DUBLIN BELLYBUSTERS

It's been a weird start to the month. I spent three days losing a K a day. Then, I kicked ass for an evening, winning about 2K. The next morning I dumped a few hundred but got it back and more in the evening. Then came Sunday, 'the day of rest', or, as we in the online poker business like to call it, 'the day of mega-multitabling your ass off'. That's right, while most of the world is enjoying their day off, we don't take more than a five minute break (tyty Full Tilt, by the way) for fourteen hours straight.

Last Sunday, however, was supposed to be different. Last Sunday, I had a cricket match in Portlaoise (just over an hour from Dublin). Dragging myself out of bed after about 2 hours sleep, I crawled down to Leinster (my cricket club) to get my lift. An hour later, we were at the Portlaoise ground. Five minutes after that, we successfully slipped away to the local food emporium, evading the detection of our captain who would undoubtedly have enforced some form of cruel muscular warm-up and sadistic stretching-routine. I had a full breakfast and my friend Rob had a giant garlic-bread pizza - the breakfast of champions! Twenty minutes later, we sheepishly returned to the ground to discover that we were fielding first. Uuuugh - fielding on a full belly!

Two minutes prior to the start, the heavens opened. An hour of sitting around ensued. After we finally got out there, it was only ten minutes before another downpour. Another hour of sitting around followed. This is something you have to get used to as a cricketer in Ireland. We tried one last time to get the game going but it was only twenty minutes before a third shower ended all hope. Everyone bailed into the cars and an hour later (an hour that I slept), we arrived back to Leinster. After a swift pint with the lads, I headed home to my faithful laptop. It turned out that Sunday would be business as usual.

While loading up some SNGs, I noticed that the Full Tilt Series Espana Satellite was starting. Weeeeee for free money! This tourney had been my ATM for the previous few weeks, so obviously, I was compelled to register. Three hours later, I bagged two $69 45-man SNG victories and I was the chip-leader at the final table of the Spanish tourney. Plain sailing would ensure another $3K seat but sadly, rough waters sunk my ship!

With 40K, I could perhaps have folded to the seat but that is neither my style nor a smart satellite strategy. I knew that $50K would put me in the clear and it should be easy to pick up chips against players who would not want to tangle with the big stack. Having gratuitously raised with ATC (any two cards) for the previous hour, I picked up JJ in the cut-off. A player raised from early position so I decided to tread carefully and just call. In this spot, I know an opponent is more worried about me so, in general, he will play honest poker, happy to keep the pot small if he whiffs. The short-stack in the BB squeezed and the EP raiser folded. With 13K in there and only 7K to call, it was an easy decision. He flipped up AQ but flopped a queen to double up. The hand didn't do severe damage and I was still chip-leader. That was, of course, until the very next hand when I picked up KK in the HJ. I raised to 2.3x and the player in the CO shoved. Hating the potential downside of being bad beated by an inferior hand, I clicked the call button with squinted eyes. My opponent flipped A10. The flop came 10-3-6, the turn brought another 6 but of course, of f**king course, the river was another 10. Mother-f**king C**k-sucking Jambox Bastard C**t!

Having enjoyed a massive chip-lead just 2 minutes earlier, I was now 5 of 7. An orbit later I picked up QQ in the SB. The short-stack with just 6K shoved and I made the easy call. He had A3 and insta-flopped an ace. No queen and I was suddenly the short-stack. OMFG! My misery was complete 5 minutes later when I picked up A9 in the BB. The SB raised to 3500 and I shoved my 16K. He called and flipped...ACES! F**k my life! It's a sick thing when you win almost 2K in a session and are on suicide watch. Luckily, I was clean out of razors and I recently had my bath replaced by a shower.

Today, I opted for a MTT-heavy session with just a few SNGs thrown in. Most ended in disappointment but the 15K Guarantee Super Turbo went well. 767 started but within an hour and twenty minutes there were just 30 left. I had blasted my way to a chip-lead and was in jambot mode versus a table of medium stacks. With 10 left, I raised from the button with QQ and the BB shipped it in with 55. I was first with 65K and he was third with 40K. The flop came 855 and all I could do was laugh.

Rocking the short-stack for the next three orbits, I got myself back up to the chip-average by final table time. 4-handed, I woke up with AA in the BB and the button shoved with A7. The chip-lead was mine again and it wasn't long before I disposed of the 3rd place finisher. Heads-up, I had a 3-1 advantage but for the second time in two days, it wasn't to be. With only 5 BBs, he shipped it in with Q3 and I called with A9. The river brought the cursed 3 and he was back to level. I went card-dead for 5 hands and was suddenly a 3-2 chip-dog. The blinds were massive and so was Q9 given the cards that preceded it. I shoved and he called with AJ. The flop gave him 2 pair and I was eliminated in 2nd place. A $4800 score but I couldn't help feeling that I left $2500 behind.  I guess there's no pleasing some people, huh?

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