WCOAP No-Limit Hold Em Main Event Review

£75, 10k starting stacks on a 45 minute clock. Plenty of room for play in the main event. It didn't stop me seeing some horrific play though! I was leading the Player of the Series race, but I would love to get a nice score in the big one, where a little more money is on offer! Over 200 runners to get through - not easy. But I do have interest in the event, with £30 on myself at 150/1, and another £40 spread amongst other runners, one of whom being Tony, sat on my table, two to my right.

I'm on a high after the Omaha and Stud successes, and I start like a train, picking up 6 of the first 9 pots and boosting my stack by a not-insignificant 20%. I think I've probably solidified my table image pretty early on! In that time though, we see a hideously played pot. Blinds 25/50

UTG+1 opens to 300 with KK. UTG+3 raises to 800 with AA. Everyone else passes. Original raiser makes it 1800.

I love this last raise, he is able to get maximum information about his hand for the minimum. He has been allowed to do that though by the re-raiser. His raise is far too small for AA at a deep-stack table. He should be committing more chips pre-flop. It's far too easy for KQs, 78s, 44 etc to make an easy call with massive implied odds. I'd prefer him to raise to 1,300 or so, take some of those implied odds away, and pretty much rule out a re-raise for the other guy to find out where he is.

UTG+3 then makes it 3800. Alarm bells should be ringing here for the KK. The AA is hideously telegraphed, and I can honestly say it's the only situation I've seen where, hand on heart, I could lay down KK pre-flop, especially in a tournament this deep. I am certain of both their hands. It then goes from bad to worse. UTG+1 calls the extra 2,000, and with both have around 6.2k behind, they see a flop of 223.

KK, inexplicably, leads out for 5,000. AA makes a quick shove for 1,200 more, to be met with a TANK from KK. Obviously by now it's impossible to pass, and the AA holds up and is gifted a double up. Based on the action, he's lucky to have found a customer, as many players would not be so generous.

A previous APAT main event winner then hideously donks out. Blinds 75/150 - A raise to 450 on his button with KJo is met by a reraise to 1,350 from the rocky SB, who check-raises all-in on a J high flop with KK. The previous winner calls off his entire 30BB stack with top pair, 2nd kicker, against an out of position rock.

Meanwhile, I'm playing some great stuff. Raising with 33, I am called by said rock. Seeing a TT4 board, I lead out, only to get raised. Putting the rock on a solid pair, I am aware he can't call a 3-bet, so proceed to raise, and sure enough, he passes. The key hand (am pretty much guessing the details here, it's a bit hazy) is soon to develop with blinds 100/200. I cautiously limp AQs and smooth call a raise from the small blind. We see a J98 board, I smooth the c-bet with the intention of raising the turn. I carry this out on the turn 4s, which gives me a flush draw. My SB opponent calls, making the pot about 16k, I have only 4.5k left behind. The river pairs the 8, missing all my draws, and my opponent amazingly checks. I actually recoil, and gather my thoughts quick enough to shove - my only chance of winning the pot. The SB, getting 5 to 1, passes KK face up, and I show my A high. I'm a bit lucky, but the hand is bizarre. He convinced himself he was ahead on the turn, but changed his mind on the river. I was very grateful, as I was shoving, expecting to be receiving the exit round of applause.

I'm soon on a very strong 25k with 140 runners left, with the average being around 16k and blinds 400/800. A couple of new faces arrive at the table, one of which being Willis. My tournament however, is soon to be over within the space of a minute.

Hand 1:

I raise UTG to 2,400 with AQ. A new player in the SB smooth calls. Flop comes A99. He checks, there's no need for me to inflate the pot and announce my hand, so I check behind. The turn is a brick, and my opponent checks again. I bet 3,000, and receive a quick call. At the moment I'm putting him on something like AJ, or more likely a pair from TT-KK. I also think this is a similar range to what he's putting me on. The river is another blank, and again I'm checked to. I make a value bet of 4,000. Only to be snapped by the SB, holding J9o. Disgusting! How he hasn't got more out of me - I guess he's worried about my flop check, perhaps he thinks I hold Aces? But his pre-flop call against an UTG raiser is annoying, and I'm down to 12k.

Hand 2:

Willis raises in the cut-off to about 2,500 or so. Muppet from the previous hand calls on the button. Tony considers making a squeeze, but decides to pass (he's very glad when he sees my action). I look down at AKo, with the pot representing 60% of my stack, I have the easiest shove in the world. I try to make it look as tilty as possible, but that doesn't work when the original raiser has AA. Bugger. From 25k to out in 2 hands. Nothing I can do.

Out of 210 runners or so, the Southampton crew brought along 14 players. Despite my poor 142nd place exit, I'm still only outlasted by 3 others and none of them get anywhere near the cash. Not the best of tournaments for us!

I recieve consolation in the fact that none of my leaderboard opponents make the money, so I am confirmed as the Player of the Series! Score!