FHP BOUNTY HUNTER TOURNEY... COMING SOON!!!

HEAT ONE...

32 players turned-up, which is great for a Thursday night, and contested a £930 pot (even after the £200 was held aside for the final table in November).

The first ten players to put points on the leaderboard towards that £1000 table are:

Jason Harrison - 10 points

Ashton De Carteret - 9 points

Jamie Sullivan - 8 points

Stefan Craven - 7 points

Nick Boyd - 6 points

Glen Le Moignan - 5 points

Michael Le Guillou - 4 points

Alan Beadle - 3 points

Mike Mulhern - 2 points

Craig Hartley - 1 point

Well done, gentlemen!

I didn't get the cards at all in Heat One, and even during the re-buys when I could push with pairs or big Aces, I'd get called by worse hands and still lose. I was out two levels after the re-buy period when my suited Ace, King got called by King, Jack off and 7, 8, 9, 10 came out on the board to bust me.

We fired up a cash game, and the Market Shark had an incredible run of luck, winning the biggest pots of the night from waaaaaaaay behind. He called my Ace, King with Ace, 9 and spiked a 9 on the river. Then up against Cowboys O'Brien, who had flopped two pair, the Shark calls with the nut flush draw only to get runner, runner two pair (no flush!) It was insane...

Great night and can't wait until the next heat.

I made a bad call in terms of a decision I made at one of the tables (as tournament director) at the expense of the Klansman. The Klansman was all-in and a player flipped over his cards not realizing that someone else was still in the hand. The third player folded and I let the player's call stand... unfortunately for the Klansman, his opponent's pocket Kings won him the pot and eliminated the Klansman from the tournament.

I later learned that the player holding the pocket Kings had not verbally stated his decision to call when he showed his hand. Had I known that at the time, his hand would have been dead when he flipped it over. 

Soz, Klansman, we'll sort something out...

jT

HEAT ONE - TOMORROW NIGHT!!!

Tomorrow night is the first heat in the FHP Autumn Series... I can't wait!

Over 30 players have registered and I'm keen to see how the adapted structure works - optional £10 add-on at the end of the re-buy period.

We also agreed an Xmas special for a Saturday or Sunday in December.

The game will be a 'Bounty Tournament' - this means there is no buy-in, that's right, £0 to enter - you simply pay the player who eliminates you £25.

You can then re-buy for £5 (which goes into the pot) and of course, hope you don't have to pay another £25 for getting felted, although half the fun is collecting some bounties yourself.

This promises to be an insane tournament and I love it!

The ultimate winner will take down 60% of the re-buy pot in addition to collected bounties.

Insane Online Hands...

I'm not a huge fan of online poker, but sometimes when I get the itch, I have to play a few games if I can't get out to a live game.

Both of the hands below, happened in the same game. 

Nice flop in the big blind!!!

Above is a tasty straight flush if it isn't clear.

Please, please, please be chasing the flush!!!

Alas, he folded to my bet on the river. I was holding Ace, Queen and the board reads Ace, Ace, 2, 8, Queen (three hearts).

Despite dominating and picking up hands like the above, the gimp's pocket 3s crack my Kings when he sucks out a 3-high flush.

jT - still hating online poker!

FHP AUTUMN SERIES 2008

HEAT 1 - THURSDAY 25 SEPTEMBER

HEAT 2 - FRIDAY 10 OCTOBER

HEAT 3 - FRIDAY 24 OCTOBER

HEAT 4 - FRIDAY 7 NOVEMBER

HEAT 5 - FRIDAY 21 NOVEMBER

£1000 FINAL TABLE - FRIDAY 28 NOVEMBER

Each heat is a £20 + £2 buy-in tournament with £10 re-buys in the first hour and an optional £10 add-on at the end of the re-buy period.

As the series is a league, cash AND points are up for grabs at each heat with the top ten players on the leaderboard at the end of the series, playing the £1000 final table. A £600+ pot will be played for at each heat.

Nice cash at the Pomme... and the Fish Hook Autumn Series is HERE!!!

