So it’s a week before the start of the EPO and I decide to head up to the Victoria Casino in London for the launch of Vicky Coren's new book - 'For Richer, For Poorer'. I knock back a couple of lagers, catch up with a few poker bods and then decide to try my hand in the £100 freeze-out. There are 70 runners. I run pretty good, catch some decent hands, smash through a few semi-bluffs and before I know it I’m on the final table.
But then I go utterly card dead and am blinded down to the short stack with 7 remaining.
Damn. Time to make some moves. While I still have chips to make the blinds fold I am pushing with any suited cards or any picture. Three all-ins in a row later and I'm back up and running.
Two more players go out but I am still short stacked. I go for a steal and raise with 3-5 suited but am swiftly raised all-in. With 30% of my chips are already in the middle I am seriously thinking about calling. I'm praying he has AK as I sigh and shove and go for the gamble. He has pocket tens but naturally I hit the straight on the river. Get in!
Fast forward a bit and I slow play aces and take out some poor sod who hits top pair on the flop and calls my all-in. He goes to the rail to watch me and some other loser play heads up feeling sick as a parrot.
Heads-up doesn't quite go my way, but I feel like I am free-rolling after my 3-5 suckout and I am happy as Larry to take 2nd place and a healthy pay-day.
I thank you. That was a much needed confidence booster for Nottingham where I am headed for the English Poker Open. Memories of the WSOP and running into absolute monsters are starting to fade ... thank god. That said, I still hate pocket jacks. I tell you right now, if I get them in Nottingham they will be treated with utter contempt.
/BOSH
Read the rest of Ashley's blogs from EPO: Part 1, Part II, Part III, Part IV