Malta poker challange 2009

Long time since i played a proper good structured tour but MPC been in he calendar for long and I warmed up with a few wins in the Casino week prior so felt it could be a good one.

Buy in 550 Euro
Starting 92 players

I sat as chipleader most of both days and ended on final table but couldn't keep it up and busted fast as nr 10. Sucked at the time but consider the field of Scandinavian players that where here from this occasion i guess I proofed to myself i have improved my game. :)\

I have a few hands we maybe should discuss, or well i at least happily take feedback on them

Hand one is maybe 5 hrs into the tour on day one and i am chipleader with 60 k. I just been moved to a new table and pick in the second hand hand up 55, am on cut off position and its folded to me. I do a standard raise, and its folded to BB that makes a standard don't steal my blind rerasie. I figure he wants to show me i cant boss around, he sits with 50 k so i ofc need to be a aware of the fact he can cripple me badly.

I call and decided that unless i hit my set or get it cheap i give up, i have no clue how he plays or how the table is. Flop actually comes 95J two hearts. He acts first and shove all in instantly.

Here is i am a bit in doubt, he can have pretty much anything, JJ 99 bigger pair, smaller pair, flush draw... i think for quite a while to be honest, i feel i got a good stack and shall it really be risked here on the lowest set on such draw board? To be really honest i considered folding, as i have no information about him at all. But then i say to my self, FFS you HAVE to call, why are you playing that hand else?

So i say to him i think your drawing a flush right? And make the call. He is he has two hearts Q high He get furious shouting slow role lol, but i don't care about that, i didn't slow role i took my time thinking about a decision that was for almost my whole stack.

My set holds up and am now very ok in chips. The whole table telling me it was an easy call the way he been playing, but as its my second hand at table i cant know and i never underestimate a player, its a big mistake doing so.



We play down to 20 players that day and its a long day and I lost a bit in end, and the drinks with the boys taste ever so good :)\ so it get to be a loooong night haha!

Day two is kicking of good for me wining my two first hands and really increase my stack, sitting with 160 k average is around 45 k i believe.




Hand two: is me on BB (3000) and remember i have 160k. Round fold to Cut off that has 11 k in total, 9 more for me to call, i need to call any two here but looking down on worst possible hand, 82, hoever its in SPADE my ultimte saver :)\ so i say sorruyto the lady, sorry if i win and then I make the call. She has a AQ hit her A on flop, turn 8 and river 2. Then poker is easy all right.

Hand three: Am losing a few pots and down to 120 k when i in BB pick up QQ, first decent hand i seen for several hrs. An Italian at the table is extremely tight he folded KK preflop even..... he is on cut off and make a standard rasie, he has AA about 5 times last 2 hrs so he cant bloody have that again i say to myself, think typical AK and then small blind goes all in, i know he can do that with any hand there, he done that a lot so i am pretty sure i have him so i push, to get the italian to fold, and i make a very stupid mistake here i don't take time to really check how much stack he has, i think even if he calls i win most of SB stack, but he suddenly lift up a whole stack of blue chips from the behind his stack and i know this is not good, if he win he win both and am very crippled maybe 40k or so left.... and i know he would have folded AK so i was only wrong in the fact he didn't have AK hahahaha.. he bloody well picked up AA again!

The Italian has AA, SB has JJ and my QQ didn't manage to find a mate so hey hoe am crippled, down to 42 k.




I regret i didn't take my time thinking trough the hand, i just acted, and of all the hands in the tour this was the only one i didn't take that time, and it costed me, not sure i could have folded but still its better to think it trough proper. And in all fairness,,,,, maybe QQ should gone in the muck there.

But it was the bubble play and i was so so sure i had the SB and hoped Italian to fold. I was wrong :)\

Finaltable and i have 10 BB have 78 spades UTG and stick em in, its my favourite hand and its also two live card i figure against any ace. Folded all around to BB that is the Italian guy and now he has QQ .

Ahh well.... overall happy with my play, had a few discussion with players i respect that played with me several years when i lived i Sweden, we run a poker club together. So discussed a lot and i got some very good advice, they study my game for hrs, i really appreciate that a lot for experienced players taking time to study me and help me.

I really appreciate that mates, you know who you are :)\ love and peace!

Next one down here in Malta is EMOP, a bit heavy buy in for a low limit grinder as me so might have to sell some % to get that one on the run :)\ but lets see...


cheers
Anna panna