Pro Blogs: Team PKR's Jake Cody Brings Us His Trip Report from WPT Ireland
British pro and youngest Triple Crown winner Jake Cody offers us his latest blog on his adventures at the World Poker Tour Ireland.
So after taking most of December off due to settling into the new home and having the family over for Christmas, I ventured to Dublin for the PKR.com World Poker Tour Ireland. I was really looking forward to this one. I've had some great times in Dublin in the past and love playing WPT events, so I couldn't wait. I decided to road trip it with three of my good friends — Matt Perrins, Lil Dave and Sam Macdonald. It would have been quicker to fly, but getting the ferry and driving was great banter, despite all of us losing our money to Sam Mac at Chinese poker.
The first night, I met up with all the heroes in the bar, hung out at the PKR Welcome Party, and stayed up for a bit, but resisted going out drinking and had an early night in preparation for Day 1. I had a great sleep, then went down to play. Lil Dave was at my table but I didn't recognize anyone else. An empty seat was later filled by Beyne Vladimir Geshkenbein]. I've known Dave for a while now, but we rarely talk poker so it was interesting having him there. I've never played with Beyne either but luckily had position on him.
Pro on Pro action
We inevitably clashed in a couple of hands, the first of which was a failed bluff. PatIvey Patrik Vestlin] opened in mid position to 400 at 75/150. Beyne 3-bet to 1,100 in the cutoff and I looked down at A♣K♣ on the button. I decided the best option was to flat, so we got heads-up to the flop of 10x8x3x [two hearts]. Beyne checked and I bet 1,500 expecting him to give up. He called.
At this point I didn't feel like he was super strong. I felt he may have had some random eight or ten or maybe jacks, and my perceived range is very strong. The turn was a nine, which was a pretty bad card for me and was likely to have given him two pair or something like J♠8♠ for a pair and a straight draw. I decided not to barrel and checked back, trying to represent pot-controlling an overpair. The river was a blank, maybe an offsuit five, either way it was irrelevant. He checked. I expect him to value bet all two pairs and queens, kings, and aces if he did decide to check call the flop with those hands.
I bet 6,000 into around 5,500, hoping to fold out all one pair hands besides maybe jacks, although it's not inconceivable he folds that too. He called and I mucked, as I felt it was more important to hide the way I'd played the hand rather than to see his. I think he likely got stubborn with jacks or played queens and maybe even kings or aces very cautiously. Not the best start. By the way, we asked Beyne, who says he had 10x7x!
Luck of the Irish
There were a lot of loose players at the table and we were playing 10-handed for some of the day, so I played fairly tight. I clashed with Beyne later in the day after he opened and I three-bet A♣10♣ from the button, playing around 40 big blinds. He moved in, I called and held against Qx8x. Then a few hands later, Beyne opened under the gun, and I three-bet [UTG+1], playing around 55 big blinds effective. I planning to five-bet all-in against his four-bet, but surprisingly he just moved all-in. I would have expected him to induce with his very good hands, so I ended up calling it off. He had AxQx which I didn't expect, but of course I got there on the river to win a huge pot. I grinded to the end of the day losing a couple of annoying hands and finished on about 50,000.
Another early night and I was pumped for day two! On the very first hand a young guy [in the cutoff] moved in for 15,000 at 500/1,000. I picked up 7x7x in the small blind and moved all-in, but the woman in the big blind picked up QxQx and called all-in too.
The young guy had Ax2x. No miracle for me and I was down to 24,000 after the first hand! I folded for an orbit then Andrew Wayman opened in the hijack to 2,200 and I moved all-in in the big blind with 6x6x. He snapped with AxKx. The flop was Jx9x5x rainbow and it felt like I couldn't lose until he turned a Kx. The river bricked and the dream was over.
So that was the poker. Other than that, I had an awesome time with some sick nights out and got to know some of the PKR regs too. All in all, it was a lot of fun, topped off by Dubai Dave Shallow] winning the Main Event!
I've known Shallow for a few years and always got on with him really well. I was loving it that he won but a bit gutted for Chaz Charles Chattha] who came second. Props to PatIvey as well for his fourth place finish — repping it for PKR. I ended up having an absolutely epic night out with everyone and we were feeling awful on the ferry home. I was very happy to get home to Leeds.
For real time accounts of Jake Cody's trips, follow him on Twitter, and as always, follow PokerNews on Twitter for up-to-the-minute news.
