Chip and a chair

Ever since the Gutshot opened, I've stayed away from the Tuesday and Friday rebuy comps, as I don't like the place when it gets too busy, but I decided to take the plunge last Friday to get back in the live poker groove.

It was, of course, full - 120+ runners. My table had the obligatory couple of drunks, who were a pain in the arse with their 'is it my turn?', 'what's the bet?' shenanigans, but they were loose as hell . I doubled up twice early with TT and AK when I reraised the guy immediately on my right, who called with raggy aces both times. At the end of the rebuy period, I had got my starting stack of 500 up to 3100, with no rebuys and no add-on, so I was in great shape.

Our table was the first to break, and I got moved to a very sober table. Raises were being respected, proper poker was played. I grew my stack (including one hand where I pondered calling an all-in with 64 on a 653 flop, before realising I had top pair and an up and down straight - 'what took you so long to call?' one of the other players asked afterwards), then went through a cold spell until a crucial hand with the blinds at 600/1200. A solid player raised about 3BB in mid-position. I have AQ on the button with about 11,000 chips. At this stage, I'm contemplating all three options - raise, call or fold. I quickly rule out fold, as I've only got about 9BB left (we are down to three tables).

I put his range of hands as pairs down to about 66, and aces down to about AT. Obviously, when I write it down like that, things become very clear for AQ - I'm only ahead of two hands, in big trouble against four, and slight dog in races with the rest. However, in the heat of battle, my thinking was clouded by the fact that, given the state of the tournament, and considering the fact that I hate getting blinded away, I was looking for a reason to get all my chips in. I thought 'he's probably got AJ' and went all-in. He called and turned over TT, so it could have been a lot worse. I had no help from the board and we started counting chips to see if he had me covered.

He didn't, I covered him - by a single 100 chip. I've never been, literally, down to a chip and a chair before, especially not when that chip is only a twelfth of a big blind. However, this is where the fun really begun.

First hand, I'm all-in (blind, of course). There are two other players who go to showdown, one of them takes the sidepot with Ace-high. I then turn over my cards to reveal 32 offsuit, and the 2 has hit for me to treble up to 300. Next hand, same again, this time there are four players in the hand, and my 300 becomes 1200 when my T3 hits a ten. Third hand in a row, I'm all-in blind (this time for a full big blind), and A2 hits an ace to quadruple up to 4800.

I pass a couple of hands before finding AQ again. Someone calls my all-in and I win again, up to 11,200 from 100!

I am flying at this point, and get caught up in the rush. At 800/1600 a short stack goes all-in for 6300 on my BB. I only have 63 offsuit but decide that luck must be with me and call for another 4700. He shows 88 and my two big undercards come to zero. Here I learn a valuable lesson - never get caught up in rushes, they only muck up your thinking.

A few hands later it's folded to me on the button and I go all-in with 83 offsuit (I'd already decided to go all-in with any two cards if it was passed to me in late position). The woman on the BB called (after a slight ponder) and whatever it was she had held up. Ironically, I think that if I hadn't chucked away some chips with the 63 call, I may have had enough to make her pass. I exited in 17th.

The Monte Carlo Millions is currently under way (on day two) and I have ten pounds on Fuat Can at 110/1 on Betfair, and he's currently still in (and going well) with about 36 players left. I've probably just bokked him; if so, my allegiance turns to Granite John from the Gutshot, who beat me in the Pokerzone TV tournament (see blog posts passim).

Incidentally, when typing the title of this entry, I accidentably wrote 'Chop and a chair' - I fully intend to use this if I ever come back to cut a deal at a final table after being down to a single chip during the tournament...