Aspers new card room

Ok so went to Aspers, Newcastle new card room. Having only played live once this year so far, was refreshing to journey away from the computer screen for an evening to play the £30 freezeout. I have to say the new card room is a vast improvement on the old set up and a much nicer environment to play in.

So to the tournament. £30 buy in, 7000 chips, with a decent structure. I think it ended up about 57 runners, with first prize just shy of £600. Anyway I don't play a hand for the first round and use this as an opportunity to size up the players at the table. Only one playerI know at the table, my NPF chum Gaz Walker, the rest were unknowns but it became apparent that they were all fairly novice players.

During the 2nd round, guy 3 off button raises to 450, with blinds at 25/50. Huge raise and I look down at KK. I decide to keep pot small and slow play them and call, BB calls too. Q high flop, i think is right in their range, so i check, BB checks and the expected C-Bet doesn't come as raiser checks too, ok so he has an A i thnk. Turn blanks and i lead out for 700, BB calls possibly on flush draw and raiser folds. River the horrible A, i bet 700 again, Bb flats me and shows QJ so I scoop pot.

Next round I look down at AA utg, blinds now 50/100 i have 8500. I limp. UTG+1 raises to 600, and it folds round to SB who calls. I re-raise to 2100, which causes the original raiser to fold his 88. The SB who seems a bit full of himself announces that he only has 3500 (35xBB) behind so needs to gamble and shove all in. Of course I snap call and show AA, SB shows Qd10d. Turn gives him flush on a paired board and I blank river to lose half my stack. No biggie just a bad beat, and I still have 40+xBB, so easily well in it.

3 hands later, guy 2 off button raises to 300, I look down at KK and re-pop him to 900. He thinks for a while and calls. Flop comes down 10 high with 2 clubs. I decide if he checks I am shoving, as I am happy to take it there and then and don't want a scary club shutting down my action on the turn. Sure enough he checks and i shove. He tanks and eventually calls with 77. Turn card comes 7 and I am heading out of the door having played 3 hands KK, AA and KK.

In the short term obviously gutted to get bad beats in this way, but in the long term I know I will benefit from these sorts of player, which is why playing poker is clearly a game of skill, but I'd still rather be lucky than good.