Sporting Emporium 1k freezeout

On friday saw the 1k game in the SE, a game id been looking forward to for a while, i knew there was 40 odd satellite qualifiers and expected a field of 70-80 with some dead money, given the unbelievable structure of 15k stack, 1 hour blinds, going 90 mins on day 2, and every level imaginable. This was the true tourney players dream.
We set up by getting a nice steak dinner, with me, Dave Callaghan, Conor Doyle, KP and Mr Pillowtalk. I almost slept in, and we didnt have as much time as we woulda liked, but it was nice, and we just got to the SE as it was about to start.
My first table seemed ok, none of the really big names, but mainly solid enough regulars. I quickly spotted seat 5 to be a mark, and was hoping to get some chips off him, also, to my left in seat 10 was John "with the big hands" as i call him, a player liable to double u up, but also quick tricky at times. Couple of boardsies there also, rounders123 (aidan) to my left, and Kevin in seat 2, who i think also posts on boards.
Early on i win a pot when i call with 88, flop comes 89T, bit dangerous, heads up between me and seat 5, he checks i bet the pot, he calls, i figure he has a draw. Turn is a 6, yuck, he checks, i now figure i may need to fill up, so check also, river another 6, now im defo in front here, he checks, i decide to bet 500, figuring he will call with a straight, pot sized bet, interestingly he min raises me to 1k, lol, now i have this guy figured fairly early on, and im sure he just has the straight, so i made it 3k, he calls with the 3rd nut straight, the bare 7, hmmm.
So im up to about 18k, and playing pretty much every hand, which i like to do in level 1 of 15k games, u can afford to see a lot of cheap flops, and its good to be in, when theres some weak players around, and u can gain a lot of chips if u hit something hard.
Then i check my option in the BB with Q3 off, theres maybe 1 limper, and aidan has just called the 50 on the button, flop comes Q93, i check, aidan fires 500, now i always play a hand like top and bottom or bottom 2 quite hard, as it can be easily couterfeited and quite vulnerable, so i make it 1100 to go, interestly he calls. Theres a lot of straights draws out there, and i think there also was 2 diamonds, i figure he never has QQ or 99 here, with his button limp, and 33 is unlikely as i have a 3, also, he may re raise me, as i can have a big draw here myself.
Turn is a blank, like an offsuit 2, i fire 2100 at it, hoping to take it down. He calls again. I really think he has JT here, i cant put him on a big Q, im sure he reraises with Q9, i just struggle to put him on a hand that beats me given the action, the river comes a Jack, i decide to check. Firstly, i now want to showdown the hand as cheaply as i can, if he check raises any bet here, i would probably have to fold, secondly, i think he has a draw a lot, and as he wont be able to call a bet, i must give him a chance to make a mistake, he bets 6k into a 5400 pot. This bet really doesnt look like it wants a call, and im also sure Aidan is aware that i can lay down a hand. Thats a big bet, all the obvious draws have missed, im almost certain im ahead, so after thinking it through i call and he mucks and im off to a good start.
Shortly after, i decide to limp 56 of spades after 2 limpers for 200 (level 3). Kevin in the big blind decides to make it 800 to go total, after 4 limpers altogether. The guy on my left calls, now, with us all being relatively deep, and theres a fair chance kevin has a big hand, i call with big implied odds, to try and hit hard, 3 of us see a flop of 56T with 2 hearts. Now, im hoping he has AA or KK, and when he leads for 2k, im pretty sure he does ! He made a mistake here of not re raising enough and given huge implied odds to the limpers, whilst somewhat telegraphing his hand, being out of position, with that many limpers, and a huge hand, u really need to not be greedy, and be prepared to take it down pre with AA or KK, or get a call if someone has limped another big pair, which is ok. You dont want a situation where people call you with suited connectors or small pairs, as if u end up playing a big pot, u are invariably behind.
Anyway, i reraise to 7k, again as bottom 2 is very vulnerable, and if im going to get it all in against aces or kings, the best time to do that is on the flop as a number of cards could either counterfeit me or kill my action. After a long dwell he pushes, i call, he has aces, i win. up to 40k early, with average still only about 17k , great start.
Playing my rush, the very next hand i get 99, and make a standard mid pos raise to 700. Im called by a lad whos just joined the table, but i had heard was a dreadful player. The flop comes a tasty looking A9x, he checks, i check also, as the type of player he is, once i check, he will assume his ace rag is good. Turn is another rag bringing 2 diamonds, he leads for 1500, looks confident, i decide now is the best time to get him all in, make it 4k, at he literally INSTA pushes for about 11k total, i call and he has A6 of diamonds for 1 pair and a flush draw. River though, is a diamond and instead of being up to almost 60k, im back on 30k and a little peeved.
After this i start to feel awful, have a bad cough and a bit fluey and faint. I lose concentration alot and decide to more or less lock it down for the night, its a long game, and i was consious i might make a mistake. Day one ended at 5am, i had 33k in chips and was 13th out of 33 remaining runners from the original field of 72. Never been so happy to get out of there and back to bed.............
Day 2
With blinds only 400/800 of our return, there was an infinite amount of play, and i decided to settle down and wait for a few hands. Im loathe to raise with marginal hands, especially in earlyish positions in these really well structured events, as u often just spew chips and end up with tough flop decisions. So im mainly only raising either in position, or with something im quite happy to go with. I would have a very tight table image, and it would be more or less warranted, as im not getting out of line at all, and if my chips go in, im pretty much wanting a call.
This tourney is a lot like a cash game in some ways, as we are all so deep, so im set mining with almost all pairs, and using implied odds a lot for my calling range, im also, shutting down more or less when i miss flops and on dangerous boards.
