I decided to play the IPO held in Dublin last October. The main factor in the decision was when I won a Bounty in the Daily mirror Freeroll, which gave me $250. The buy-in for the IPO was €150 so I had most of the fee covered. This is a report on how I did in the IPO Tournament.
International Poker Open
With 1300 Runners this year, there had to be two day 1's. Day 1A was on Friday and Day 1B was on Saturday. Players registered online through BoylePoker. I started Day 1B in bad shape by arriving Late. I didn't realise we were starting day 1B at 2pm as day 1A had started at 4pm. Thankfully I was only about 15 minutes late, as I have a tendency to arrive early anyway.
We knew that 78 players had gone through to the grand final from day 1A and they didn't finish playing until 4.15a.m.The Starting Stack was 10K chips and blinds were 25, 50.
I started badly, by hitting bottom pair on the flop. I called a bet on the flop, and another one on the turn. The board had paired and the aggressor decided not to bet the river, and i should probably have raised the river but chickened out and just checked behind. The original raiser had KK and I ended up losing about 1000 chips. I also raised two medium pocket pairs preflop and the flops were horrible, so just took my medicine and folded to the post flop raises.
I then lost a huge pot. I raised preflop to 400 with somethink like A10. I get 2 callers, one of them a lady from Belfast(Lisa) who looks like she knows what she's doing. The flop comes down with an Ace. The Belfast lady is first to act and puts in a raise of 1K. This is a huge raise at this level, and the 2nd caller folds. I have hit my ace and try some speech play asking if she's Bluffing. I get a you'll have to call and find out. I need to find out where I am so I reraise to 3K. I get the answer I don't want when she calls and then puts in a bet of 6K. I think I can't call that, and reluctantly fold. I'm now down to approx 4K and we've been running for less than 40minutes. I've no choice now, but to play tight and wait for premium hands. I console myself by telling myself that I still have plenty of chips with respect to the blinds.
I finally get a hand and push all in with AK. I get a call from a young lad who shows a pair of sixes. I hit one of my overcards. I double up. The young lad departs shortly afterwards and is replaced by a player who does not look as if He's a day over 14.
I then take a gamble with connecting cards. I raise, and get called. Its a nice flop for me giving me a straight draw. I can't recall whether I called a raise or got a free card. The turn gave me my straight , but there were flush possibilities, so I put a big raise in and was folded too. I've still been relatively quiet, getting a couple of raises through or checking the flop and betting the turn. I then play a pot with the "14 year old" who I'll just call the "Kid".
I have something like K9. I hit the K on the flop and check. The kid checks behind. The turn is a blank, I bet about 2000 and get reraised to 6000. I call the reraise. The river could complete at least 2 straights. I still think I'm ahead, but play cautiously and check the flop, hoping the "Kid" will check behind, but he moves all in.
I go into the tank, trying to figure out what the "kid" may have, and thinking about the way the hand has played, and why he is shoving. I also get the chips in the pot spread out so I can count them. Its a big pot, and I'm in shove/fold territory if I lose, but I would still have some fold equity. I finally announce call and the kid turns over 66 which is no good against a pair of Kings. I take down a meaty pot, and knock the kid out, who mutters "How can you call that?".
I have AK or AQ and double up again. I then raise with AK and another EMS'er (sMcBride) announces all in. I can't fold this, not even to another EMS'er, so naturally call. McBride Turns over 55 and I show my AK. I hit one of the overcards and McBride goes to the Rail. I make a few more chips with AK against Englishmen who I now know is River (Who usually posts on the Laddies Forum). I'm quite enjoying this table now, as I've got to know the players.
We get a new Player moved to the table, who I think is Dutch and he comments on my EP raise, which takes his BB. His next move is to try and steal my BB and I reraise him. He folds, again commenting on me raising him, I tell him 'Don't Steal'. I again get involved with the same player when I raise in EP with TT and he calls. the flop comes with an Ace and two rags. The Dutchman raises, and I put in an immediate reraise. He folds , and I show my pocket 10's. He is now muttering that he had AT.
