Trip Report: LOL Down on the Farm-aments

[DonkBox]

Ok this is two trip reports in one: Part A: Monte Carlo EPT. Part B: Clapham


A) Motne Carlo Sucks:

Ok that isn't true - I bluffed you, suprisingly easy wasn't it?

I was invited out there through work only this time I wasn't playing (bar the media tournament) although a friend of mine from 'The People' who shall be known only as '21' (long story - TheWaster)
did mange to freeroll a seat...bastard (still he didn't cash mwahaha).

Anway, after staying up to 5a.m playing poker I wasn't in the best shape to do 6 back to back interviews with members of Team PokerStars. But I digress, after flying to Nice I got to go in a fucking helicopter...twice. Fuck Yeah! Airwolf was going off in my head as we took the 7 minute, yes 7 minute chopper ride from Nice to Monte Carlo. Well it would have been but for the fact that I hate flying, and being incased in a glass box, rather than a steal one didn't fill me with confidence.

However, once on dry land I had about 30 minutes to dump my bags and get from hotel to hotel with the other journos who had managed to luckbox their way out to Monte Carlo. Whilst mine was a short two day visit, basically get the interviews and photoshoots done then fuck off home, some of the journos like The Waster and 21 had an entire week in the sun and some lucky bastard called Ewan - from the New Zeleand Herald - had a full two weeks and he wasn't even writing about the poker, he was doing a sodding travel piece - i'm in the wrong game me!

So anyway onto the interviews and my cliff notes of what I thought of them

Bill Chen - Scarily clever, and such a gun that despite winning 2 WSOP bracelets in 2006 has absolutely no wish to turn pro cos he loves his job. Something to do with maths I think!

Joe Hachem - My new favorite player. On winning his 2nd major after a couple of close calls - "It was fucking awesome, and you can quote me on that. Was the only player who drunk alcohol during the press day, Whiskey and lemonade (i think fyi). Also this guy oozed charisma and class, would not like to be on the end of a Hachem stare down.

Vanessa Rousso - Hot hot hot! And has a really chatty, personable style and seemed to love being interviewed. Also, if you email her on her myspace page she'll play you at any stakes heads up on PokerStars. $3 PL HU Diceman?

Katja Thater - The 'Devilfish' of German Poker, I got to play against her in the media tournament, if her chips are in there's a reason. Also she has her own weekly tv show in Germany. Also out of about 800 players she got drawn on the same table as her husband on day 1a!

Noah Boeken - This guy eat, sleeps, lives poker. Used to play a hell of a lot online, plays a lot less now but firmly believes he still has an edge at the higher level sngs (however his sharkscope would suggest otherwise).

Humberto Brenes - Absolutely mental - love the fact that the guy always has a smile on his face and that he does a lot of work for charity but if he says 'the shark is coming' one more time, I will lose the will to live.

So interviews done it was time to imbibe - a beer in Monte Carlo is anywhere from 7 euros upward - luckily it was a free bar where the interviews were taking place and in Jimmyzz nightclub where the pre tournament party was held.

So to the media tournament - lol donkaments - 1000 chips, 15 minute levels 25-50 blinds, I fold J-10 UTG 1st hand only to see a flop of J-10-10, something told this wasn't going to be my tournaments, and I'm right when an hour or so in i'm knocked out by Snoopy from Blonde Poker when we get all the chips in with 8-4 vs 4-3 - yes we are sick! Now 21 however went on to get heads up in this tournament against Lee Nelson who ultimately wins, I was railing 21 and we got to ask Lee Nelson a few questions and he gave us a few good tips.

Now the poker room where the tournament was taking place was the most beautiful i've ever seen (i took no pics so check blonde for them), anyway we were most excited as we were told it had a retractable roof and that as the tournament got underway they were going to retract said roof. It never happened, at least not during tournament play, but it did at some stage as Julian Thew captured it and its on his blog - YoYoPoker

That was that and I was back in Blighty on Friday, the final table is set and starts at 3pm BST - Andy Black, Ram Vaswani and Steve Jelinek (dangerous according to Neil Channing) at the final table as is Marc Karam who FTd it last year...sick.


