Here's my version of the weekend, its a little later then the rest of Team Fiso (officially 3rd best poker team in the country
) but I was the only one that had to go to work Monday out of everyone so not had time until now.
Got awoke to the horrible sound of the alarm going off at 06:00 on a Saturday morning, after a few groans and many repeated hits of the snooze button I managed to get up for my weetabix. I'd booked my taxi the night before which arrived on time at 07:00, and at 07:06 I eventually got in it, eyes still half shut and dreading the 3 train change journey to Blackpool.
Arrived in Manchester at 09:35 where I'd arranged to meet pasty, I had 40 mins to kill before train for the last leg arrived for blackpool so I headed straight to the wetherspoons pub in the station for a quick pint of strongbow,
got a phone call off pasty from a payphone as he doesn't have a mobile
told him I'm the big bloke on the quiz machine in the corner of the pub and he meets me in there a few minutes later, I could tell it was him straight away as he was wearing his red laddies rucksack that he was given from the poker cruise he went on
A quick panic about Mikes train not going to his station and a few exchanged calls, one to tell Mike his train is not coming and another two mins later to say Pasty read the notice wrong and its a false alarm then we were off, Mike joined us on one of the stops on the way and then a big Thanks to Zimmerman for picking us up at the station and showing us where the casino is.
Met up with the lads in the bar at the hotel and I was rooming with Kiz who had already gone to bed to catch up on sleep after a long journey. I tried to wake him so I could get changed into our illuminous tee shirts but after a few knocks I realized he was not waking to anything so had to change in northerns and dans room.
A few photos and pints in the hotel then we were off to the casino, I felt very nervous I was sh#tting myself thinking what if I embarrass myself and end up going out in the first hour or even first man out so I hit the bar, blew some quick money on roulette then it was onto the tables
I was on what I seemed was quite a nice friendly chatty table at first but after a few hands I realized that some off them thought they were better then they actually were and were a bit big headed, was glad to hear the first cheer of the day and someone to walk and after about an hour I was relaxed and really enjoying myself, I made the first break with 300 chips less then what I started with (9.7k) this is after I took an early hit with high pair ace kicker losing to two pair denting my stack which I managed to recover with trip 3's a few hands later.
I think there were 8 fisoers left at the first break with captain pasty getting muffed out and also the truth gone. The second session was a fold fest for me until I raise a call with JJ and hit with a J63 flop, he bets, I go all in, he takes ages and moans a bit as if he knows he is already beat and turns over QJ so he's drawing dead and I double
It gets to the lunch break and I'd been drinking all day, because every 30 mins or so I was leaving my seat to go to the toilet which was next to the bar so I kept thinking I might as well have another while I'm here, which sent me to the toilet next to the bar again so it was a vicious circle
I decided that I was going to have a quick break from drinking so had a couple of bottles of water and a bag of chips during the interval and the plan was to stay off the beer for at least a couple of hours but then DJNuttie decided that as he was short stacked and could be out soon he was going to drink whilst he was playing rather than spend the night sober so I got sucked into a round of drinks
I think I was the only FISOer out of 7 left with a healthy stack going into play after lunch and I'm quite annoyed with myself with what I did, an hour or so of not much action but I was managing to stay above of the average stack, then a moment of stupidity. I get AQ in the BB; a shorter stack from me goes all in the position just before the blinds. I'm thinking she is trying to steal so I call and she turns over KK, I hit the Ace on the flop but a K comes on the turn. I'm still beating myself up over it as there was no need for me to get involved in a race with a healthy stack which was now down to about 8-9k and I get moved to spireys table.
I waited for a hand to go all in on then Dans favorite JJ comes, I go all in after someone had raised and I was heads up all in against a massive stack AK. He hits K I lose and game over. I know the odds are in my favor to win but it’s my own fault for putting myself in an all in or fold situation against a massive stack an hour earlier. Out in 79th about 10:30-11 ish
So onto the bar and gambling on the games tables the rest of the evening, Peter Manley and Wayne Mardle were in there betting 50 quid a hand next door to us and had a quick chat with them. Kept going back to the poker room for updates on the remaining and it was good to see Norvern, Dan, Kiz, Spirey and Mike make the points. News came off Northern exiting then later putting Dan on suicide watch after him losing with AA against 83.
The 3 remaining lads did well to make it to end of day one and we sent them back to bed to bring us the money on Sunday while we got pissed in the casino
The rest of us all stayed their till 5:30am then back for 4 hours sleep before day 2.
I was the last one down for breakfast and apologies to kiz for me supposedly snoring
I was very surprised to see Pasty up and about after seeing him bouncing off everything in the casino only a few hours earlier, watching him drunken gambling next to me asking the dealer "what the f#ck is this pair plus?" and being repeatedly told by security to take his cap off, it was funny
Quick shower and we met up downstairs where we were offered Tea or Coffee, Opted for the pint of beer option instead
Onto the casino for day 2 in a very optomistic mood that the three remaining lads would get us some team prize money, Kiz did really well to last with his short stack so long, Spirey came up against a good hand at the wrong time and won a chip set for being the bubbble boy, then Mike exited not too long after. Was good to see Flipside to come down as the FISO cheerleader but unfortunatly 1st place was not to be, to say that we aren't a specialised poker forum 3rd place is awesome and much better then I thought we'd do, it just shows the standard on here is top class.
Thanks to Pasty for starting this thread, to Northern for organising the hotel and Nuttie the tee shirts, thanks zimmerman for picking us up and a big thankyou to all for a great couple of days. Sorry I had to leave early on the Sunday to catch my train so I missed the final photo.
Its definitely a weekend that needs repeating, hopefully somewhere a little more south to make you north westerners travel a bit further this time (well thats if the scousers on the team electronic tagging conditions allow you to venture that far
)
Cheers guys, awesome weekend
