Grand Prix Poker Tour - Hampden, Glasgow

I read this blog by Kat "the Poker Baffer" Arnsby and it completely changed my outlook on satelliting into big events. What I took from it was that small stakes players such as myself would be better off trying to win their way to smaller, more local poker events, in my case UK tours, rather than the international big buy-in WSOP/WPT/EPT type events. It makes sense, get a few £200-500 events under your belt before you try to win a million against the best in the world. Despite how much sense that makes to me now, previously my mind was firmly set on the idea that if you could just be lucky enough to run like god in one of those events, you'd be set. The reality is, with a small stakes bankroll, you need to run like god just to get to that big tournament in the first place.

With this new approach, I had a bit of a look around to see what the upcoming events where taking place in Scotland and found that PartyPoker were conducting the Grand Prix Poker Tour (GPPT), with an event in Hampden Stadium in Glasgow a month or so away. The GPPT had an interesting twist, it was a two day event, with many day 1s, live and online. You could play as many as you like, taking your biggest stack forward, with everyone making it to day 2 making the money. All the online tournaments took place from 8pm onwards, which is my ideal poker playing time, so this GPPT is what I want from poker, like all of the time.

Qualifying for the Grand Prix Poker Tour

So confident in my ability to qualify for this event, I deposited just $70 at PartyPoker, giving me three attempts at the $22 satellites for the $109 Day 1s. First attempt, never really got going early on, then when I did was pretty unlucky. My second try was pretty straight forward, pretty soft field, cruised into winning position and bagged a $109 Day 1 ticket. Tried another $22 satellite and again locked up Day 1 ticket with relative ease. I think there might be definite value in playing more of these $22 satellites, no matter how the GPPT itself pans out, seems like great value.

My first online Day 1 started off poorly, by level 6 you could still late reg and yet I was looking at a very sad stack of just half what I started with. If I’d late regged now, I’d be doing twice as well. I always seemed to be on 2nd best hand, jack high flush beaten by king high flush, two pair outdone by a bigger two pair, overpair to the board bested by a bigger overpair. Eventually, change of fortunes doubling up with an 8 high flush vs 7 high flush, back to starting stack! Hovered around 15-20bbs for the next while. Table seemed pretty passive, except for the occasional maniac who would appear, go mad and bust. One player stood out though, 'frogrunner' or something, seemed pretty good and as chipleader was bossing the table. Soon the “perfect” scenario played out between us. Folded round to him on button, he raised my big blind and with 15bbs and A9suited, I shoved, fairly confident I was ahead of his range, he quickly folded. Next orbit, same again but this time I have jacks and a few more blinds, given the last orbit action, I was hoping he thought I was at it. He tanked for a bit but folded. Next orbit again, same action again, folds to him, he raised from the button, I now shipped 22bigs from the bb with AK, he snapped me off with AQ, along with blinds and antes, it’s a 50 bb pot, which would take me 2nd in chips overall. The QQ6 flop put an end to that though. I'm certain with just a few levels left to Day 2, a decent stack and position on the only player really playing well on the table, I could have made it to Day 2, barring any badbeats of course. I would have to try again the following week but more than ever I was confident that making day 2 was within my grasp.  

Keen to lock a Day 2 spot, I wanted to play the next online Day 1 the following Sunday, alas, it was a friends birthday and he had organised a trip to the pub to celebrate, the selfish bastard. It started at lunchtime but finished up around 8ish because he had to go an suss out a wedding band. I got home about 9pm but very sensibly decided not to play the Day 1.

Until about 9:45pm, then it was like “fuck it, lets go!”. As a result, I don’t remember much about the tournament, until we approached the bubble. This tournament structure is kinda unique as it was not the number of players determining the bubble but the level. Getting to the end of level 16 would not only see you through to the live Day 2 played at Hampden Glasgow but also sees you into the money, but a min cash is worth about four times your buy-in, so it’s a decent payday. This resulted in lots of stalling from about level 14. Collective stalling in this scenario actually makes quite a lot of sense, with everyone simply taking up the most of their allotted time, you can play next to no hands, costing you very little in chips and sailing into the money. I didn’t mind too much as a result, I was sitting comfortably with 40 big blinds, and as long as I didn’t do something stupid, I was assured a spot in Day 2 and a nice return on my $22 (ok $66 overall) investment. What I hadn’t realised until mid way through the last level of the day was that while it was all very well eeking a stack into the money, this was actually shrinking my stack through the blind increases, so although I made the money without losing a chip (I might have even gained a few) I would only have 22 big blinds come Day 2, which wasn’t the 40 odd big blinds I absent mindedly thought I was locking up. Ah well, can’t complain, shouldn’t have played at all while drunk, although this adds to mounting evidence that suggests I might play better while inebriated… Should I load up on drink on Day 2?

