The Vic - 30th May 2008

I played at the Grosvenor Victoria (The Vic) yesterday in their Friday £30 freezeout tournament. I had played it once before and finished 6th then, so I knew the standard of play there. The tournament capped at 72 players, although with alternates, we ended up with about 86. Top 9 got paid.

I didn’t play a hand for the first couple of orbits, then I went on a rush.

Victim #1 – I raised UTG with JJ and got called by the button. With the board showing T976, the button pushed on the turn. I was worried he’d called my pre-flop raise with 88 but that thought lasted about 2 milli-seconds. I called and he showed A9 for 2nd pair. I doubled up.

Victim #2 – UTG limped. He had been quite loose. I had AT in late position and raised. UTG pushed, but he was so short I had good odds to call. He showed 89o and I held.

Victim #3 – UTG limped as did a couple of others. I held AJs in the BB and raised. UTG called, the others folded. Flop was A high, I bet out, UTG pushed. I called and he showed AT. I held again.

Victims #4 & 5 – One guy was so short he was all-in pre-flop anyway. A limper in front of me and I call with J9s in the cut-off. Flop JJ9. I check, BB checks, MP bets 500. BB announces raise to 1000 out of turn. His bet is binding but I elect to just call the 500. BB raises as he had to, MP folds, I push. I can’t remember what the others had now.

So, at 1st break I was up from a starting stack of 2000, to 12,500 and had knocked out 5 guys. My table had started to nickname me “The Terminator”.

After the break, I carried on from where I left off knocking another 2 players out. One was a desperately short stack where I had no choice but to call from the BB with 32o. He had something like K9. I spiked a 2. I honestly can’t remember the details of the other one.

I was chip leader for most of the tournament and used my stack well. I stole a lot and was able to push people off hands more easily than usual. People were saying they were afraid to play a hand with me. I’m not used to that.

My stack wittled a little just before the final table as I tried to take out a couple of short stacks, but I eventually made it to the final 9 with 19,500 in chips. I was probably about 4th or 5th in chips by now, but there was no big chip leader. Most stacks were fairly even.

Blinds were now really high and I had to make a move but couldn’t get a hand. With 7 players left and blinds at 2000/4000 ante 500, I was on the button with about 9000. It was folded to me and I knew I had to push almost anything even though the Big Blind was priced in to call with any two cards. I saw K3 and thought ‘good enough’. BB called with K5, but I spiked a 3 to stay alive.

A few hands later, a short stack pushed. I have 89o, but with only 3300 to call in a 9600 pot, it was and easy call. I was dominated by K9, but that was no match for my rivered straight. Oops! With a couple more uncalled pushes (JJ & AT) I was up to about 40,000.

We soon got down to 4 handed when everyone suggested a chop of the prize money. I ended up walking away with £450 for my troubles.

The Vic is a lucky venue for me. In 6 visits there, I’ve made the final table 4 times. I really must play there more often.