Gran Casino De Valladolid 2009 Blog
I started to play on Saturday, May 30th and I had great hopes for this tournament,. After returning to the live circuit on the 28th of March, I went through the masters 888, the EC Poker Salzburg Tour, the CEP in Madrid, and the EPT in San Remo. I have certainly learned a few things from these experiences. As always, when I start a tournament I think that I have to put into practice the actions on the table that I have most admired in my adversaries in the previous events.
Maria Cabaleiro gets ready to begin tournament play.
I began the tournament playing more hands than the usual for me and I ended up losing my first ones and 6K of my initial stack of 15K. But it served my purpose of meeting the players who were accompanying me. During the first three levels the level of play in general was very marginal. In spite of trying to take some of the pot, I noticed that I was at a table where 5 players were finding it hard to fold their cards. They couldn't throw them easily without assuming big risks.
After dinner, already in the fifth level and I finally had a good hand, KK. I think and decide to raise 2 and the blind average, (750), my position: UTG 2, the following player folds, the following immediately re-raises 2000, the following folds, the following instant-calls, when the hand comes around to me again, there's nothing at all to think about, it's All-in. The first player very nervously calls my 9K and the other one folds. I show KK and ask him - you have AA? At that moment I change the face to him and it turned out to be QQ. The commons did not suit him, and I put in about 22K. I am practically half way through.
I ended up changing tables numerous times and on each of the tables I played on, my behavior was totally different. In fact, there was a wide range concerning my performance on each one of them – from the world's most rock- tight player up to the last table and that manic moment of activity that every player experiences. I entered and played five consecutive hands going All-in at the turn in two of them. With 40K I got to the end of the night and then there were 18 of us left and at close to four o'clock in the morning I went to rest until the next day.
On Sunday evening we reconvened the tournament with 41 players. Incredible!! If I could choose next to whom I didn't want to be, from all my experiences of the previous day, between the 41 players, I could have only mentioned one, but that's the way it goes. To my right was Bruno Orduño and even though it is good to enjoy the skill of that "maniac", with all due respect, of course. He gave a masterful performance as the chip leader and occasionally I did All-in so I could take boats pre-flop because my cards were unplayable and my stack was not at all useful.
It is now two o'clock in the morning and 21 players remain and with only 23K I bid with QQ and he pays me AK that did not tie, and my stack rises to 50K.
20 players, three o'clock in the morning, from the button and the game of the blind is very well observed and I am sure that they would not pay me with just anything. I shoot my blue chip (All-in) with AJ off-suit and the small one is thrown, but the BB waits for me with AK.
Oh it cannot be! The common KJ10-4-8, so finally I go out in 20th place knowing what my mistakes have been so that I don't make them in my next tournament. 18 players got paid.
Maria Cabaleiro at the Gran Casino De Valladolid.
I flaunted my Titan Poker t-shirt for two days, answered the question many times of how I got to be a part of the Titan Poker Team and unfortunately I left for home without visiting the much desired final table. But as in almost all of the tournaments, I left with new memories of what I learned and with the feeling that in poker there is always more to learn. I am looking forward to the next event at the Spanish Poker Tour in Castellón. See you there!
Titan Poker congratulates you on an excellent performance and thanks you for a great tournament. See you at the next one!
Read Maria's March Master 888 Gran Casino 2009 Blog
Read Maria's April ECPokerTour Salzburg 2009 Blog
Read Maria's April EPT San Remo 2009 Blog
Read Maria's April Gran Casino De Barcelona 2009 Blog
