DUBLIN BELLYBUSTERS

Thursday, October 1st, 2009: The Full Tilt Espana Series - Barcelona Event, Day 1 (Evening)
For the next three levels, I did my very best to stay focused but the ennui of live poker was taking it toll. That, coupled with the fact that I was spewing chips left and right, made it very frustrating. During the 7th and 8th levels of the day, I picked up no proper hands. I raised five times, got re-raised and folded three times and had my 'airball c-bet' on the flop raised twice. At the end of level 8, we had 10 minute break before the final hour of play. During it, I chatted with my girlfriend Michelle who was cleaning up in the 2/5 cash game. I was back down to a starting stack and I told her I was going to play like a monkey in the hopes of doubling up. She tried to calm me down, saying that there was still lots of time and lots of play left. She was probably right but I was in no mood to be pacified. For the next hour, I was at war.

I immediately set about my work, raising to 1900 with A10 in early position. The button called and the flop came J-6-3. I fired 2500 and he called. The turn came a 4 and figuring he would have raised the flop with a Jack, I fired bullet number 2 to the tune of 5300. He folded, showing pocket 7s. Three hands later, I min-raised a button position raiser with 910 suited. He called but folded to my c-bet on a K-8-4 board. An orbit later, disaster struck as I flopped top pair, top kicker with the nut flush draw versus the big stack on a Q-6-7 (all hearts) board. He checked, I bet and he called. The turn paired the 6, he checked and I checked behind. The river came a non-heart 4 and he bet the pot. Uuuugh! I begrudgingly called and he flipped up 53 with the 3 of hearts.

That hand left me with just 16K. A few hands later, I was in the Big Blind and the Cut-Off raised to 2400. The Button called and I looked down at 56 suited. All-in! After plenty of deliberation, the Cut-Off folded and the Button insta-mucked behind him. Phew! Ten minutes later, I lost another medium-sized pot, taking the similar pot-control line that I took in the AQ hand and again getting beat up by a guy who called my flop bet with a gutshot. With 10 minutes left to the day's play, the following hand took place.

Hand 2 - Day 1, Blinds 400/800, 15K
I looked down at QQ and min-raised. The Big-stack (a friendly Portuguese guy called Felipe Pacheco) called and with 4400 in the pot, the flop came 10-8-4. I lead out for 2300 and, after a brief interrogation, he put me all-in. I called and he flipped up J10. My QQ held and I was back up to 30K.

At the end of the day, the average was 40K but thanks to the double-up, I could come back on Saturday with a playable stack.