UK Trip - week 5

This is my last full week in England and I played a fair amount of poker, as follows:

Sat - I played the LPPL league game at Duffs card room for fun and came 2nd - this really is a fun game of poker and I got a little unlucky heads up pushing all-in with A9h on 10h-9c-2h board and being called by KJo. I had the made hand and better draw (9 to flush, 3 to A, 6 to 2 pair) while my opponent had 6 outs. The turn was blank and the river was a non-heart Jack to lose me the game. I also played a £20 freeze out in the evening but went out early after pushing all in on the flop with the nut straight and getting outdrawn by my opponent.

Sun - I played a £10 rebuy tournament that paid 3 spots - I came 4th after losing a big race with AKs v 22 - the board was all low and I was crippled. It was a shame as I ran good the whole tournament and was chip leader for quite a while. The short stack had previously agreed a bubble compensation payment so at least I did not lose any money.

I also played a £20+£10 bounty/freeze out where 4 people were paid. I won 2 bounties on my way to another bubble bustout. Again I was extremely unlucky after a long bubble period I was dealt K-9s in my big blind and the UTG player limped. I was very wary thinking this was quite an active aggressive player so a limp would suggest a strong hand - possibly AA, KK or AK or maybe even QQ. I was going to be careful and only bet if I hit the flop hard - the flop came out K-9-2 unsuited. Now I thought for a while and decided if my read was right and he had a big hand I could get maximum value right now by shoving. So I did. I pushed all in and he called turning over AK giving him one pair against my two pairs and only 3 outs with 2 cards to come. The turn was a brick and the river was .......an ace!! What a disaster for me. I was about a 94% favorite after the turn card and still managed to lose the hand. He had me covered so I was busto. The bubble boy...again - two bubbles in one day!! Fortunately for me once again the short stack had negotiated a payout for the bubble boy so I did not lose any money and even made a small profit from the bounties.

What a weekend - bubble on Friday night, a bad beat to not get first place on Saturday, and 2 bubbles on Sunday including another bad beat.

Mon - played LPPL pub game at Hampshire Rose pub - came 6th.

Tues - played LPPL pub game at The Heroes pub - lost most of my stack with KK v A-rag and came 9th. I started really feeling sick Tuesday evening courtesy of the cold, rainy windy English weather. Nevertheless I went to Duffs and played some low limit cash games.

Weds - no poker - felt awful - stayed home sick all day

Thurs - no poker - stayed home sick all day.

Fri - felt quite a bit better, so decided to try the Big Slick card club for the third time to play the £10 rebuy. Part of the reason was the £10 credit they were giving me towards a tournament buy-in that I had forgot to use last week. I was feeling much better in the evening and keen to get over my terrible weekend of bubbles. I started playing very tight until I had doubled up and won a few pots, then I loosened up towards the bubble and picked some good spots to gamble. This week I got lucky and chipped up enough to reach the final table as an average stack. An early double up on the final table with aces allowed me to cruise and steal my way to the last 4 where an even chop was agreed. Finally I could notch up another win, and £350 of prize money to help cover the cost of buy-ins.

I leave England on Thursday to fly back to the sunny climate of southern California. I will post a final update on my trip after I return and also my impressions on the card clubs, pubs, casinos and snooker clubs where I played and how they compare to the card rooms in America.

UK Trip - week 4

Poker updates:

Sat - played the £10k and came 10th going out when my AQ went heads up with another players AA. Only 4 players were paid so I lost out on this one. I did play a £20 freeze out later in the evening and came 3rd winning £61,

Sun - no poker

Mon - LPPL pub game - drunk plenty of beer but did not do any good playing poker.

Tues - LPPL pub game - same as above.

Weds - no poker

Thurs - no poker

Fri - tbd - hopefully I will find a tournament somewhere. [UPDATE: I played the £10 rebuy at the Big Slick poker room - the second time I have played here. Last time I won the event but this time I bubbled going out 10th with 9 being paid. I had about 12 big blinds and could haveeasily folded into the final table and into the money, but a situation came up 5 handed to add some chips and I could not pass. The table had been quite active but tightened up as we came to the bubble. I was the big blind and was dealt KQ. UTG limped, as did all other players round to me. I could have checked to see the flop for free but decided this was good squeeze play semi-bluff where I could shove and increase my stack by almost a third if everyone folded. Even if I was called, as long as UTG folded I felt I would have good equity in a race (assuming other limpers had small pairs OR A-rag OR suited connectors). Unfortunately UTG called with AA and I did not get the cards I needed to crack them. So game over, but in hindsight I think my play was OK and I got a little unlucky. Of course lots of people thought it was terrible play :-) ]

Certainly not the most exciting poker week!! It is fireworks/bonfire night in England so I have spent some time enjoying that and visiting friends.