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DTD - A Player's Journey
Thought I'd post a wee summary of my weekend (ok day) at the SUKPT final.
As a little bit of background. I am 41 and have played online at Sky (pretty much exclusively) for 2 years. I have been moderately successful (3 big tournament wins - The Open, The 5-0 and a Monday night BH, as well as 3 Open 2nd places), but I have never played live. I decided to pay into the final with my recent BH win. I did have a thought of the Main Event being my first ever live event, but as that won't be for a number of years, I took the plunge.
Cancelled my morning of work as I was anxious not to be late to the event, and left Leeds with small overnight bag and Tomtom at the ready around 10,00am. Sadly, the Tomtom didn't tell me to get into the left lane 6 miles early, and the roadworks on the M1 meant I had to sail by my exit - only 20 minutes added to the trip, and I had given myself plenty of time.
Managed to park round the corner from my "hotel" after a brief trip down a back-street and a 3 point turn amongst a pile of rubbish bins (anxiously praying that some neckless fool wasn't hiding behind a bin with the threatened clamp). Decided to pay for just the single night to begin with - and had to sign a "promise" not to smoke in my room (not tricky as a non-smoker). Found my room, to discover a smell of stale fags. To describe the hotel as basic would be like saying the sun is a bit warm.
Met another player in the hotel up from Pontypridd, and offered him a lift to DTD as I planned on leaving the charabang there overnight. So arrived thanks to Tomtom at DTD around midday. There was a healthy crowd outside, mainly describing bad beats and wins - many an anxious cigarette was being sucked.
I met up with a couple of my Skypoker chums outside - GREGHOGG, Volcan0, The Mackem, etc
Soon afterwards we all enetered the venue. I have to say that I am greatly impressed by DTD - it's a huge room with about 50 poker tables - baizes of differing hues. For some reason the bar seemed to be a popular port of call for the players, but I resisted the lure of alcohol.
I can report that the toilets are all nice and clean, and the 5 urinals I visited before 2:30 were all devoid of fag-ends, "hairs" and pink circles of disinfectant.
I met briefly with a couple of the presenters, and managed to get 5 minutes on instruction from Michelle Orpe at a "table for muppets who have never played before".
Then it came. Table 14 seat 4 and it was starting.
The actual tournament pace was rather quicker than I imagined it woudl be - arguably a simiar pace to online play, as people fold quickly in general (9-seat tables obviously make the hands longer than Sky's online 6 seaters). I was fortunate to get a bag of spanners on each deal for the first dozen hands or so, and folded diligently. There was a fair bit of action on my table, and someone managed to get away from trips with another guy holding over-trips. The 45 minute blinds and a decent chip-stack meant that early all-ins could be avoided.
Having just said I'd probably be folding aces for the first hour, I was dealt AK suited and made my first bet - a raise to about 200 chips. Everyone folded, and i was pleased just to have taken the blinds and play a hand.
After that I setteld down, and played a couple of hands - with moderate pocket pairs - losing around 500 chips in total.
Shortly afterwards I got pocket aces and raised them (I have never limped with Kings and Aces since someone limped against me in the 5-0 tournament with his aces in the small blind - he went out to my flopped 2 pairs when i had 4 2). I missed the flop, but bet it (called), missed the turn, but bet 500 chips (called) and finally missed the river - stuck 1000 chips in - was instantly called again - showed my aces and he mucked (presumably he had KK or QQ) - I was now on around 11,000 chips and feeling a little better. I was aware that my hands were shaking on every bet in that hand - I could have made a lovely meringue if I'd have been holding a whisk.
I got the suited AK again, and took the blinds, then I folded AK when there had been a raise and reraise before it got to me. The flop had an ace, but no-one showed their hands.
I got aces again, but didn't find any action.
I was still around 10,000 chips a while later when I got A5 suited. I know I should have folded, but the blinds were fairly low, and I had position.
The flop came 9 9 5, and I made a small bet that was called off by 1 guy. The turn was an ace. I bet around 500 chips, and my opponant raised to 2500. I thought long and hard, then decided to call him. After the river blanked, I bet 1000 chips and he instaraised to 4000. I had a feeling the guy was at it, and piled all my chips up to go all in. However, something told me I really shouldn't be in the hand. All I had was aces and 9s with no kicker of note. Practically any ace or any 9 would have me dead in the water. Worst of all - I couldn't bear having Tikay come over to announce the hand that knocked me out was A5, so I folded. He turned over 67 - a complete bluff and my heart sank. I was so close to a virtual double-up, but now I was down at around 4000 chips total. Nevr play rag ace. I know it, we all know it, but in the heat of a tournament, and as a complete newbie, I'd made that mistake.
It wasn't long until my final hand, and it was a bizarre one. With the blinds at 75 / 150 I got KQ hearts. there were 4 limpers before me, and I figured 150 chips was worth it. The wily BB (my previous bluffer) raised to 750 chips. The bizarre twist is that all 5 of us called again (I probably should have made the all in / fold decision pre-flop, but decided that if I hit the flop they were going in). So there was about 4000 in the pot and I had about 3000 chips remaining (in hindsight that was still 20 blinds, and I could have played much more slowly, but i wanted to win - not survive). The flop came K 9 7 of clubs. 3 guys checked, and I went all in. The BB folded, but the guy next to him called me. Now at this point I feel I ought to point out that my caller (the villain) was first to call the 750 raise made by the BB pre-flop. He turned over 3 5 of clubs. Heart sinks. Friendly old bloke next to me says, "but you have some outs, right?". I shake my head. I'm looking for a trip king and something to pair to give me the FH (or 2 decent clubs to chop it). I'm about dead. The dealer shouts "all-in called", but no-one comes. After a minute he decides to continue without a commentary from Tikay, and the turn comes as a Jack - not a club - I've gone. I shake the fish's hand and plod away. 2 hours on the button, and I was gone.
After that I did the "wander around looking for a familiar face" thing for 20 minutes, and chatted to strangers - many similarly shell-shocked.
Once I recovered, I chatted with a few people and joined a "play the presenter sit-n-go" - and went out first hand when my AQ that had flopped top pair (queen) ran into kings. Interestingly, the presenter at the table was Richard Orford. He's a "friend" of mine of Facebook, and have oocasionally passed comments on one-another's posts. Anyway, he (and it has to be said, others during the day) expressed surprise that I don't look anything like my Facebook photograph. My facebook photograph is a "head shot" of me dressed up as a pirate - eyepatch, bandanna and skull-and-crossbones tattoo. Now, was Richard (and others) really expecting a pirate to turn up? Shiver-me-timbers - I don't think so!
I played another sit-n-go and lasted a little longer (but still went out first), and played in the £50 tournament at DTD in the evening. I did a little better, but made a move with 6s that nearly went through, but (after much deliberation) was called by 9s.
So I decided to go home having had a fun, if fruitless day. I also decided to give the hotel a miss and drove straight home instead. Comfy bed and nice sleep-in (even if I did have to make breakfast).
To finish, a big thankyou to everyone at Sky - especially the presenters who were very friendly and approachable, and all the "backroom staff" who made event possible (and thanks for the sweatshirt!!)