Christmas Special Big Game, Lucky Noodles & 14k Profit
After a very unsuccessful poker weekend in Sheffield, where for the very first time in the GPS 2012- I didn’t make day 2 in the Main Event & bricked all the side events, I was putting my hopes towards the Genting Poker Big Game to finish my year in style.
Bar area at the Genting Club Sheffield
Despite not cashing, I had a truly great time in Sheffield.
I was enjoying the lush surroundings & cocktails of the newly opened Genting club whilst catching up with friends.
Also, I was making the most of the club’s superb location and doing some shopping for Christmas gifts, but as usual ended up shopping for myself!
Once back in London, I had a week to re-focus and prepare for the Christmas special Big Game. I was very excited about this as I was host to an event which was raising money for charity.
Half of tournament registration fees (£40 pp) + Christmas presents donated by players were going to be delivered to Great Ormond Street Hospital for children, because of such a great cause I was eager to do my upmost to promote this event and attract as many players as possible.
Here’s a big thank you to everyone who made it to the Big Game and helped us to raise a healthy £2,000 for the charity:))
December’s Big Game attracted 45 runners including 4 satellite winners earlier that day.
I nearly qualified myself for the second month in a row before my AA were cracked by 10,10 on a 4,6,6 board!
Anyhow, with a £1,000 bounty on my head it would have been rude not to play the main event and I was really enjoying the game and my starting table.
There was a feeling of early Christmas spirit in the Fox, with mince pies being offered to the players and Charlotte making her Santa appearance;)
I had a good start too and increased my starting stack of 18k to 30k after only 4 levels in. I had Charles Chatta to my left which is always dangerous, but I was winning majority of my chips without going to showdowns.
Good job too as I was flipping terribly against Charles, but fortunately wasn’t dented too severely…yet.
Somehow having a bounty on my head had worked pretty well for me, I kept on accumulating chips towards the final table where I was sitting on the 3rd biggest stack;)
There were only 5 places paid and with a few short/medium stacks there was still lots of work to be done!
Two hands in and I opened on the button with AQ suited. Just to see my nemesis of the night – Charles Chatta – deciding it was the right spot to defend his blind and re-shoving over the top for 40% of my stack. I couldn’t call quick enough of course but unfortunately was no good versus his A,8 off. Grrrrr…
I made a couple of tight (but worked out to be right) folds before getting it all in for my tournament life with QQ with 7 players remaining.
I was racing versus Ac Kc. The first card on the flop was a King followed by J & 10. I gulped… but the turn brought a 9 and I couldn’t believe my luck! weeeee!
I was the chip leader on the bubble! I think it was only fair if I was going to bully a little until it burst.
Guy Bowles ended up being unlucky one to bust in 6th but lucky enough to be walking away with a luxury Harrods hamper worth £350!
I think the biggest highlight of the day for me so far was having good friends Barny Boatman & Lee Taylor making the money too.
We had dinner together prior the Big Game, just round the corner from the Fox Poker club, in a Vietnamese Restaurant and joked later making the final table must have been down to the lucky noodles!
Victor Ilyukhin 3rd place finisher
With Barny busting in 4th there was a very long & intense battle between three of us – me, Lee Taylor & Victor Ilyukhin.
Victor was seated to my right and with his uber-aggressive playing style & decent live poker experience- he was always going to be a tough opponent.
He was shipping more or less every time from the small blind and I was just waiting for a decent calling hand to catch him out. I won an important hand with A,2 suited v his 8,10 and then took the majority of his stack with QQ v A,5.
The very next hand Victor pushed remaining of his chips in the middle with K,J and had to settle for a 3rd place when Lee has called him with K,Q.
It was 7.30 in the morning and we were finally heads up and it was Lee & me!
We had a very similar amounts in chips and being good mates it was a no brainer to chop the prize pool two ways – £14,000 each & play to defend my bounty, although I thought that Lee has deserved it anyway, being the last man standing.
Only 10 minutes in the heads up fight & Lee has claimed his victory & the bounty when his flopped top pair held versus my second pair & a double gutshot.
It was a good ending to a good night/morning and I was off to jump on a tube home (who needs rush hour traffic!).
I felt just like any ordinary person going to work, apart from being £14k richer and having not slept for 24 hours:)
The joys of being a poker player!!
