and Chris was relentless.  I suspect he hit more boards than I didn’t and he worked me down to about 10 BB’s.  Time to change it up as it just wasn’t working.  I re-raised all in twice, once with queen-high and once with jack-high, with Chris folding and flashing an ace both times - again my image was working for me.  I then finally found an ace with a four kicker and shoved but Chris woke up with ace-jack.  I spiked a four on the flop and doubled up to survive.

Again I was going to continue the pressure and play bigger pots.  I decided if Chris raised I was shoving a lot of hands.  9c7c seemed perfect but incredibly Chris found another monster wth AQ.  I spiked a 7 on the flop and rivered a flush and suddenly I was back in it with about 1.5 million to Chris’ 2.8 million. 

Chris was visibly upset and gave me a bit of a spray, telling that was “kindergarden stuff”.  I told him to settle down before I would play the next hand.  He gave me a nod and I continued the pressure.  Now that we were deep, and I wasn’t risking so much of my chips each hand, it allowed me more room to be creative.  I no longer needed to hit cards or the board (both of which were still eluding me in the HU battle).  If he limped the button, I raised any two cards.  He donked out at a queen-high flop and I re-popped him with 27 for air.  He continued to respect my moves, but I decided to flash the bluff to him - not something I’d normally do, but I wanted him to know it was game on and really rattle him.  Within about five minutes of this bluff he was asking the tournament director for a break.  I said no, we’d wait the 20 mins until the scheduled break.

We were nearly back to even in chips as I had all the momentum.  I think picked up the biggest hand I’d had in HU play - ace-nine.  Chris raised and I 3-bet him.  He shoved and I deliberated.  It was an easy fold really, but if there was a chance we were flipping I wanted to take it.  I folded and he later said he had pocket queens.

A hand or two later the roles were reversed.  He raised again and I 3-bet him with pocket queens.  He shoved with AhJh and I snap-called.  He had me covered but not by much - this was the tournament on the line and I was a 70% favourite.  I stood and leant on the chair in shock that I was so close to the trophy.  Maybe my “I can’t watch” mentality didn’t help as the ace spiked on the flop and it was all over.

So close to a spot in poker history, two trophies and a life-changing payday.  As it was, I’m thrilled to have done so well and finished so deep.  It would’ve been great to win, but I have no regrets - I gave myself every opportunity to win.  Well done to Chris - he thoroughly deserved to win and dominated the final table.

Hopefully this opens up a few opportunities to play some more tournaments on the tour and enjoy further success with a new found confidence.  Thanks to everyone for your support and many thanks to Tim, Oatsy, Mat, Paul, James, Kav and Justin for covering for me behind the desk for three days.

May this be the start of much more to come…!

I arrived on Day 2 without any thoughts of reaching the money, but to simply play one pot at a time. I intended to play pretty TAG but after a late-night cram session with Duck (which may or may not have been a good thing) I would attempt to open a few more pots to steal those valuable blinds.

I had a solid table with Dom Italiano, Daniel Noja, Monica Nguyen and the intimidating presence of PokerStars Pro Lee Nelson two to my right. I had no intentions of getting in Lee’s way, but at the same time I expected him to play tight and straight forward, which is a much better draw than some young Internet gun.

I hadn’t played with Monica before and didn’t see much of her win in the High Rollers event, so I didn’t know how she played, but knew she’d be confident after that result. When I stuck to my plan of opening more by raising it up with KTo, I wasn’t happy to see her call on the button. I liked it a little better when the flop came KJT. I fired out a bet of 5k and Monica put in a strange min-raise to 10k. I only had about 20k-ish more and didn’t want to see my hand ruined by a scary turn, so I moved in, putting her on something like KQ/QJ/JT. She insta-folded what she later said was eight-high! Wow! I guess she thought I was an Internet LAG and not the nit that I am. So that nice pot got my day going in the right direction.

Monica moved tables, which really took the only LAG player away from the table, allowing me to chip up beautifully without any confrontations at all. At each break I was able to increase my stack and I still hadn’t seen a showdown. I picked up aces once and was re-raised. Perhaps I should’ve flatted but I think that’s stronger than shoving, and I felt my opponent was committed to calling. He folded, I collected a nice pot, and my TAG image was still in tact.

