The Start of a Rush

The Rush of Form

Suddendly in poker you can go from bad beat hell into a complete rush and this happened for me on Saturday, i hadnt played the cash on the Friday to keep myself fresh for the £100 single rebuy event. I heard the tank was back in town and offered to stake him into the event as he is going back to college and wasnt bankrolled for the game. It all started so badly a few unknowns on the table all trying to bluff me off pots with all in moves i was down to 2500 of the 5k starting stack early and i took the rebuy. It continued and i lost anotehr few pots and was down to about 3.5k then i won a few small pots got upto around 6k and a hand went off where i made 2 pair, a 4th heart came on river so with no heart in my hand i wanted to check it down, the guy on my left was having none of it and bet out a call would leave me with 1200, i was about to fold when i got him to speak, not sure what it was but he gave the game away and i was 90% certain i was ahead i called and he urned over a bluff. i got bluffed off a big pot when a guy moved all in on a 3 diamond board with me holding no diamond and just top pair top kicker he turned over 73o with no diamond. I had chips now and could bide my time knowing chips were on offer. I got creative with A7o in the cut-off with a coupld of limpers before me no-one folded but was pleased to see the A75 rainbow flop, its checked to me last to act so i put in a raise just under pot size and get reraised ALL in by the 73o guy who had twice my chips with his rebuy still intact. I snap call and he is happy with his A5 untill i turn my top 2 over no 5 on turn or river and i get a nice double up putting me well over average at the break. Now i tighten up and get a couple of gifts with people calling and reraise me with weak aces while i am holding bigger aces or big pairs and i am sitting at 35-40k when davie the rock comes to the table with his 47k stack. Now i wanted those chips but knew i would need the jaws of life to get them but new i could steal themon flops. I get moved to another table soon after and get moved to The Tanks right with TheAdmiral and redfox on the the table i knew i was getting no gifts. I river the nut straight in the SB vrs TheAdmiral and the tank but my check is met by a check from Les and a fold from thomas who didnt want to show what he raised the turn with. I bully a few shorter stacks off pots including one guy with the nut flush draw a side straight draw and an over to the board with one card to come when i called his flop bet with air and bet out on turn showing a few bluffs to liven the table up.
Tank loses a few chips and gets into push/fold mode and when its folded round to him in SB he pushes i wake up with my infamous AK and call nothing hits for thomas and i take out my horse. Last hand before the 2nd break i took Les of a KK89 board after he dwelled for 5 minutes with both of us having big stacks and 25k+ in the middle i got him to fold to my rerereaise on the turn after calling his flop bet.
I make the final with about 3rd in chips. 2 young ladies were on the table and they were tighter than davie the rock, one was on her first live game and when she pushed everyone folded, the other lacks aggression but was able to keep afloat by hitting flops and going all in including once when she had KK on a K high board with no draws out there. My stack goes up and down like a yoyo and Andy one of the best players i have ever come accross decides he is table captain and totally out classed me. I lose alot of chips when i check top pair on the flop to allow the sb to catch 2 pair with his 82 on the turn. I win a good pot with 99 in blind when blinds was 1/2k when its raised to 6k preflop andy calls i push in for 12.5k total the orginal raiser folds andy calls turning over KJo my 9s hold i am back in game. I lose a few more chips and get KK in BB Alica who was playing tight limps in graham whom i doubled up when his 82o hit 2 pair raises to 6k James pushes all in for not much more i move in Alica calls and graham folds i was facing AJ from Alica and A8 from James i avoid the bullets and get a healthly stack now. The other lady at the table gets knocks out with 88 v grahams QQ and we are on the bubble. When graham tries to steal Andys BB from SB he gets put out on bubble when andy woke up with AK.
Player left was Andy(100k) Tony(120k) myself(60k) and Walza(45K), tony was impssible to play as you needed to hit against him as he wasnt laying anything down, Andy was out calling me, and Walza wasnt playing, so with only 45 minutes to a chip count i asked the big stacks if they were up for a deal looking for a 2k2k1k1k split but Walza refused saying he wasnt up for it as he puts £300 bets on horses. I laydown a few weak aces in my blind to raises and didnt get much else, i was preserving my stack but not much else, i lose about 15k over a few hands and thenthe demise came. Andy doubles the blind from the buttom i see 78o in the BB smelling weakness i was thinking of pushing but decided on a stop and go instead. I flopped middle pair and changed my mind and went for the old check raise, but he had flopped top pair with his Q6 and wasnt about to let go and i was shown the exit door, 30 mins before the count. I left a little disapointed but thought i had played most of the event well.

Monday £20 Rebuy

The blinds start at 100/200 with a 2000 starting stack and with 35 runners a prizepool of around 4.5k is the normal, UTG raises it up to 700 and i am next to act and have AJs this is too good a hand to fold in this game so put the 2k in and get my first rebuy ready i get called by 3rd UTG and its folded to UTG who puts all her chips in. My AJ was in good shape vrs AT (orginal raiser) and A8s by 3rd UTG, the hand held and the players are miffed at me getting chips early. I get a few more hands and go up and down but every time i get to about 5k i win the pot and keep in good shape, i finish the rebuy period with 20k with no rebuy . With only 2.6k in the pot i decide against a top up. I cruise to the final without many big hands taking out george on the way when holding QJ on a T94 flop i get him all in with his QT i was counting on the queen for an out but manged to hit an 8 to send him to the cash. Derek the mad gambler who gets bored when he cant rebuy any more, stands up and pushes with QTs i am in the bb and refuse to put 25% of my stack in with K7o. Very next hand he gets AA and does the same i now want the game to resume normall make a stupid call with 22. We get to the final and i have a nice stack but i have Derek on my left and a solid player from Dundee on my right, and Andy in the BB on my cutoff, i make a raise to 6k with blinds at 1/2 with 55 get reraised by andy i am about to insta fold when i notice he hasnt much back its another 8k to me and make the call but he woke up with kings and i double up the wrong guy, the game proceeds and derek is on fire taking out AQ with T5 charlie on my right with A9 v KK and a few other plays.
We get 4 handed and i open up deal talks then close then just as quick when Rob who wasnt involved tells the table Dereck should get £950 and the rest about £550. There was no way we would talk Derek into a more reasonable £700 £650x3 deal, Derek then pulls the i am bored stunt again limping with QQ UTG on my bb andy wakes up with an Ace and raises in SB i fold my 66 derek pops in the old reraise and andy calls
flop would of killed me as it brought both a Q and a 6 but andy disapears on the bubble. Ross (guy who had A8s first hand) and myself quickly get Dereks chips off him finally he got it all it with bottom pair v the 2nd nut straight of ross's, we play on for a little bit untill i get back level in chips and we agree to split, i was tired and although i felt i had an edge felt the i was better off n my bed. I turned down a seat in teh cash and went home for some much needed rest.