After three hours of rags and disciplined folding, I found myself down from my starting stack of £158, to about £56. I was deciding whether or not to re-load for another £200 if I went bust or just go home, when I found pocket 9s. I push all-in and they hold against Ace, Queen suited.

The last Sunday of the month is no-limit at the Pomme, which can be fun... or expensive! Usually the cash games are pot-limit, which usually sees better poker but can be frustrating when you have great starting hands and can't shake the speculative players with pot-sized bets. To be honest, I like pot-limit cash games and prefer no-limit for the tournaments, but you can't beat the adrenaline rush of no-limit cash games.

A player experienced some serious bad luck after turning the nut straight and pushing all-in. He got two callers, one with a flush draw and one with trip 9s. The case 9 hit on the river for Quads and he was felted. He came back shortly after with some more cash only to find himself all-in against the same player with a paired  ace on the flop and a Queen kicker. His opponent had an ace too but only with 10 kicker. The turn was a blank but the river a 10, busting him again and he left understandably disgusted with the poker Gods for cursing him.

I grinded it out, back-up to my starting stack and find Ace, 10 suited. I flop a 10, which is top pair and the other player in the hand bets £30. I push all my chips in and he calls and flips over pocket Queens. I am dominated but hopeful for an Ace. Another 10 hits on the turn and another 10 on the river for Quads! The second player of the evening is felted and leaves cursing the game we love to hate at times.

I have about £350 in chips and limp in with Jack, 6 suited. The flop comes Jack, 6, 5 rainbow. The first to act bets £13 and the six players around the table call one by one except the guy two to my right who raises another £20 on top of the £13. The player to my right calls and I push all £350 into the middle. Everyone folds around to the re-raiser, who fishes for information and eventually calls. The next player calls all-in, although he only has about £100 left. There's over £800 in the pot and I'm pleased to see the first caller with a 6 and a 5 for a weaker two-pair and the small stack has an open ended straight draw. My two pair holds and I scoop in a massive pot and easily the biggest of the night on our table.

I win a couple more pots with some small pocket pairs and end up cashing-in for £930. Not bad!

FISH HOOK POKER AUTUMN SERIES 2008

The Autumn Series is booked at the Tipsy Toad Townhouse and Heat 1 is Thursday, 25th September - Cards will be in the air at 7:30pm.

Each heat is a £20 + £2 tournament with 20 minute blinds, starting stacks of 3000 chips and £10 re-buys in the first hour and an optional add-on at the end of the re-buy period.

The series is a league of poker, and cash and points are up for grabs at each heat. £200 will be held from each heat's prize pool and the top ten players on the leaderboard at the end of the series will play on the £1000 final table. So, at each heat, players will be playing for a £600 pot and a shot at a further £1000 in November.

See you at the tables...

jT

The 2008 Mourant Charity Poker Series Champion is...

Me!

That's all...

Just kidding. 

Congratulations to Stuart Rowsell for finishing as runner-up.

Stuart picked-up his silver medal, a digital camera and we did a deal on the Widescreen TV too (I took the cash).

Congratulations are also due to James Schwarz who finished third, picking-up an iPod Nano and the bronze medal.

Before the final table kicked-off, I presented Garret 'Cowboys' O'Brien with his Player of the Year trophy.

The game started off pretty tight, I think we only got through four or five hands at the starting blind level. We started with 10,000 chips and unlike the heats, it was a freeze-out, so no re-buys, which is why everyone  was playing so rock-ish. 

Lawrence took the early chip lead and I gave him a few thousand when I flopped four to a flush with Ace, Jack of clubs. The fifth club never came for me.

Soon after, I slow-played pocket Queens only to flop trips. With two hearts on the board, I made a pretty tasty bet and only had one caller - Stuart Rowsell. Another heart hit on the turn and he bet out half his chip stack. I hated that bet and threw my Queens away. The table seemed surprised at the laydown but Stuart showed his flush after my fold. I was now down to half my starting stack... not a great start!