Unusually, a poker event made the paper!

So while the live Day 1 is happening at Hampden, I’m kinda jealously looking on from the outside. Checking updates on the website, watching a bit of the live stream, and a few people I follow on twitter have been updating as they go. There seems to be a bit of a buzz, seems like people are playing a big tourney that I’m not part of. Only I AM part of it, I’ve kinda already done what everyone has is doing right now. I’ve made it to day 2, I’ve cashed, a lot of these people are still hoping to do just that. It feels weird. I dunno, weeks ago, I was just playing online one night, like I do many nights, and yet I seem to have achieved something perhaps grander than it feels. We’ll just have to see how it goes on Day 2.

Day 2 - Hampden Stadium, Glasgow

Having followed the action the day before, there was a big event feel as I approached the grounds of Hampden, Scotland's national football stadium. I arrived with 20 minutes to spare, I was on my own and not really sure what to expect. After shuffling through the registration queue, I joined the masses in one of the function rooms of the stadium. God knows how many tables spread out in front of the baying crowd waiting to be seated. 'Mad' Marty Wilson was holding some kind of killer pool tournament for some free tickets/goodies but was struggling for volunteers. There were also plenty of other stuff on hand to entertain the masses but I think as it approached go time, everyone was just keen to get to the poker tables. At the end of the room there was a TV table set up for a live stream with commentary and the likes, which was pretty cool. I literally bumped into Michelle Orpe as I jostled for a space in the crowd.

The crowd before the big game at Hampden

At last, the table draw was announced and we made out way to the tables. After I unbagged my chips for the first time ever playing a Day 2, I looked down at a fairly unimpressive stack. Looking around there seemed to be only two big stacks, sat at the opposite end of the table. Also of note was Bob 'Kilted Shark' Tait resplendent in full highland regalia. I've never met the man but saw an interview alongside his entrance from Day 1 where he was piped in, brilliant stuff.

Despite the flamboyant presence of the 'Kilted Shark' the table was a somber affair. I can't blame anyone else, I was just as guilty, while I will happily join in with any friendly table chit chat but I'm not the sort of guy who starts it off. Play got under way and despite everyone who made Day 2 making the money, it was a pretty tight and cagey table. At one point I looked up from the table and saw Mike Sexton standing behind the players at the other end of the table. Wow! PartyPoker, WPT and all round poker legend Mike Sexton, right there, there he is! As Mike looked on at our table, I looked around too. The players nearest him were embroiled in a pot, the rest of the table? Looking at their phones. There is literally a poker legend at the table and they don't even know it because they're all looking at their little black rectangles. But I am worse than those zombies, I knew what they did not and yet I done nothing, I said nothing. To be honest, I'm a little socially awkward/repressed and wasn't sure what to do in this spot. Mike was at the other end of the table, I'm just some random face in the crowd, I didn't want to shout over at the man and make a scene, what would I shout anyways? "Hey, it's Mike Sexton!" I dunno. At the time I kinda blamed the rest of the table, if we'd had a nice friendly chatty table, we'd all have been like "Hey, it's Mike Sexton!" and that would have been lovely, but instead I felt like I couldn't break the silence, especially just shouting over at a 'stranger', so I done nothing and said nothing. Regardless of hands played or money made, I did not get full value from this poker experience. Mike had a brief chat with the 'Kilted Shark' (quite frankly the only one who deserved it) before he wandered off, play continued.

Sic Parvis Magna?

In hindsight, I definitely played it too tight, as did the bigstacks, who I expected to mix it up but they never did. By the time I realised the table was there for the taking, it was too late. There were plenty of chips for the taking if only someone had tried to take them. I lost half my stack on a flip after raising and calling a shove from a shortstack. Lost the rest of it open shoving 89 suited from the button before the small blind tank called with tens to knock me out.

It is always disappointing to be knocked out of a big tournament but I had gained plenty of experience, played a great event, made my first ever day 2, seen some notable poker faces, won over $450 and would be back home in time for Sunday dinner.

I made my way to the cash desk to collect my winnings and on my way I spotted Mike Sexton again, as he continued meeting and greeting people. A second chance, a chance to make amends! To meet the living legend! Yes? No. I copped out again, I didn't want to bother him, what would I do? What would I say? Shake his hand? Say hi? Ask for a photo? Yes, of course, all those things, any of those things, obviously, instead I just walked on like I never saw him.

I am the worst.