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I Love The GUKPT

By Warren Wooldridge

3 September 2007

First round back from the break and I move all-in five times out of nine hands, all uncontested

I've played in all but one of the Grosvenor UK Poker Tour events but got my deepest finish last time in Luton where I managed to finish 2nd. This is how it happened...

Day One

I like my table. All the Poker Verdict players are playing on the same day which makes for a nice change and all are drawn on tables that are in my immediate environs. This helps alleviate the long periods of boredom that I suffer at the start of any tournament. I can stand up and watch any interesting pots that they might be in without missing any action on my own table.

The cards helped too. I was in mischievous mood re-raising in late position with J-7 off and getting one caller. Flop J-J-7. Kerching. K-K shortly after against 9-9 and I reach the first break with more than 22,000. I have come back for Day 2 twice on this tour with less than that. The next two levels were up and down but I would have breached the 40,000 mark had my A-Q not been cracked by A-J on a board of Q-3-J-7-J. I had Aces three times between levels 4 and 7 and all stood up to get to 45,000. Then a really nasty setback. It is folded round to a clueless Scouse monkey on the button and he just limps. I raise with J-9, Ian Woodley calls and Scouse folds. Flop J-10-8 rainbow. I check-raise all in and Ian goes into the tank. “I don’t see how I can pass,” he says. “I think you are drawing.” I tell him I’m not as I don’t want a call from one of the luckiest players around (which doesn’t make him a bad player). Eventually he calls and I am delighted to see Jd-3d and a pot of more than 40,000 that will soon be heading my way. Runner Runner diamonds soon put paid to that idea.

I end Day 1 on 35,000 but it could easily have been more than 100,000. Loads of good cards, great situations, a good table image and playing with plenty of confidence. But I was really tilting due to the fact I was in the middle of the pack when it could have been so much better.

Day Two

It is hard to imagine playing for 8 hours 59 minutes and surviving without picking up A-A, K-K, Q-Q, or A-K a single time. I must have played six hands in the first six hours but they all picked up good pots. I can reveal to Ian Herbert now for the first time the hand I had in the following pot. Blinds are 800/1600 and Ian opens in early position for roughly 5,000. I flat call on his immediate left and it is folded round to the big blind who calls as well. Flop 8-7-2 rainbow. Big blind dwells and looks for all the world like he is planning a check-raise, Ian bets 12,000 out of his remaining 40,000 and I insta-shove. BB folds A-8 and Ian after much contemplation, folds 99. My hand…JJ.

So, I am comfortable for a long time and make the final 27 and the money without too much drama. Then our table breaks and I am moved to a table with a bunch of complete strangers apart from Nik Persaud, someone with whom I am more friendly than most. It is clear that Nik is completely dominating not only the table but the tournament itself. On the second round I find myself with 6-6 on Nik’s big blind and raise 4xBB in the hope that if Nik is in any doubt he will get out of the way. It doesn’t get that far as my immediate neighbour pushes all-in and has me covered. I enquire about his background (I actually ask: “Are you an internet qualifier?”) and he tells me he has the unique distinction of being the only person to have qualified for every leg of the tour. I am by now so confident that I refuse a possible coin-flip in the belief that I can battle back. He flips A-K after I fold and we go on a well-timed break. I justify my impending change of strategy by phoning my shareholder to tell him of the plan. First round back from the break and I move all-in five times out of nine hands, all uncontested. I’m back to where I was before those 6s.

We get down to 14 players and I am reliably informed by the crew that I am, in fact, in 14th place of 14. I’m not sure if they thought this was good for morale. I lay down pocket 10s and for some reason this bothers me more than it should and I am suddenly pushing recklessly. I get away with it every time and realise my image must be super tight. Half an hour before the end of Day 2 and it is folded round to my Small Blind. I have marginally overtaken the BB in chips so that I am now 13th and he is 14th. I go all-in with 8-5 and he calls immediately with A-10. Board A-K-5-8-3. He leaves and I am back in business. Then, on the last hand of the night, I pick up Aces for the first time all day and get Trevor Reardon to go all-in with 10-10. No bad beat story and I finish the day 7th of 12 with more than 200,000 chips. Everyone seems to be muttering about 8-5. I hope I get a good draw for Day 3.
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Find out what happened on Day 3 on Poker Verdict later this week...