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Back on schedule for the marking of LiabilitiesPoker’s 1000th day of existence with tournament #4 of Season #6.
A nice round 30 runners took their positions to pick up the pounds and points on offer as we complete the first third of the
season. Just one newcomer amongst a sea of friendly faces.
Congratulations to Chris Allan, who took everyone’s
chips to claim his maiden score. Having made final tables from half of his appearances, it was only amatter of time before
he would pick up his first crown and tourney number 18 was to be the one. One the other side of the poker chip, we have the
wooden spoon and another first time receiver. Cathy taking the ‘stirrer’ when her A-8 was despatched by here own
favourite hand A-7 when a hockey stick turned up on the river.
The pace was furious right from the off and there were
more early knock-outs than a Mike Tyson greatest hits video. The two table stage was reached in record time before the tension
and the relative low blind levels meant we had a long final table bubble period. Brian Scott busting the inflatable to leave
the required nine.
All that holding on meant we had some desperate stacks at the centrepiece, and it didn’t
take long to get them moving. Lee Devenish moving his small stack in from early position, before Kev Carlioni moved over the
top, Lance dwelled before moving his even bigger stack in. Lee flips sailboats ( 4-4 ), but Kev’s little slick A-Q was
in grave danger to Lance’s big slick A-K. A four pops on the flop to give Lee trips and treble him up, but the large
side pot goes Lance’s way and Kev is looking for the exit in 9th.
The action doesn’t let up and Chris
Davis is pushing from under the gun with K-Q, Phil Richardson can’t resist the coin flip with 9-9 from the button and
it's the battle of the short stacks. Two cowboys arrive without a nine for company and Phil is a goner on the money bubble
in 8th.
I then double up my short stack when my Q-Q gets Chris Allan along for the ride; Mick Willis isn’t so
fortunate and gets bumped out of the comp in 7th by Chris Davis.
I’m back in action when I run into Lee Immins
with the big monkey K-K, luckily I spike the ace I need to double up again. Chris Davis is unlucky to be the next to go; his
measly bet has to be looked up by Lance, who duly hits runner runner to make a back door 2 high flush.
The biggest
pot of the tournament so far then develops when I raise from early, before Chris Allan re-raises all-in, I oblige, but this
time my QQ is no good against Chris’ pocket rockets and I depart in 5th. A three way pot develops when Lance gets the
two other shorter stacks in with the best cards. Lance’s A-9 falls behind to Lee Devenish’s K-6 and Lee Immins'
10-2 on a 10-7-K flop but hits the 8 and 6 required to fill his straight and send both of the Lees to the door, Devenish with
the higher finishing slot as he started the hand with more chips.
We arrive at heads up with Lance holding a slight
chip lead; he needs it on the very first hand as they get them all in the middle. Chris’ 9-9 is in reasonably good shape
against the one over A-8 held by Lance. No bullet on the board and Lance is down to his last 9 chips. He manages to double
that lot when after one split pot his 9-6 overtakes Chris’ Q-8.
The end is nigh though,Chris moves all in again
with K-6 and Lance gets involved with Q-10, The K-Q-J gives both players a pair and a straight door, nothing arrives and Chris’
top pair is more than enough to claim the top spot.
Lance’s whirlwind start sees him open up an intimidating
6 point gap at the top of the table, and puts him in with a good shout of toppling the record tally. Cathy, Starbuck and Kilbane
remain the closest challengers despite not having the best of nights. Chris’ victory jumps him up to 5th spot. And as
you would expect, it’s all very tight in behind.
The all time standings now see Lance claim the outright lead
in nearly every category, top of the all time points from me, his 24th final table keeps him two clear of me in that one and
another big payday keeps him top of the all time money list too. There to be shot at.
The heads up is beginning to
gather pace too and with the groups coming to a dramatic end soon, the race will be on for all the honours
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