Richard was the first casualty from the final table on a completely sick hand. James Schwarz raised it up, Richard pushed all-in and Chris The Fish called! James also called and Rich turns over pocket Kings. James AND The Fish both have pocket Aces!!! Unbelievable, and they end up splitting Richard's chips between them as he fails to find his third King.

Jason Derrien is out next, I can't remember my hand but it's a low pair and they hold, taking him out and putting me back to my starting stack of 10,000.

Martin Le Guillou is out next, courtesy of The Fish, whose two-pair cracks Martin's pocket Aces.

The Fish's luck doesn't last long though, when his two pair (one pair is on the board) is cracked by Garret's pocket Cowboys... Jesus, he certainly earned his nickname! At this stage, Garret is a massive chip leader.

Jonathan Queree is out next, the short stack for most of the night, when he plays Ace, Jack and is up against Ace, Queen or Ace, King.

Stewart Daynes is next and we now have two players with massive stacks against the rest of us. Garret and Stuart Rowsell. My stack has dwindled again and I need a double-up if I am going to get a stab at finishing in the top three.

I get Ace, 9 and push all-in and Lawrence is the only caller. He flips over pocket Jacks and I'm in another race! I flop an Ace and take Renzo out and find myself in the final four.

Shortly after, I double-up into Garret when my pocket 8s hold against his Ace, something.

The chips are fairly spread out amongst the remaining four players, although James is starting to bleed chips a little. James puts me to a hard decision when I flop top pair (Queens) with a King kicker. I bet and he comes over the top all-in. I think I'm behind and throw them away. Soon after, he makes a big bet but gets called and he shows a bluff so I beat myself up a little over my earlier fold. He is now down to a few blinds in chips.

I get dealt pocket Aces. Beautiful! I push all-in and Garret is the only caller. I am slightly ahead in chips but only by a little. Now there is history here, as in the last heat I was all-in with pocket rockets against Garret's pocket Kings, and he made a straight when 9, 10, Jack, Queen came out on the board. Garret went on to win that heat.

This time, he flips over Ace, King. A King comes out on the flop and for a moment I am sure another bloody King is going to come. But it doesn't and my Aces hold. I am now chip leader and in the top three. I also win the Bounty Prize for taking the Player of the Year out of the final.

I try and take James out twice, but he doubles-up both times. Eventually, Stuart takes him out and we are heads-up. We strike a deal on the prizes and agree that he will take both prizes and I will take both cash prizes, whatever the outcome.

I make a bluff that costs me most of my chips, only to catch a straight draw that never completes, so lose half my chips. I then get them back when my pocket 8s hold again! At this stage, with the blinds so high, it's pretty much push or fold from both of us. I am more aggressive and build a healthy chip lead.

I push in with Ace, 9 and Stuart calls with King, Queen. He hits a Queen on the flop and it looks like we are going to be even in chips again. The turn is a blank and I spike my Ace on the river, taking down the title, WOOHOO!!!

It's been an awesome series and it feels great to win it. 

I think it was a tough final table and any one of the players deserved to win it.

Final Results:

1ST - Justin 'AnteVirus' Thorne

2ND - Stuart Rowsell

3RD - James Schwarz

4TH - Garret 'Cowboys' O'Brien

5TH - Lawrence 'Renzo' Hansford

6TH - Stewart 'Dark Horse' Daynes

7TH - Jonathan Queree

8TH - Chris 'The Fish' Shield

9TH - Martin Le Guillou

10TH - Jason Derrien

11TH - Richard 'BT' Hansford

In the £20 re-buy tournament, we had our first female winner when Lisa Feighan took down the top spot. Well done Lisa!

The final table looked like this:

1ST - Lisa Feighan

2ND - Martin Le Guillou (proving his final table seat was no fluke!)

3RD - Lloyd Dean

4TH - Nick Caunce

5TH - Tony Hearne

6TH - Mike Ovens

7TH - Steven Howard

8TH - Chas Saunders

9TH - Keilah Lewis

10TH - Kirsten Morel