Overall my Grand Prix weekend was fun, eventful and profitable. I ended up busting out in 12th from 810 runners for a cash of about 850e. Below is a review of some big hands/decisions during the event...
Day 1.I was very fortunate to be seated on a very weak table during the majority of the first day. There was only one other player I was worried about and everyone else was playing nitty abc style poker.
Hand 1Probably about the start of the 2nd level and I’ve managed to get a grasp on the majority of players at the table. In this hand I pick up AK in middle position, there’s an early position limper so I raise it up about the pot, limper calls. Flop comes down all rags 8T2 I think, limper checks and I fire out a pot sized bet of about 450. He calls, turn is another rag and it goes check check. River is yet another rag and the board is unpaired and with no possible flushes. I sit back and expect the river to go the same way as the turn however I’m woken up when the BB fires out 1.5k. It was such a strange bet and although my instant thought was obviously fold I took some time to think about the course of play throughout the hand. I thought if he limped with a monster he’d be leading the flop and with blinds so small there’s no way he’d limp with QQ-AA. I can’t see him limping that spot with small suited connectors and then calling a strong preflop raise out of position so I started putting the likes of KJ, KQ and even QJs in his range. I convinced myself to call and was correct, he had KJ. That was a nice sized pot at the time and sent an early message to the table.
Hand 2A level or two later and I get involved with the same guy again, I raise it up in middle pos with AcKh, 2 callers in position. Flop comes down Jc5c8c so I have nut flush draw with 2 overs, at this point theres about 1.5k in the middle. Its checked to the guy who tried to bluff me on the river who leads for 1.5k. My initial thought is hes spewing after my call and just wants the pot to get some momentum going. He has 5k behind and I have about 17k, so I decide to set him allin, the main reason being I’m 70% sure he has nothing and will fold, however if he does somehow manage to call then I have endless outs to pick up the pot. He finally calls and it turns out he has pocket jacks for trip jacks, so I’m in worse shape than I thought. Therefore I’m drawing to any club, which eventually falls on the river :D It was strong play and one I thought was right at the time, he could have nothing most of the time in that spot on this occasion he had a strong holding and I got lucky.
Hand 3I opted to get involved in this hand because the guy in question just lost a huge pot with Aces so figured he was spewing. I’m in the bb and he’s on the button. It’s folded to him and he makes it 600 (blinds 100/200) I call with 64o with the intention of outplaying him. Flop comes down 289 and I check he c-bets for 800 and I insta-raise for 1750. He thinks for a while and calls. I wasn’t happy with this call and figured he could have any 2 random cards, maybe 8T, J9 or a medium pair. The turn comes down a 2 and I insta leads for 3750, he thinks for ages and finally folds his hand, I muck face-up and he wasn’t happy.
Hand 4The next round I’m in the bb again with pocket Aces. Its folded to Colin Mctaggart who just lost a big pot and decides to come after my blind. He raises 3x and I put in a strong re-raise (unsure of exact amounts), I figured a strong re-raise was a must because of my aggressive nature at the table. He calls and the board comes down 224, Hes playing about 7k so I decide to lead for about 1900 to give him plenty of room to shove, which he does. I snap and he has K4 lol.
Hand 4By this stage I’m up to about 30k and way above average. A guy with about 6k comes to the table and plays solid for a few levels. Its folded to me in late position and I decide to open with Q7s, the new guy calls from sb and the flop comes down Q78. He checks and I insta-set him allin, after an age he finally calls with QT. Lucky on my part but again, I feel my aggressive nature got me this call.
Things go quiet for a while and everybody continues to play tight. I continue to raise un-opened pots with a wide range and chip up to about 60k nice and steady. Due to the size of my stack I get involved with a few short stacks and end up busting 3 more loll, all for small pots but I was soon up to 80k.
I was gutted when our table was broke as it was so soft.
Hand 5The first hand at the new table it's folded to me in the cutoff and make it 3x the BB with A4o, bb shoves and I call as I'm getting 3:1. He shows KQ, flop gives me a flush draw so hes drawing to any non-spade K or Q, Q of hearts on the river and I loose about 12k.
This table was much tougher than the last with lots of people getting involved so I sit tight, a level later we get broken. As soon as I move to the next table we're into the final level of the day, you can see everyone tighten up so the first hand at that table I pick up KJo and decide to test the waters, I raise it up and everyone folds. I proceed to raise the next 2 hands and everyone folds. A few hands later I'm on the button, it's folded to the cut-off who raises (obv) he makes it about 15k, I look down at 99 and as I have everyone well covered just pick up a load of chips and throw them in, basically committing anyone that wants to play the pot to their tourney life in the last level. Everyone folds.
I came to the table with about 70k and finished the day on 111k from just picking up blinds and antes in the last level. Overall I busted 6 people in the first day.
Day 2
110 came back for day 2 and the first few levels things moved very slow. Blinds were jumping quite high so I just did my best to maintain a > 20bb stack for as long as possible. I then picked up AK and shoved, 44 calls and I catch an Ace. From here I played ABC and ran up to 700k and was looking good with 18 left. However I ran a mistimed bluff and then spewed a few before getting it in preflop with KJ vs KJ and losing lol. All in all a great weekend and a 12th place finish from an 810 runner field isn't bad.
