New Fixture - Sunday 3rd October

A new fixture has been announced, taking place on the 3rd October (this Sunday) at 9:30 and it will be held in the Hobbs residence. So far, 5 players have been confirmed. The long awaited restart of the season looks to be a very exciting game with sensational new chips and some spectacular surprise headwear.

FPL Update- Part 3

Game 7-

After missing Game 6 for football and/or partying related reasons, I once again hosted a fixture. Just like the previous game at the Sovietdome, this was a 4 handed encounter, with myself (Teddy KGB), Jon, Cameroon and Josh playing. In addition to the prize money on offer for 1st and 2nd, me and Cam had a last-longer bet, in which the first one of us knocked out would have to purchase a copy of the film Rounders on DVD for the other one (Rounders is the best poker-related film, and possibly the best film, ever made. I recommend it!). Anyway, the game got off to an unexpected start, with league table positions reversed as Josh took a surprise chip lead, with myself short stacked. Thankfully (for me) this did not last very long, and after doubling up through Josh with a full house, I gained a large chip lead and knocked Cottingham out soon after. Following this, I managed to get it all in pre-flop against a shortstacked Jonah with AQ, and Jon holding just J9 offsuit. Jon doubled up with a turned straight after i flopped top pair, but was forced all in again around 30 minutes later, once again holding just J9 vs my AK. After a flop containing another two 9s, however, Jon had once again doubled up. He was still shortstacked, but after these two hands Jon was feeling the power of the Jack 9, and went all in again holding J9 of clubs, which i called holding pocket 9s. Bang Bang Bang three clubs hit the flop, which doubled Psychojon up once again to give us reasonably even stacks, and put Cam into a slight chiplead. Justice was done though, when i finally KO'ed Jon, and me and Cameron were once again heads up at my house. Just like the last time, it was a long, drawn out heads up contest, with both players playing good poker. With about a 2:1 chip lead, I put the Tramp all in with a rivered set of Jacks, and Cam insta-called with a full house. Despite the chip lead, Cam could not (predictably) finish it off, and i worked my way back into the chip lead until, 2 and a half hours into the heads up battle, an interesting hand came up. I called cam's preflop raise with 23 offsuit, and the flop came 3-K-J with two hearts. I checked and called Cameron's bet, and again when a 4 hit the turn, after reading Cam's weakness. When the 5 of diamonds hit the river, I checked once again, and Cameron went all in for his remaining chips. After thinking for a while, I eventually called with bottom pair, no kicker, and Cameron tapped the table and turned over 92 for a 9 high, a complete bluff! I had won the money, the league points, but best of all the DVD side bet, retaining my 100% home record. The standings after this, and indeed the current table, are as follows:

This game was played at the end of April, and after a long summer of cash games, and the 2nd Adam Owen Invitational tourney, the FPL will resume shortly. Lets hope things carry on as usual.

"Meester Son of a Beech! Lets play some cards..."-

Teddy KGB, Rounders.

FPL Update - Part 2

Game 6

The 6th game of the FPL was the first New Romney fixture, hosted by a very accommodating Chris Meller. Held towards the end of another bitter winter, the players couldn't wait for something to take their minds off the frostbite and nasty colds. More importantly, Teddy KGB, due to a reason, was unable to attend. This game would be contested by Adam, Cameron, Josh, myself (Jonah) and of course the host.
The game started at a fast but steady pace, with myself, Adam and Cam dominating the play. A bad spot for Josh left him with minimum points and me with a chip lead. Chris was to be the next casualty. His knockout was also won by myself. However, three handed play commenced with no clear chip leader.
However, I found myself in another lucky spot against Cameron, flopping the nut straight against Cameron's wheel. Aggressive pre-flop play disguised my hand and he was crippled, leaving me a big chip leader again. The Tramp soon found himself knocked out at the tentacles of the Squid.
Heads up, battle raged with chips moving towards Adam, but the chip lead remaining in my stack. And then the game finished.
It was an unconventional end to the game but, being cut short before an absolute winner could be declared, a deal was made. It was as follows:

The first place prize was split 7:5 in Jonah's favour.
(2nd place 80+30%= 104, 1st place 100+50%= 150, 2nd place knockout points= 5)
Both players awarded 104 as a base, the additional 51 points split 7:5 = 30:21. The win and the knockout were awarded to Jonah for final table purposes.

