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Blackpool GUKPT
Blackpool will always hold some great childhood memories for me, visiting my grandparents, crazy golf, fish and chips, illuminations, and running for the beach anytime the temperature got over 15 degrees.
I have to admit I was a little sad, therefore, to turn up for the Blackpool leg of the gukpt a week after the season (and the illuminations) had finished, and see everything closed for the winter.
Things soon cheered up however – when you walk into a casino and the first friendly face that comes over to say hi is the legend Mad Marty Wilson, you know you’re in for an entertaining weekend!
We soon settled in at the bar with Marty, Skalie, and a couple of Laddies qualifiers, Michelle1 and Spiderfeet, and it wasn’t long before a few others came over including Tim (T8MML) and his lovely wife, and Nick (nikthebad) and brother Chris, and Marty started his usual mix of quiz questions and crazy jokes. The funniest part is you can never tell which is which! Highlights included....
“The two fastest fish in the river Severn” (With a long story beforehand about filming other fish and seeing these flash past)
Much merriment and alcohol ensued, with a quick break for Skalie to continue the traditional Laddies hospitality by treating us all to a nice Greek meal (of which I ate about half, half of the whole table’s that is…). We took an early night (3am) as I was due to play the next day.
Day 1(b)
After a leisurely fry up at our hotel, we make the 100m walk to the Casino at about 1.30pm for a 2pm start, check the table draw, and I’m happy to see a few familiar faces on my table, with Skalie two to my left, and Ghostiexxx a couple to his left. It’s always nice to know a couple of people at my table, I know I can get the banter started, and always good to know at least two people at the table aren’t muppets!
After a tentative early lap or two, I’ve got a reasonable idea whats going on on my table – the 5 players to my left are all solid, and one of them is also another Ladbrokes regular – Snow888 (Mark Taylor?), and the 4 players to my right are all capable of some “donations”.
I’m playing quite a few pots, feeling quite confident in my knowledge of the table, and winning a few small pots. I pick up my first big hand in Level 1, I’m a tad over ss of 10,000, and it’s KK. If I’d known this would be the last time I saw it all tournament I’d of certainly tried to drag the hand out a little longer! As it was, I raised, found one caller, saw an ace high flop and managed to lose a total of 400 chips to A4, lol.
The guy on my right and the guy two to his right are opening pretty much every round, but seemingly only betting flops when they hit. I spend a while taking advantage, calling to take a flop, and betting whenever they check, and my stack starts ticking over nicely.
I’m playing at least two thirds of my hands now, though I’m not seeing any premiums, but I’m hitting a few flops, getting bluffs through when I miss, and things are going well.
My favourite hand turns up mid way though level 2, and predictably the guy 3 to my right opens, and the guy on my right comes along. My suited J10 is more than enough to get involved, and the 3 of us take a flop. A fairly reasonable 89Q rainbow rolls down, and when they both check I feel I have no option but to check behind. The turn 3 changes nothing, but this time raiser bets out, and gets called by the bloke to my right. It’s an obvious flat call, and I do just that. The river is a lovely looking A, and things get better as raiser bets out again. Guy on my right folds, I do a little Hollywood with the nuts, and manage to get a reraise paid off by A8, and I’m up to 20k.
Skalie is in no mood for a rick-whitewash however, and gets going nicely, taking a few pots whilst I keep out of his way. He hits quads against the guy on my right and gets paid, then plays a few nice pots well, but then doubles my A8 guy with a missed flush and gutshot draw.
I raise with Q8s, and take down a nice pot when I river the flush and get a reraise paid off. I then crack AA with KJs, again with a river flush, and I’m flying up to 40k, about halfway through the afternoon.
Unfortunately at this point the table gets broken, much to my dismay, as I’m reading everyone quite well, and hitting some flops as well! I pick table 13, seat 10, and I’m gutted – seat 10 is never my favourite place.
I suffer at this table, and slip down to 27k, after running 88, 99 and 88 again, all into JJ. The dealer is huge and leaning forward, the best player is to my right, and I’m not feeling at all happy. However I ask the td how soon till this new table breaks, and am chuffed to hear it will be the very next one. I sit tight, and don’t play a hand for 30 mins, until finally we’re broken, and I’m off to seat 4 on my next table, happy days.