Lee also hadn’t showed down a single hand until he squeezed with 98s and was called by KQs. Thankfully a king hit and Lee was gone. I stayed tight and then we started to inch closer to the money. I blinded down to around 10BBs and decided I wanted to move in on a guy who was tighter than me on his big blind. I looked down at 56s and put it in. Plan worked well until he called. I thought I was dead, but he showed AK which was probably bottom of his calling range. I skillfully flopped a six and doubled up. I was then berated over my play as he was crippled. To his credit he fought on and actually made it into the money.

My image was shot, but I was now in comfortable shape. I opened up a little again but got into trouble and was bluffed off two pots. One was in a battle of the blinds against, eventual winner, Daniel Botta. He limped and I checked with 8c3c. The flop was A84 with two clubs. He checked and I fired the flop expecting to take it down. He called. The turn was a brick and I guess I should’ve fired again, but I wanted to keep the pot small as we were nearing the money. The river bricked a ten, and Botta fired an overbet of 45k which represented half my stack. I guess logically it doesn’t make sense for him to play an ace this way, but I couldn’t call with a bad eight. I made the mistake of flashing my cards and folded. He then flashed 47o for complete air. I constructively criticized his play and removed my hat to let out some steam.

The mistake of flashing my cards (something I normally never do) came back to haunt me a few moments later. In a three-way limped pot I was in the SB with KQ, and took a stab at a ten-high flop. The BB was the lone caller at which point I was done with the hand. We checked the turn and he fired on the river. I folded and he showed me KJ. I’d been owned again. He was old guy who was stupidly calling with just overcards on the flop, but I’d shown weakness and let him blow me like a feather off the pot.

Thankfully it was then dinner, and we were only four players from the money. After then break I folded AQ and AT to raises like a weak-tight nancy-boy until we squeeked into the money. There was one interesting bubble story from my table. With two players left until the money one player hadn’t returned from dinner and only had 15,000 in chips left. The big blind was one hand away and the BB and SB would be enough to eat up his stack. Incredibly he made it back from dinner in time for his BB. He had no choice but to gamble with JT, but found that he’d run into pocket aces. Somehow he managed to spike a straight and win the hand, double up, and limp into the money. Amazing.

I was extremely relieved to make it into the money, although the $1,000 win still had me in the red thanks to the repechage. I wanted profit dammit!  I was focussed on trying to make the result count. As others gambled I waited for my spot. I finally found it with AQ vs A6 to get back to 120k. A few minutes later I won a race with 77 vs AK when I hit a set. I then 3-bet with AK to win a nice pot and suddenly I looked down at 350k. As Oatsy commented it was the first time for the ENTIRE tournament that I was at average chips since the first hand of the event.  So sick.

That didn’t last long as I lost a 40/60 with a short stack to take a dent to my stack. I held my spot with a few steals as the field was narrowing. Jarred Graham was moved to my table with a big stack and I was excited to see this young gun play up close. He opened a lot of pots and went on a sick run of power poker. He three or four bet in like 4 consecutive pots and took them down everytime. No idea what he had, but he definitely had balls. He was looking to play a massive pot and found a spot with a pair and flush draw against Botta’s top pair. This was the key hand of the tournament. With one million chips in the middle Botta’s pair held and he would go on to win the tournament, as Graham was crippled and eliminated soon after.

I had one eye on the pay jumps and was thrilled to see us down to our last three tables. Warney was moved to my table but didn’t get a chance to spin one past the cricketing legend as I was looking to gamble with my short stack. The blinds had got a bit silly by this stage with several levels removed that might normally be there in a tournament of this structure. I found myself with about 5 BBs when the biggest fish on the table opened with an all-in raise. A retarded overbet of about 600k. He did this the hand before and showed T6. I looked down at the Ac in the SB and decided that was enough to call and look for a double up. He showed JhTh and I squeezed to find the 8c behind my ace. I was in front and when the flop landed Kc6d7h I was well in front and looking good for a double up. The turn then brought a horrendous 9h. Quite simply, the worst card in the deck. It gave him straight and flush outs to go with his pair outs. I was sick and felt the pain coming as the Ah landed on the river to complete his flush. I was out in 25th place for $3,000.

I was satisfied with my result. I got my money in good and that’s all you can do. I was short for the whole tournament, but played my game. I was able to chip up regularly without showdown and was prepared to gamble when I had to. The monkey is finally off my back. I ended up about square for the JHDSS, but now have a Hendon Mob record to show for my efforts.  Thank God!

