Steve Holden

DUSK TILL DAWN 20/20 WEEKEND

With 189 runners already registered for today’s comp and 101 already brought in for tomorrows event they are both likely to sell out, cant see any overlay here but plenty of value guaranteed.

Villa face Burnley today away from home and it would be nice if we could bag all three points.

I think it was half way through level three before Mark played his first hand.

Myself, Loopy and Mark (seats 6 7 & 8) had no cards so to speak for at least the first hour of the comp (except when loopy said “call” to a 300 bet and chucked in 3000) while Chris Brammer must have thought that Chris “The Cub” who was dealing had been sent from Carlsburg.

Chris failing to miss after Tom MacDonald had flopped two pair, Chris called his bet on the flop to turn top two against Tom (who was first to fall) leaving the young lad with just 600 chips and a long journey home to Newcastle although it would have been a comfortable journey as he was wing’ing it back in Matt Perrin’s New Lamborghini, even though they had a quick exit it was followed by a quick return as Matt left his number plate behind (been stuck on with sticky tape) when they took off from AWOP HQ.

Jim O’Connell was next to fall, being quite chipped up (approx 14k) and having played a solid game to this point he raises UTG to 1800 with the blinds at 200/400 folds round to Chris who is on the bb, Chris tanks for about a minute checking out Jim’s remaining chips and then decides to push all in over the top of Jim, Chris has Jim covered by around 4k, Jim sits back in his chair and obviously has a decision to make for his tournament, he eventually makes the call and flips over QQ whilst Chris turns over AK, The board comes x x x x A!!! to send Jim on a long journey back to Scotland, I was a little disappointed with the table banging on the river from Chris and the fist pumping from Chris’s dad who was in the room with us – this is just my opinion and I’ve said many times on the AWOP forum how I think it’s uncalled for when you’ve just got lucky and knocked someone out!!!



I had been card dead since the start, twice asking Alistair if I could change the dealer on the button as nothing was going my way, I missed out on one pot that would have put me up to around 24k had Richard just put a small raise in when there had been a raise to 500 from Chris with the blinds at 100/200 Tom moved his last 500 in and Rich went all in for around 13k, I was sat on the bb with As2s (8.5k) and John was on the sb (11k) with TT both me and John and Chris folded and Richard turned over pocket aces with the board running out xs xs Ts which would have had both myself and John all over it “If only”

I was next to fall, on my bb with the blinds at 300/600, folds round to the button Richard Lewis (11k) who limps in, John Gardner (9k) in the sb then makes it 1600 to go, I think about shoving the rest of my 6100 over the line at this point but decide to peel off the flop for the extra 1k as I’ve got QdTd in the hole, Richard calls and the flop comes T64 rainbow, sb checks so I make it 1600 and Richard goes over the top and puts me all in – I’m hoping that he’s limped in with 9/T or T/J unless of course he’s hit he’s set, I eventually call and Richard flips 64 for the bottom two pair, I miss my outs and make my way to the rail (if I’d have pushed pre then Richard folds his 64 and John calls me with his AQ and I get a double up putting me up to 14400 – “If only”).

I’m in the Kitchen talking to Mark O’Donnell from Gala/Coral when Claire my daughter (who doesn’t know to much about poker) comes over to me and give me a hug – then she says “Well done anyway dad” I say “well done – well done on what?” and she says “well done on coming 6th – at least you didn’t come last” I almost pissed my self and it brought a smile back to my gloomy face – bless her x

Richard Lewis was next to depart after doubling up Mark Trett with AQ v TJ with the board running out x x J T J to give Mark a much needed double up and leaving himself crippled.

Me and Claire left to make the journey home at this point when there was a break and at this point I think Chris was the chip leader on around 34k Mark had 32k John had about 6k and Loopy (John Littler) had around 8k

Loopy was next to bust out in 4th spot

John was making another fantastic come back as he had done in Bristol and when Chris departed in 3rd place John had done enough to give himself a chip lead of over 13k

Heads up counts:
John Gardner...46.5k
Mark Trett....33.5k

On Thursday 19th November live from AWOP headquarters and can be seen live on “The Nutz TV” from 5pm onwards:

Today is the day and I just hope that lady luck is with me today.

