PV Invitational Player Comes 16th In LEOCOP

I didn't plan on playing the LEOCOP (Ladbrokes European Online Championship of Poker) main event as I was already in LEOCOP events 1 ($150 rebuy), 2 ($200 Omaha rebuy) and 5 ($550 freezeout) but after I didn't cash in the first two, and suddenly found myself out of the $550 freezeout earlier than expected on Friday night, I found myself searching for something to do.

I came across an $11 turbo rebuy into a $10k added $200 rebuy main event super satellite, managed to place in the first satellite, and was into the super satellite, where, after the rebuys, 44 seats were guaranteed. It finally ended and I found myself in the $2,500 buy-in main event for only $233.

The main event itself was a slow 30-minute clock with a 5k starting stack so it suited my style of play as there was no need to rush. I wanted to play carefully but knew I could make a few calculated risks as I was practically freerolling for qualifying so cheaply. My first big decision happened in level two where I found myself with QQ and faced a 4-bet all-in from a shorter stack for about two-thirds of my stack. I went into the time bank and decided to lay them down because I was still only a few chips below the starting stack. I just had to forget about the hand and move on as it would completely ruin my focus for the rest of the tournament if I continued to swell on it.

During the next level I had a new-found respect for players that fire three blank bullets live because that's exactly what I did and boy was I nervous waiting for my opponent to make a decision on the river. I had raised pre-flop on the
button with T8. He bet the flop of 233 and I read it for a stop and go so I raised back and he just smooth called. He then checked the two remaining streets and I fired back three quarters of the pot both times on the turn 4 and river Jack
which resulted in him folding the river and I let off a sigh of relief!

I was still hovering just below average and decided to limp AK under the gun, a guy from mid position also limped, as did the the big blind, and we saw a flop of AK6 with two spades. This was great for me as my hand was completely disguised. I decided to fire out oa bet of half the pot and the limper in mid position raised me. I was only losing to AA/KK, but could never put him on that, so 66 was a quick thought. I decided to reraise so I could fire a blank turn all-in where he would have to call.

He ended up just calling my reraise, so I now disregarded 66 and was 100% confident I was ahead, and a non spade 3 came on the turn to which I moved in. The plan worked as he called me with AJ and he was drawing dead. That was a key
double up for me as I finally went above the average into a solid position.

Not much happened until level 9 when the blinds were 300/600 and a new player had come to the table and he was in the big blind and I was under the gun. I had noticed he had been playing quite loosely and wanted to play pots so when I looked down at KK I decided to raise to 1635, about 2.75x the big blind to either have someone reraise me or at least get a call from the loose big blind and play him in position.

I really wanted to maximise this pot with KK because I had been quiet for a level or two and my chip stack was dwindling. Everyone folded and, as expected, the big blind called. He checked to me on a 946 rainbow flop and I put in a pot-sized bet of 3,570 and he called. The turn brought the 7c and he bet 2,678 into a 10,710 pot. I had 5,573 chips left and was slightly confused as to why he didn't just set me in. I was still confident that I was ahead and that maybe he had a hand like 98 so I raised all-in and he called me with A9 suited clubs so I had some outs to dodge and it felt like time stopped until finally the red 2 on the river won the large pot for me.

A dozen hands later and I was back in another pot again with 88. I limped UTG and saw a flop of A87 with two spades and got a shorter stack all-in who had 43s. For once it went blank blank and that flush draw that felts many a player didn't arrive.

We were getting close to the money now and had been playing for about 6 hours. At this point I had built a nice stack up and decided to play a bit safer to secure a cash finish, especially as this was the biggest buy-in tournament I had ever been
in and the fact that most of the cash ($7,500 for 11th-20th) would be profit.

I gained some blinds with some raising with big hands, got burnt once raising A6 to take blinds but faced a raise from an active small blind who had me covered in chips and slipped down to about 21,000 chips with blinds at 600/1200.

I looked down again at 88 in mid position and the player to my right limped. A short stack two to my left on 10,834 had just lost a pot so I wanted to entice him to push after me and then I would repush to isolate, so I made it 4,875 - a
healthy raise. He ended up folding as did everyone back to the limper to my right who then raised all-in for 21,000. From what I had seen him play I was confident he didn't limp an overpair so I was probably racing against two overcards. I decided that this was going to be the key all-in of the whole tournament which would decide whether I cashed or not. I called and he turned over AKc. A race and a key race, something I haven't won in about six months of tournament play. The flop brought T74 with no clubs so that was useful as he was down to six outs or running
straight cards, the turn blanked with the 6 of diamonds so another time stopping moment waiting for the river... one card to make or break me and it blanked with another 6. I let out a huge cheer, extremely confident I would now be cashing
with only 29 players left and the top 20 being paid.

I tightened up a bit but with the new level of 800/1600 I found myself in the cut off with two black 7s and it had been folded round to me. I didn't like it but knew I had to put in a raise. There was also the short stack on the small
blind so it was most likely going to be me against him. I decided to make it 2.75x the BB which was about 1/3 of the short stack so if there was a raise by anyone else I could let it go and call him if he pushes. The button folded, the short stack pushed all-in, and the big blind folded, so I made the call. He turned over KQs, so another race was on. Oh great! The flop came K64 with two clubs. I felt gutted at seeing that King. The turn brought the 10c of clubs, increasing my outs, so I was now cheering for any club or 7! The river brought the Ac and I took down the pot! Forget what Norman Chad says about that Ace of spades... the Ace of clubs is now the prettiest card in the deck!

Then it was the agonising wait of the bubble... player by player went out until finally the bubble burst. I was guaranteed $7,500! I was extremely happy that I made it to day two, after a few technical glitches they finaly paused the tournament with 19 players left to resume the following day.

Overnight, I was offered a deal for 50% of anything I win over my $7,500 for $5,000. So that would guarantee me $12,500 whatever happened. I was sitting in 9th place out of 19, but after much deliberation, decided against the deal so that I could take a shot on my own for some life changing money. Top 3 paid $90,000, $146,250 and $225,000 respectively.

We came back at 4pm the next day and I had a plan to sit tight and try to final table to climb the money ladder but unfortunately I was out after 20 hands. I did get QQ but found no action. I was then big blind with 99 and we were eight handed. A very active player from the night before raised from the cut-off when folded to him. I decided to protect my big blind and moved all-in and after some thought he made the call with TT, just one better. The flop came 586 so I picked up a gutshot straight draw but as much shouting as I could muster did not bring out a 7 or a 9 and I was crippled, down to about 5k. I eventually went out two hands later when my Q4 suited was up against 22. Not in bad shape at all especially when a Queen hit the flop but on an all spade flop he had had the 2s in his hand, and after a blank turn, the dreaded spade came on the river. I was knocked out in 16th place. As it happens it was by the eventual winner 'pands' who won $225,000.

It was a great weekend and it made it even better knowing I qualified through two satellites to get into the main event as I could never really have afforded to buy in myself for $2,650. It was good to be given a chance through the satellites as I am a small stakes cash player and hopefully I will get more chances to take another big shot in the future.