Trip down to Leeds

Last Saturday of April we went down to Leeds for a game at the Gala. It had £2k added to the prize pool. Not bad for £20 + £20. Went in a car down there with Teamdobbs, Cardguardkid, Jimmy Chipmunk and Mr Crush push, Stevie Sensation. Even in a car with this many talkers, Sensation managed to be the loudest, trying to get into any story and annoying the hell out of every1. I don’t advise any long trips with the Sensh.

Get to the Gala in good time, but find that the restaurant is closed, so we go to a Chinese restaurant, whilst the Sensh went to TGI Friday by himself. I jokingly mention that it was minimally decorated inside the Chinese restaurant and I would like my living room to look the same, as I look round at loads of huge vases and Chinese paintings. We are joined by full tilit (with hair!), playa and his brother Craig. I tuck in to some Scallop Dumplings and really nice special Chow Mein and we are ready to go.

Meet up with Mr and Mrs Stumpy and Sean McGuigan and the tournament is about to start. Also see Apokerlypse and Cazmac. We are in the extension which is nice and light; tho the sun is right on my back. A bit put off that there was no tourney clock and some1 just going round telling us when the blinds are up.

A Crazy game between Man U and Spurs is going on whilst we play. I see my bet going down the drain when Utd go 2 down, but I guess I just had to sweat. 2nd hand I show I not easily bluffed when I call with 44 on a 2-3-8-10-8 board. Villain shows AQ.
Nothing else exciting happens and I manage to double my 5k stack. Take my add on and have 15k. Standard is pretty bad, example is this hand:

Preflop raise and button calls. KcJc9c. C-bet and call. Jh on the turn, bet and a call. River is 2c. Check and a shove by the button for about the pot. After a speech of “I don’t think u have it, I call”, he flips over AK, no clubs. Button shows 8s8c for the flush. Not sure what is worse, the call with 2 pair or the “value” shove with the 8 high flush.

Share war stories with the other NPFers during the break, the “funniest” being the Sensh getting 22k (!) AIPF with JJ at 100/200. Villain has AK and sensh runs so bad.
Get randomly lucky after the break, where I chop a small pot with Aces. Next hand it folds to me in the SB, I raise with A8 to 2k, BB thinks and then raises to 5k, pretty sure he is restealing light, as he seemed a good player, so I shove, thinking he can only call with QQ+ or AK. I was wrong, he calls with KJo and I win. Don’t get those cards and the monster pot if I don’t chop the hand before. A few small pots and QQ vs. AK and when the table breaks I have 55k. Found out that I was playing with Geoff from Eat My Stack, a gentleman who I met at the Pokerplayer Championship that was in Grosvenor in 2007. Really nice guy, great player and kept me entertained with his chat. Also met Mrs Stumpy, who also moves onto my new table.

Moved to a table with CGK, who was short but on form, so the usual banter kicks off and we keep the table entertained. Keep my stack going and then move tables again with 4 tables left. As the clock s brutal, it’s now a shovefest. Really gutted for Mrs Stumpy who goes out in 18th after she is rivered when she has 66 vs. AK. I can’t really make moves, as I have a drunk guy on my left who when I said nice hand after he won the 2nd hand I saw said “Well come and get my chips if you think you’re good enough. And if you think you’re hard enough, we can go outside.” WTF?!?

Anyway down to about 16, I walk over to Stumpy to suggest we pay top 15 as there were 151 runners. I get offered a chance to swap 20% with Stumpy, a player I really rate, and I nearly snap his hand off. The computer can’t restructure the payout so we end up paying 15-11 £100. Get to the FT; unfortunately Stumpy is out in 12th, Straight vs. FH.

I can be quite aggressive in these spots once I feel I should just go for the win and do so, picking up some blinds, which were so important. Lose 35% of my stack when I shove AJ and BB has AQ. Blinds get to 8k-16k, EP raises to 32k, I shove for about 80k more with 99. BB tanks and asks what’s happening, so I say “He raised, I shoved, now hurry the fuck up.” I say it quite calmly but I was getting pissed off at his timewasting. He passes and raiser calls with AQ and I hold up. Take same guy out when he shoves button with AJ and I have KK in the SB.

Guy called Rhino finishes 4th, nice guy, and it seemed one of the few locals with any craic. The fact that the whole rail was NPF shows how great it is and how poor the locals did. 3 handed call a raise with Q-10 and flop comes 8-9-J. Check call all in and the Kerim has AK and weeee.

Big chip lead, but think I was tired and make a crucial mistake. Kerim raises the button, SB calls, I have 88 and flat. Really should have shoved, but I thought Kerim was spewy and might call with just any 2 big cards, so see a flop, which was Q-4-6. Kerim goes all in after blinds check, I call he has Q-10. Next hand I have 12BB and shove A9, he has AJ, and it’s so long and good night. Pretty gutted but proud how I played the whole tourney. Get £1k, not bad for £40. Dealers were all really sound and there is so much value in the tournament and worth a trip down. Also I think CGK may be my lucky driver after I got a lift with him I went to Teesside last year.