Internet hand played out live ... :)

Final tabled at the Circus last night, mainly due to this hand...

Last hand before the break of a £30 + £30 semi freezeout. UTG who hasn't played a hand for ever and hasn't stopped talking about how bad his cards are limps in silently while hyperventilating. I find AJ offsut on the button with 4 limpers inbetween me and him and say "Have you finally found a hand or are you just hoping to see a cheap flop?" He goes bright red and replies in a squeeky voice, "Me? on no I just want to see a flop", as his face slowly turns purple with the effort of trying to breathe. So I say I'll raise to see where I am, which I do - raising from 200 to 1200. (I have about 9 or 10k, he has about 6 but there are 4 others inbetween so I want themout for a start, and if he reraises I'm happy to fold. What I don't want is to hit a J high flop and find I'm behind to a bigger pair without asking the question preflop first. (Just so you know my thinking here and don't assume I see aj off as a monster hand)

Well before the chips have hit the felt, the guy in the BB has practically shouted RERAISE. This guy has suddenly found a pair of balls under his rolls of lard and looks me in the eye (only possible as we were sitting down - he would have needed a box otherwise) and says "I guess I'll have to reraise you to find out where I am and raises it 1200 with another 2k. I say "so you obviously have a big pair then" and he says, what like Kings? yes mate, exactly like Kings.

The UTG, who we had both forgotten about, stands up and throws his chips in while giving it the bullshit about o well I know I'm behind - roughly translated as please please call me I'm massive.

His reraise is less than the BB's reraise, another 1200 to put him all in.

Now obviously I know my AJ is far behind I need a miracle, but there's now nearly 10k in the pot and I have to put in 3200 to see the flop, making it about 13k altogether in the middle, so I have to call, much as I know I'm behind and really don't believe i have a chance of taking this down.

So I reluctantly call and like the bitch I am, say to the BB (who is a bit of a novice) "Now you wouldn't do anything stupid here like bet a dry side pot would you?" Everyone's laughing cos firstly he doesn't know what I mean, plus everyone knows I'm behind and really need to catch something here, so they know I want to get to a river for nothing.

The flop comes Q K 10 - I flop the nuts, and it's rainbow just as a bonus. BB checks and the biatch says "You really think I'm gonna let you catch up on that flop?" and threw a handfull of chips in - BB sitting on his set of kings like it's a cushion made of gold can't get his chips in fast enough to reraise me all in, which I obviously call. UTG turns over his cards to show his Aces, BB shows his set of kings and I flip over my shitty AJ which has blossomed into a beatiful straight and overtaken the monsters like Seabiscuit on speed. The turn comes an Ace to give the UTG a set of aces, leaving him calling for the board to pair while I'm screaming "2 2 2 2 2 2 I need a 2!!!" and it comes.. a lovely non-scary 2!

So I went into the break with about 28k when the average was around 8k which definitely got me to the final table without much more effort required, which was lucky as I couldn't catch a hand or a flop after the break. Went out 9th when I ran my AK shortstack into AA but you can't ask for miracles too many times can you?!

Just an aside about the Liverpool Circus. Paul who runs the card room does a very good job and actually seems to want to build up a proper card room, unlike so many other cardroom managers who just go to work to pick up their wages and brownnose thebosses - prime examples being Blackpool G and Manchester G. I've never been a fan of Stanley - possibly because I was barred from two of them :) Southport admittedly my own fault for scrapping but Stoke a complete travesty and a long story that seems pointless dredging up again now after two years - anyway I digress.. Point being, Paul has restored my faith in Stanley, he works hard and seems to be very proactive so I hope his bosses realise that. If you get the chance to support him by playing there please do so.