Londons Calling

I've just awoken from one hell of a good sleep and feel like I've been reborn. This is largely because I had next to no sleep over the weekend after an exhausting stint at the tables again at Dusk Till Dawn. This was for their monthly £300 deep stack event, which I made the 2nd day of but not much more.

First of all, this could well be one of the best tournaments in the country (or worst depending on how you think of it). For a modest £300 you get a 10,000 stack and a 45 minute, well structured clock. There were plenty of crap players, but just as many brilliant players, as the cream of UK Poker were making up the 126 players in attendance. In one night I found myself against Dave ColClough, Lawrence Gosney (WSOP Bracelet winner), Mickey Wernick, Chris Bruce (multiple GUKPT finalist), Dominic Kay (WSOPE finalist), Marcus Bebb-Jones (Grosvenor Grand Prix Winner), Ben Vinson (GUKPT Young Player of the Year) and Mohammed Shafiq.

I did what I seem to be good at, building up a big stack early and it amounting to nothing. Within a few hours I had got my 10,000 up to 40,000 but unfortunatly thats how it stayed. I think this is probably because I'm a cash player and the lower blinds favoured me - I was able to play my position well, float, reraise raggedy flops with nothing etc etc. Regretebly I went card dead when the blinds got big, but I am delighted with how I played from start to finish - its a very good omen for this weeks PartyPoker European Open.

I drive to London tommorow for my heat on Wednesday morning. I am really nervous, because I am desperate to make it to the next stage and at the same time look good. The prospect of busting out first in a tournament is a fear that has long gone for me in day to day poker, but the TV thing has added a whole new dimension which I hope dissapears before the first card is dealt on Wednesday.