A nice break

I've had a few weeks break from poker, what with the good weather over here at the moment and the need to recharge the batteries after playing every spare moment since January.
I have only been on site to play any required league fixtures. Once again I can inform you that our league team won. Retaining the season 4 crown we won, also the staff match resulted in another Bullies win. The team goes from strength to strength. Unfortunately one of our number has had to resign this season, personal reasons. So into the fold comes a regular spare and all round a very good player, Ramster. Welcome to the fold Den.
I started playing again last weekend and tried my luck in the intercontinental championship. A $25 buy, the most I have bought in I haven't been in any over $10 yet, just 45 players entered and a guaranteed prize pot of $2500 made for good odds. Top 5 payed out $1k 1st prize down to $200 for 5th.
All went quite well for the first few rounds, picking up a few good pots to increase my stack fairly regularly. Watching as people started to drop out. For the first few blind rounds I was in the top 10. My luck took a turn for the worse about lvl 6, 400/800 blinds and 25 anti. Sitting BB the table folded round to the SB, fairly short stacked with a habit of stealing, who goes allin. Reading this as a steal I called with A9 off, SB shows J3 off. I am in a good position especially when the flop was of no use to either of us. Neither did the turn help, but a 3 on river give the SB a quarter of my stack. Getting now descent hands now started to deplete my stack with the increasing blinds and anti. With the occasional steal I managed to make the last table but being severly short stacked, holding only 6k with my nearest rival on 22k, and a few hands of lvl 7 blinds left(500/1000 (50) ) was not confident of making the money. Sitting tight saw 2 players exit fairly quickly add a couple of steals and I have started to increase again. A couple of A high hands hitting anA on the flop also help to increase to about 20k. Although still last in chips I am starting to get closer. This is made all the harder by the chip leader going allin on my BB all the time. As eveyone folds to him he simply goes allin to steal my BB and the SB inbetween us, who is now also getting low in chips. On lvl 8 blinds in BB I finally get a hand to test the chip leader. As always an allin bet, SB folds, this time holding JJ I call. Sure enough a steal. He shows T3 suited, my jacks hold up and I double up. I am now up to 3rd.
The rest finally fall by the wayside and I am in the money. 5th place already payed, there are 4 of us left. Back and forth it goes for a while till the crunch comes.
Chip leader allin AK off, I call KQ suited in BB. Chip leader catches trip A's. I'm out in 4th spot and $300 richer. Nice return considering how I entered the final table.
The very next hand
Chipleader AQ off, BB 88 both allin and the chip leader catches again. 2 gone in 2 hands to the chipleader???????
What odds 2 very descent hands shorthanded, with the same player catching both times to win........

Oh well as I say I'm happy. Could have been happier but hey nice return to the game.

Blogger final

Finally we get to the final of the blogger. All in all it has been a great experiance. I managed to place 14th in the final, unfortunately not high enough for one of the major prizes on offer. Still a goodie bag from poker.com is winging its way to me. I'll look forward to playing online with my poker.com cap etc on.
The top prize a WSOP package was won by a member of our league team, a Blind Bully EgonOlson. I'd like to wish him the best of luck in the live vegas tourny.

While we're on the league subject. The final game of season 5 has now been played and we, The Blind Bullies, have retained the crown we won in season 4. Well done to all involved. i look forward to the season 5 staff game, also the new season. Alas we will lose a player this season for personal reasons. But we have a ready made replacement waiting to kick off with us.

A coupon arrives

The last chance event. This is the last time to be able to aquire a coupon to the blogger grand final.
Problem.......It kicks off at 19:30 lobby, thats is 1:30 in the morning where I am. After all the other events kisked off at 9:30pm here, this was somewhat of a shock..... But!!! there was more to come. Having played in a good few of these, as you may have read, I have seen a lot of places go unclaimed as they were "won" by players who already have coupons. When I querried this at one of the tournies, I was told not to worry as any unwon coupons would simply be added to the last chance game. imagine my surprise when I register to see the description. Top 10 players will be manually awarded coupons? What happened to the other 12 places that were re-won.
So no easy ride then, was hoping to try and get to about 20-21st place then off to bed in the knowledge I would recieve a coupon.
So at 1:30 am we kick off 40 players some with coupons all vieing for their chance of the coupon and a share of the $500 prize pool. Things went along very slowly till the blinds started to take effect. Eventually I managed to win alittle/ hold out alittle till I finally managed to arrive on the last table, short stack or very near. Safe in the knowledge now I am in the final on Saturday. The final table was very tight so I don't know how I managed to scrap my way into 4th spot to top off the night or should I say morning with a $60 prize.

Now for Saturday, 5000 starting chips. Another very long game instore I think. Still at least I know I have some poker.com merchandise but who knows maybe an Ipod, 30"LCD or even A trip to vegas. LOL did I say that out loud. How awesome that would be my first ever live game the WSOP. I told you it started late last night, I'm still dreaming now....
Wish me luck