I'm quite happy, and also glad to see Lisa depart as I thought she was pretty good. The flop was Q77 and Lisa had A7 but the other player had QQ. There was a raise, a reraise an all in and a call if I remember correctly. Lisa told us that she had never played before ( not even online) and had just got a few lessons from her husband. Well, I would never have guessed. Lisa was one of the reporters updating the Boyle Poker Blog.
I get told I'm moving tables, and I tell the floorman that I'm going to need a chip tray. I'm only moving to the table to the immediate left, so the floorman moves my chips for me. Its quite amusing as the pile of chips arrive, and a player to my right, asks, is that it, or is there more. No need for me to answer, as the floorman dumps over another 10K worth of chips which is the last of the chips from the previous table.
I've had a good look at the stacks on this table, and I'm in pretty good shape, and have everyone covered. No one here is desperately short. I let a couple of hands go by, just to see how the table is playing, as well as giving me a solid image.
I put in a couple of raises, which got respect. I reraised a continuation bet on the flop, and the original raiser folded. I also had the player to my immediate right raise in late position and I reraised with 10 9 suited. He folded saying "I must have a big hand". I thought "No Mate, I've a big chip stack". Unfortunately that table broke up shortly afterwards, as I think I could have easily added to my stack of chips. I must have been there for about 20 minutes and made at least 20k chips without showing a hand down.
I took the last of the seat draw tokens, as I now needed two chip trays to move my stack. The next table was very solid, and although I had 2.5 times the average stack, there were 3 bigger stacks, a couple of others which were not quite as high as my stack and no shorties. I had to be much more cautious here, and I get a couple of raises through, and win a couple of pots. The player to my immediate right gets short when he calls an all in with KK only to run into AA. His next action is to moves all in and its only an extra 5K for me to call him with AJ. He gets 3 callers. The flop comes down with a J, and I shove all in. The first caller behind me folds, and the 2nd caller turns over a J and folds. The short stack has a pair of tens and has now got a set which turns into quads on the river. He quadrapuled up.
Next bit of action is when I raise with K7s and I get a caller from a Dutchman (Dirk) and a short stack. My first thought was I haven't raised enough, and I didn't like Dirk entering the pot. The flop comes down with 2 diamonds. The short stack pushes all in. I ask for a count of the short stack, as I feel its worth a call, but I know Dirk has more chips behind him, and ask for a rough estimate of his stack size. This is a tricky position for me, as if I'm in last position I'm definitely calling the shove. I'm concerned about Dirks call, and am considering folding, just calling the all-in or pushing all-in myself. I discount a fold, as I have a good draw. I decide to just call the all-in, but know that I am pretty much committed if Dirk shoves. Dirk, of course shoves. I now get a count of his chips, and to my horrow he has underestimated his chip count by about 10K, though not deliberately I might add. I still feel committed to the call. The short stack shows middle pair, I show my flush draw and Dirk has a set with pocket 4's having hit a 4 on the flop. I hit a K on the turn and am calling for a diamond on the river, which never comes. I lose about 1/2 my chips in this pot which puts me down to just below average stack. Had I won the pot I would have been in extremely good shape as there was close to 100K in the pot.
My next significant action is when I raise with KT and get called by Dirk. The flop comes down with 2 10's. We both check the flop. Dirk bets 6000 and I think of just calling him, but can't let him hit a flush. I reraise to 20K and Dirk says 'Do you believe him?' and then folds.
I then get pocket 10's and make a standard 3*BB raise. I get called by the french girl at the table. The flop comes down with an A and 2 rags. The french girl makes a pot sized bet (Which is about 6K) and I recall another player folding an earlier hand saying that she was very tight. I'think things through and show the 10's and fold.
I found out later that she had a set of sixes. I'm now regretting not trying to extract more from my trip 10's. Nothing else of significance happens and the table breaks up.
I get moved to the other side of the room and thankfully it's a bit cooler here, but only because the fire door is open. The dealer then asks me if I want to be dealt in straight away, which would mean I would hve to pay both the big and small blinds. I wisely decide to wait for the button.
