Next year

For me the tournament was fairly non-eventful. I sat down and opposite me was Toby Lewis, not a good start to have one of the best around at that moment sitting on your left. He actually didn't cause me too much trouble, apart from knocking me out!! I went from 20k up to 30k without anything too interesting happening and then played a strange enough pot with an aggro guy on my right and I had to fold 10s, so I was back to 20k.

There was a decent enough aggressive player on my direct right and I'd been 3 betting him regularly enough, as he didn't seem to know how to deal with it. Anyway, I 3 bet to 4,100 from the cut off with 35 soooty and he must have been sick of it, as he peeled a flop of AJ7. I was kind of done with it on a board like that, and checked it back. The turn brought the Q of spades which gave me a flush draw and he checked after a dwell.

I really felt he had an ace, so took the free one. The river brought a Kx and he checked, I felt I could rep KK or a random hand that had a 10 in it, even A10/Q10/J10 which I was pot controlling. So I bet 4,400 and cue the rant from your man, 'Can't believe I let you get there!!' He folded after a few minute rant and I obviously tabled the 5 high for the needle!

My now good loose rep lasted exactly one hand. I raised the very next hand with two nines and Toby Lewis 3-bet me from the small. I went with it and he snapped me off with AQ off. The flop came with an ace and I was off to the bar!

It was great craic for the rest of the weekend. I didn't bother with the side-events. The PLO got a lot less runners than last year, so gave it a miss. I guess the next few live outings will be the Fitz EOM and the JP Masters the following week.