Peter Heighway - WPT Paris Report

Our approach was going to be a World Cup style campaign. Days 1 and 2 were the group stages, 3 and 4 the knockouts, and 5 the final. I was firing the shots, biggs was coach, trainer and chief scout. There were only 140+ runners so unlike events such as the WSOP it was going to be a relatively normal (online) MTT for me.

Hansen, Negreanu and, disappointingly, Harman had all stayed at home but all the European faces were there. We were confident of a good performance and I'd had the perfect preparation (playing a live £50 MTT the previous week, Id been eliminated in the very first hand). There was going to be no walk of shame this week though. I was conscious of the fact that I was the only Betfair satellite qualifier and I didn't want to let the side down.

Day one: My play was going to be conservative and fairly tight, looking to get the chips in when I had decent cards or a good flop. We started with 15k of chips and the blinds were fairly low. On my first table the notable names were Paul 'Quack-Quack' Magriel, and Dan Alspach. I asked Dan if he had read Harrington, to which he replied "Yes, I'm in it". Thankfully I won an early pot when I hit a flush on the river and had a caller which helped to settle the nerves. It was enjoyable but hard work, these guys were good. They were folding when I hit a good flop and calling my bluffs. Even when I had AA and raised 3 times the BB I got 3 callers and ended up losing on the river. Later on I caught another flush on the turn and when Quack-Quack raised, my re-raise was followed by a call of all-in from across the table. The flush beat two pair and we had our first scalp.

The player who sat in his seat arrived with a big pile of chips and flat called under the gun in his first hand. All folded round to me, I looked down at AK and promptly re-raised. He looked at me and said "Would you be willing to risk all your chips with this hand?" - intimidation tactics. "I said you're the pro, you tell me what I would do." He folded. I asked him his name, he said Roland.

We checked the runners at the break and there appeared to be only one, Roland.... In the last session of the day I saw no action and ended on 19k, 11k less than our target but still in, and through the tricky group stage.

Day two: This was a rest day with the other 70+ playing. We spent the day going over the errors and missed opportunities on day one and began working on the masterplan strategy for day three. We had the cards and books out, playing hand after hand. It was useful having someone watch every play as 'biggs' could tell me what all my tells were. When I was playing too fast or too slow he reminded me to be aggressive and get the chips in.

Day three: On the morning of day three we saw the table line up and devised tactics and moves for each of our opponents. We knew who was going to raise us on our BB and we were re-raising with any two cards. As we strolled to the Club we saw Roy the Boy Brindley having a beer and asked him for some advice on our opponents. His advice was sound and backed up our game-plan. When the raise came I actually had a half decent hand and the re-raise was followed by a fold. (Cheers Roy). I was moved later to another table with the millionaire Andy Black, Roland, and Bruce 'Elvis' Atkinson. Not long after a brief rendition of Blue Suede Shoes, I thought it's now or never, and all my chips were in for the first time. My 'monster' Q5 was called by the BB with AT but a turn and river of 5, 5 kept me afloat. We wanted to go all-in against Roland as we figured he would call with most hands. When he raised on my BB and I had A7 I was all in again, he had Q7 with a Q on the flop. Luckily I caught a flush and we'd dodged another bullet. Having waited patiently for 150 hands since my feeble last attempt with pocket rockets I get it again under the gun, raise 3 times the BB....and watched everyone fold. I was then moved again and found KQ in mid position, all fold to me, I'm all-in hoping to steal the blinds but I'm quickly called by the BB who turns over JJ. There were lots of flush and straight possibilities on the river but it's the Q that arrives just in time, phew. It's time for another big decision shortly after when I have TT in mid position, once again, all fold around to me, my raise is met by a 100k all-in raise to my left. After a little thinking time I lay them down and am delighted to learn that he had cowboys (KK).

I'm glad to get off that table, but as soon as I sit down after being moved I find myself in some more early action. Not for the first time that day lady luck was on my side when I put all my chips in the middle with AQ, Hellpi calls on the BB with AJ and I double up to 66,600....nice number. We play a draining session until 4am, at which point I'm back down to 56k. 12 hours without a pint, this was a punishing schedule.

There's only 24 left at the start of day 4, biggs and I were ready to battle our way to the final table. We had the Oreos for the showdown with the Russians, we watched Teletubbies on BBC Prime (well if it works for Ivanesevic, we are going to give it a go), and decided who the other 5 finalists were going to be. Early on we were under pressure when my BB was attacked. Fortunately I had 99 and bet half my stack which was enough to deter the raider. Sadly, as things transpired, that was the highlight of my day. Sitting on my right was an American, who had 150k of chips and put the question to me on almost every hand. When he didn't it was one of the others. I was desperate for some cards, I hadn't come this far to throw it all away with 95, 82, 64....95 again...I was being blinded away and took a chance with my first Ace-rag, up against KQ, it held up. We were down to 19 on three tables, one more and I was in the money. Biggsy reckons there were about twenty all-ins at this point, I wasn't counting but there were certainly quite a few. The defining moment came when I was on the SB and Curt (the American on my right) came over the top (again) and this time I was committed to the hand. You know that feeling when Batty steps up to take the penalty.....that moment had arrived. Carlos to my left, also short stacked announced all-in as well. He turned to me, shook my hand and said If you win the hand you go through, if I win the hand I go through and if we both go out we share the money.

Curt made an easy call, Carlos had QQ....QQ!!.I hadn't had the ladies all week....Curt had KK......KK!! I hadn't had that either! My lucky dip was an Ace-rag again....the Ace missed, the Kings held up and we'd lost another semi final penalty shoot out. There was no Great Escape this time.

Fortunately there was the consolation prize of 18th equal and a share of the euros. I checked with the Event Director and he said "Yes, you both go out on the same hand, you share the money". This turned out to be a nice surprise as online, the person with the most chips gets the money in these situations. Right, it was time for a few beers and the "what if " analysis. So close yet so far....surely one nice premium hand at the right time was not much to ask for... oh well, c'est la vie.

When we went back later to collect the money later on though, things took aturn for the worse - we were told there had been a mistake. Under French rules if two people exit at the same time they share the cash, we were playing under WPT rules however and the rules stipulate that the higher stack takes the money. Officially I was 19th, genuinely gutted! Out on the bubble! I play under the poker alias 'Van Gogh' and these circumstances were almost enough to make someone cut an ear off.

Time for a few strong beers &..

Day 5 started late. We finally got out of the 100 metre triangle between our hotel and the club for some sight-seeing. Nice of them to build a Tower like the one in Blackpool. To my surprise when I got back to the hotel, Carlos had left me a message saying he wanted to meet me that afternoon. When I met Carlos he explained how he was surprised when he had gone to the Cashiers desk and they had given him the full 15k as he was playing under the French ruling and only expected 7.5k.....he then gave me an envelope in which he said was half the cash!!

What an amazing gesture. The rollercoaster of emotions had gone full circle.

Poker's a funny old game. We got back to the Club just as Roland was being presented with the bracelet. Oh well, we got one thing right when we set out, we knew a Brit from Betfair was going to win it!

Pete (Van Gogh)