Memories - 2007 NPL Open Main Event, London

I’d won enough online over the previous 2 months to justify the hefty £3,400 buy in for this one. There were disappointingly ony about 35 runners, although it was crammed with pros (De Wolfe, Judah, Colclough, Tony G, Dan Carter, James Dempsey, Sonny Osman, Tilly, Helppi, Jedika, Demitriou) so it was to be a very difficult tournament to play in. The upside was it was played at my “home ground” the Loose Cannon poker club in London.

My first table contains “El Blondie” Dave Colclough, Nicky Jedlika, Dan Carter and James Dempsey. Not a promising placing, but given the strength of the field do be expected I think. I was card dead from the start - not even suited connectors. I was so inactive I was beginning to feel like the weakest link at the table. Colclough was continually raising into my blinds and I wasn’t enjoying the tournament at all.

After 2 blind levels, down to about 9000 chips I decided enough was enough so began to raise with trash. It worked as everyone had me pencilled as such a rock that they thought I had a monster each time. During the first few levels we lost Jedika, who I believe is mostly a cash player and played way too loosely, as well as two others. I had worked my way back up to 10k when this happens.

James Dempsey has been crippled and he is down to 1,800 so he pushes UTG. 5 players before me call and I look down at JJ. I push to isolate and the rest fold. Dempsey’s Q6 wins and I’ve missed a big opportunity to boost my stack. We break for dinner and I’m feeling a bit deflated.

We return and things don’t improve for an orbit so I’m down to about 6k. I find 9 10 in late position so raise to 600. Dan Carter (the heads up world runner up I think) re-raises to 1800 and I push for the rest of my stack. He dwells and dwells. The TV crews come running over. I call the clock on him after 5 minutes as I obviously want him to pass. He eventually passes and I survive. and get up to the 8k mark.

Next incident, I finally find a hand - AK UTG. I raise it up to 800 and chipleader Jason Ho calls in the big blind. Flop Q, 4, 3. Check Check. Turn A. Ho bets out and I’m a bit worried about AQ here. I decide to push and get a call with 10 10, and I hold up to get to about 13k.

Roland De Wolfe sits down next to me and we get involved in an interesting hand. I think he’s had a bad beat on another table because he’s a little short so if there was ever a good time to get involved with him it’s now, as he is likely to push draws to get back in it. He limps into my big blind and I check 5,6 hearts. Flop 2, 6, 3 rainbow. He bets I call. Turn is 9 clubs and De Wolfe pushes for 6k in chips. It’s a massive overbet to the pot and reeks of frustration. I decide to call, because I have the 4 as an out if I’ve misread the situation and I’d still have chips left if I do miss out. He has a straight and a flush draw. This is a big pot for me and a chance of a scalp - I look at his face not the board as the river comes down and when he purses his lips I know I’m good. Up to about 22k now and flying.

My table is joined by Sir Mike Conway (winner of event 1) and Jennifer Tilly. Tilly is already moaning she is card dead so it hasn’t been going well for her and she’s short stacked. Sir Mike has a decent stack - a little less than mine.

I win a few pots by re-raising on the flop with mediocre hands as my stack size is starting to become an asset now. I begin raising Colclough’s blind to pay him back for his earlier harrassment :) Things are going smoothly and I’m about 3rd in chips with 16 left. Conway and Colclough are eliminated both holding AQ on a Queen high flop - the online qualifier Lee Watts has flopped a low set on them. The final table beckons.

Then I suffer this set back.I raise as I am doing in many spots with A8 hearts. Jeff Buffenbarger calls. Flop 8, Q, 2 with two hearts. I bet, Buffenbarger pushes. I call with mid pair and nut flush draw. Buffenbarger show Q6 so I’m pretty annoyed he’s in the pot at all and wants to push with top pair, no kicker. To be fair he suffered a bad beat a few hands earlier so I think he’s tilting. Anyway, I miss my draws and am back down in the pack with 22k in chips.

It’s final table time, my first in a major event. Unfortunately this only pays down to 6 due to the small size of the field, but I am pleased to have navigated such a strong field.

The final table I am completely card dead. We have one more level of play tonight and then its back tomorrow for the televised final table. I haven’t played for about 3 orbits so I decide to raise with K9 but I get reraised despite my current table image and have to let it go.

There is a drunk guy next to me who is pretty annoying, but is also happily building everyone else’s chip stacks up. He is down to 10k from about 50k, I am on 16k after blinding down a bit when this happens.

It folds round to us in the blinds and he announces he is all in blind. After saying this his thumb sticks to one of the cards and accidently flips a ten of diamonds. It’s not a trick because he is too drunk to execute such a play. I insta call with K8 seeing this as a good chance to knock him out and I’ve paid the blind anyway. He has 10 4, but hits a 10 on the turn to cripple me.

Very next hand he announces a blind raise. I don’t want to come back tomorrow with only 3 big blinds so I push blind. He calls, and amazingly I am ahead again - K4 v Q5 but he outdraws me again and its all over.

An immensely disappointing finish to the tournament, but really it was the Buffenbarger hand which lost me my chance of a big score. I think if I hadn’t bet out on the flop I could have got away from the hand cheaply.

Congratulations to Peter Gould for winning the event who played well throughout.