Its just a case of maintaining my stack, unless I get a monster, as its close to the end of the levels. As this was Day 1B we had to finish off at the same Blind level as Day 1A which was the 2000, 4000 level. I made a couple of pushes which got through,as I had been quiet, including one where there was a limper and the player to my immediate right took his time to fold. He said he had 55 and I told him I had AJ. I took 10K in that pot
which brought me up to 55K, but I finished the day on 45K. I actually miscounted my stack and though I had an extra 10K, so thought I could afford to wait a little longer for a hand.
Day 2
On day 2 I went and found my seat draw. Interestingly, they just sorted the tables by alphabetical order of surname. The current Tournament Leader was Jonathan Gelston and he was on my table, with 215K but the next biggest stack was about 75K. With 45K left, I had fold equity against all but 1 player. I'm sat in seat 5 and a lady wearing a Sunderland shirt arrives in seat 4. She introduces herself as Katherine, and I tell her that shes's the first Bounty player that I have been sat with. Jonathan is in Seat 1. (All the bounty players were wearing sunderland shirts).
I fold my first hand, but the next hand is KK. I really want a call here, but the blinds are 2500, 5000. so 7.5K in the pot before we start. There are no antes in this tournment. I Push all in and it folds round to Jonathan. He asks for a stack count, which is my starting stack of 45,500. Jonathan decides to fold his hand, and I show my Kings. Jonathan says he had 77 but didn't like gambling with middle pair. He could certainly afford a call, but as I discovered, he plays a pretty tight game.
I get dealt 10 10 very next hand, and again I push all in. The showing of my KK obviously worked, as everyone folds, and I've now added 15K to my stack and am back up at the average stack. I manage to get a few shoves through, which pays for the blinds and I am slowly increasing my stack.
I then manage to win the Bounty. Katherine Hartree (Apparently she's Mad Marty's Girlfriend) is in the SB and announces a raise to 20K. I have Q9 off , decide that she's stealing, and has left herself enough behind to fold, so I announce all-in. Katherine calls instantly and shows AJ. The flop brings a Q and Katherine now needs an A which doesn't arrive. Jonathan then tells me she's quite a tight player. A case of the pot calling the Kettle Black I think. I said it just looked like a Steal, and thinking about it, it was probably exactly what I was meant to think. I got lucky that hand.
Our table loses 2 other players in quick succession, and we have a few new arrivals, with large chip stacks.Blinds are now up to 5000, 10000 and I have the average stack of 119K. I manage to get a few shoves through, including one with KK. If I play this any other way, other than shoving, It will look odd. A londoner (new to the table), decides to fold, telling me I have a big hand and exatly what my tell is. Next hand, I get dealt pocket 5's which I again shove. The bubble is a fold fest with one guy folding AJ with londoner in the big blind disappointed to get a walk showing AKs.
We finally get to the money after 4 hand-4-hands on the bubble and everyone is happy and all of us remaining players give ourselves a round of applause. I maintain my chip stack with the occasional shoves to keep me going. Players are now dropping like flies,as all the short stacks are going out. I've laddered up the money from €300 to €480.
I then get a hand I want to shove with, but the player in Katherines old seat (seat 4)
shoves before me. Im in seat 5 and look down at KJs still in early position. I have seat 4 covered, and consider my options as there are players behind. Its fold or all-in, and I choose the all-in. The Londoner reluctantly folds what he tells us later was AJ.
The 8's hold and I am now short stacked. I could have folded here. but I had already decided to shove when the 8's shoved in front of me. This hand was the cause of my downfall as I now had no fold equity. I also forgot that I told myself to make the break which was only a few minutes away.
A couple of hands later I get dealt pocket 5's and announce all-in. I'm pretty sure, that I'm getting called by one of the stacks behind me , and count my stack which is 59K. Simon Knight(Another final tabler) calls and shows KK. No 5 arrives to save me, and I exit in 78th place 480 Euro Richer.
Overall,I think that I played pretty well, folding some pretty decent hands when out of position, and also resisting the urge to call on draws. I also played this tournament last year, and the difference this year, with the new sponsors, Boylesports, has made a huge difference. The game was played in excellent spirit. One Person to my left told me to cover my cards better as he actually saw one of my cards. Good Solid Poker was played and the Pros were very impressed by the overall stanard of play.