We’re into level 6 by now, with 3 levels left of the day, and I’m determined to get my 40k stack back before close of play. I start playing virtually every hand, raising plenty, and although I’m not hitting much, I win a lot of small pots and I’m ticking over again.
After playing so many bad hands, and showing a lot of them, I pick up a good hand finally, AK, raise, get a couple of callers, and take a nice pot with KK3 board. Shortly after however, I pick up JJ, and a guy who hasn’t been on the table long limps into my bb. The sb folds, but I decide to try a sneaky check from the bb. Lo and behold, the flop comes own an awesome looking KKJ! I carry on my sneaky play and check it, but so does my limper. A horrible K comes on the turn, and I bet out just over minimum, 700. Limper calls, and on the 2 river I bet the same, and he min reraises to 1400 – bah! I have to call tho, and he turns over KQ, for quads. I feel lucky though, since it could of all gone in on the flop, losing me 30k, instead he gets 2.5k out of me!
I bust 2 players luckily – after a raise to 2050, with 800bb a shorty pushes for 5.5k total – it’s Tim Toolbox from Laddies, quite a big scary fella, but I cant fold for the pot odds, and my 85s takes down his AA. The next is a little more costly, with the same raise from me with 10Jos, and a 7k push. I decide if he has AK or AQ I’m getting easily the right odds, and call him off – he turns over AK and I hit quads by the river, oops!
A fairly tight player then raises into me, but I have the button, and take a flop with 58. He bets the 46K flop, but he doesn’t look happy about it, and I put in a reraise, thinking he might have JJ/1010 ish. He tanks for a while, and I start to worry he’s got the goods and might need my gutshot to come in, but he puts it down and I finish the day on 60k! To the bar!!!
Day 2
With 87 remaining from 287 day 1a and 1b players, 24 players paid, and average stack about 30k, I take my seat on Day 2 with a feeling that I could go far in the tournament. I’m in the top 20, and when I check out the bag stacks on my table I realise I’m table chippy, nice.
I start right where I left off, playing a lot of hands, but I’m not running quite as well, and hover around 65k for a while. I then pick a bad spot to reraise, and get shoved on, putting me back to 56k.
I then play a couple of hands really badly, losing 6k a time. The first, I reraise from the bb with 910, after a min raise from the button. He calls, and the flop comes down 778. I check thinking my raise pre might slow him down a bit, but he throws in his whole stack, 25k, instantly. If I call and lose I’m down below 25k, and decide not to compound the mistake and fold, thinking he must have an overpair. I fold and he shows 53, for absolutely no draw no hand, gutted. The second I flat call a raise with AQ, and he checks the KQ2 flop. I bet, but he reraises, and I begrudgingly fold – this time I’m right as he turns over K5, but I’m annoyed I didn’t reraise pre flop.
I don’t shut up shop though, and continue to play a few hands, hovering around 45k, before the biggest pot of my tournament comes up from nowhere. One of the weaker players on the table limps in early position for 1200, and I limp from a couple of places later with 87s. Nobody raises, the sb folds, bb checks, and I get my cheap flop. And what a flop it is – 882 is so good I have to check and recheck my cards to make sure I haven’t dreamt this one.
Big blind checks, limper checks, and I bet 4k into the 5k pot. Big blind folds, but limper makes it 10k, happy days. I look a bit pained before deciding that if he has A8 or 22 then well done him, and if he has AA or KK, then unlucky. I shove, and it’s his turn to look pained with only 25k left behind. When he doesn’t call straight away, I’m know he can’t have A8 or 22, so start willing him to get his chips in with the 2 out overpair. He finally says “I think you got me, but I call”, and turns over 44!!! I’m pretty shocked, but this is just the kind of crazy call that gets paid off with a 4 all the time…He makes a flush draw to one of his 4s on the turn, and I’ve got more outs to sweat, but river blanks and I pull in 75k pot to take me to nearly 90k.
There’s about 50 left now, with average stack about 60k, so I’m looking good again. However a missed flush and straight draw, along with 2 raises running into shoves, and followed by doubling a shorty with AK v 77, and I’m down to 75k.