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A lot of you will know that I am friendly with Marcus Bebb Jones.

I was shocked to hear that he was arrested recently and is awaiting an extradition or back to the US to stand trial for the murder of his wife some years back.

If these allegations are true and he is found guilty then it’s unlikely that he will see the inside of a British poker room again – but until the outcome of his trial I’m not going to say anything as I’m a firm believer in innocent till proven guilty.



I do feel immensely sad for his young son Daniel whom we can’t even imagine what that lads going through right now.

On Thursday 19th November live from AWOP headquarters and can be seen live on “The Nutz TV” from 5pm onwards:

FINALISTS

John Gardner won Leg 6 of the British Masters Poker Tour




Having been reduced to less than a big Blind with three players left, John had the foresight to pass on the Small Blind although he had less than the Big Blind left in chips. Richard “Ripper” Lewis, sounds like a heavyweight boxer, had a commanding chip lead followed by Chris Brice second in chips and John was down but not out, to coin a boxing term. Within 50 minutes it was all over when John had achieved the unthinkable and after taking out Chris and having an equal chip stack to Richard, within 4 hands it was all over.

The Heads Up key hand happened when the chips flew into the middle of the table with Richard on a flush and straight draw and John with top pair. Richard missed everything and John took down a monster pot leaving Richard with less than a big blind this time round. He managed to survive only 2 hands before John took down the Title, the Trophy and the final seat into the Sponsorship Play-off for the £10,000 package put up by Tour Sponsors, Coral.co.uk.

With 150 runners in the main Event producing a prize pool of £76,000 the final three had agreed a deal for the money but played on for the glory, the seat and the trophy. Richard took the sharp end and £20,000, Chris took £16,500 and the eventual bragging rights and £13,500 went to the winner John Gardner
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Steve Holden won Leg 5 of the British Masters Poker Tour

Online qualifier Steve Holden is the latest champion of the 2009 Coral.co.uk British Masters Poker Tour, after winning the £500 NLHE Main Event in Liverpool.

The professional player from Erdington in Birmingham won a package to the event in a $10 satellite on Coral.co.uk and went on to beat a field of 73 that included previous event winners and some well known tour regulars, over two days at the Gala Leo Casino in Albert Dock.

Steve took a chip lead into the final table and never gave it up. He had over half the chips in play when the final three, which also included Mark James and Frank Kenny, did a deal. Steve took the title, £9,350 and the fifth seat in the season end play-off for the coveted £10,000 Coral.co.uk sponsorship in 2010 while Mark and Frank each won £8,000.

After his win Steve, who is a familiar face on the UK poker scene and a regular player in the online satellites, said he was “absolutely ecstatic”. He added: “I always try to satellite into events that I intend to play because with the credit crunch as it is, you have to look for value. I qualified for $10 into the $75 and managed to take home over £9k and more importantly a seat at the Champions’ final table where there is a £10,000 sponsorship package up for grabs.”

Turning pro in 2007, Steve first came to prominence by winning the Main Event of the Great British Poker Tour in Nottingham in May 2007. He won his seat after taking first place in the £200 side event the day before.

Coral.co.uk’s head of poker, Mark O’Donnell, said: “We’re delighted that Steve’s through to the Champions’ final table as he plays all of our events and is really well known on the tour. There was a good turnout and Gala Casino Liverpool put on a fantastic event. It’s a great venue and always proves popular with our players with its views overlooking the Albert Dock.”

Steve is full of confidence going into the final. He said: “I’d like to do a British grand slam and be the first player to take down events on Great British Poker Tour, the Coral British Masters Poker Tour, the Grosvenor UK Poker Tour and the Dusk Till Dawn Deepstack. With two already under my belt I’m halfway there!”
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Chris Brammer Won Leg 4 of The British Masters Tour.

