I guess now I will do the meet write up from my perspective.
Slayer arrived on Friday evening around 2am after Aaron and I picked him up. In the morning we all went to Tesco (and Halfords due to some car trouble) to pick up some snacks and stuff. Sykes arrive around half five and we set off after some short games on Mario Party.
After Sykes registered with the casino, we headed down to register for the tournament, unlike last time we weren't waiting around for long. I found my table (table 3) quite quickly and sat down. The player who was going to deal for the table looked almost exactly like an older version of Tom Dwan (Dwan Sr), it was uncanny. Surprisingly, Slayer then walked over to my table and sat down to my right.
After receiving my starting stack of 7500 I look around and see Rex on table 2 (with Gary the limper!), plus Sykes and Aaron on table 4. The first hand I got involved with was T2hh, it limped around to me in the small blind and I called. The flop contained AQhh. I checked as did the others and I saw a free turn where I made my flush. I bet out and got one caller. The river was a blank and I check min-raised the man opposite me (Martin). He said "I guess my two pair isn't good enough then" and elected to fold. I don't really remember too much else from the early stages although I picked up AJ UTG twice in a row, and getting two callers both times, including the big blind who loved to defend. However I completely missed the flop on both occasions and just decided to give up because these guys were calling people down with second and third pair.
The next hand I picked up AKcc UTG however and raised it up. Martin commented on how this was the third time I'd raised his blind. He called again as did the button and yet again I couldn't hit. I did however decide to fire off a continuation bet this time hoping that my passive approach to prior hands would pay dividends. It didn't. They both called my bet and it was then checked all the way down. Button showed KQ and the BB showed his favourite 75 to take it down with 4th pair. The guy on my left went bust within the first two blind levels. He called Dwan Sr's all in with AK, however the latter's JJ held. It then seemed like an age passed before I played another hand.
I have around 6500 at this time and look down to see JJ UTG. I min-raise to 400 and annoyingly everyone folds except the big blind. Flop comes KJX with two spades. I bet it and the BB insta folds. Around this time Slayer sees that Aaron is out and after folding some rubbish hand I wandered over and we had a quick chat. He tells me he was quite card dead and that a player who is in every hand just keeps winning everything. His final hand is in the big blind when after four have limped, he pushes with AQ and the blinds are about to swallow him up. He is insta called with QQ and unlike Darvin he does not hit his ace.
Just before the first break I look over to Rex's table and he involved in a big pot. He has got it all in with AK vs AA. He loses and after doubling early with QQ vs 44 (WTF?) He was down to his final 1k or so. The first break then followed. I still have about 6500, Slayer has around a starting stack, and Sniff Jr has around 6k (after apparently almost going bust in the first ten minutes
). We share hands and knowledge of other players, apparently Sykes had aces twice! After the break we headed back to our tables. We have been joined by 'Mafro' and a guy who I will see later. He is very tight and likes to limp semi-decent aces from early position. We can call him Neil for now, and there is a spare seat to my left. Can you guess what happens now?
Sykes joins the table at about the same time Rex is knocked out (55 < 66). Seeing as the remaining three of us are on the same table now, Aaron and Rex are spectating us and Aaron urges me to go all in every hand. I blind down to 4500 and have to push with KQ UTG. Martin is frustrated that I am doing this in his BB and he tanks like for ages. He asks me if I want a call and I shrug my shoulders. He folds and says he had AT and I flash him my cards. He bemoans his fold and then sees that I would have paired my king on the flop. The next thing I remember is Dwan Sr pushing in his remaining 3k in early position. I look down at 88 and decide to come over the top. It proves to be a good decision as he shows sixes and I move up to around 10k. I then pop to the rest rooms and come back to find that Slayer has been eliminated, leaving just Sykes and myself.
Sykes gets all in with Mafro: K9hh vs AKo. Sykes flops a flush and Mafro throws a strop. I don't remember too much after this except getting a walk in one of my blinds before moving table as we are down to two. I picked up JJ on the button and went all in. Martin, who has also been moved to this table, and is again in the big blind asks for a count. The dealer counts it up and he calls. When he puts his hand down the top card, an ace, is covering the lower card and I fear I am up against AA. He shows AKcc and we are flipping. The flop came great for me though, I flopped jacks full to double to 17k and effectively cripple Martin. Again though I am pretty short and pushed with TT and ATdd with no callers. Sadly Sykes is next to fall, he gets all in with tens vs. KQ vs. KQ when the other two both make two pair.
Eventually after a few more eliminations we reach the final table. I am in a similar position to the last time; very short stacked. The table is as follows.
Seat 1: Bald guy who I have played about three hands with.
Seat 2: Man who I have no info on
Seat 3: Chip leader who is ok, not great
Seat 4: Wendy, played with her and Neil at the last table. She's seems ok. I laid down top pair to her in my BB
Seat 5: Asian lady who was on my starting table. She's not great but not bad.
Seat 6: Another guy who I have no info on
Seat 7: 'Andrew', very very tight according to Rex and Sykes.
Seat 8: Me
Seat 9: Neil
First big hand is when seats 3 and 6 collide. 6 raises it up and 3 pushes all in from the small blind. Surprisingly 6 calls with no hesitations and I was expecting someone to have a big pocket pair, instead they flip over AQ and AJ. AJ makes broadway when the king hits the river after AQ flops top two. Seat 6 is understandably annoyed. I then pick up tens UTG and ship my 15k into the middle. The big stack was thinking about calling but folded, as did everyone else and I move up to 19k. Next hand I see is 55 which also goes into the middle. A couple of players aren't happy that I am just pushing every time I want to play a hand but don't seem to realise that a) I am severely short stacked, and b) limping with such a stack is terrible.
Sadly my run came to an end with the next hand I played. I picked up AT UTG and my chips go in. The asian lady in seat 5 looks at her cards and ponders. She glances at her stack which is around the same as mine, and calls, however it is clear she isn't too thrilled with her hand. Andrew in the big blind tells his friend Neil that he's going to take a risk. Neil seems confident that Andrew has at least AQ, however he says he doesn't have an ace or a pair, so it would appear I have a good chance to triple up.
My AT is up against the lady's 33 and Andrew's KQss. Flop comes AJ3. I don't remember what the turn and river came, but the asian lady trippled up to just over 30k and I am next to out with 5.5k and my big blind next of 4k. I go all in with my T6dd and whilst the flop gives me a straight draw it doesn't get there and I am out in 8th.
I am not too disappointed though as I wasn't expecting to make the final table again. I felt that if I could have got hold of some chips then I'd have been in with a great chance of at least cashing but perhaps next time.