Paris Open of Poker

The prospect of making a final table and the €50,000 for the winner meant I was in an excitable mood. So excitable that I turned up 5 minutes after play had started, unlike Hellmuth my reasons were not ego based. I was talking in the bar with another player who was still in the tournament, of course when I arrived at the table the pretence of 'you can beat me' confidence was over played in style.

Eighteen players were quickly bowled down to thirteen. Roger Atlanti, a twenty-something year old French man with dark beard, was running over the table. He had won a tournament a few nights before. He had taken the chip lead with some excellent aggressive play, relentless pre-flop raising. Blinds were 400/800 and I had about T18,000. The short stack under the gun went all-in for T5,600, I pushed all-in on the button with AJ, making the show down heads up. He flipped over QJ of spades and I showed the dominating AJ, dominant until the flop that is. The flop painted two pairs for him, queens and jacks. The turn and river provided no help and he doubled up. Instead of my usual pessimistic thinking, I remained upbeat, remembering Greg Raymer words in the WSOP which he won, something a long the lines of, "I can't complain, that was the first real bad beat in the tournament." These sentiments echoed in my head.

The dark clouds parted shortly afterwards as I won a big pot. Atlanti raised from early position, the button who had recently doubled up to T7500 pushed all-in. I had pocket jacks again, after a moments contemplation on his holdings, I pushed all-in in an attempt to push out Atlanti. It worked, my opponent tuned over pocket nines and had a hopeful look on his face, sorry an over pair not over cards. He was KO'd as the board offered no help. Apparently Atlanti folded Ace Queen, which would have taken the pot if he called. However, I think it was a future warning not to re-raise him. I had done it multiple times defending my big blind on the previous table and he was probably getting annoyed.

Up to T20,000, I moved tables in order to balance the numbers. After playing a few hands, the observing crowd stampeded over to the other table. 3 players were all-in pre-flop, most of the players on my table went over to witness the drama. I stayed seated, but keenly listened. Atlanti managed to knock out 2 players and we were down to final table.

Familiar faces graced the final table. Seat 1, an old Irish man with whisked white hair, I'd seen his photo somewhere but couldn't recall his name. Seat 2, was a young French guy who I made a huge move on 3 tables out. I had J3 and re-raised all-in from mid-position after he had made it 3 times the big blind to go. He actually left the table and consulted his friend, I didn't know what was going on until the tournament director warned him. Supposedly he folded Jacks. He was a good aggressive player with a moderate stack. Seat 3, was an Irish man named Liam, he was the person I was speaking to in the bar which resulted in the late entrance. He is the epitome of a tight player, if he's in, he has the goods, saying that he needed some goods to arrive quickly as he was the shortest stack at the table. Seat 4 was a bald headed Danish man, who I talked to briefly when we down to 20 players, he seemed very nervous but capable of making big plays. Seat 5, was rent-a-raise, the smartly dressed gent from the second table. He had about T7000 chips. Seat 6 was Roger Atlanti, an excellent player and chip leader. Seat 7, was an old man wearing a fedora, he had about T12,000. I was in seat 8. On my right was French Asian man with a big stack. Seat 10 was another French man, he looked spooked out.

Action! Second hand in, the bald headed Dane was out. He raised under the gun and was re-raised by seat 1, the Dane in a rush of blood went all-in for a total of T13,000. He was quickly called by the old Irish man, who flipped over pocket queens and then discussed the possibility of a suck out against the Dane's AJ. The flop brought another queen and the Dane did not catch a miracle. Seat 1, now had around T35,000. So much for action, the table became void of flops, it was a game of blind stealing. Every player was extremely tight, respectful of the blinds which had now increased to 600/1200. I was averagely stacked at T18,000. Rent-a-raise opened up, pushing all-in every few hands to survive. He had doubled up to about T10,000 with QQ versus JJ earlier against seat 2. When he went all-in from early position and I picked up Jacks in late position, it was time to go. I stacked them up and pushed them in. He had a much better hand than I originally believed he had, Ace Queen unsuited. In truth, I played this hand without thoroughly thinking through all the possibilities, it was one of those instinctive moments when you think you have the best hand and are forced to play. My jacks held up and on low board and I was up to T28,000.

I was on a roll, next to go was the French man seated to my right. I was sitting in the big blind as the plot unfolded. Everyone folded to Roger Atlanti on the button, he was about to raise but thought better due to my ferocious blind defence. The man on my right has his cards lofted from the table in preparation to fold. Eventually Atlanti folded and the man put his cards back and drew them towards his chips, he shoved his chips all-in for about T7000. I had A6 and had to call, although I thought of folding for a minute but how could I respect myself if I laid down an ace after what I'd witnessed. He had Q7 of diamonds. The flop produced two diamonds, my ace high had to tip-toe through the turn and the river to emerge victorious, which it did. The new KO specialist was up to T35,000.

Liam was next to fall victim, to a nice trap by seat 2. He limped in the small blind with aces and Liam raised all-in with KJ hearts, I think the money would have gone in anyway as Liam had a large portion of his stack invested in the big blind. He hit a jack on the flop but there was no bad beat forthcoming, out in 7th. A few rounds later, an incredible play by Atlanti, perhaps I over-estimated his quality. It was folded to him in the small blind, he then went all-in for T37,000+, I had K9 and folded, bewilderingly he turned over pocket kings. Maybe he'd taken some horrific beats in the past with kings, who knows, it was a terrible play regardless.

