A small live win!

At last I have got another live win to add to those of Gala Casino Leicester circa 2008 and Paris Casino Las Vegas circa 2007.
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Yes it is the Victoria Inn Truro Thursday night pub league.
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First off a little about the Pub ...
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It is in a village called Three Milestone just on the outskirts of Truro City. A very nice pub that has previously been ticking over ... until recently.
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Under new management it has had a full refit of TV's in the Pool room, new carpets and a splash of paint in the bedrooms.
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The food there has always been fairly good but has now got a very reasonable Tuesday steak menu to add to their existing varied offerings. In addition to this the new management are starting to add a few events to the weekly calendar and this Thursday I was able to sample the new Thursday Poker League.
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Now I have played pub leagues before but it has to be said that this one is one of the better ones I have played in.
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Firstly the guys that run it have 4 good quality poker playing surfaces with padded edges, non dog eared packs of cards and a reasonable set of chips.
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Secondly the people that play in it want to play poker and not just hold 2 cards whilst they drink. You can hear from the table chat that they play regularly together a few times a week and enjoy their games.
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The format is a NLH freeze out, £4 buy in for 2150 chips starting blinds of 25/50 with about 1/2 hour for the first level then 10 minute (approx) for the rest of the levels. You have to bear in mind the game has to be finished by closing time and with 32 players max the levels have to be quite short.
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So on Thursday they had a full complement of 32 players (sign in at 19:30ish to get a place for an 20:00 - 20:15 start).
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I just took it steady for the first couple of levels not winning any hands at all until, with about 1500 chips left, I got into a hand by completing in the SB after the lady on my right had called in the BB. Three to the flop I had AK and on a flop of A## all hearts I didn't like the fact that I didn't have a heart (no pun intended!). The lady put a small bet in so I called, no heart on the turn and she goes all in for 700 more, I deliberate then call. Q of hearts on river and I think I'm dead but am forced to call leaving me 400 chips. She had AQ no heart ... gutted!

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AK pre flop should be reraised I know ... but we would have ended with the same result!
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Anyway with the blinds raising immeadiately after to 300/600 I couldn't wait for a decent hand and had to put my chips in. Luckily I had AJ on the button and managed a triple up. Then I had another triple up before the blinds had reached me again holding a better A high than the next highest A7 high.
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Then came the hand that gave me the chance to the final table:
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A lad who had been raising with weak holdings raised to 1800 and only the SB and BB were behind me. I look down at A9 and thinking the lad was 1800 all in I raised my stack all in to isolate him. The blinds fold and then the lad asks how much is it ... he moves his arms aside and there I saw enough chips to have me covered ... whats more he'd called .... Damn!
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Any way he had A2, I dealt the flop turn and river really quickly not wanting any agony and my A9 held ... wow! ... I had masses of chips.
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With high blinds and plenty of short stacks I didn't have to play a hand to the final table of 9 players.
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On the final table I just played my usual game until 5 left (which was the money) and having identified the tighter players on my left just raised in position to keep me afloat with the blinds.
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I did get very unlucky ... then lucky with 3 left when I put a guy all in holding 99 and he made a stand with 9T ... T on the flop and I was feeling crushed ... 9 on the turn saved my depression.
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So going in to heads up we did a deal on the £60 first place £30 2nd place by having £40 each and playing for the last tenner with very even chip stacks.
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First hand I get AKos - all in he calls with K7s ... I win the hand and he hasn't enough left for the blind. All his chips are in and my any 2 card hand beats his for the victory.
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Not the WSOP ... but still beating 31 players holding 2 cards.
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Until Next Time
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Keep it Tight!