Syndicate Serendipity

Last Tuesday, I capped my recent run of decent poker results, with my best ever poker win! It doesn't seem a long time since I was bemoaning my poker performances with characteristic depression, but I've gone all the way from thinking I was playing badly, to thinking I was playing well but not getting the results I deserved, to getting some decent results and feeling vindicated, until now when I feel that I've probably over-achieved in the last couple of weeks.

As I've probably [!] mentioned in my previous posts, I've had a few decent results recently, playing cash games with The Hendon Mob, and some of the regulars from The Hendon Mob Forum. So feeling flush with a bit of extra cash in my bankroll, I decided to enter a Syndicate to send a player to The Fox Poker Club leg of the Genting Poker Series [GPS]. The structure was straightforward - ten of us would play a Single Table Tournament, with the winner going on to represent the syndicate in the £430 Main Event in Leg 2 of the GPS in London. Everyone involved would have a stake in the tournament, from 35% for the winner down to 4% for those knocked out first.

I'll be completely honest, and state right now that I didn't give myself much of a chance on this table. It was tough competition from some of the regular contributors to The Hendon Mob Forum - players that are regularly  involved in tournaments beyond anything I play in. But, as they say, 'you've got to be in it to win it', and the opportunity to play for a seat in one of the GPS Main Events was too good to pass over.

On the night of the tournament, after some mental preparation (which mostly involved shadow boxing in front of the bathroom mirror), and a strict (but seasonal) diet of pancakes and beer it all began...

The first hand I was involved in, that went to showdown, didn't necessarily seem to bode well:-

Chopping the pot, playing the board, with pocket nines against pocket sixes! On the other hand, few chips were invested, and no stupid errors were made.

A little further in to the tournament, with ten players still remaining, I got the first indication that things might be running my way that evening:-

From a dominated position pre-flop and hitting a dangerous top pair, I caught a couple of beautiful runners on the turn and river to snatch the pot from under my opponents nose!

Things weren't running only my way though - I also got caught in a similar spot myself, when my opponent snagged both a straight and a flush on the river:-

Both these hands, were checked on the turn, allowing draws to develop, which perhaps indicated a commitment to disciplined pot control, or maybe indicated a cautious approach to the game.

I certainly felt cautious, but managed to maintain a fairly even stack as play developed. Ten players remained in the game until this hand - a double elimination!

Over the next half hour, I picked up some chips from hands that didn't play to showdown (ideal), and edged my way into first place. My confidence was growing. The next hand I got involved in, was played badly, but again seemed to indicate that the wind was in my sails:-

Pocket Tens are very nice, but probably were a hand that should have been discarded to the 3-bet pre-flop. I hesitated, not wanting to let my hand go, and eventually settled on making a call out of position. Catching a set on the flop was beautiful - I'd now bungled my way to a significant advantage over the rest of the field; but it was also a warning to settle myself.

I took the warning to heart, and played more steadily, maintain a fairly even stack of around 16K chips, as the blinds rose to 50/200/400, and the field was reduced to four players with reasonably even stacks.

The next big hand I was involved in was another lucky escape for me - although (this time) not one I feel was played badly:-

Picking up a reasonable hand on the button, I made a small raise and was called by the big blind. The big blind flopped a straight, and I flopped a straight-draw and a flush-draw. I made a small stab at the pot, and was check-raised by the big blind - I didn't want to let the hand go, so I pushed the rest of the chips in and saw I was behind. Yet again I got lucky, making the nut flush on the turn! We were now down to three players, and I'd crept a step ahead of the other two.

It wasn't all plain sailing for me - I took a knock back with this next hand, but fortunately I had plenty of chips to spare at that point:-

However, as play continued - thmfstowjon gradually picked up more and more chips, and levelled the playing field... finally I picked up a decent hand, and my other opponent (the short stack) played into me:-

My hand held up, and Jon and I were heads-up for the game! I had a small advantage at that point, but nothing to write home about. For about fifty more hands, play went back and forth. I gradually moved ahead and built a decent lead on my opponent. Picking up a pocket pair heads-up and facing a raise, I committed my chips:-

It didn't work out well for me - Jon made a full house by the river, and things were suddenly much more even than they had been.

Two hands later, and I picked up King-high on the big blind - calling a small raise pre-flop, I caught the King on the flop:-

I'd had more than my fair share of luck throughout the game, and managed a most-unlikely victory! I'll be going to London to play the Genting Poker Series Main Event in March, hoping to make a decent score on behalf of the syndicate