Partouche invited me to the FPS event in Le Lyon Vert, which made me very curious, since to my knowledge this would be the best series of tournaments aside from the Partouche Main Event in Cannes in France.
We arrived at the hotel directly next to the Casino which definitely is the most beautiful hotel I have ever been to. The hotel was part of the Partouche Group as well.
We got up to a big suite which would make the stay very very pleasant, even if I would bust for some reason.
During the day we went to relax at their beautiful Spa, with a hammam, jacuzzi, swimming pool, and lots of other options including all kinds of massages.
At night I met with Paul Schulmann, who seemed to be the host of the event. He proved to be a great host and invited us to dinner to make sure we had a great stay.
The next day, saturday, would be the first of the two days the tournament would be played.
With a maximum of 400 players that had to play down to a winner in two days with a 25.000 starting stack and 50/100 first level, it was packed for action.
After playing relatively loose I was sitting on 27.000 when a guy in Mid position opens to 250, which I call on the button with 68o, the big blind calls as well and we see a 3handed flop.
Flop comes T86 rainbow. He leads out 600 I pop it up to 2100, big blind folds and initial raiser calls.
Turn is a 5 which brings the board no single change except for 47 to improve there, which he never has.
He check calls another 2100 bet from me. I decide to bet smallish here to make sure he can’t shove the river into me if a ugly river card comes. I expect him, with 5k invested to want to go for a checkshove on the river if he improves which gives me a lot of cards to check behind.River brings an offsuit Ace after which he checks again.
I was thinking about checking but I couldn’t just put him on AT or aces, when I believe he might have wanted to get the AA in on the flop.
So to get value from hands like JJ-QQ or a big Ten that tried to catch a bluff I decided to bet 3k. He snapcalled and flipped over AT for a rivered better two pair.
In the next hand I sit on an 18k stack when utg opens to 400 which I call utg+1 with JJ.
We see a 5way flop.
Flop comes down 953 with two clubs. Utg checks after which I bet 1150, which a guy in Mid position raises to ~3000, small blind calls Out of position here which should have made me fold but I didn’t.
Turn and river were checked round and I lost to a set of fives.
A bit later I am sitting on the Button again when the guy who was sitting at my right, David Vamplew who won the last EPT London opened to 500 in 100/200.
I decided to try and take the pot away after the flop since he wasn’t too agressive postflop and called with J2 of hearts.
Flop brings 226 and he leads out 900 which I raise to 2800 to make it look like a steal, cause normally I would raise a little smaller for value with a small stack, or probably even call to get bluffed into, which he reraises to 6300. I obviously shove and would have had a call from pretty much any value hand he would 3bet the flop with since I appeared to play like a maniac when I actually didn’t.
I shoved for ~7500 more and he insta folded.
The next hand a guy in Mid position opens to 500 and I call with 86 of diamonds.
I flop gin two hands in a row: 887 rainbow.
He leads out 1k which I raise to 3100. Here I raise big again but the main reason here is that I do not have the guy who bets as a strong player, and think he has an image in his head of me that is not correct.
Turn is a 3 and he check calls my 5800 bet.
River is a 5 and he tank calls my allin. I show and he mucks in disgust, he couldn’t believe I actually would be able to do anything aside bluffing.
From here I build my stack up to 56k after which I start to go downhill.
After raising 4 hands in a row I find AKo utg and raise to 975 in 200/400 and get two calls.
I hit top pair on AT7 with two hearts, and bet ~2000 which the second caller raises to 5500 with about 13k behind. I decide to shove since my hand is often best even after his call.
He is the same guy that had AT against my 68 and he has AT again, I do not improve and fall to 30k.
Shortly after this I raise TJ suited to 1050 and get one caller.
On a T63 flop with two hearts I continuation bet 1450 and get raised to 3450.
I call and see a Jack on the turn, which improves my hand.
I decide to check call a 5k bet and the river brings the 5 of hearts.
We both check and he shows 66, I lose but still have a stack with possibilities.
I decide to pull a bluff on a guy that seemed pretty weak on my new table but he stuck it in and I was left with just a reshove stack.
I shove in late position after doubling to 10 big blinds with K8 of diamonds and get a call from the big blinds with AK, no help and can go back to the Jacuzzi.
At least my girlfriend took the trip with me so we can enjoy the beautiful surrounding of Les Charbonnieres and the great hotel and restaurants they have to offer.
It was great playing this tournament with a great staff, in a nice place and a great casino.
Im definitely looking forward to playing Forges-les-Eaux in december. Maybe I can do better there and take it down.
Thanks again Partouche and Jean Jacques for the invite and the great time.
See you guys in Forges!
Constant Rijkenberg
Français
