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.