Playing a team competition always brings a different dynamic to the way you play. The main objective is to finish as high up as possible to gain as many points for the team. I’ve always enjoyed the APAT Internationals and have a gold, silver and bronze to show for my efforts.
I arrived in Vienna airport at 10.30 and to ensure I made the 1 pm start I had booked a private hire to pick me up – Good forward planning is always essential for success. Unfortunately for me my driver didn’t share my desire to get going as he didn’t show up until 11.00….No tip for him.
I did get to my hotel and then the casino in plenty of time. Team Scotland included fellow Blue Blood player Tom Clark as captain. My first 8 person SNG was NLH and as luck would have it I got my chips in good but they failed to hold up and I finished 3rd for 9 points. The second SNG was a survivor shootout and I survived until a cruel river sent me crashing out in 6th for only 2 points. The final SNG was another NLH and again I finished 3rd for 9 points. So day 1 had me gaining 20 points from 3 SNGs an average start.
Day 2 started with another NLH SNG but my luck was right against me as I was knocked out in 7th for only 1 point.
Feeling as though I had let the team down I went into the 48 player MTT determined to gain as many points as I could. On the table I had a number of very aggressive players as well as a very loose one. As the levels increased I was finding it difficult to get into pots, and when I was in, I was faced with aggressive betting. The team competition dynamic probably made me more cautious.
From a starting stack of 10,000, I found myself with just under 8,000 and the blinds were 200/400 with BB ante of 400. On the BB I looked down to find myself with QQ. A tight Swiss player raised to 800 and the very loose Italian on the button called. I re-raised to 2400. The Swiss folds but the Italian calls. The flop comes down J 8 4 rainbow. I`m very confident that I`m ahead and rather than wait to let him see another card I shove for 5600 which is a pot size bet. The Italian instantly calls and I think I have totally misread the situation. He turns over 5 7 off. The whole table looks mystified at the call then there is a collective groan as a 6 comes on the turn. I`m out and have contributed a total of one point on day two. I cannot understand either call he made but especially the second one.
The same guy then proceeds to do the same to a player from Luxemburg Q5 v 99 hitting a five flush on the river and the player from Switzerland had it even worse when his AA lost to K6 off.
I take no consolation from the fact that this player later on threw away all these chips and didn’t win any team points. I find it very difficult to work out how to beat a player who has so little regard for the value of his chips and is willing to play bingo.
Any advice would be welcomed