There are still a few minor improvements needed, and anyone who was there, railing or playing, fully expects to be back playing next year. Roll on next october.
International Poker Open
With 1300 Runners this year, there had to be two day 1's. Day 1A was on Friday and Day 1B was on Saturday. Players registered online through BoylePoker. I started Day 1B in bad shape by arriving Late. I didn't realise we were starting day 1B at 2pm as day 1A had started at 4pm. Thankfully I was only about 15 minutes late, as I have a tendency to arrive early anyway.
We knew that 78 players had gone through to the grand final from day 1A and they didn't finish playing until 4.15a.m.The Starting Stack was 10K chips and blinds were 25, 50.
I started badly, by hitting bottom pair on the flop. I called a bet on the flop, and another one on the turn. The board had paired and the aggressor decided not to bet the river, and i should probably have raised the river but chickened out and just checked behind. The original raiser had KK and I ended up losing about 1000 chips. I also raised two medium pocket pairs preflop and the flops were horrible, so just took my medicine and folded to the post flop raises.
I then lost a huge pot. I raised preflop to 400 with somethink like A10. I get 2 callers, one of them a lady from Belfast(Lisa) who looks like she knows what she's doing. The flop comes down with an Ace. The Belfast lady is first to act and puts in a raise of 1K. This is a huge raise at this level, and the 2nd caller folds. I have hit my ace and try some speech play asking if she's Bluffing. I get a you'll have to call and find out. I need to find out where I am so I reraise to 3K. I get the answer I don't want when she calls and then puts in a bet of 6K. I think I can't call that, and reluctantly fold. I'm now down to approx 4K and we've been running for less than 40minutes. I've no choice now, but to play tight and wait for premium hands. I console myself by telling myself that I still have plenty of chips with respect to the blinds.
I finally get a hand and push all in with AK. I get a call from a young lad who shows a pair of sixes. I hit one of my overcards. I double up. The young lad departs shortly afterwards and is replaced by a player who does not look as if He's a day over 14.
I then take a gamble with connecting cards. I raise, and get called. Its a nice flop for me giving me a straight draw. I can't recall whether I called a raise or got a free card. The turn gave me my straight , but there were flush possibilities, so I put a big raise in and was folded too. I've still been relatively quiet, getting a couple of raises through or checking the flop and betting the turn. I then play a pot with the "14 year old" who I'll just call the "Kid".
I have something like K9. I hit the K on the flop and check. The kid checks behind. The turn is a blank, I bet about 2000 and get reraised to 6000. I call the reraise. The river could complete at least 2 straights. I still think I'm ahead, but play cautiously and check the flop, hoping the "Kid" will check behind, but he moves all in.
I go into the tank, trying to figure out what the "kid" may have, and thinking about the way the hand has played, and why he is shoving. I also get the chips in the pot spread out so I can count them. Its a big pot, and I'm in shove/fold territory if I lose, but I would still have some fold equity. I finally announce call and the kid turns over 66 which is no good against a pair of Kings. I take down a meaty pot, and knock the kid out, who mutters "How can you call that?".
I have AK or AQ and double up again. I then raise with AK and another EMS'er (sMcBride) announces all in. I can't fold this, not even to another EMS'er, so naturally call. McBride Turns over 55 and I show my AK. I hit one of the overcards and McBride goes to the Rail. I make a few more chips with AK against Englishmen who I now know is River (Who usually posts on the Laddies Forum). I'm quite enjoying this table now, as I've got to know the players.
We get a new Player moved to the table, who I think is Dutch and he comments on my EP raise, which takes his BB. His next move is to try and steal my BB and I reraise him. He folds, again commenting on me raising him, I tell him 'Don't Steal'. I again get involved with the same player when I raise in EP with TT and he calls. the flop comes with an Ace and two rags. The Dutchman raises, and I put in an immediate reraise. He folds , and I show my pocket 10's. He is now muttering that he had AT.
I'm quite happy, and also glad to see Lisa depart as I thought she was pretty good. The flop was Q77 and Lisa had A7 but the other player had QQ. There was a raise, a reraise an all in and a call if I remember correctly. Lisa told us that she had never played before ( not even online) and had just got a few lessons from her husband. Well, I would never have guessed. Lisa was one of the reporters updating the Boyle Poker Blog.