There’s now about 45 left, someone drops on another table, and I’m moved. As I walk over to the table I realise that the poker gods have dealt me a stinker, with 3 of the biggest stacks all to my right in a row, including the now chipped up Skalie on 150k, as are the other 2. There are also no shorties on the table, with 2 people on 50k being the worst off. All the shorties seem to be on the table I’ve left!
I now get a run of cards without a pair, ace or picture card between them, and it folds to me about twice in 10 laps. The blinds are beginning to bite now, up at 3/6k, and I’m struggling to stay above 50k. I finally get AJ and raise from the button, only 5 away from the bubble, but the bb lumps in, and he just covers me. I think a bit, but fold, and he says AQ, after I show just the ace.
Now I’m really in trouble, and it’s getting very tight. Shorties are doubling left right and centre, and I’m down to 4bbs at 24k, but finally on another table A10 shoves into QQ, is covered, and the QQ holds up, to burst the bubble.
I double 2 hands later, with a lucky river with QJ v 66, on a 77288 board, and I’m off to the bar for the break. Unfortunately 2 hands after, I shove my 55k from the cutoff with KJ after it folds to me, trying to pick up the 20k in the pot, now blinds are up to 4/8k. However the sb has other ideas, and his AK is never in trouble to take me out 22nd.
Back to the bar after picking up my winnings, and I’m not really sure how I feel. At one point with 50 left I’d of been disappointed with 22nd, but after being so card dead and in an awful seat, and being so close to bubbling, I’m actually quite thankfull! I’m chuffed overall with my performance – nearly 2 full days of play without AA or QQ, and only one KK in level 1, and still managed to cash, not bad!
The mood is soured slightly when Skalie joins is 20 mins later, reporting that its turned into a bit of crapshoot as he’s gone in 15th.
A great weekend though, and one I’d recommend to every poker player! Thanks to Skalie, and everyone else I shared a drink or 10 with, see you next year!
Blackpool will always hold some great childhood memories for me, visiting my grandparents, crazy golf, fish and chips, illuminations, and running for the beach anytime the temperature got over 15 degrees.
I have to admit I was a little sad, therefore, to turn up for the Blackpool leg of the gukpt a week after the season (and the illuminations) had finished, and see everything closed for the winter.
Things soon cheered up however – when you walk into a casino and the first friendly face that comes over to say hi is the legend Mad Marty Wilson, you know you’re in for an entertaining weekend!
We soon settled in at the bar with Marty, Skalie, and a couple of Laddies qualifiers, Michelle1 and Spiderfeet, and it wasn’t long before a few others came over including Tim (T8MML) and his lovely wife, and Nick (nikthebad) and brother Chris, and Marty started his usual mix of quiz questions and crazy jokes. The funniest part is you can never tell which is which! Highlights included....
“The two fastest fish in the river Severn” (With a long story beforehand about filming other fish and seeing these flash past)
- Spoiler:
- MotorPike and SideCarp
- Spoiler:
- You can't have Republic of Ireland or United States of america, it's Mozambique
Much merriment and alcohol ensued, with a quick break for Skalie to continue the traditional Laddies hospitality by treating us all to a nice Greek meal (of which I ate about half, half of the whole table’s that is…). We took an early night (3am) as I was due to play the next day.
Day 1(b)
After a leisurely fry up at our hotel, we make the 100m walk to the Casino at about 1.30pm for a 2pm start, check the table draw, and I’m happy to see a few familiar faces on my table, with Skalie two to my left, and Ghostiexxx a couple to his left. It’s always nice to know a couple of people at my table, I know I can get the banter started, and always good to know at least two people at the table aren’t muppets!
After a tentative early lap or two, I’ve got a reasonable idea whats going on on my table – the 5 players to my left are all solid, and one of them is also another Ladbrokes regular – Snow888 (Mark Taylor?), and the 4 players to my right are all capable of some “donations”.
