We ‘ve already told you a few times, but here at chilipoker, we love poker. We are a team of passionate, and very often, on the weekends, we go to our local casino to play cards.

Last weekend, our FBI team (Fabulous, Beautiful, Intelligent, remember ? ) went to play the Malta Poker Live Adventure, at the casino @ Portomaso.

With a €330 buy in, and 350 players, this was gonna be a hell of a tournament. €100,000 garanted and even a WPT package on top of the 20 grand first prize for the winner. We certainly were ready!

Alex played on day 1A and unfortunately, this wasn’t gonna be the best experience ever. He didn’t make it to day 2. On day 1B, Feliciana and I bought in and started to play. After 15 minutes, i was down to 7,000 chips from the 25,000 we had. Not the best start is it? Straight away, I didn’t panic, and started to think it would be a nice story if i could win that tournament.
I stayed very patient, and eventually i doubled up. When pre flop i re raised with AK, i was happy to see a flop king high. I did my continuation bet, like Dan Harrington told me to, and when on the turn,  the Italian player check raised me all in, i had no choice but to call. He had a flush draw and an open ended straight draw, and my top paire top kicked held.

From that, i managed to grind a little, increasing my stack up to 50,000 with almost never going to showdown. Eventually, a 3 barrel bluff is not gonna work on a local, and i’m back to 22,000…. Roller coaster :)

I’ll end up day 1 with 47,000 chips, with an average of 58,000. Happy to still be alive, considering the terrible start i took. Un fortunately, Feliciana, on her side, wasn’t that lucky. Seating at a very crazy Italian style table, where players were not scared to go all in with queen high, she reached the diner break with less that 10 big blinds… She eventually doubled up, craking Aces but she then lost a crucial coin flip KQ vs 33.

Back for Day 2

On the second day, with 150 players left, and a new table, the start is not gonna be any better that on day 1. Totally card dead, i managed to lose half of my stack, just because of the blinds. I’ll finally double up when after a raise from a local, i will shove my 10 big blinds with A9 from the button. She calls and the flop gives us a nice A98. From that, i then managed to steal the blinds from time to time, and keep my stack bellow average, but not too short stack. After changing tables for the 5th time, i had to move. With 20k in the middle just with the blinds and antes, and with a stack of 45k, i pushed 3 or 4 times in a row with hands such as J4 … I was never called. Finally, under the gun, i was called when i pushed with a pair of 10. It was a coin flip against AJ and with a J on the flop, but also a ten, it was my turn to collect some chips. The hand right after, when everybody folds and the SB is obviously trying to steal my BB, it is to me an obvious call with A5s. He holds a pair of tens, totally the top of his range, and I am lucky enough to hit the Ace on the turn. I’m now seating behind a nice 270k, where i was only around 80k 3 hands before…

Last hand before the diner break. I raise from the SB with 55. The BB calls. The flop gives Q96. We both check. The turn is a 4 and I proceed to my delayed Cbet. He calls. There is 2 hearts and 2 spades on that board. The River is an other Queen, that he never has. I decide to check call any bet, but after a good 3 minutes reflexion, he gives up and check with King high and a missed draw.

I’m up to 368k at the dinner break, and I finally have a good stack to play the bubble time, and play my aggressive game. This is gonna work quite well as i’m gonna travel through the bubble and increase my stack significantly up to 400k. I raise QQ, a guy moves all in for 200k with JJ. and a Jack on the flop takes away the chip lead from me. Down to 220k, I still don’t panic and finally arrive to a new table. he blinds have increased and under the gun, i shove my 7BB with A3 suited, and get called my AK. I hit a straight, and i’m back in the game. I’ll even get lucky once more when from the button, i shove KQ to still the blinds of two guys who were short stacked, and get called once again by AK… We will both his a straight (again), and my stack is unchanged. The chip leader moves to my right, and everytime he is gonna raise, i’m gonna move all in. I will double up my stack with never showing a hand. :p

I finish the day by busting out an other short stack QQ vs A7s and i reach the final table with the 5th stack, with 1,240 millions.

Final table

The final table is rather interesting as we are 5 with almost the same stack. The 4 short stack are going to bust quite quickly, and we can then fight among bigger stacks. I manage to lose some of my chips, but finally, i win a coin flip to bust another Italian.

A bad bluff and a lost coin flip later, i finish 4th of this tourney, out of 350 players! Nice run. The colors of Chilipoker were brought to a final table, and I have never been so proud to were that patch on my chest! (report of my final table in french and english here).

Yes, we do love poker, but on top of that, we are proud to work for this brand!

Chilipoker, connect players !

Tags: connect players, i love poker, Malta, poker, poker live adventure, portomaso, tournament