I get told I'm moving tables, and I tell the floorman that I'm going to need a chip tray. I'm only moving to the table to the immediate left, so the floorman moves my chips for me. Its quite amusing as the pile of chips arrive, and a player to my right, asks, is that it, or is there more. No need for me to answer, as the floorman dumps over another 10K worth of chips which is the last of the chips from the previous table.
I've had a good look at the stacks on this table, and I'm in pretty good shape, and have everyone covered. No one here is desperately short. I let a couple of hands go by, just to see how the table is playing, as well as giving me a solid image.
I put in a couple of raises, which got respect. I reraised a continuation bet on the flop, and the original raiser folded. I also had the player to my immediate right raise in late position and I reraised with 10 9 suited. He folded saying "I must have a big hand". I thought "No Mate, I've a big chip stack". Unfortunately that table broke up shortly afterwards, as I think I could have easily added to my stack of chips. I must have been there for about 20 minutes and made at least 20k chips without showing a hand down.
I took the last of the seat draw tokens, as I now needed two chip trays to move my stack. The next table was very solid, and although I had 2.5 times the average stack, there were 3 bigger stacks, a couple of others which were not quite as high as my stack and no shorties. I had to be much more cautious here, and I get a couple of raises through, and win a couple of pots. The player to my immediate right gets short when he calls an all in with KK only to run into AA. His next action is to moves all in and its only an extra 5K for me to call him with AJ. He gets 3 callers. The flop comes down with a J, and I shove all in. The first caller behind me folds, and the 2nd caller turns over a J and folds. The short stack has a pair of tens and has now got a set which turns into quads on the river. He quadrapuled up.
Next bit of action is when I raise with K7s and I get a caller from a Dutchman (Dirk) and a short stack. My first thought was I haven't raised enough, and I didn't like Dirk entering the pot. The flop comes down with 2 diamonds. The short stack pushes all in. I ask for a count of the short stack, as I feel its worth a call, but I know Dirk has more chips behind him, and ask for a rough estimate of his stack size. This is a tricky position for me, as if I'm in last position I'm definitely calling the shove. I'm concerned about Dirks call, and am considering folding, just calling the all-in or pushing all-in myself. I discount a fold, as I have a good draw. I decide to just call the all-in, but know that I am pretty much committed if Dirk shoves. Dirk, of course shoves. I now get a count of his chips, and to my horrow he has underestimated his chip count by about 10K, though not deliberately I might add. I still feel committed to the call. The short stack shows middle pair, I show my flush draw and Dirk has a set with pocket 4's having hit a 4 on the flop. I hit a K on the turn and am calling for a diamond on the river, which never comes. I lose about 1/2 my chips in this pot which puts me down to just below average stack. Had I won the pot I would have been in extremely good shape as there was close to 100K in the pot.
My next significant action is when I raise with KT and get called by Dirk. The flop comes down with 2 10's. We both check the flop. Dirk bets 6000 and I think of just calling him, but can't let him hit a flush. I reraise to 20K and Dirk says 'Do you believe him?' and then folds.
I then get pocket 10's and make a standard 3*BB raise. I get called by the french girl at the table. The flop comes down with an A and 2 rags. The french girl makes a pot sized bet (Which is about 6K) and I recall another player folding an earlier hand saying that she was very tight. I'think things through and show the 10's and fold.
I found out later that she had a set of sixes. I'm now regretting not trying to extract more from my trip 10's. Nothing else of significance happens and the table breaks up.
I get moved to the other side of the room and thankfully it's a bit cooler here, but only because the fire door is open. The dealer then asks me if I want to be dealt in straight away, which would mean I would hve to pay both the big and small blinds. I wisely decide to wait for the button.
Its just a case of maintaining my stack, unless I get a monster, as its close to the end of the levels. As this was Day 1B we had to finish off at the same Blind level as Day 1A which was the 2000, 4000 level. I made a couple of pushes which got through,as I had been quiet, including one where there was a limper and the player to my immediate right took his time to fold. He said he had 55 and I told him I had AJ. I took 10K in that pot
which brought me up to 55K, but I finished the day on 45K. I actually miscounted my stack and though I had an extra 10K, so thought I could afford to wait a little longer for a hand.