Leg 4 of the British Masters Poker Tour will be remembered for a long time after as one of the best final tables seen this year! It came down to three players, Matt Perrins, Jonathon Butters and Chris Brammer. They had to use all of their individual poker skills for over two hours as the chip lead changed on numerous occasions. Eventually Matt got it all-in against Chris with his 10 10 against K J off held by Chris. The river sealed the deal when the jack hit the board to eliminate Matt in third spot for £5950.

This left Chris and Jonathan heads up and that lasted all of 10 minutes when all the chips went in the middle with Jonathan holding Queen ten of diamonds against the dominant hand of Chris holding Ace Queen of spades. The board came down K 2 K with two spades and when the four of spades popped up on the turn it was all over and Chris Brammer was crowned British Masters Poker Champion, Nottingham 2009. Along with £14,000, Chris secured his place in the play-off for the £10,000 sponsorship package put up by Tour Sponsors Coral.co.uk and the coveted winner’s Trophy. Jonathan had his disappointment softened by second prize of £9,000. All credit must go to all three players who provided an enthralling instalment of top class poker.

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Mark Trett won Leg 3 of The British Masters Tour.

Mark Trett has been crowned Teesside champion in the third event of the 2009 British Masters Poker Tour, after winning the £500 NLHE Main Event.

Mark, a 30-year-old recruitment consultant from Newcastle, beat 107 rivals to take the title, the first prize of £12,650 and a seat at the season final play-off for the coveted Coral.co.uk sponsorship deal in 2010.

Mark and local player Dom Mahoney dominated a final table that included tour regular Dave Maudlin and former European player of the year Ash Hussain. And, it was Mark and Dom that faced each other heads up in the early hours of Monday, July 27 when Dom’s flush draw didn’t hit and Mark’s paired jack was enough to take first place.

Playing for just 18 months, like Tom MacDonald (winner of the Leeds CBMPT), this was Mark’s biggest result to date. “It feels truly surreal”, said Mark immediately after the final hand.

“I remember asking the dealer (and praying) to put a brick on the river when Dom called my check raise all in, with his huge draw. The big cash is fantastic but I can’t explain what it means to me to actually have the trophy, and most of all the title. This achievement is immense and not lost on me. As I said, I’m truly honoured and humbled to be in this position.”

Mark added: “I thought the event was superb, honestly, fantastic. I love the fact you can pay a £500 entry fee and play for potentially a five-figure sum. On top of this you’re 10k deep with a one hour clock and superb blind structure. Usually you have to pay more (£1,000 +) for this type of structure. The dealers and staff were first class.”

It was Mark’s brother Craig that got him into poker in the first place and encouraged him to play, and now that support is being repaid. He said: “50% of my winnings go to my brother Craig. We’ve always done that. He’s kind of carried me a little during my first year in the game so I’m delighted to pay a little bit back. I’m also going to pay the wife off a little to help to stop her complaining about all the time and money I spend playing poker. I’m hoping to play the rest of the tour, and with the rest, I’m 100% going to Vegas next year.”

Coral.co.uk’s head of poker, Mark O’Donnell, said: “Mark took a big chip lead to the final table and never let it go. It was a great performance and in only his second live event, it’s a massive achievement. He’s a really nice guy and definitely another name to watch in the future.”

Mark O’Donnell added: “Once again, Gala Teesside has put on a top-drawer sell-out event. You can bank on the local’s putting up a good show and they didn’t disappoint, with over half the final table seats.

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Tom MacDonald Won Leg 2 of The British Masters Tour.

After a short Heads up dual with Jamie Sykes, Tom MacDonald came out on top to secure the trophy, £14.000 first prize and his seat in The Masters play-off for a £10,000 sponsorship package from the Tour sponsors Coral.co.uk. Jamie can be well satisfied with his runner up cheque for £10,000 after a great performance throughout the tournament and just being piped at the post by Tom. Jamie Coonan secured 3rd place and £7,000 for his efforts.
With a starting field of 94 runners generating a prize pool of £48,000 Tom battled his way through some big names at the Gala Casino, Westgate in Leeds.

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Jim O’Connell Won Leg 1 of The British Masters Tour.



