Memento

I have this…condition. I can’t make new memories…memories can change the shape of a room, it can change the suit of a card. Memories can be distorted. They are just an interpretation.

Hand1
Blinds are now 800/1600 and I have 9k remaining. I find Q7 UTG and three handed I move in. Jason snaps me with A4 and he holds to send me spinning out of the tournament, getting £110 for third place.

I felt I played well, and it was nice to cash in my first live tournament in ages.

I don’t want the truth. I’ll make up my own truth. I lie to myself to be happy. Nothing wrong with that. We all do it.

Hand2
Four players remain, folded round to me in the SB. I find KK and decide to just make up the SB to 600, but Jason unfortunately checks in the BB.

Flop is A, Q, 4

I bet 1200, and Jason makes it 3500. I call.

Turn is a J.

I check, and Jason instantly moves all in for another 10k. This will eliminate me in fourth if I get his wrong. Sigh. I imagine Jason would have raised an Ace out of the blind, but he has bet this hand so strongly I fear he has got lucky and flopped 2 pair like Q4 or something. I glace at my photo of Jason and flip it over to consult the scrawl on the back.

“Don’t believe his lies”

I don’t trust my notes and fold. Jason shows a Queen :(

Hand3
Blinds at 400-800, I make it 2200 on the button with 7♠9♠ (we are still four handed). Jason moves all in for 12k and I fold.

Hand4
Blinds at 400-800, I raise UTG to 2200 with QT, and Jason moves all in for 11k. I fold.

Hand5
Blinds at 300-600. I raise on the button to 1700 with K♥9♥. We are four handed. Jason moves all in for 9k and I fold.

Hand6
Blinds at 300-600, I raise on the button to 1700 with J♠4♠. Shazbo calls out of the BB. Flop arrives J, 7, 7. Check, I bet 2800 and Shazbo folds. My stack now swells to 22k of the 60k in play.

Hand7
Blinds at 150-300. On the very next hand, Wilkinson raises to 900 and I make it 2500 in mid position with AA. Wilkinson passes.

I look at Ioannis sitting forlornly at the side, having been eliminated from the tournament.

“Ioannis - who did this to you?"
"What?"
"Who did this to you?
”You did!”

Hand8
Blinds at 100-200 - my stack is 7k. I find TT in early position and make it 500. I get four callers :(

Flop is JJ8, with two diamonds.

Ioannis checks, I bet 1200, new guy calls next to act, Ioannis shoves for 3000 total. I um and arr, and figure Ioannis has either a Jack or a flush draw, and given I will still have a workable stack if wrong, I take the risk and call. Other guy calls as well!

Turn is a deuce.

I check, other guy now bets 1k into a pot of 11k! I call, fearing the worst.

River is bingo! Ten, giving me the house.

I check, other guy bets 1k again, and I move all in for my last 2.5k. He calls and has 55 (!) and Ioannis disgustedly throws down his Jack. Lucky, lucky, lucky. Massive stack now of nearly 20k.

Hand9
The Racist raises in early position, and I call with K♥Q♥ on the button. Flop arrives all low, Racist continuation bets and I pass.

I went to the Loose Cannon on Wednesday night. We played a £50 tournament with 12 runners, and a big cash game afterwards. I’ll blog the cash game later, but for now here are the tournament key hands.

Now…where was I?