The action became cagey like the first round of a world title boxing fight. On numerous occasions players would call raises in position but fold on the flop. Until the biggest pot of the tournament occurred as the big stacks clashed. The old Irish man in the big blind with about T35,000 re-raised Atlanti who had raised to T4000 from under the gun. Atlanti pushed all-in and without hesitation the Irish man called with TT, Atlanti showed A7 off. The ace didn't connect on the board and Atlanti was crippled with less than 2 big blinds. He departed a few hands later and we were down to five.

The blinds increased to 1000/2000, still the play remained tight for a while. This allowed seat 2 to start pushing all-in every hand and adding T3000 to his stack per round. His overzealous stealing would be his downfall in the end. Seat 10 had had enough and called all-in with A9 of spades. Seat 2 had him dominated with AJ of diamonds, until his opponent made a jack high straight on the river. This guy was not only a persistent blind stealer (nothing wrong with that) but he was a bad sport. With spittle coming from his mouth, he kicked his chair to the ground, then turned around and kicked a pole that was used as the boundary line for spectators. He was short stacked and after he had paid the blinds for that round, he pushed all-in for about T6000, both players to my left called and checked the action down. The big blind flipped over K7 for a pair of 7's, once more another bad beat for seat 2, who had K9 and missed the board. He made time for one more tantrum before hitting the road.

After a 15 minute break, play resumed with blinds and 1500/3000, there was a tournament scheduled after the final table and they needed to finish before the next one started. Pretty ridiculous considering this was the main event. What was even more ridiculous and absolutely mind-boggling was a hand that occurred shortly after the break. I folded and the button raised to T12,000 . The spooked out small blind conquered his fears and entered a pot. He had committed roughly half of his chips pre flop. I recall thinking 'He must have at least pocket jacks'. The flop was dealt, T22. Spooked out small blind checked, the button practically put his opponent all-in bar T1000 or so. The small blind wasted no time with an all-in declaration. The cards were turned over after the bet was called, pocket eights for the button and the MONSTER hand of 23 of Diamonds for the small blind. The button turned towards me and gave a 'can you believe this f'ing idiot' look. You don't expect to see that in a free roll and especially not at the final table of a 1000 buy-in event. His trips became a full house on the river and he was up to over T50,000. The player in seat 9 was down to about T16,000.

Two hands after this, the action was folded around to my small blind. I had K5, a favourite against the short stack's 2 random cards. I pushed all-in only to find him wake up with Ace King and automatically call. The flop came 478, but my opponent didn't have to stomach a gut-shot bad beat as the river and turn fired blanks. I was now the short stack at the table with T20,000. Exactly one orbit later, the action was folded around to my small blind again. Having lost the big blind in the previous hand I had T17,000. I held pocket 4's and went all-in. After a few seconds, seat 9 said "call". Fortunately he turned over one hand I was glad to be up against, A4 diamonds. The remaining 4 in the pack hit the flop, nothing comes easy though as my opponent picked up a back door flush draw. I breathed a sigh of relief when the river and see-sawed back up to T34,000. A funny ("Funny how? Funny like I'm a clown?") moment happened a few rounds later. I was in the small blind with K5, for a supposed non-believer in superstition, I promptly folded face up. The small blind lifted his cards and showed 72 off suit. I smirked and then realised the joke was on me. Twisted psychology.

Winston Churchill has his legendary speeches, Muhammad Ali has the Ali shuffle, and I have the 'stone cold bluff in to the nuts' trademark. I had approximately T36,000 and decided to min-raise with Q6 of hearts from first position, why I min-raised I have no idea as I never do it. I have the excuse of changing gears for the Q6 part, plus the cards were irresistibly suited. The old Irish man in the big blind looked at his cards, and said to himself, "Oh alright then, I call." The flop came 35T with no hearts. He checked and I weakly checked, I had no real idea of his holdings except he wasn't strong or weak pre-flop, but had a moderate hand, I assumed this because of comments and body language. Another ten hit the turn, once more he checked. I took a stab at the pot with a T6000 bet. A horrible bet that reeked of weakness. This was the start of the chain of events that led to my tournament demise. The old man, re-raised to T15,000. To this point, he'd wisely grafted his way in to a magnificent position of chip leader without having to show a bluff. Surely he'd sensed weakness on my part and was trying a re-steal. My advanced play had reached Caveman status as I pushed all-in and was immediately called. A lump entered my throat as he turned over trip tens. "I'm drawing dead" I didn't hang around for the embarrassment of having the Q6 turned over.

4th place, I was so disappointed. The tourney was there for the taking and I let the opportunity of €50,000 slip through my hands. I picked up the €12,000 compensation from the cashier and rode in to the sunset.

I was at the airport 2 days later, preparing to fly back to the UK. I hadn't slept that night and must of looked out of it. So there I was, wearing black gators and jeans with bulging pockets. I was approaching the airport security check point when one of the guards motions for me to empty my pockets. "What? Everything??" He nodded his head. I dumped €14k, mostly in €500 notes in to the grey plastic tray. He sprang back like he'd just received an electric shock, it was hilarious, I couldn't believe when they just let me go on without any questioning.

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