That was the weekend that was

With the APAT UK Amateur champs looming, my chance to defend my title, and a loooooong weekend in prospect, an early night on Friday was in order. So, lets go and play the BCPC game instead - but it's ok cos every round this BCPC season, I've busted out well before 11pm and been home early. However, try as I might, I just couldn't lose my chips this time, and ended up hitting the final table at midnight. In a strange FT affair, their were 7 players out of 10 on the table who could still win the league if results went in their favour, but I could win nothing.... and I had the chip lead! Cue some fun and mayhem!! 45 minutes of relentless raising and 3-betting with rags, and I had more than half the chips in play, but nobody had busted (bunch of nits!). At 12:45 the first exit finally happened, and that meant Nathan had guaranteed enough points now to put him at the top of the league, subject to others now finishing in certain positions..... from here on in things loosened up and the other 8 exits took me just 30 minutes (4 bustouts in 3 hands was nice!). 8 of the 9 kindly volunteered the remainder of their chips to my stack and I took it down - nice ego boost ahead of the APAT weekend, but bed at 2.30am was not the best plan.

So bleary eyed I arrived at the Vic in London at 11am, and headed straight for the nearest cash table. It was plainly obvious that there was money to be made on this table - the standard was frankly awful. The standard raise seemed to be 10x the Big Blind! Three hands in and I'm on the Big Blind.... every single player at the table limped, and I found Aces in the BB.... raised to £20 (20xBB!!)....... and got 5 callers!! loooool. Ended up losing the hand, and an hour or so later, left the table £50 in arrears!

Met up with many APAT regulars, and had a few beers, followed by a few more. Interesting conversation with James Edwards - damned volcano caused his trip to Vegas to be cancelled the day before, hence his presence at the Vic.... unlucky James!

For me the Main Event was (ahem) short - I made it to level 4! Some defence that turned out to be!! No problem with my play though - got my stack all in on a flop of QJ10 whilst holding QJ, only to be called with Q10 (happy days?), but the rivered 10 was the end. Why do I always bust these APAT events to an 8% chance? I get my chips in as a 92% favourite again, and lose again.... and still the forum has notes about my luckbox status - unbelievable!

With not much else to do for the next 24 hours before the Razz side event on Sunday, I of course had £50 to recover on the cash tables..... spent an awesome 8 hours on a table with Paul Haycock where we fleeced the locals (ok, most were from Greece, but I class them as locals), and I closed the day around £300 up.

Hotel by 2.30am...... and back at the cash table by 10am (and many people from the night before were still there!!). Another 3 hours session - another £300. Now £600 up for the weekend. There was the most unbelievable fish at the table - a local asian lad who turned up with his missus, and she sat dutifully behind him continually handing him another £100 until the £1000 in her handbag was all gone. I was somewhat gutted when the call was made for the start of the Razz tourney - surely staying at this cash table would be far more profitable?! Meanwhile Andy Overton had busted the Main Event, and was looking for something to do while I played Razz...... a nudge and wink, and he took a seat at the cash game, and took the donkey's last £300 (no commission for me though!)

Played Razz. zzzzzzzzzz. Razz tourney still going. zzzzzzzzzz. Actually not that bad - had a huge laugh with the table, particularly Clare, Rudders, JPRound, and Aneurin. Made final table - missed the money. ho hum - had fun.

All in all - brilliant weekend. Great poker, great people, great food (bloody marvellous food actually!), shite beer (but couldn't really taste it by the end), and then a trip from Central London to Andy O's house in Malvern (130 miles) in under 1 hour 30!

So weekend over - no longer the UK Amateur Champion, but will never lose the feeling of holding that title for a year. Wish I could have gone deeper in the Main Event, but C'est La Vie and all that.

Spending my cash winnings on the £560 UKIPT Event in Nottingham in May. 24 sleeps til Notts :)