I end up in a tricky position on day 2, with roy brindley, who is chip leader on my right, and john farrelly (with the big hands) on my left, calling most raises, and calling down light, also with a big stack. I sit tight, and wait for a spot to play a big pot.
Im pretty much totally card dead the entire 2nd day, and manage to nurse it home when we eventually get down to 9, with 49k, im shortest of the 9 left, but blinds are still really small, 800 and 1600 , and ive loads of time, now 90 minute levels and im looking forward to the final table.
Interestly, after about 17 hours play over 2 days, ive had aces once, queens once, no kings or jacks, hoping my rush comes on day 3.
DAY 3
Im quite happy with my seat in seat 9, i have tony on my left, and he wont get too out of line, and lloyd on my button, who i think wont be too over active with his big stack, im away from declan and roy who have big stacks. Its a good line up at the final table, and some players i know quite well , noel hayes (bcb), lucky lloyd o farrell , roy etc.
We play for 90 mins, one level, not much goes right, i lose 8k on a C bet, and im down to 30k, still seeing no hands, and now well the shortest, however, with the structure, and 1/2 blinds, im still able to make a std raise, and get away from it, despite having 3% of the chips on the FT, not often u see that, well done the SE.
I think Roy is finding the structure quite slow, and he spends most of level 2 of day 3 in the pub ! So i have his blinds on occasion. Its a long drawn out game, im scrapping and keeping myself in or around 50k for a couple of hours. Not seeing any hands, which again isnt helping.
Noel is playing quite well, hes doubled up early off declan and it being quite active, lloyd is biding his time, roy is in the pub, and tony and declan are getting quite involved, but no sign of us losing anyone.
Then, henry gets knocked out, and we are down to 8, then conor gets very short, hes down to about 40k, im managed to get up to 80k, dont remember any specific pots, when conor limps.
Now, i have AQ, and i make it 10k to go, he suddenly goes all in for 40k, i hate the limp jam, especially from a shorty, i know its often a monster, but, its also often a mid pair, and im getting a huge price, even if its kings, i can almost justify a call, given that ive 40k behind if i lose, so i call, he has TT and i win. (i had to call 29k and the final pot was 79k)
We are at 7 for ages and im maintaining 120k, tony has gone relatively short, when noel raises from the cut off on my bb, he has a reasonably wide range for this, when tony flat calls the 12k, i look at 88 in the bb, im miles ahead of both there ranges, and i have an image that noel wont call me light, i jam, noel passes, surprisingly tony calls with A7d, flop is a scary 8xx with 2 diamonds but a board pair on the turn and im on 170k.
After this im ultra patient, dont see anything for a long time, call lloyds button raises a few times with smallish pairs , and lose a few small pot, back to 100k but the time noel departs.
He jammed with 77 on an 8 high board and raising pre, and was unlucky declan had hit a set of 4s, impressed with noel on this FT, well played sir.
Do down to 4, and im hanging on at 100k, the other 3 have 300k each, and prizes are 6k, 10k, 15k, and 23k, so i really want to see someone else off. A few handbaggy pots are played by the other 3, its like they want to get 3 handed and see me off, so i figure i may need a hand soonish.
All of a sudden, without me really realising it, i notice roy is down to about 170k, im on 120k and the other 2 are near 400k each. Im certain lloyd and declan wont play a big pot together, and are gunning for a 3 handed deal, so i just need to see off roy, and all is well.
Then, an amazing pot happens, Declan limps, Lloyd makes it 25k to go, Declan re raises to 75k, lloyd goes into the tank, there is some speech play, they both seem really strong, now, we are 4 handed, i assume lloyd has JJ, maybe AK, and doesnt really want to play an 800k pot, and risk 4th and a 6k payout. However, im astonished when he tosses in KK face up, wow, Declan smiles and shows JJ. Lloyd was a bit upset with himself after this, and shut down a bit.
Soon after, i finally get a real hand, KK under the gun, i make a standard 3bb raise to 18k, im playing 117k, roy, makes it 65k , basically pot commiting himself to the hand, great, KK one time baby, and i jam, he calls with 44, i win, hes near the felt on 40k. Next hand, theres 11k dead in the middle, he jams for his 40k, i have 22, i have to call, its unlikely he has a pair, im usually a very marginal favourite and its a great chance to take him out and get 3 handed in reasonable shape, also, its not a huge dint if i lose. (under most circumstances i would never call a jam with 22, and u cannot be better than 50 odd % fav). Anyway, i win and all of a sudden we are 3 handed, i have 297k, the other 2 have about 400k each, i suggest 16k each, they are both delighted to accept. Declan said his previous biggest cash was €1300 and fair play to him, hes seems like a very nice guy. Lloyd is a good well structured tourney player, and has proved this once again, a tough opponent for anyone.
We played one hand for the lovely crystal trophy, my 43 being good on a 567 flop !!
That will take pride of place on the mantlepiece.
Obviously very pleased with 16k, especially given i started the final table as the short stack, and its makes up for last weeks dissapointing FT.
Another item of note it that i picked up some more points in the Irish rankings, which carrys a prize of €2500 for the number one at the end of the year. Jay O Toole leads this, and i reckon im now a close 3rd, so a FT in cork next week could swing that, something i will be gunning for.
Points are given in all non weekly dealer dealt tourneys with 200+ buy in and 30+ runners. The bigger the buy in, the more runners, and higher up on the FT u finish, the more points u get, it seems like a good system and something i would now like to win, so look out Jayminator.
In fact, its great to get a result like this, ive played 9 tourneys in ireland in 2007 with a 500+ buy in, i have 6 final tables, including 2 chops , and have made day 2 on the other 3 games.
Fair play to Alex and John in the SE, ran a great game, brilliant structure, and they are both top blokes, only complaint being that the food is complete cack in there !