Day 2
On day 2 I went and found my seat draw. Interestingly, they just sorted the tables by alphabetical order of surname. The current Tournament Leader was Jonathan Gelston and he was on my table, with 215K but the next biggest stack was about 75K. With 45K left, I had fold equity against all but 1 player. I'm sat in seat 5 and a lady wearing a Sunderland shirt arrives in seat 4. She introduces herself as Katherine, and I tell her that shes's the first Bounty player that I have been sat with. Jonathan is in Seat 1. (All the bounty players were wearing sunderland shirts).
I fold my first hand, but the next hand is KK. I really want a call here, but the blinds are 2500, 5000. so 7.5K in the pot before we start. There are no antes in this tournment. I Push all in and it folds round to Jonathan. He asks for a stack count, which is my starting stack of 45,500. Jonathan decides to fold his hand, and I show my Kings. Jonathan says he had 77 but didn't like gambling with middle pair. He could certainly afford a call, but as I discovered, he plays a pretty tight game.
I get dealt 10 10 very next hand, and again I push all in. The showing of my KK obviously worked, as everyone folds, and I've now added 15K to my stack and am back up at the average stack. I manage to get a few shoves through, which pays for the blinds and I am slowly increasing my stack.
I then manage to win the Bounty. Katherine Hartree (Apparently she's Mad Marty's Girlfriend) is in the SB and announces a raise to 20K. I have Q9 off , decide that she's stealing, and has left herself enough behind to fold, so I announce all-in. Katherine calls instantly and shows AJ. The flop brings a Q and Katherine now needs an A which doesn't arrive. Jonathan then tells me she's quite a tight player. A case of the pot calling the Kettle Black I think. I said it just looked like a Steal, and thinking about it, it was probably exactly what I was meant to think. I got lucky that hand.
Our table loses 2 other players in quick succession, and we have a few new arrivals, with large chip stacks.Blinds are now up to 5000, 10000 and I have the average stack of 119K. I manage to get a few shoves through, including one with KK. If I play this any other way, other than shoving, It will look odd. A londoner (new to the table), decides to fold, telling me I have a big hand and exatly what my tell is. Next hand, I get dealt pocket 5's which I again shove. The bubble is a fold fest with one guy folding AJ with londoner in the big blind disappointed to get a walk showing AKs.
We finally get to the money after 4 hand-4-hands on the bubble and everyone is happy and all of us remaining players give ourselves a round of applause. I maintain my chip stack with the occasional shoves to keep me going. Players are now dropping like flies,as all the short stacks are going out. I've laddered up the money from €300 to €480.
I then get a hand I want to shove with, but the player in Katherines old seat (seat 4)
shoves before me. Im in seat 5 and look down at KJs still in early position. I have seat 4 covered, and consider my options as there are players behind. Its fold or all-in, and I choose the all-in. The Londoner reluctantly folds what he tells us later was AJ.
The 8's hold and I am now short stacked. I could have folded here. but I had already decided to shove when the 8's shoved in front of me. This hand was the cause of my downfall as I now had no fold equity. I also forgot that I told myself to make the break which was only a few minutes away.
A couple of hands later I get dealt pocket 5's and announce all-in. I'm pretty sure, that I'm getting called by one of the stacks behind me , and count my stack which is 59K. Simon Knight(Another final tabler) calls and shows KK. No 5 arrives to save me, and I exit in 78th place 480 Euro Richer.
Overall,I think that I played pretty well, folding some pretty decent hands when out of position, and also resisting the urge to call on draws. I also played this tournament last year, and the difference this year, with the new sponsors, Boylesports, has made a huge difference. The game was played in excellent spirit. One Person to my left told me to cover my cards better as he actually saw one of my cards. Good Solid Poker was played and the Pros were very impressed by the overall stanard of play.
There are still a few minor improvements needed, and anyone who was there, railing or playing, fully expects to be back playing next year. Roll on next october.
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