Live Qualifying Tournament at the Circus Casino, Stoke
Posted by Adam Ralph on 24 Oct 2008 at 10:10
It’s week six of my mission to become a professional standard poker player, with the help of www.CircusPoker.co.uk and last Sunday I played my first live qualifying tournament in the Circus Casino, Stoke, in Hanley. Things started off fairly well. I got to the casino a little earlier than planned so I paid £10 to join a ten-handed sit and go game.
I stuck to my plan of playing tight and working out the rest of the players before going in with something big. Twenty minutes later I landed an A-K suited and after three people raised before I re-raised, and I got one caller.
When the flop (the first three ‘community cards’) showed two diamonds with an ace, my heart started hammering in my chest. I've lost to the flush draw before and could see it happening again, so I went all-in to make him pay to see that third diamond, if required. A king came on the turn (the fourth community card) and nothing on the river (the fifth community card) so I went all in and he called with K-7 suited, giving me the pot with two pair, A-K. An hour later I eventually won in a heads up show down against a fairly strong player from Manchester with my J-6 giving me a straight 4 to 8 which I admit, was incredibly lucky.
Next up I played in a four-handed friendly game against my mentor for the night Bernie 'Bulldog' Kye, and another lad. Within 30 minutes I'd taken their chips and although it counted for nothing, I felt pretty good going into the main tournament. Perhaps a little too confident…
Bernie, a cracking bloke from Stoke and a regular at the casino gave me one very good piece of advice before we started. 'Make sure you're always in control'. By this I gathered he meant don't call when you're behind, don't over bet and don't put yourself into a position where you're pot committed when you don't really want to be. Sound advice no doubt, and it worked up to a point. I stole the blinds (winning the blinds uncontested) a few times with K-Q suited and pocket nines during which Bernie folded to me twice.
A couple of hands later I was dealt J-10 suited. The flop came 10-6-3 and I bet the value of the pot, about 600. With only one caller the turn showed a Jack and my opponent checked to me. Sensing weakness I went all-in. My opponent called and as he did, I knew I'd forgotten Bernie's one piece of advice 'make sure you're always in control'. The river showed a 9 and he turned over Q-8. I was out.
WHAT I LEARNT
- Going all-in when you haven't got the nuts (the best possible hand) is terrible play because it traps you.
- If you get a gut feeling that you're beaten then you're beaten so never ignore that.
- Being able to read someone is invaluable to your success as a good player.
- Never be too proud to muck (fold) a strong hand.
- The blokes that play at the Circus Casino, Stoke are some of the nicest I've ever met in my short-lived poker career.
All Comments
I like it: "Make sure you're always in control". That's a massive problem that i have. I always get dragged into hands, and then, speculative at best, end up chasing them hoping to get my hand on the river. So fustrating, but i seem to do it all the time. Why do i do this?
I like it: "Make sure you're always in control". That's a massive problem that i have. I always get dragged into hands, and then, speculative at best, end up chasing them hoping to get my hand on the river. So fustrating, but i seem to do it all the time. Why do i do this?
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All Comments
I like it: "Make sure you're always in control". That's a massive problem that i have. I always get dragged into hands, and then, speculative at best, end up chasing them hoping to get my hand on the river. So fustrating, but i seem to do it all the time. Why do i do this?
I like it: "Make sure you're always in control". That's a massive problem that i have. I always get dragged into hands, and then, speculative at best, end up chasing them hoping to get my hand on the river. So fustrating, but i seem to do it all the time. Why do i do this?
