Grand Prix Crash

Well, a staggering 59 players yesterday in the Grand Prix playing for a prize pool of £79k of which Blue Sq added £25k. Can't see them putting this one on again although I hope they do having finished 12th last year and 17th yesterday.

We started out at 3pm with 59 players and a ridiculous 45 getting paid. - What's the point? Pay everyone or pay out as normal.

After about 3 1/2 hours we were on the bubble with 5 tables and hand for hand. So the last 20 minutes of the level involved about 7 hands being played!

Luckily the bubble burst 2 hands after the break and everyone was guaranteed £188.

I lost a few thousand early on when I flopped a set of 5s and didn't believe Ash Hussain when he bet the pot on the 3rd diamond arriving.

I then last another couple of thousand when I had aces and got 1 called who flat called my continuation bet on a J high board. He raised me on the turn Q which I called but when the river queen arrived and he bet the pot I had to lay them down.

I then played few hands until I was moved tables onto a table with the mad Turk who plays any two cards and duly doubled up with a flopped 2 pair with Q7 in the blinds against him.

Another double up later on with TT against AJ had me at average chips and then I played another flopped 2 pair eith TJ badly to allow him to catch up on the river when a king visibly made his hand giving him either a straight or higher 2 pair.

My exit hand was interesting. I raised in early position from 1200 to 3500 and a late postion player the other side of the dealer didnt see so when it came to him he announced raise only to be told that there had already been a raise. A ruling was called for when he didn't want to reraise and so when he was told that he had to raise at least the minimum, I put my remaining chips in for a total of 13,000 which he can't really fold to and he shows AQ.

The flop was JJQ and of course the turn was a Q leaving me only the case A to win on the river which obviously didn't arrive and I leave in 17th with £560 to show.

Oh well, that's poker!

I enjoyed my first GUKPT event of the year and I'm planning on playing Blackpool if I qualify or do well enough in the double ups over the next couple of weeks.

Let's hope Lewis Hamilton has better luck than me and wins the title today.