Jim defeated a field of 105 runners to take down the first event in Edinburgh back on May 17th.
Having done a deal 5 handed and at that point he was 3rd in chips Jim went on to take the Title and also a seat in the sponsored table final.



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Richard Lewis won “Highest Money Winner” of the British Masters Tour




After doing a deal when three handed at the last event in Bristol, Richard who took £20k due to his chip dominance on final table and in so doing bagged a seat to the live sponsorship final table and taking away long time favourite Eddie Lundon's hope of yet another final table.




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Loopy AWOP won “On-Line League Winner” of the British Masters Tour




John Littler has secured his seat in the 8 handed Grand Final for a £10,000 Sponsorship package for the 2010 Poker season.


Loopy had some stiff competition from wilfuljokerX and nijinsky 68

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James Keys "Skolsuper" has also opened a book on the final and priced all the runners accordingly:

Jim O’Connell 8/1
Tom McDonald 7/2
Mark Trett 10/1
Chris Brammer 11/4F
Steve Holden 6/1
John Gardner 12/1
John Littler 14/1
Richard Lewis 8/1

James is obviously blinkered and has pumped for the young horse's and ignoring age, beauty and experience.

You need to follow this link to place your bet on stars and then have it confirmed - get your money on your horse.

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This final will be broadcast live on "The Nutz Tv" so get logged on for 5pm on Thursday 19th and get railing.... click this link and if you'd like to use the chat facility then you'll have to register first, it's free to register - so get on-line and abuse that chat box!!! No doubt there will be tons of support for Mark Trett from from the Tee Side Newcastle Poker Forum posse - so get online and get behind me - Thanks

16th November
Played the Sunday Millions on Stars last night getting off to a flying start, finding myself in the top 20 out of the 18,283 runners after the first 3 hours of the game, although 3 major outdraws for my tournament of AA into the inferior AQ --- QQ into 77, with my exit hand being QQ into JJ and AK with the AK hitting a set on the flop and scooping the 650k pot with the ave at 125k meant the difference of a top ten finish as opposed to cashing for $550 for 1501st place

Priyan Wins GUKPT Blackpool 2009
Priyan de Mel has taken down the 9th leg of the gukpt at the G casino in Blackpool.
36-year Priyan de Mel has taken down the 9th leg of the 2009 Grosvenor UK Poker Tour at the G casino in Blackpool. De Mel, a property developer from London defeated a field of 287 players to scoop the £84,900 first prize and a seat in the £100,000 Champion of Champions tournament. His heads up opponent was 23-year old online pro James Williams from Swindon. After eliminating Ben Vinson in third place, de Mel went into the heads up stage of the tournament with a 2-1 chip lead. The tête-à-tête stage of the tournament did not last long before de Mel emerged victorious holding J-8 on a J-J-7-5 board. Williams bluffed on the turn holding 3-6 and needed a 4 to win the pot, but a queen on the river shipped the final pot to de Mel and earned him the title of GUKPT Blackpool champion.

De Mel just missed out on a GUKPT final table two years ago, when he finished in 10th place at the London leg of the tour. He was delighted to have put that disappointment behind him by securing this win, but also commented on a hand that took place on the first day of the tournament, when he was all-in and behind holding 5-2 on an A-4-x board. His friend Andrew Seden held pocket fours, but a 3 on the turn kept him in the tournament.

“I am delighted to have won this title, but I could easily have been out on day one if I had not hit my gutshot against Andy”



The 8 handed Play-Off STT will be held at AWOP HQ after the GUKPT in Blackpool, this will be shown live on “The Nutz TV” on Thursday 19th at 5pm, I’ll be putting reminders on here so please get signed up/registered (It’s free) and come and rail me on the live chat box, Thanks

Well I’m well and truly knackered today.

