Lessons learned.

Played Circus Liverpool last night in the £30 semi freezeout.

Starting chips were 4000 with blinds at 50/100
Had what could have been a fantastic start in about the third hand when there had been an 1100 UTG all in bet from a player who had already lost 2900 of his chips with middle pair calling all three streets.

His all in was called by the next 2 players and I look down to see a pair of aces.

So I raised all in to 4000 to which the first caller folded and the second caller called.

I was up against A 10 from UTG and Jacks from the second player.

The flop came down something like 548 rainbow, turn was a 7 and the river was a 6 giving a straight to all 3 of us and instead of sitting with a lovely stack of 10,000 I had a meagre 400 chip profit from the hand!

During the next hour I didn't play too many hands other than reraising with JJ and losing the race against AK leaving me with 2000 so I took my rebuy.

About an hour later I did find myself in a sport where I had raised to 500 in late position with AJ and got 2 callers including a local player, Lee Birchall, fresh from his chop in the GCBPT event at Leos where he picked up a nice £15k, in the big blind.

The flop came down J96 rainbow and when he checked I lead out 800 which he called.

An Ace came on the turn giving me 2 pairs and I could almost visibly see Lee planning his move, then he bet 1200 with 2600 behind.

Now I will often raise in this spot but I was pretty certain that he would fold if I raised but if I flat called he would go all in on the river.

I also had a specific tell on Lee when he is strong and he wasn't displaying it in this hand.

So anyway the river was a brick and after a bit of thought he went all in with his K9 and I doubled up to 10,000 chips.

The next hand of note I was in the big blind for 3000 and there was a raise to 6000 from UTG which was called by the tight button so I called too with 33 and another 10000 behind.

The flop came AA5 and I decided that I could have a chance of representing here if the raiser and button show weakness so we all checked it round and the turn was a J.

I decided to make a bet of 3000 to make it look like I was trying to milk the players and UTG thought for a while after sighing and made a resigned call whilst the button folded.

Here I felt that the UTG player had a big pair and this is where I made my mistake.

The river was a King and I gave it some thought before deciding that he would have great difficulty laying his big pair down for my last 6000 (he didn't have much more himself) or he had KK and would be calling with his full house anyway.

So I checked, he actually bet 5000 and I folded before he showed me 88 thinking that he had just bluffed me!

I have learned a good lesson there though, one that I should have learned before and that is to trust your instincts and follow my actions through, something I've failed to do before.

What I did was really, really weak and I'm really annoyed at myself.

But we live and learn!

I ended up doubling up to 15000 shortly after with K4 in the big blind on a KdTs5s Ks board when my 4000 all in was called by the nut flush but the 5 river gave me the full house.

However, with the blinds at 1500 3000 I pushed in the small blind with J8 against the big blinds "favourite hand" KT. A 9T4 flop gave me a shout and would have ended up with all the chips in on the flop anyway but no help saw me exit 12th with the top 10 paying.

Anyway, 3 updates in as many days, what's going on....!