GSOP Main Event - Split Personality Poker - Part 1
Saturday saw me compete in the £500 Gutshot Series Of Poker Main Event in Clerkenwell. The structure was superb - 20k starting stack with 90 minute blinds. The only real downside was that with only 90 runners, many people would be playing for two days and either win a small amount or nothing at all. Still, a first prize of 12k was well worth playing for, so I gave some thought to tactics before the off.
I’ve played several of these deep stacked events in Vegas, and I’m still unsure of the correct strategy early on. Whereas in Vegas, I saw a ton of flops in the early levels before playing TAG, I decided to change this tactic for the Gutshot event. For the first 2 levels I planned to play tight passive, a style which rarely works. The reason for this was that I wanted to hit a disguised monster, and get someone to over-value their own holding and stack off to me for the whole 20k. I was good to my word as in the first 2 levels I didn’t raise pre-flop once! Level 3 (200-400) and Level 4 (200-400 with ante of 50) saw a significant jump in blinds. At this point I would move to loose aggressive mode, and try and pick up as many blinds and antes as possible, playing on my weak/tight image built up in the opening levels.
LEVEL 1 - Stack 20k - blinds 50/100 - Tight Passive
My opening table featured WSOP Bracelet winner Praz Bansai 3 to my left, alongside Dominic Kay, who final tabled the World Series of Poker Europe Main Event last year. There were some predictable players as well, but it certainly wasn’t going to be an easy afternoon.
Hand1
EP raiser to 300 and I call with . Mid position makes it 1000 and someone in the blinds re-raises to 2500. I pass.
Hand2
A few limpers and someone in mid position makes it 500. I call with in the BB. All limpers pass, but I miss the flop and pass to a bet.
Hand3
3 limpers and I check the BB holding
Flop is
Checked around
Turn 8c
First limper bets 300 and I am the only caller.
River is 9h
I check, opponent value bets 300 as he can’t ever put me on AK here so I check raise him to 1200 and he passes. Damn.
LEVEL 2 - Stack 16k - blinds 100/200 - Tight Passive
Hand4
I call on the button with 22. 5 of us in the pot.
Flop comes 2, 3, K (of course)
Someone leads for 800 and I raise him to 2200.
All pass. Sigh.
Hand5
Button raises to 600 and I call in the BB with QJ.
Flop: J, T, 2
He bets 600 and I call.
Turn: K giving me open ended straight draw.
He checks, and I smell a rat because this guy has been very aggressive so far. River is a blank.
He bets 2000 and I don’t go with my instinct and make a bad call. He has KJ for top two.
Hand6
One raiser to 500 and a caller. I call in the SB with .
Flop J, 8, T rainbow
I bet 1000 and get one caller.
Turn is 4
Check Check
River is 7
He checks to me, I bet 2000 and he calls and mucks.
Hand7
I limp UTG with
Girl next to me raises to 600 which gets one other caller. I go with my passive policy and call.
Flop
Girl bets 1200. If she is continuation betting AQ/AJ my hand might still be good here. I also have runner runner straight and flush draw so I decide to call to see if she slows down.
Turn is Jh
She bets 2500 this time, and I think she definitely has a hand. No odds for my gutshot so I let it go and she shows set of tens.
I go into the break with 16k. Time to change gears…