Irish Open Holdem Side Events
I played both the 1500 Euro freezeout and the 300 Euro scalp side tournaments while I was in Dublin.
I shouldn’t have played in the 1500 event - I had been knocked out of the Main Event literally 15 minutes before it started, and was tired and frustrated. This was not a good frame of mind to be playing a deep stacked tournament, where patience is key. I lost about 3k in chips trying to bluff Praz Bansai off a hand on a low board where he held pocket Kings. He had been playing a lot of hands early on, but unfortunately I picked a spot where he had a hand which was tough to put down. He reluctantly called my re-raise on the turn, and I thought briefly of shoving on the river for my last 4k, but instead just tabled my losing AK. Praz was a nice guy though, and good table company.
I then get a little short stacked and I am now on the small blind. I complete with 9s10d, but an aggressive scandi reraises to 600. I should fold here but I’m knackered and flat call. Flop comes 9 high. I check, he continuation bets as he always does 800, so I shove over the top of him for about 2000 more. He calls with QQ. I actually hit a 10 on the turn but he 4 flushes on the river and I’m out.
The scalp tournament turns into a crapshoot, not because of the blinds which are on a 25 minute clock, but because people are in gambling mode.
First hand I play is AA UTG. I limp for 200 and unfortunately 4 other players call.
Flop 10, 9, 2
I bet 600 and one guy calls.
Turn 6.
I put him all in and he calls, having hit his up and down with in the pocket.
I scrap around with 1600 chips for several orbits and then come over the top of a regular raiser with pocket 6s but he has pocket 9s and I’m done.
P&L table is updated, to reflect the fact I won 250 Euro on cash overall for the weekend, instead of the 1k loss budgeted for, and also I didn’t rebuy in the Omaha.