The fish finger lorry crash ( April 2010 ).

I left you at the end of March with a consecutive run of 7 final appearances on the final table on a Monday at Teesside, and a run of 13 out of 16 competitions at Teesside.
So come the first Monday in April (5Th) the pressure was on, especially as word had got out among the locals who were determined to halt the run.
Well cometh the hour cometh the man. I managed to do a 3 way split for £700.00.

With not being able to attend on Monday the 12Th I thought I would give the Friday a go (9Th).
Well cometh the hour cometh the man and I ended up with a 4 way chop for £450.00.

I was in Manchester for Monday the 19Th more about that later.

So the last Monday in April (26Th) the pressure was really on. Fatwa's were being issued by the local infidels and even bounty's placed on my head. Did notice in the re buy period I was getting called of everyone. I immediately counter acted this by going into super tight mode to confuse them all.
The first rule of battle is to confuse the enemy!!!

After all the dust settled it was a case of...



Cometh the hour cometh the man. I managed to secure a four way chop for £560.00.

During April I had planned to play a few events in Manchester as the gukpt hit town.
The obvious choice was the Mondays £200.00 event how could I fail. All I had to do was turn up pay my money and collect at the end, after all I win money every Monday.
Well that did not work. I have never had a tournament like it. The swings were .amazing 20k after 3 hands 4k after 10 hands.
This is how the whole competition went up down up down . I outdrew aces twice, lost with aces once , hit the nut flush but lost to a straight flush the list was never ending.
I eventually exited in 29Th place when my second 50/50 lost both times me holding a pair v AK.

Dave Maudlin played the £300.00 event on Tuesday and finished a creditable 7Th for £1300.00 so a big well done to Dave.

I travelled back down to Manchester for the Thursdays £100.00 event which flew past very quickly with no result and nothing to report.

MANCHESTER £1000.00 MAIN EVENT REPORT.

This was to be my first gukpt main event of the year and the first time I had travelled with any significance.
The starting stack had increased from 10,000 to 15,000 chips so plenty time and plenty play in the game.

After the first 1 hour level I had managed to turn 15,000 into 7,000 when losing with top set v a made straight.
Against the same player I held aces v ak on a king high board , betting every street until another dreaded king on the river forced me to check call due to the size of the pot.
I maintained the 7k until level 5 before a missed flush draw and a few moves that did not quite work left me with 3.4k and in serious trouble of exiting on day 1.

With 6 levels left of day 1 I had no option but to grind and grind I did.
Somehow I managed to survive the day and finish up with 20k at the end of day 1 but almost the lowest of the survivors which totalled 53.

I was in serious need of a double/treble up which eventually came with ak v a pair a ace and king hitting the flop.
I was back in now but still way below average but managed to get with 30k of average chips , sitting with 90k while the average was approx 140k.

Now this is the hand that was to decide my tournament.
I was moved to the table that held Chris Brammer with his 300k stack and knew he was the player that was either going to make or break my tournament.
I have played with Chris just a few times but enough to know he was wary but very tricky to play against.

With me in the big blind a tight player limps and it come round to Chris who makes the standard raise to 12k (blinds were 1000/2000.
Off a 90k stack it was fine to see a flop with my holding of AJ and the limper also called.
This immediately let me know the limper's holding and it was pretty obvious to me that he held a mid pair or AJ or AQ.

The flop came J-6-4 rainbow.

I checked as did the limper then Chris bet 15k into a 30k pot.

I just called for a number of reasons the main one was to see what Mr limper did as he might of hit a set, he passed.

Now here I am in a pot with the ultra aggressive Chris holding top pair marvellous.

The turn bought a nothing card a six and still rainbow.

I again checked and Chris bet 20k.
Now I have to think about how to play from here and had seen enough to realize that Chris was holding air and should I check the river he will bet again to complete his ultra aggressiveness. I'm my opinion Chris was betting the river regardless what card came.
At this point I did consider the "all in" but I wanted the other bet chips, and the chance to win the tournament, and Chris was going to give me that chance.

The river bought KING , I checked he bet I called.
On there backs he held K 10 giving him top pair on the river.
Chris got lucky on the river I played the hand as perfect as I could and that's poker.

Chris went on to finish second and well done to him.

I eventually exited in 24TH place four places short of the money.

A word on Chris Brammer.
Chris took a bit of stick from some poker players probably due to his aggressive play and his quiet manner.
Let me repeat what I posted on awop poker forum.
Chris is the best young player to come through in many a year and I wish him every success in the future. Chris has a natural ability and the attitude to go as far as he wants in the game.

So Manchester came and went and thanks to the cash games some good % swop's and a more than willing bookie in Paddy power both me and DAVE Maudlin were able to head back home along the M62 with profit after everything was paid for.

May promises to be busy poker wise with another gukpt event with in travelling distance (Coventry), the poker stars tour hitting Dusk till Dawn and the start of the Gala/Coral poker tour in Bristol.

With a bit of spare time at the end of the blog seems I have room for some of the story's and tales to come out of the travels in 2009.

As most of the regular readers know we like a bit of a laugh us lot and don,t take life too seriously like Dave Maudlin Say's "there's always a story".

I am dying to tell the "how to train a pigeon" tale or the "great highway robbery" story but will leave than for another time and tell the tale regarding the "fish finger lorry crash".

One Friday night, the night before the £300.00 monthly event at Dusk till Dawn I was at Teesside playing the £10.00 re buy event.
Lee Dan asked me if I was going to Dusk till Dawn in the morning , I told him I was and he replied he was going early with Darren Maynall.
They were setting off early so they could use the hotels Gym and Sauna and spend a few relaxing hours before the tournament started.
Me and Dave Maudlin were also setting off early but for other reasons.

So theres me and Dave driving down the A1 at 8.30 in the morning and who do we overtake but Lee and Darren who are deep in conversation (probably talking about saunas and gym) and oblivios to who has just overtaken them.

Dave puts his foot down and we soon lose site of them way behind.
So out comes the mobile phone.

I Ring g Lee dan the passenger.

"Hi Lee it's Paul, where are you?

near wetherby why wats up

been a accident I reply on the M1 with a lorry , we have been stuck for 2 hours whatever you do , do not go on the M1, take the A1 until you see a sign for Nottingham.

Now both you and I know there are no signs for Nottingham on the A1.!!!

Lee for some bizarre reason only known to himself asks
"what was in the lorry"
fish fingers came the reply they are all over the road.

At 2.55pm 5 minutes before the tournament starts and 5 hours after the phone call Lee and Darren burst through the doors of Dusk Till Dawn still in there travel clothes and breathless.

What happened to you two I asked full of concern
you you b*stard
we got to a sign that said London 60 miles and Darren looked at me, I looked at Darren and both blurted out
"that tosser Gardener"

Aye till next time