Player	Played	Wins	Podiums	Knock- outs	Points /Played	Total Points
Teddy	5	4	5	12	141	706
Adam	6	1	3	4	81	483
Cam	6	0	6	3	78	467
Jon	4	1	4	4	83	333
Chris	3	0	1	0	41	124
Josh	2	0	0	0	30	60
Luca	1	0	0	0	20	20

The FPL is likely to resume shortly and, no doubt, there will be plenty more surprising, humorous, puzzling, and often outrageous stories.

What a beautiful game we play
Seven times as graceful as ballet
Fifteen times as clever as chess
There's even a little fancy dress

FPL Update- Part 1

Due to a number of factors, specifically apathy, the Folkestone Poker League blog has remained unupdated (is that even a word?) since the end of game one. Despite over a year passing since that famous day, only a further 6 games have been played. In that time however, there have been bad beats, suckouts, league members retiring, new members added, distasteful humour, winning, losing, sidebets, and league position changes. In this first update of what's gone on in the last year of the FPL, I will cover games 2-5, in impressively hazy and imprecise detail. Enjoy.

Game 2- 

A full turnout for this game at Luke's was a pleasant surprise, unlike the uncharacteristic lack of food in the Wraight household. Following Chris' lack of notice about Game 1, it was agreed that his points total be doubled in game 2. Chris Meller "Feller" announced his poker debut with an astonishing 6th place out of 6, his 20 points doubled to 40 after he was knocked out by someone or other, this was over a year ago i can't bloody remember. Anyway, Jon "Psychomobil" Hobbs and Adam soon fell afterwards (Once again, i have no idea who knocked them out) followed by Cameron in 3rd. Bollocks I've just realised i could work out the knockouts by looking at the points. Actually i can't be arsed. In any case, I (Ted) had a reasonable chiplead over the host (Socks [Luke]), and a few hands into heads up play, i was dealt pocket aces. I remember this well (amazingly), as i slowplayed them by limping on the button, and smooth-calling luke's raise. He got it all in with top pair on a K-x-x flop, and my AA held up for my 2nd consecutive win! After claiming the majority of the cash (and making some kind of snide, sock-related needle) I left Game 2 atop the FPL Standings:

Standings:

1) Teddy – 350

2) Luke – 169

3) Cameron – 157

4) Jon – 149

5) Adam – 80

6)Chris – 40

Game 3

The 3rd FPL encounter took place at Cameron "STV" Rodger's house, and began in a similar fashion to the previous 2 games, with me in a commanding chip lead. 5 players, all but Chris, attended this fixture, and, following a barbecue lunch break (thank you Cam's mum), Luke was felted in last place (Get in there!). Jon finished 4th soon afterwards, leaving myself with a slender chip lead over Adam "Squid" Owen and Cameron. However, I could not repeat my earlier FPL success, and following a flush over flush cooler with Cam, I was crippled and swiftly knocked out in 3rd. Once again I'm sorry for the lack of detail in regards to knockouts, but thats what happens if you don't update things for over a year. Cameron began heads up play with a small lead over Adam, but the trend of hosts finishing 2nd continued, as Adam (predictably, heads up vs Cam) won for his first FPL victory. Standings after this:

Standings:

1) Teddy – 431

2) Cameron – 255

3)Adam – 230

4) Jon – 189

5) Luke – 189

6) Chris – 40

**Due to an incident involving Luke, Teddy, a sock and Microsoft Annie, Luke left the FPL. After the remaining members celebrated this great achievement, Josh and Luca joined the league to fill Luke’s shoes (Although thankfully not his socks).**