I’m playing quite a few pots, feeling quite confident in my knowledge of the table, and winning a few small pots. I pick up my first big hand in Level 1, I’m a tad over ss of 10,000, and it’s KK. If I’d known this would be the last time I saw it all tournament I’d of certainly tried to drag the hand out a little longer! As it was, I raised, found one caller, saw an ace high flop and managed to lose a total of 400 chips to A4, lol.
The guy on my right and the guy two to his right are opening pretty much every round, but seemingly only betting flops when they hit. I spend a while taking advantage, calling to take a flop, and betting whenever they check, and my stack starts ticking over nicely.
I’m playing at least two thirds of my hands now, though I’m not seeing any premiums, but I’m hitting a few flops, getting bluffs through when I miss, and things are going well.
My favourite hand turns up mid way though level 2, and predictably the guy 3 to my right opens, and the guy on my right comes along. My suited J10 is more than enough to get involved, and the 3 of us take a flop. A fairly reasonable 89Q rainbow rolls down, and when they both check I feel I have no option but to check behind. The turn 3 changes nothing, but this time raiser bets out, and gets called by the bloke to my right. It’s an obvious flat call, and I do just that. The river is a lovely looking A, and things get better as raiser bets out again. Guy on my right folds, I do a little Hollywood with the nuts, and manage to get a reraise paid off by A8, and I’m up to 20k.
Skalie is in no mood for a rick-whitewash however, and gets going nicely, taking a few pots whilst I keep out of his way. He hits quads against the guy on my right and gets paid, then plays a few nice pots well, but then doubles my A8 guy with a missed flush and gutshot draw.
I raise with Q8s, and take down a nice pot when I river the flush and get a reraise paid off. I then crack AA with KJs, again with a river flush, and I’m flying up to 40k, about halfway through the afternoon.
Unfortunately at this point the table gets broken, much to my dismay, as I’m reading everyone quite well, and hitting some flops as well! I pick table 13, seat 10, and I’m gutted – seat 10 is never my favourite place.
I suffer at this table, and slip down to 27k, after running 88, 99 and 88 again, all into JJ. The dealer is huge and leaning forward, the best player is to my right, and I’m not feeling at all happy. However I ask the td how soon till this new table breaks, and am chuffed to hear it will be the very next one. I sit tight, and don’t play a hand for 30 mins, until finally we’re broken, and I’m off to seat 4 on my next table, happy days.
We’re into level 6 by now, with 3 levels left of the day, and I’m determined to get my 40k stack back before close of play. I start playing virtually every hand, raising plenty, and although I’m not hitting much, I win a lot of small pots and I’m ticking over again.
After playing so many bad hands, and showing a lot of them, I pick up a good hand finally, AK, raise, get a couple of callers, and take a nice pot with KK3 board. Shortly after however, I pick up JJ, and a guy who hasn’t been on the table long limps into my bb. The sb folds, but I decide to try a sneaky check from the bb. Lo and behold, the flop comes own an awesome looking KKJ! I carry on my sneaky play and check it, but so does my limper. A horrible K comes on the turn, and I bet out just over minimum, 700. Limper calls, and on the 2 river I bet the same, and he min reraises to 1400 – bah! I have to call tho, and he turns over KQ, for quads. I feel lucky though, since it could of all gone in on the flop, losing me 30k, instead he gets 2.5k out of me!
I bust 2 players luckily – after a raise to 2050, with 800bb a shorty pushes for 5.5k total – it’s Tim Toolbox from Laddies, quite a big scary fella, but I cant fold for the pot odds, and my 85s takes down his AA. The next is a little more costly, with the same raise from me with 10Jos, and a 7k push. I decide if he has AK or AQ I’m getting easily the right odds, and call him off – he turns over AK and I hit quads by the river, oops!
A fairly tight player then raises into me, but I have the button, and take a flop with 58. He bets the 46K flop, but he doesn’t look happy about it, and I put in a reraise, thinking he might have JJ/1010 ish. He tanks for a while, and I start to worry he’s got the goods and might need my gutshot to come in, but he puts it down and I finish the day on 60k! To the bar!!!
Day 2
With 87 remaining from 287 day 1a and 1b players, 24 players paid, and average stack about 30k, I take my seat on Day 2 with a feeling that I could go far in the tournament. I’m in the top 20, and when I check out the bag stacks on my table I realise I’m table chippy, nice.
