Fitz Perfect
Monday, March 10th, 2008Greetings from behind the wire of PP Towers. Monday night before Cheltenham and you could cut the tension in here with a blunt rusty nail. Poker in the main takes a backseat in the main for the next couple of days (except for us diehards). If Sizing Europe wins tomorrow it’ll certainly help the bankroll (or somebody elses) for a couple of hours on the cash table’s of Dub-a-lin town. But, enough of our four legged bankrupcy taxi’s for now! Lets talk about the Fitzwilliam Card Club and the wondrous happenings of last Monday night.
I got a call from the Big Slick crew to say they were on the way up to Dublin to meet the legendary Connie O’Sullivan of Cue Club fame for a bit of poker activity and the general gist was “where’s the best game?” “Lets go to the Fitz, handy 75 freezeout, numbers north of 40 last week cash action aplenty and should be a good craic” was the instant response.
On arrival, we ventured over to the Punto 200 tables (???). Absolute lunacy it looked like. At least the dealer knew what she was doing. As we made our way upstairs to the tourney tables, I spotted Graham Linehan, writer of Father Ted hanging about with who I think was his lovely wife and also actor Benedict Wong (starred in TV’s Frankenstein as well as numerous other films and shows). A truly star studded line up along with Connie, Neill Big Slick Kelly (arf) and some random David Bowie complete and absolute lookalike who had all the mannerisms of him including (more than likely) his skill at poker.
Myself and Connie were drawn at the same table. The last time I had played with Connie was a brief clash at the Waterford Open 2007 at the Woodlands. I knew Connie was tight enough and I fancied having a pop at some of the locals early to see the lie of the land. My philosophy in this type of tourney is to get busy early and then back off. Play lots of flops but keep the pots small. And hope to get a randomer all in when I hold the stone cold nuts. Not much to ask for eh?
I get my stack up to a circa 7k (6k starting) pretty quickly. I’m on the button, blinds 50/100, I’ve got 
. I raise to 350 and get called by everybody bar Connie and A N Other. I leave a lttle giggle out and ask why nobody believes me?? Flop is 
. Everybody checks around to me. I’m bemused into checking too. I know that its a dodgy check considering the size of the pot but I want to see what the board brings on turn and river if possible, keeping in mind that I’ve only got 300 in their and don’t want to betting into a reraiser. So lets see the turn, maybe I’ll get a Q…..turn is the 
! Now they start betting! Man bets 600…three callers including me. Nice pot I’m thinking, and the board is playing like a dream. River… 
. Absolutely laughing. I’m sitting there with head down trying to contain the laughing as I get an all in and another all in and a fold into me. I’ve got them well covered as first all in confidently tables 
. Next guy tables 
. I table my winner saying “I raised first”. And I scoop the pot and go asleep.
Soon after I get moved to a new table which looks to be a lot more tight/aggressive. I recognise a few players to stay away from and decide that one guy that’s got the hood up and almost as many chips as me is one I could get into a tangle with. He’s been speech playing a young lad beside him and I manage to see what he’s playing on two occasions with when they both play the board. I rinse the young lad beside him of the last of his remaining 4k stack and then get moved again. Thsi time onto the table with David bloody Bowie and Benny Wong! I’ve now got up to about 25k and then scamp off the last of The Generals (Cool Hand Luke’s and Fitz regular) chips. So. I’m up to circa 35k and am now looking at Final Tabling (15 left of the 41 runners at this stage. Blinds are now 600/1200. I raise again from the button to 4.5k with 
. David Bowie ships it for 14k. Folded to Benny Wong who goes into thye big giant egg timer. Now after seeing both play I am confident I am miles ahead of Benny and I really don’t know what he has. Bowie on the other hand may have 10’s or something similar. One way or the other I’m calling Bowie. Then Benny goes all in for 16k. I instacall and watch Bowie table 
. Yeehaw! Then Benny tables 
!!! Straight away I turn to the lad beside me and say “I don’t like the jack”. Board helps nobody but me until Benny spikes the jack on the river to win the lot. No sorry either so I tell him they are only on loan to him.
I nurse what I’ve got left until we head for the Final Table. Connie’s still in and he’s drawn beside me. I decide that as soon as I’ve got A 10 upwards I’m shipping. 3 hands later a guy who I’m told has been shipping UTG on every orbit does the same again. I look down at 
. I call. He’s got . I spike a 10 on the river and take him for everything which is about 25k. Ah well, my read was wrong but everyones entitled to a suck out and I’m pleased that I hadn’t completely tilted after the previous beat.
Soon I knock Connie out with a flopped set which he just mucks his hand on after shipping in post river (I still don’t know what he held).
This leave me heads up with Benny. I let him know that I’m not leaving without the chips I loaned to him earlier. He quickly relinqueshes the chips with his 
no match for my 
.
Not bad for a Fitz first timer….
So the jaunt to Fitz worked. And while at times it was scary with all these stars and lookalikes around, it wasn’t as scary as nearly ending up in the Liffey while driving home courtesy of Neill Kelly’s shite sat nav! And Neill, next time remember to collect the car park ticket out of the machine after you pay in Fleet Street 24 hour car park. Its much easier to get out then.