Mad Man Poker

I’ve been having a good run the last times I played poker. I showed a profit in two cash games, and I took down my first HSOP title. I’m very proud of this last achievement, because it is the H.O.R.S.E.-Event that I won.

It was last week Friday that we got together to battle for maybe the most important HSOP-Event. It was an event with double buy-in, and more important, double Player Of the Year Points. After coming second in the first Event, I knew that I could accomplish my goal of top 3 in the POY-Race.

We began with a deep chipstack, which provided for a lot of play early. I started out very tight, taking some pots here and there and losing one bigger one to Thomas, who flopped a set in the Limit Omaha8 round, and I didn’t get my low on turn or river, paying him off with two pair. After that I didn’t get into big pots, until I started to build up some chips and took advantage of good cards. I basically doubled up against ‘Madman’ Stijn when my rolled up 10’s held up against him. The next big pot for me was against the – up until then – chip leader, Thomas. I scooped the pot in Limit Omaha8 with the Wheel.

By then I was a huge chip leader and I played more cautiously. Stijn was the first to hit the felt. The pot against me crippled him, and he came back a little, but it was hard to avoid busting for him. Next was former chip leader Thomas. He started out running hot, and commented that he’d rather run good later, but that didn’t happen for him. Then the game was 3-handed: Mickey, Michiel and me. I had about 70% of chips in play, so it was just a matter of one of them busting. It was a pot against me that was the end for Michiel’s tournament.

The it was heads-up: Mickey against me. I had a huge chip lead, so everyone thought it’d be over soon. But Mickey is much more experienced in HU H.O.R.S.E. than me. I took me almost an hour to get a straight on 7^th street in Stud to cripple him. Then we basically flipped for his stack 3 times, and I won the last one.

I was very excited about my win, earlier this year I announced that the H.O.R.S.E.-Event was one of my objectives, given its prestige. For now I am first in the POY-Race, leading by 8 points over Mickey. I won’t be able to play the next event, so I can use the big lead.

Then this week Wednesday we played and edition of Togenblik After Dark: a 6-handed Sit-and-Go. I didn’t do too well, as in most NLHE tourneys. I busted in first and was disappointed. Then I played a HU HA-session against Stijn. I was very focused and also running good, which resulted in a 150 BB win, when Stijn decided he had enough of me sucking out on him. Then yesterday I had a good NLHE cash-game session full of live ones, Quintupling (5x !!!) my stack by the end of the night.

I must say, I’ve been running good the last few times I played. The only big loss in TAD, there were Aces needed to bust me. Even so, I won’t be playing a lot the next weeks,.I’m going on holiday to South Africa, maybe I’ll find some action there with old friends.