Grub Smith had a very impressively organised poker tournament at his house this evening. Twenty one players took part including Norman "No Moustache" Pace and Michael Greco, as well as quite a few other players that I knew were intimidatingly good at the game. IT cost twenty pounds to play, but for the first couple of hours you could buy back in if you got knocked out. Partly because I knew that it wasn't all over if I got knocked out and partly because I wasn't in the right frame of mind I managed to spend £80 in this first section and then another £20 on a top up during the break. And even then I only had £40 worth of chips in front of me, which made me some way behind the leaders at this stage.
But after the break I seemed to get my act together a bit better and played well and was soon a bit healthier in chip terms. But there was a lot to play for. The first prize was a respectable £600 and there was money for the first five places. Though obviously I needed to make over £100 so the fifth prize of £80 was not going to be a massive victory for me.
After about five hours of play I found myself at the final table in second place. I was very pleased with this after such an unauspicious start. I'd played my cards well and got to where I was without much unfair luck. All that was to change. I had 10, 10 and bet quite high before the flop and had one taker. Then the flop was 10, five and three, which was good news for me, but on the dangerous side they were all spades. If the other fella had a couple of spades I would be losing and even one spade could be bad news as I had found during my last tournament. I went all in hoping that would put him off, but he immediately called and sure enough had two spades, including the ace. I was pretty screwed, but could win if a pair came up on the table and gave me a full house. A queen came on the turn (no use) and then the river was .... another queen. I had fluked it (though there were nine cards that would have won it for me) and doubled up. The other fella left the table a bit sore at his bad luck - ah get over it. It's not like I go on and on about that flush that knocked me out of the last tournament. I don't.
I had a good hand on the very next deal and bet big and everyone folded. Then I got Jack Jack and Norman Pace's wife came all in. I called and she had 8 8 and it held up. Suddenly I was the massive chip leader.
By the time we were down to the last three things had evened up a bit. There was a woman called Sarah who had played before and who I knew was good and an older fella called Bernie, who had been saying all along how he didn't know how to play and had come to out table with a very short stack, gone in on a stupid bet and luckily won it and then somehow managed to build his way back up to parity.
I was more worried about Sarah, but although she was winning for a while I crippled her when waiting to complete a straight I ended up with trip Jacks.
Finally it was down to me and Barnie and I knew I had definitely won £300 ( a £200 profit) but was also sure I could take out Bernie who was playing erratically. And I was four or five hundred pounds ahead of him as we started.
But he started going all in on practically every hand. I knew he couldn't have something every time, but decided as I was winning and he was not going to stop this foolish behaviour I woudld wait for the right moment. I even turned down a K8 suited (which would actually have almost certainly won it for me) but finally got fed up (and thought I was now behind) and played a Q8 clubs. He had K6 hearts so it was goign to be close. But an eight came down first and then a four and a five. I was winning. But the turn was a 7 which gave him an unlikely straight, so even though the river was a queen giving me two pairs I had lost. And as it turned out we had practically had the same amount of chips before the hand (though he had me covered my about ten pounds) so he won.
Even though I had done really well I couldn't help being disappointed. It wasn't the three hundred pounds I could have won, nor the gaudy trophy that Grub had purchased for the winner as much as just the fact that by this stage I could have won and really should have won. I had played so well and then this strange and stupid tactic had riled me and forced me to act when I shouldn't have. I walked home slightly dispondant, but knowing in my heart that I had done very well to get so far against impressive opposition. Poker is just a brilliant game and it was a fantastic seven hours of entertainment. And two hundred pounds profit? Well you can't complain. But winning is everything.
Yes, this was a dull entry, but it is a punishment for all the people who have complained that my entry from Wednesday had ripped off Douglas Adams. Having seen the evidence I have to say that people have a point and Adams was certainly on my mind when I wrote it, but that's not the point. I didn't do it on purpose and anyway it's a bit different. I give bonus marks to the person who said it was like "LA Story" which is probably more accurate. I still think it's good though and unlike greedy Douglas Adams I did not charge you to read it.
I am joking of course. He is the king (and in fact reading Salmon of Doubt and realising how much we lost due to his untimely death and his chronic writer's block - oh I know how that feels - partly made me start writing Warming Up) and it is an honour to have accidentally emulated him (anyway it's different).
I apologise for having shared this poker story with you, but this is just a way of me making notes for my book which will be the next thing I have to do when I have finally managed to finish the script that I am not writing. Aren't I an idiot. An idiot with £200 I didn't have nine hours ago. Cheg on!