I crashed out of the £250 side event just before the end of the third level last night getting rivered on all three occasions that I was involved in any big pot

I hung around to try and scoop some of my losses back on the cash table but that was a fiasco as the card room and the pit couldn’t get their act together I waited 45 minutes to get a seat on the 50/£1 table having to leave the table when someone said that they were on the list before me – they then took my name off the list and put me back at the bottom of a 14 mane list ;-(

Pissed off I make my way back to my room and log onto stars and register for the $30+$3 with 2 rebuy’s and 1 add on allowed, the game started at 10.35pm and was 45 minutes into it with 15 minutes left to late reg, 2500 starting chips I restrict myself to 1 rebuy or add on although I don’t need either as I get a double up to 5k before the add on kicks in.

Mr kryptonite takes over playing proper poker playing some steps and PCA qualifiers along side the game and I got heads up at 4am with a 8/1 chip advantage, playing small pots I am determined to take this down – but Pokerstars being jokerstars eventually taking my edge away and I’m shafted with outdraw after outdraw, 5.10am and I have to settle for 2nd for just over $2,500 still – not a bad return for $30

I’ve also bagged three final seats into the PCA finals now on 6th December so will start trying to win Andrea some final seats as well.

It’s the £100 bounty event at Blackpool tonight but I have decided that after breakfast I’m going to make the journey home and play the Sunday Millions with the $2.5 million pot guaranteed this week having already secured a $215 ticket in the steps system for $7.50

A dozen players return for the final day of the main event and there’s some great names and lads in there and first prize would be a well deserved boost to anyones bankroll.

Mick Fletcher – mr grinder is the short stack with just 10xbb but I doubt that will phase Mick and I expect to see him ladder the money now with his experience and being from Blackpool has to be the crowd favourite.

Mark James is also a solid play as I’m sure that anyone left at this stage has to be, I trust that Mark will be patient and will make the final three.

Jeff Hammerman who at least three people have said looks like my twin although I don’t see any resemblance and I “know nothing” about this feller but good luck to him.

Ben Vinson got third here 2 years ago and has the gears and the chips to go deeper this year

Priyan Demel is long overdue a big score and could feature

Rick Trigg starts today in the middle of the pack, and will be looking to improve on his best ever 3rd place finish at Newcastle 2 years ago.


Kyriacos Dionysiou (or Greek Jack) as we all know him by is the chip daddy and deservedly so, Jack is so overdue a big score and deffo has the gears to take this down, he also has the determination and like myself will not be thinking about laddering the money but will go all out in order to win it – and by this I mean he will make the marginal calls that you sometimes have to make to win a comp

Mark Taylor, James Williams, Gemal Husnu, Steve Talbot & Wasim Akhtar are the other names in the mix and although I know very little about them, they obviously all deserve their place on a final table having got this far.

If I was a betting man (which I aint) then I would have to go for Greek Jack given the fact that he is chip daddy, his age and experience and of course his good looks

Good luck to all the remaining twelve players.

Kyriacos Dionysiou - 412,500
Priyan Demel - 383,500
Richard Trigg - 200,500
Jeff Hemmerman - 194,500
Mark James - 189,000
Gemal Husnu - 175,500
Steve Talbot - 120,000
Wasim Akhtar - 119,000
Michael Fletcher - 114,500

14th November

I bust out of last nights £100 side event just after the first break when I’m on the BB with 9k (above ave of 8k) there a raise to 1200 utg (200/400/25) 2 callers round to me so I decide to try and take the pot down there with an all in shove with AQ suited, utg tanks for two minutes and then says “fuck it – lets go” he has me covered – just, the other two limpers fold and the board runs out 7QA K 7 no good against my oppo’s pocket ladies.

The weather up here is really shit at the moment, Wind, Rain, Gales so bring your brolley if you are making the journey up here.

Today is the £250 +£25 side event and at 2pm there were 125 runners already registered so this event is deffo going to sell out with possibly up to 180 runners taking to the field.

