Great Weekend ~ Poker n Rugby vibes

Just had a great weekend with the Virgin Festival at Newcastle Saturday and then a day at the Rugby watching the mighty Wigan struggle ( a lot) to beat the Barrow "super" Braves !

The Virgin Festival was one I qualified for almost 6 months ago and after struggling to find my way to Aspers I stopped the car on double yellows, wound down the window to ask some local the way. He said " get out, I'll show you". Thinking it must be just round the corner, I left the car unlocked and followed him around the corner. And sure enough he led me straight to the Casino, but only after we had walked about half a mile and taken god knows how many turns. I was running latish so pooped in, picked up my security tag and then thought I'd better go and sort the car out. Got back outside and thought " Jesus which way is it"......somehow I managed to find it almost straight away, but by total luck more than judgement.
Anyway into the tournament and I pick up J,10 of clubs in early position and limp for 50, it goes round to the small blind who pops it up to 300. I planned to get busy early on so as I had position thought I would gamble and called ~ flop came with the 8&Q of clubs. He bet 600, thought about re-raising but just called. The turn brought an Ace and I could just tell that was good for him and sure enough he bet 2000. Didn't want to get this deep this early, but I had so many outs and the pot was getting big. River brought a beautiful K which did put a 3rd diamond on the board so when he bet 5000 I snap called. He indeed have AA and in hindsight I knew that and should have put him in for the rest and given him the first out bounty. Still I was upto 18k after 20 minutes....very nice.
The rest of the tournament was probably my worst ever card dead period.....I never got better than 99 and only got one AK and one AQ in 8 hours play. I did hit a few flops though and pinched a few unwanted pots post flop. Hit my AQ with a AQQ flop but no one bit at my little utg pot builder and somehow James Browning got away from my 64 on a 357 flop, when I min check raised him on the turn (Ace) and made some flippant comment " I'm giving you a way out". Couldn't put him on a hand at all to be honest, so he was probably firing a second bluff bullet anyway.
I made a move when a tight player (SWAMPY online) raised and i decided there was value in pushing with my QJ clubs. Stacks were just right and pot enough, my image had been fairly tight ( as I hadn't had a hand LOL) so still think the move was right and considering he took over a minute to call when holding AK seemed to vindicate my read on him. I got lucky as the board filled with 4 clubs and it sent him over the edge, don't think he thought it was good play from me, but I was happy with the move, albeit I had him on a lesser hand.
Then on the BB with almost 20k left (ave = 25k by now) and Mr. Big Stack limps from mid position !! mmmmm smelt fishy straight away as he had raised 10 hands in the last hour! I had K3 so liked the K57 flop, but was still very cautious and we all checked. The turn brought a 3....BINGO. I put in a half pot bet, sure I was ahead now and Mr Big Stack seemed to reluctantly call. Then a Q hit the river and again I was sure I was leading , but decided the value was to let him bet any AK or AA holding he had, and sure enough he put in a little bet and I immediately pushed back over the top. Not enough for him to fold his top pair or overpair though. He thought about it for half a minute so when he called I thought "Nice one" and was stunned when he flipped QQ for trips and I was gone. I played it well I thought and at the end of the day he hit a two outer on the end. Shame as it would have had me up on 45k and I felt comfortable at the table where I thought there were a few weak spots.

Apart from being ridiculously cramped and breaking any kind of fire regulations they must have there the atmosphere was great and I met a fair few online characters including some Punters Lounge guys and was sat again next to James Browning (sat next to and final tabled a GUKPT side event at Walsall2008). He has just got himself a 6 month sponsorship with William Hills and I hope it goes well for him as he was again very pleasant company at the table. Also sat in seat one was a prolific cash game player called "The Mole", a Scottish guy with classic milk bottle glasses and a LAGGY style to him who seemed to be very entertaining and I was dissapointed when he got shifted tables early doors to sit next to the lovely Kara Scott and knock her out with a "got to make this stupid call for the Bounty" play.
The Barrow contingent were all out early so had some chat with them at the breaks and before heading home.

A few hours sleep and was upto greet the kids back from Grannys before heading out for a few beers and a chance to witness the Rugby League upset of the millenium. However it was not to be as Wigan edged home through a few classy wingers tries in the first half , but Barrow gave them a real scare and it was a great day with the best part of 7,000 crammed in enjoying the Sun and a tremendously proud home team perfromance. Well Done Lads! looking forward to Fridays game against now our seriously big rivals Whitehaven on Friday afternoon.

Even went fairly deep in the 30,000 entry Stars $1/4 million on Sunday Evening although couldn't get into that top 200 odd where the real cash is.
Accounts for March up next time, pretty boring though as hardly played.