Andreas Hoivold says...

Andreas Hoivold final table at the GUKPT

Tuesday 18 Nov 2008

Ladbrokes' Andreas Hoivold aka _Theah_ talks about his final table at the Blackpool GUKPT

I was very happy to get to the final day of the GUKPT. I was second in chips and I was really looking forward to playing late in a tournament with a lot of runners (341 of them) again. We started the final day with 13 players.

From the beginning, I played tight like only the Scandies can. I folded most of my hands (ok: my hands were really bad, but still - I folded). It wasn’t before Sunny Chatta raised from the button for the 3rd time in a row that I played a hand. I had pocket jacks. The blind were 6000/12000 when Sunny raised to 30500. I re-raised to 90000. Sunny went all-in for about 300000 more and I ended up calling. He had 77. No bad luck for me and we were down to the final table.

At the time I was the chip leader with 838,000. Second in chips had 509,000. Could I go all the way? I won the first pot on the final table. I had K-10 of hearts in late position and raised with it and everyone folded. So far so good! But after this hand it was almost two hours before I won my next hand. The cards I got were horrible, and when I raised I got re-raised either pre-flop or on the flop. And I had to fold my hands every time. In fact I ended up winning the first hand on the final table and the last hand before the break.

We were six players left at the dinner break, and I was 3rd in chips with 673,000. Not too bad after running colder than a penguin. After the break I was still running bad. I had a couple of half-hands but that was all. One of them was used to double up a short stack. I lost with K-J to A-Q. A little bit later on Alan Vinson raised on the button to 60000 (on 10k/20k blinds). I looked down at K-Q off suit. Not a monster, but Al raised almost every button, so I could easily be in front. I didn’t want to risk to much, so I just called. The flop came K-7-6 and I liked it! I checked. Al betted 120k and I moved all-in for about 400k. He called so fast I knew I was in trouble. He had AK. Ouch. I was in TROUBLE! But turn 6 and river another 6 saved my day. Sorry Al! I tried to come up with a joke about me not being lucky since I didn’t hit my queen. Al didn’t laugh. Others did though.

A bit later on I knocked out a very short Eddie Lundon after raising with A-3 in late position to 45k. Eddie moved all-in with 107k. Easy call. No help to Eddie and I won a pot!

Darren Hickman to my direct right had raised every small blind when it was fold to him. I was tired of this, and I was waiting to re-raise him. Once again this happened when I had Q-J in my big blind. His raise was 60k and he had like 280k behind. Maybe I should have folded, but I was tired of folding, so I sat him all-in. He called and tabled A-K. Bad timing! Or maybe not. The flop came with a queen and he didn’t get any help. Again I knocked out a player and this time the pot was big as well.

I then lost chips slowly for a while. I got no cards and kept on getting a stupid 3 in every hand. Only one though, never 2. We were 4 players left when I picked up AK suited under the gun. I raised to 70k and it was fold to the big blind, Big Al. He moved all-in. I called, of course. Al had A-4 off suit. No help to him, and I won my biggest pot for the tournament, almost 900k.

I played one strange pot. I had 5-5 and raised from the button to 50k. Brian Clarke in the big blind re-raised to 200k. Normally I should have folded here. But I was very sure he had A-K for some reason. So I ended up calling. The flop came Q-9-2. He checked and I said all-in. He folded after thinking for a while.

The next hand I played should be even better for me. I had pocket jacks in the small blind when Al announced raise. He raised, I re-raised, and he went all-in. I called. He had 9-9. The flop was bad for him, K-J-6. No wonders for him, and I was the new chip leader. After this hand I started to get a bit unlucky. I doubled up Brian Clarke once on the river first. Than another time when he raised and I went all-in. He had J-9 of diamond and I had A-K off suit. Blank flop, blank turn, but J on the river. Sigh! Not too much later I picked up A-Q of clubs in the small blind. A monster 3-handed. I raised and Zachary Ford in the big blind re-raised me. He had been doing that quite a few times. I ended up with going all-in. He called with A-K. Ouch. I was in big trouble. Neither flop, turn or river helped me and I ended the tournament in third place.

I have to admit I was really disappointed at first. I was chip leader with three players left and I wanted to win so bad! Hopefully I will to better the next time I am on a final table. But I can’t be too sad. 341 started in this tournament, and 3rd place is a lot better than what I have done earlier this year. Hopefully it is a start of a new good period!

Good luck playing at Ladbrokes!

Andreas (_Theah_)