If there’s one thing that unites poker players it’s the ability to moan and whine about their fortune. You’d think Joe Hachem, who won the WSOP main event in 2005 would be pretty happy with his lot. He’s a multi-millionaire who flies around the world first class playing poker tournaments with his sponsor’s coin. But no, he complains about his poor luck at every turn.

So, please excuse me while I vent a little. I'll be over the chagrin once I've expressed it and be back to the normal placid, even tempered poker player I usually am.

BUGGER MY LUCK!

I arrived at my table in great mood. I felt well rested, refreshed and ready to run deep in this latest stop of the GUKPT. My table wasn't great, but considerably better than the one at Luton. My old friend Neil "Bad Beat" Channing (I've known him over 30 years - we went to school together) was three to my left and the rest of the table was an assortment of competent but not great players and a couple of rocks. (I've noticed bookmakers are often rocks. I wonder why this is? Probably they know better than most the dangers inherent in gambling!)

Play began warily. Only one player, a young guy who seemed to be in awe of Mr Channing (who isn't?) was keen to put any chips into the pot. Possibly he wanted to impress Neil (who doesn't?).

It was he I wanted to target in a pot, I felt I could trap him and double up if I ever got dealt a monster.

My chance came late in level 2. With blinds of 50-100 Mr loosegoose made it 325 to play. From the sb I squeezed a lovely a pair of red kings. The bb gave a tell that indicated he was going to fold so I merely called. And we saw the flop of Td 7d 2d two handed. I checked, hoping to checkraise with my overpair and flush draw if he bet. But alas he checked behind. The turn was an offsuit nine. The board felt safe at the moment, but I couldn't afford to give him another free card so I bet 500. He called. Hmmmm. What could he have? A pair and a flush draw maybe. If he had the bare ace of diamonds he would surely have bet the flop. Likewise if he had a set. It was tough to put him on a hand. I intended to take him to valuetown whatever the river brought, I was so confident I had the best hand. The river was Ks giving me top set. Lovely! So now with my value bet of 750 I was internally begging for a call. He called and showed down QJ with no diamonds. He made a truly horrible call on the turn and was rewarded with a miracle river card and then didn't make a raise. He managed to make so many mistakes in the hand yet still hurt me by taking 20% of my stack.

Half-way through the next level (75-150) I opened utg for 400 with 7d8d. I like to open with a wide variety of hands when the table is playing snugly. It makes your hand difficult to read while if I’m called I feel confident I can narrow my opponent’s hand to a very small range. I got three callers, including both blinds, so I had position on all bar one player. The flop was apparently beautiful for me. Td 7s 2d giving me second pair and flush draw. After both blinds checked I bet 900 (about 3/4 of the pot). Now a very tight player made it 2500 to play with about 2500 behind. I like my hand. I am clear favourite over a bigger flush draw, an over pair or top pair. I'm only in trouble against a set, which seemed unlikely given the size of his raise. I didn't have much fold equity but I think this is a clear shove, so that's what I did. He shook his head sadly and called. He had AdJd. I don't remember the last time I hit a flush in a big tournament, but unfortunately I did here with the Kd arriving on the river, meaning I lost the pot to his nut flush despite being a 55% favourite.

I played a short stack for two or three levels until I finally found the boots (AA) utg at 150-300 level. As the table had become more active in the previous 30 minutes I decided merely to call and hope to get a reraise in against a big stack. It rapidly descended into a callingfest with more limpers than an amputees 100m race. We saw the flop seven handed! It appeared Qs Th 8c. I didn't like it much but I felt dutibound to bet 800 but after Neil called, Mr Loosegoose made it 2500. When Martin Cavanagh (a very solid player with whom I have a lot of history) made it 5500 to play, it was clear my boots were absolutely no good. So I folded. Loosegoose shipped it in and Martin snapcalledfistpumped with J9 for the nuts. Loosegoose was unlucky to have a set of 8's which didn't turn into a full house. I wasn't too annoyed until Neil told me he had AK. If either he or I had fast played our hands we would have driven out the other two hands and I would have doubled up.

Sigh.

Well, now my tournament life was on life support with only 3500 chips. I shoved a couple of times to keep approx 10 big blinds in my stack when my final chance to double up appeared. The cutoff opened to 1000 (200-400) when I woke up with a suited AK in the big blind. I shoved of course only to be met by a quick call. He had QQ which held rather easily.

For the first time in the poker tour I felt totally satisfied with the way I played.
Most poker players suffer mental anguish when they play badly. Not me. I hate it when I play my best and fates conspire against me to lose.
At least I’ve found some form in time for the World Championship of Online poker at Pokerstars. Bring it on. I can hardly wait.

What I learned I've never played poker in Cardiff before. I will return. The players are congenial and interesting to talk to but certainly not fearsome. They should all be wearing fur hats as the mode of play tends to be tricky and trapping - not the naked aggression seen in London and on the internet.

Oh, and if you are staying in Cardiff choose the St Davids Hotel and Spa. It s like a poor man's Burj Al Arab, only at 5% of the cost. Highly recommended!

The Coach