City 100, Episode 4

Another London blogger once wrote that he would “never go out of a tournament holding 7 2”. Well folks, I clocked up my third career 7 2 exit offence last night, and it was still the correct play I think. It’s City 100 time again, and I broke my duck in this event placing 4th for £400. I was sat next to my man Tony from the PMU event for almost the entire tournament, and he eventually took it down, so congratulations to him. Hours of play, so I’ll summarize the key hands below:

4500 chips, 25 minute clock, 40 runners

Hand 1
Folded round to the small blind who limps. I am in the big blind with AK and raise to 200. Small blind re-raises to 400 (hmm). I call
Flop 6, 7, 8
Small blind leads for 500. I think I can get him off a lot of hands here so re-raise to 1500. He pushes and I fold. Awful start, awfully played. The risk/reward just wasn’t there to justify the 1500 re-raise.

I poke around with 2.5k in chips for about 90 mins. A classic character arrives at the table. I have only ever seen 2 people play poker more intensely. He takes ages over decisions, rarely makes eye contact and when bet into stares at the felt and nods to himself while whispering. I am scared - whilst harmless looking, he is menacing in a serial killer type way. And then:

Hand 2
I push in early position for 3k with 88 (blinds 150-300). Folded round to serial killer who insta-calls with QQ. An 8 pops out first and I double up. Serial Killer looks at the felt and rocks in his chair in silence. I can feel his icy stare on me for another orbit as the game goes on. Nonetheless I am back in the game (and thankfully still alive in more ways than one!).

At this point, a huge stack with about 50k joins the table and begins to splash about - in every pot and raising every 3rd hand. He’s spraying chips left and right when there wasn’t much need - to put it in perspective the average chip stack is probably about 8k. Time to tighten up….I don’t play a hand for 3 orbits and then catch his 2k raise pushing with JJ, which just about keeps my head above water.

Hand 3
I have been card dead, and am down to 7k in chips after posting my blind of 800. It is raised in early position by an active player. However, he only raises to 2,000 and with antes in there and 800 already invested, I decide to call with 7 8.

Flop 5,6,8

The raiser pushes, which either means he’s got an overpair or something like AK. This flop is great for me - even if he has an overpair I have 11 outs twice, which puts me at over 40% so an easy call. He in fact has AJ and doubles me up to 14k.

Hand 4
Folded to me I raise 4 times the blind with KK (this is my standard raise with the antes). I’m called by Costa Del Alan (a former Spanish nightclub owner).

Flop Q, 6, 2 rainbow.

I put Alan all in for his last 2k which he understandably calls with AQ and I’m up to about 22k. Perfect flop for me really - looks good for Alan, and no draws.

Hand 5
The loose big stack raises my big blind. I defend with KJ off.

Flop 5, K, 8 (2 clubs). Check, check
Turn 2. I bet out 3k into 6k and he calls

River is the flush card. Now, if I check this I think the big stack will steal it - I have about 14k left to his 30k. I decide to bet 4k into 12k representing the flush. He can only come over the top with the flush and if he does, I can fold and still have a playable 10k. Once he tanks I know I’m probably good - he eventually calls and mucks. For the first time in the tournament, I am now a big stack.

Final Table
I’m sitting about 3rd as the final table kicks off, behind Big Mark and Serial Killer. I’m raising a pretty wide range due to the significant pots but I run into 2 issues. Firstly, Tony is directly to my left and keeps re-raising (I think he had big hands most of the time but perhaps he was just re-stealing). Secondly, Sonny is a few more seats round and he plays a wide variety of hands. That said, with a bottle of champagne bounty on his head, he is playing more circumspect than usual, as Houghton has one eye on him and one eye on the LC expense account.

Hand 6
Briony min-raises in early positon. I look down at JJ on the button. I don’t like this particularly - she either has a monster, or something very marginal. If I re-raise I either get put all in or I don’t get paid. I flat call in position.

Flop 2, A, 5. Briony checks as do I
Turn 9

Briony checks again. Hmm - to check twice on that board she’s either got a set of Aces, or is afraid of it. I bet 3k and take the hand down.

Hand 7
I’m not in this hand, but I like the way it played out. Tony raises UTG with QJ, and is flat called by blond haired guy with AK, Sonny with 77 and Big Mark with an unknown hand. It’s a big, big pot.

Flop Q, K, Q

Mark checks, and Tony now bets at it. I really like this play, as second to act would normally check here to induce a bet. Blondie thinks for a while and then goes over the top and is called and drawing thin. Interesting to note that if Tony had checked, Blondie would have bet and then when Tony went over the top would have had room to fold, so leading with the big hand earned money there.

We are down to 4-handed - myself and Big Mark short stacked, Tony and Serial Killer (who turned out to be a nice guy once he had loosened up a bit so I hope no offence caused!) the big stacks.

The blinds are coming round so fast and I keep getting chopped off at the knees. I raise with 4 5, re-raised by Tony. I raise with AJ, all in by Tony. I raise with 10 2, re-raised by Tony. I’ve basically short stacked myself by being too aggressive with a monster stack sitting to my left. I am down to 10k in chips, blinds are 800/1600 with antes of 200.

EXIT HAND
I’m under the gun - this is the last time anyone will fold to a push once the big blind comes through me, so its a case of hope for a hand in the next 4 hands, or push with anything. I decide to push before I look - 7 2. Great! In it goes and I’m insta-called by Tony (who else?) with pocket 10s and I’m done. Still don’t regret the decision, but should have tightened up earlier on the final table.

It’s the league tonight.