Suited and Connected: If you think 62 suited is worth a shot, go for it...

Went down the Gutshot on Saturday to play in the £30 rebuy satellite for the main event of the London Masters. I'd budgeted for one rebuy and top-up, but didn't need the rebuy as I hit an unbelievably cold deck, and just folded hands for an hour. Not only no big cards, but not even any pairs or connectors I could see a flop cheaply with. The one time I found AQ, I got another guy with AK - thankfully I rivered him.

The last hand of the rebuy period was mad. I've seen crazy hands at this time before, but this was something new. I had J9 suited on the button, and limped in after two others. SB then goes all-in, followed by the BB, and then the two limpers. With 4 all-ins ahead of me, I figure there's value for suited one-gappers, so I call as well, fully expecting to be up against some big cards and big pairs. The other four hands were Q8, Q9s, 54s and 62s!! A board of QQ885 meant I missed completely, so I started putting my hand in my pocket for the rebuy, when it was pointed out to me that I'd won the sidepot against the 62 guy because of my Jack kicker! I actually made a profit on the hand.

During the break a couple of the players at the table complained at the muppetry of a few of the others (62 guy in particular, who had 4 rebuys and a top-up = £180 down the drain). I just nodded and said 'I know', but I would never complain about these players - it's where the extra money in the prize pool comes from.

Once we got to the freezeout bit, the cold cards continued, and with the blinds going up quickly I got it all-in with AJ when I raised a weak limper. He called, and I thought he'd turn over a rag Ace, but in fact it was K7 of spades. I was dealer and dealt a flop of 3 spades, and that was that. So no main event for me, but well done to Tony 'Tikay' Kendall of Blondepoker, who got second, and also to Dave 'Dubai' Shallow, who went deep into the EPT event at the Vic.

Over the last couple of weeks I've been using up the Poker Points I've collected through playing at Littlewoods to enter their daily CPC qualifiers. Not only were they effectively freerolls, but the standard of play was mostly awful. Each one would have about 20ish entrants, with the winner making the weekly final. After coming second twice, I finally won one and made the final, but I completely wrecked it, playing awfully. I started by folding a winning straight, after a bet and call in front of me on a four-flush board - neither player had a flush. I leaked chips away, then came back, then blew them all again to go out 8th of 12.

The draw for the William Hill Grand Prix takes place on Wednesday, according to an email I (and the other players) got sent today. Only the email addresses weren't sent in the BCC field, but in the To field, so I now have the email addresses of lots of Europe's top poker players!

News reaches me of a tournament at Pokerstars just for bloggers (hence the banner below). This should be a lot of fun, and shows how Pokerstars are taking notice of the power of the blogging community.