Today sees a total of 82 players return for the main event with some very useful names in the mix, over £75k to the winner so a nice Christmas Present awaiting one of these lucky fekkers ;-)


John Bousfield - 114250
Richard Trigg - 106375
Gerald David - 100,775
Gemal Husnu - 98075
James Williams - 82250
Benjamin Vinson - 77,675
Kyriacos Dionysiou - 77,275
David La Ronde - 71425
Richard Wild - 60000
Michael Fletcher - 59,300
Alfie Baldwin - 58600
Robert Sherwood - 53725
Tom Kugelstadt - 51475
Julian Thew - 50000
John (Derek) Miller - 49175 (riverasusual)
John Hare - 49,100 [/size] (littlejohn)
Wasim Akhtar - 47,925
Christopher Odonnell - 47,325
Allan Mclean - 46,025
Andrew Seden - 44,350
Michael Taylor - 41,400
Steve Talbot - 41075
Michael Wernick - 40,625
Ganesh Rao - 40,050
Michael Mccool - 39525 (mick Mccool)
Charles Denton - 37,975
Stuart Lord - 37675
Mark Taylor - 37625
Jonathan Kalmar - 37300
Simon Wolf - 37,000
John Sayers - 36750
James Keys - 35,850
David Lea - 33,775
Iqbal Patel - 33050
Gary Peniket - 32325
Michael Hill - 31975 (dabookie)
Michael Spati - 31325
Michael Joyce - 31225
Stephen Boyd - 31175 (the mole)
Paul Parker - 29975
Mark James - 29650
Edward Lundon - 29125
Shane Hellyer - 28,050
Mark Robinson - 27750
Adam Clarke - 27,075 (clarkatroid)
Michael Farrer - 26300
Gary Fox - 25475
Paul Leckey - 25,425
Tim Hickling - 25100
Iwan Jones - 24,875
Jonathan Weekes - 24550
Peter Charalambous - 23625 (justice 007)
Paul Gardener - 22,700 (swampy)
Keith Geary - 22,600
Darren Grosvenor - 22375
Howard Plant - 21950 (the magician)
Gavin Powell - 21,400
Simon Cawley - 21,075 (scawley)
Brian Martin - 19500
Gary Holden - 19150
David Dring - 18,975
Stacey Easter - 18725
Priyan Demel - 18,575
Michael Greco - 18,475
John Brassington - 18050 (brasso)
Darren Hickman - 18,050
Martin McDonough - 17800
Jeff Hemmerman - 17700
Anthony Cartwright - 17075
Reyaaz Mulla - 16,475
Craig Brignall - 16325
David Gardner - 16250
Kevin Parkes - 15400
Martin Hadfield - 14625
Raphael White - 13,350
John Cameron - 12,250
Allan Barnacle - 11,300 (the rev)
Gary Brewer - 11050
Peter Garrett - 10300
Peter Lee - 10250
James Swan - 8750
Craig Bickerton – 8750

Be lucky if you are playing today.

13th November (6pm)
I'm in my room watching awop and see the field is massive for the main event with over £85k going to the winner alone.

I decide to buy in with half hour left of the 2nd level left to play.

I'm seated at table 13 (how unlucky is that) seat 10.

At the first break I’ve got my starting stack but lose half my stack shortly after the break with A 7 clubs when I limp in utg for 150 and hit a flop with 2 clubs on, it costs me 4k and I don’t improve any further.

I then raise it to 525 utg with AcJs two callers and catch a flop of Jc 7c Kd. I check and then call a 1200 bet. Qc on the turn and again I check then my oppo goes all in and he has my remaining 3.5k covered. I think I have so many outs that I have to call and he flips K Q giving me even more outs than I thought I had but my miracle card doesn’t arrive and I’m off to the rails half way through level 3 :-( Back to the hotel to get a couple of hours sleep ready for tonight.

13th November (Friday)
Didn’t get to bed till 5am having finished 6th in yesterday’s £100 freezeout for £800. Have had a bit of a restless night and have managed less than 4 hours sleep, went down for breakfast at 10am and had a good chat with London based Micky Cook who bust out of the main event yesterday.

Even after having a feed I still feel tired and a bit of a migraine whilst still contemplating whether to buy into the main event today, a walk along the front and I still feel like shit and am not in the frame of mind to sit down and play a £1000 comp esp on Friday 13th.