B) Sarf of the river - Clapham - The Lodge, Prowlers Meetup Marathon

I'm standing outside Bristol Temple Meads at just gone 10 on Saturday morning, not for my pleasure but because its the agreed meeting spot to meet Matt and Woody. A vibration in my pocket tells me that my phone is ringing, but without the aid of caffeine I'm a little slow getting there but eventually pick up to hear Dale say, "Woody's overslept go get yourself a coffee." No probs so a coffee (large latte) and toast (just butter no jam) I'm ready to go and so are Woody and Dale.

The talk in the car on the way up is a little quiet - only because Dale is sleeping! But he's awake enough to ask Sloggs for directions when inevitably get lost - "We've just gone past a white van," and "We're on a road near some houses," being Dales inspired wonderments.

Matt is also awake long enough for me to get him in on a last longer side bet. The terms of which were thus: If Matt beats me I buy him into a month worth of Stanleys Saturday night double chancers (£16 if I out last Dale he'll buy me into a main event of one of the Gala British Poker Tours (£500), this was meant to be Bournemouth but as thats June 9th-13th I might be in Vegas. Who got the better deal? As an aside in these events the loser would still have a 30% interest in the victor.

Anyway with the first prize in the tournament being £445 this bet would obviously effect how I played. My starting table was a mixed bag I had two players who I knew to be solid good players on my table (Prowler and El Blandie) then there was Terry who i knew had gone deep at the Cardiff APAT but whom i'd never played against he seemed a little Laggy but reasonable.

Luckily I had an awesome tell on the kid to my right which was lucky as i was card dead and having to get chips thru unconventinal means. This tell enabled me to insta call a re-rasie on the river when we got into a SB, BB battle. Blids were 200-400 and it folds round and I check my option with K-8o. Flop comes K-3-4 rainbow, check check, turn is a 2. He bets 400, i smooth call. River is a 5 and he checks. I bet 400 and he thinks for a while before re raising me another 800, i call he mucks, ship!

Like I say I was card dead, and i raised once with 7-2 and then got a re-raise and then an all-in...oops! queens vs aces.

I stayed afloat my re-stealing and there was one particular hand which I think I played good, but also played wrong?

Blinds 200-400, It folds to me in the small blind and I peak down and A-9, I'm likely raising this spot but certainly am now. I bump it to 1200, and the BB - tight but quite passive calls. My plan now is to check raise any flop to feign weakness. Flop is Q-3-3, I check he fires 2000 and i move in for about 6k more and have him covered. He thinks for ages and folds what i'm told is pocket 7s.

I busted in twelfth when i shoved j-9dd from the button for 6BBs and the BB woke up with aces. Meh! However I did out last Matt, so ship the main event seat to me!!
Woody, Matty H and Mark Wyatt all final tabled and it was a well run, well structured tournament that Prowler put on. The food was great and the tables etc all good.

Woody's posted the interesting cash game hands. However on the way back Matt purchased a great DVD called Down on the Farm from an Esso Garage! I'll leave him to tell you about that, he's watched it three times.

[PokerWoody]

but eventually pick up to hear Dale say, "Dales's overslept go get yourself a coffee."

LOL DOWN-ON-THE-FARMAMENTS!!

Good report

How do you put a giraffe in the fridge again?

[DonkBox]

LOL DOWN-ON-THE-FARMAMENTS!!

Good report

How do you put a giraffe in the fridge again?

Don't forget about the elephant!

[PokerWoody]

Woody's posted the interesting cash game hands. However on the way back Matt purchased a great DVD called Down on the Farm from an Esso Garage! I'll leave him to tell you about that, he's watched it three times.

LOL bestialityaments

[Dice Man]

Anway, after staying up to 5a.m playing poker

You didn't happen to be playing with Ivey and Hellmuth did you?

[Matty H]

Nice one Nick. Cheers too Prowler. Had a great day out and was good to meet you all. Superbly hosted event in every way and a great venue. Roll on the rematch.

[Steve A]

sorry i missed the lodge...next time perhaps....