It wasn't to be!

So I decided to play the £550 main event of the Edinburgh leg of the Coral British Poker Masters.

A small crack team from the Dundee cardroom made there way through for the main event, they fought bravely :P

Barry "gingertoys" Chalmers

Colin "power" Wu

Martin "quads" Smith

I was really positive about playing the event and really thought I was going to make the final table, now to expect it is asking a lot! Tournament poker, flips, hands have to hold up in key situations etc, however I really did expect it.

The tournament went something like this for me, getting off to a great start, I was up to around 27k after 3 levels, this was double the average stack! Then I went card dead for 3 and a half hours.

Now before anyone comments, I totally agree, poker is not about the cards, but it is about the situations, so if you like.

I WAS SITUATION DEAD FOR 3-4 HOURS!!!

Any time I raised with garbage or a marginal hand, I was re-raised, just as I readied myself to defend a possible re-steal in position, another player went over the top twice! Both players had hands, both times AA vs KK and AA vs QQ!!!

I just could not build on the 27k or even stop the rot, i was diluted down to around 13k.

I picked up 99, biggest hand in around 3 hours lol! Short stack goes all in, i go all in to isolate, he has AK, FLOP 6-7-8, river K :( F*********CK :D

I was down to around 5k, blinds 400-800 at this point, shove Q7 folded to me on button, SB wakes up with AA ahhaha, i end up hitting runner runner miracle straight with the 7 to get me up to around 12 ish.

My last hand was a microcosm for the last 3-4 hours of my tournament, folded to me, i have to shove any 2 cards with less than 10bb in my stack, it happens to be 72 of diamonds :D Big blind looks down and finds jacks!!! JUST SUMMED UP MY LAST 3 HOURS IN THE TOURNAMENT!

So I hit the rail in 33rd place from 105 runners, not the worst, but not what I aimed for, or was after.

So negatives from the experience :-

Just the result, I would really have liked to get to day 2 and put myself in a position to make the final table, some of the play I saw there was very poor, and justified me buying into play in that field as there was plenty dead money.

POSITIVES :D

Met a few great guys and got chatting with plenty like minded people, particularly the online high stakes cash player "the mole" Just a genuinely nice fun guy, and good to have at the table, we got on really well and had the rest of the table looking at us like we were in a mental institution!

It served as more motivation for me to play these big events and do well in them, the play is different, and yes the buy in is large, but the poker you are playing is true poker. Not short stack crapshoots that require more and more luck!

No regrets, if I didn't play, then I would be sitting wondering. Atleast I got my answer :D Money is replaceable, experiences are not ;)

I LASTED LONGER THAN MARTIN AND COLIN (LAST YEARS CHAMP) :D

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Back to the grind, next 4 weeks goals and to dos!

I will continue to play the local thursday game £50 Deepstack freezeout game, keeps my live tournament game ticking along.

I will play more of the live cash games at the local casino.

I will play more online tournaments

I will only play online cash games when I am 100% in the right frame of mind and ready to play a long session.

Upcoming tournaments...........

The next added money tournament in my local casino is early June (8th I think) £50 multiple rebuy, and there will be around £2500 added. I cashed for £800 in it last time, so will be going for outright win this time.

The GUKPT are having their summer series in Aberdeen 18th-21st June

£200 game, £300 and £500 main event.

45 Minute clock in all events, I will definitely play the £200 and £300 games, I might not play the main event as 45 minute clock is not great for that buy in. Would rather play a £500 Coral British Masters, but when I win the £200 and £300 games I will probably play it :D

It's been a crazy 8 weeks,

POSITIVES : decent tourney scores online and live and good live cash game results.

NEGATIVES: Online cash continues to be a rollercoaster, and of course my bankroll management needs evaluation ;)

Good Luck and take a shot now and again, it's good for your poker education ;)

Barry x x x