I start right where I left off, playing a lot of hands, but I’m not running quite as well, and hover around 65k for a while. I then pick a bad spot to reraise, and get shoved on, putting me back to 56k.
I then play a couple of hands really badly, losing 6k a time. The first, I reraise from the bb with 910, after a min raise from the button. He calls, and the flop comes down 778. I check thinking my raise pre might slow him down a bit, but he throws in his whole stack, 25k, instantly. If I call and lose I’m down below 25k, and decide not to compound the mistake and fold, thinking he must have an overpair. I fold and he shows 53, for absolutely no draw no hand, gutted. The second I flat call a raise with AQ, and he checks the KQ2 flop. I bet, but he reraises, and I begrudgingly fold – this time I’m right as he turns over K5, but I’m annoyed I didn’t reraise pre flop.
I don’t shut up shop though, and continue to play a few hands, hovering around 45k, before the biggest pot of my tournament comes up from nowhere. One of the weaker players on the table limps in early position for 1200, and I limp from a couple of places later with 87s. Nobody raises, the sb folds, bb checks, and I get my cheap flop. And what a flop it is – 882 is so good I have to check and recheck my cards to make sure I haven’t dreamt this one.
Big blind checks, limper checks, and I bet 4k into the 5k pot. Big blind folds, but limper makes it 10k, happy days. I look a bit pained before deciding that if he has A8 or 22 then well done him, and if he has AA or KK, then unlucky. I shove, and it’s his turn to look pained with only 25k left behind. When he doesn’t call straight away, I’m know he can’t have A8 or 22, so start willing him to get his chips in with the 2 out overpair. He finally says “I think you got me, but I call”, and turns over 44!!! I’m pretty shocked, but this is just the kind of crazy call that gets paid off with a 4 all the time…He makes a flush draw to one of his 4s on the turn, and I’ve got more outs to sweat, but river blanks and I pull in 75k pot to take me to nearly 90k.
There’s about 50 left now, with average stack about 60k, so I’m looking good again. However a missed flush and straight draw, along with 2 raises running into shoves, and followed by doubling a shorty with AK v 77, and I’m down to 75k.
There’s now about 45 left, someone drops on another table, and I’m moved. As I walk over to the table I realise that the poker gods have dealt me a stinker, with 3 of the biggest stacks all to my right in a row, including the now chipped up Skalie on 150k, as are the other 2. There are also no shorties on the table, with 2 people on 50k being the worst off. All the shorties seem to be on the table I’ve left!
I now get a run of cards without a pair, ace or picture card between them, and it folds to me about twice in 10 laps. The blinds are beginning to bite now, up at 3/6k, and I’m struggling to stay above 50k. I finally get AJ and raise from the button, only 5 away from the bubble, but the bb lumps in, and he just covers me. I think a bit, but fold, and he says AQ, after I show just the ace.
Now I’m really in trouble, and it’s getting very tight. Shorties are doubling left right and centre, and I’m down to 4bbs at 24k, but finally on another table A10 shoves into QQ, is covered, and the QQ holds up, to burst the bubble.
I double 2 hands later, with a lucky river with QJ v 66, on a 77288 board, and I’m off to the bar for the break. Unfortunately 2 hands after, I shove my 55k from the cutoff with KJ after it folds to me, trying to pick up the 20k in the pot, now blinds are up to 4/8k. However the sb has other ideas, and his AK is never in trouble to take me out 22nd.
Back to the bar after picking up my winnings, and I’m not really sure how I feel. At one point with 50 left I’d of been disappointed with 22nd, but after being so card dead and in an awful seat, and being so close to bubbling, I’m actually quite thankfull! I’m chuffed overall with my performance – nearly 2 full days of play without AA or QQ, and only one KK in level 1, and still managed to cash, not bad!
The mood is soured slightly when Skalie joins is 20 mins later, reporting that its turned into a bit of crapshoot as he’s gone in 15th.
A great weekend though, and one I’d recommend to every poker player! Thanks to Skalie, and everyone else I shared a drink or 10 with, see you next year!
Hope to see you all there next year 
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