Game 4-

So, with Luke's hilarious, aggressive, and well received departure from the FPL, came the arrival of 2 new faces: Josh "Sheriff of" Cottingham and Luca "Fernandez" Fernandez Warren, who both made their FPL debut in Game 4, once again at the home of Cam. Those 3, me, and Adam played this fixture, and both debutants surpassed all expectations, Luca coming last and Josh 4th out of the 5 participants. I held a commanding chip lead (again) during 3 handed play, with Cam 2nd in chips, and Adam short. Cameron was desperate to get to heads up, and prove his critics wrong by winning a first heads up match in his long poker career, and was delighted to look down at pocket jacks on the button. Seeing a chance to knock Adam out, but not wanting to risk it all in case i woke up to a monster, Cam raised the total of Adam's chips, about 1/3 of Cam's stack. Adam folded his rags, and I looked down to find AK suited on the big blind. Interpreting Dr. Carrot's reluctancy to raise all of his chips, I instantly shoved, putting Cam to a (not very) tough decision for all his chips (easy call). After tanking for upwards of 10 minutes, he agonisingly folded the best hand, and then rabbit hunted, to see that his JJ would've held up, which would've given him the chip lead. Tilted by this hand, Cam's play grew more erratic, with crazy bluffs called down by me and Adam, until Cam, thinking he had Adam covered, announced all in, holding just A3 offsuit. Adam called with (I think) a pocket pair (or a better ace. A 10? Who knows? Certainly not me.) and, astonishingly, produced more chips from behind his glass of  Coke (or Pepsi. Fanta? Who knows? Certainly not me.) which put Cam all in. Adam's hand (whatever the fuck it was) held up, and we were heads up for the first time in FPL history. Getting revenge for the final leg of the old league final table, which had concluded around a week prior to this, I won the heads up after a few hands when my flopped pair of aces held up vs Adam's draws. A 3rd victory for Teddy "KGB" J-S, which cemented my place at the top of the FPL table:

Standings:

1) Teddy – 591

2) Adam – 333

3) Cameron – 319

4) Jon – 189

5) Chris – 40

6) Josh – 40

7) Luca – 20

Game 5-

After crushing previous games, it was now my turn to host an FPL fixture. Only four players made it to the Sovietdome for Game 5, myself, Adam, Chris, and Cam. The stacks were relatively even in the opening hours of the game, until Adam was knocked out by Cameron in a brutal boat over boat hand, with Adam's full house holding A9 no match for Cameron's flopped boat with A10, on a board of A-10-A-x-9. Sick beat. An aggressive, steaming Squid left the game a mere 2 hours after the start, which began a period of dominance by Cameron, holding a big chip lead over me, with Chris attempting to fold his way into the money. Unfortunately for Chris, Cameron did not knock me out, and (after folding his unraised small blind every single rotation) Chris was forced to shove with KQ with only a few big blinds left. It was an easy call for Cam with pocket aces, which held up to give him just over a 2:1 chip lead heads up. Despite being poised for his first ever heads up victory, I would just not give in, and after a grueling 3 hours of heads up play i had regained the chip lead, and eventually won! The final hand was notable as Cam, not for the first or last time against me, bluffed all in with just 10 high! Unluckily for him, I had rivered the nut straight and snap called for my 4th win out of 5, leaving Cam crestfallen. Hahahahahaaaa. Anyway, the FPL Standings after this game were as follows: 

1) Teddy – 706

2) Cameron – 401

3) Adam – 353

4) Jon – 189

5) Chris – 84

6) Josh – 40

7) Luca – 20

I wasn't present for game 6, but Part 2 is coming soon, presented by none other than Jon Hobbs, a man of many talents, among them racewalking, songwriting, aggression, scotch drinking, and creative folding. Oh and poker.