This evenings £100 side event is sold out with an alternate list already on the go and I hope that Zak has sorted out my registration problem and put me on the starting list for tonight.

My intention is to stay and play the £100 tonight and the (two-dayer) £250 freezeout on Saturday and I’ve got a ticket to play the Sunday Millions on stars this Sunday that has $2.5 million guaranteed to celebrate the fact that punters have won $250 million on the Sunday millions since it started.

Back to bed now to grab a couple of hours sleep before tonights game.



Just in case you missed Robbies reunion last night with Take That at the Royal Albert Hall then follow the link to youtube:   BACK FOR GOOD?

12th November (Thursday)
I get to the casino for around 7pm and the place is packed. I have to go on to the alternate list, as I’m not on the player list even though I paid in - in advance at Walsall.

Still,140 runners and at least 60 names on the alternate list.

I have to wait about 10 minutes to get a seat but they then start falling very quickly.

At the end of level 2 there's 161 runners in the event and a massive £16.100 in the pot.

By the end of level 3 we're down to 127 runners and the ave is at 6300 from a 5k starting stack.

I'm sitting with 10k at the start of level 4 150/300 after I called a raise in the sb with T Q clubs and flopping top two pair, check / call with a Q on the turn I check and oppo goes all in with pocket jacks, “call” I hit the quad's on the river.

I get moved to my new table (11 seat 10) just before the end of level 4 with 9100 with the ave at 7k and 114 runners left in the mix.

I get a double up when I call a raise to 1200 from utg and I'm holding A j suited on the button flop comes A T 6 and utg leads out for 3k so I go all in for another 3500, utg calls reluctantly and flips 89 for the up and down draw. He misses his outs and I'm up to 17k with the ave at 10k.

Towards the end of level 8 with the blinds at 600/1200 and there's a limp utg and then Steve Cleary (a Bridgnorth regular) makes it 3k to go, I find A K clubs in mid position so I push all in for around 21k, utg tanks & then fold's and Steve makes the call with pocket queens, last 3 cards are clubs to give me the nut flush and put me up to 48k with the ave at 20k and 37 runners remaining.

Towards the end of level 13 with the blinds at 3k/6k and 400 ante and I'm on the bb and there's 16 runners left with it paying down to 15 spots, shove from short stack and its another 15k for me to call T 3 spades, I call and I run into K T, the board flushes out for me and puts me up to 115k with the ave at 55k and 15 runners left.

Final table and I've 123k with the ave at 80k we then lose 2 in the first 4 hands.

Zaf Hussein and Richie “mad as a wasp” Whitmore and Val Grey also on the table.

Folds round to me and I’m on the sb for 6000 and I find K7 spades so push and get called by the BB who has A7!!! Shit, that takes 60k out of my stack.

My lady luck ran out and I went out in 6th place blinds still at 6k/12k/500 and I’m down to 80k (6.5 x bb) when my A Q utg all in shove ran into A K, no help on the board and I finish with a profit of £700 for the evenings work.

Having made the 2 hour Journey from the Midlands up to sunny (actually it’s pissing it down) Blackpool.

My usual B&B “The Marsden” is full up but Steve the landlord has managed to get me in over the road at “The Berkswell” I stayed here before about two years ago when Sally from AWOP had a little tickle and Adam “Wilko” also had a touch whilst staying here so I’m hoping that it’s a lucky hotel for me!!!

There are plenty of rooms here at £20 per night including breakfast so if you are coming up and need somewhere to stay, click the link and give Teresa or Phillip a call.

I also managed to bag a seat into one of the Pokerstars Caribbean Adventure final, there are three finals on December 6th where they (Pokerstars) are giving away 27 packages to the main event at the Atlantis Hotel in the Bahamas on Jan 4th – 14th – I’m not sure if I can win three final seats but I’m going to have a bash at it, too much value not too!!!

If I can get substantial cash tonight then I will buy directly into the main event tomorrow. 114 runners took to the field today with at least another 150 expected for tomorrow creating a pot of at least £264k with about £75k to the winner (now that would be a nice Christmas prezzie).