So I regrettably stood in line to repechage back into the Main Event.  I hated the thought of wasting more money on being a tournament donk, but the maths dictate that rebuying is a must.  $550 set on fire, and I was back on the felt, for potentially the last ever time.

My table draw was ok.  I had Andrew Scott on my table (again!) but he was two to my right where he couldn’t give me too much grief.  There was a young kid to his right, who at the first break I found out was Brendan Rubie - a talented young player who won the opening event at the APPT last year.  He was certainly in control of the table early.  I decided to make a stand and 3-bet him in position with a suited connector only to have him check-raise me on the flop.  Ok, back to plan B, avoidance.  I was down under 10k within the first two levels and LOL’ing tournament poker.

From there I just played my TAG game and worked my short stack.  I shoved with AJ on an ace-high flop and got an opponent to fold the same hand.  There was a huge donkey at the end of the table collecting all the chips and I was praying for a hand to double through him but it wasn’t to be.  Not much changed until the last few levels of the day.  Andrew “Adgee” Jeffreys got moved to my table and the dynamics changed immediately.  He shoved over the top massively with AJ and was called by AK and 66.  The 66 spiked a set for a 100k pot.  Andrew then shoved several more times, as he had no intentions of going through to Day 2 with anything less than 50k.

I was on about 14k when I found pocket jacks.  I raised, Andrew shoved, I wished him luck and called.  He had A5 and the board bricked to double me up.  Andrew busted soon after and we got down to the last hand of the day where I picked up pocket queens.  Ricky Gov opened and I shoved, trying to get another desperate gambling call.  If I had Ricky covered I think he would’ve gambled, but he would have 4k left if he lost so he folded AQ.  Not to worry, I was happy enough to bag up 32,500 chips - the highest point for my chip stack all day.  I was through to Day 2, with a below average stack, but enough to get some room to breathe on Day 2.

So I was 0/6 heading into the Main Event.  I didn’t particularly want to play but I’d prepaid my ticket.  The pain induced by poker was clearly outweighed by my laziness to seek a refund.

My Day 1 table was pretty soft except for Dean Nyberg who I knew would give me some grief two to my left.  I nearly four-bet him light with my 98s when he squeezed, but there was a short-stack in the middle, so I decided I’d give him benefit of the doubt for a real hand.  He showed K2o.  Hmmm.  As he amassed chips, I kept my distance and chipped up pretty solidly without any real confrontations.  I got up to about 35,000 from my start stack of 20,000 when I finally picked up a real hand.  I had AcAd in the small blind and popped it up when two players limped.  One of them called.  The flop was king-high with two baby spades.  I fired a standard c-bet and was called.  The turn was another spade.

This is where things got tricky.  The right play is to probably bet and fold to a raise.  After all, I don’t want to give a free card.  So of course I check, with the intention to call.  He then overbet the pot by several thousand, which would commit roughly half my stack.  A very weird bet.  At the time I was totally confused and went into the tank for what felt like an eternity.  I’ve never had the clock called on me before but they were well and truly justified in doing so.  Worst case, I was drawing dead to a flush, or to potentially two-outs against a set.  At best I was up against a king with no spade, but more likely was flipping with a pair and flush draw combo.  There wasn’t much that I beat, so in hindsight it was an easy fold.  At the time, it took me a while to find it but eventually I tossed those beautiful cards into the muck.  The decision played on my mind, but two days later I bumped into the guy and he said he had a baby flush.  NF me.

As we entered the last few levels of play my stack drifted back towards the starting stack.  Since it was a repechage event, the correct strategy was to gamble and try and get a semi-decent stack, as I had the option to rebuy back into the tournament if I busted.  I’m not balla enough to think that rebuying for $550 is a small thing, but if I’m going to play an event, I intend to play it properly, and in this situation gambling to get a big stack or use the repechage is the correct play.

I saw a few raised flops with suited connectors but missed every time, and eventually got my chips into the middle in the final ten minutes of the day in a limped pot with A8 on an ace-high flop.  When my flop bet was called I felt like I was beat, but I didn’t want to be left with 10k in chips so I stuck it in and found myself drawing dead to my opponent’s set.

I was happy with how I played and how I was able to chip up throughout the day with little confrontation.  The aces hand was hugely disappointing but I need to be more positive about making a great laydown than letting it affect my play.  I could’ve easily survived the day with 20k-ish if it wasn’t a repechage and only busted because of the second chance concept.  Hopefully things would turn around on Day 1c.