I didn't want to get burned out from travelling before the WSOP, so I was pretty sure I wasn't going to go to Canada for the Heads-up Poker Championship there.  Gavin is good at convincing though, and when travel and lodging are free you ask yourself "why not?"

I'm actually pretty glad i went to Calgary, as it is a real pretty area and the town turned out to be really fun.  Gavin, Hellmuth, Matusow, Flack, Seed, Booth, Mueller, and some other peeps all made it out, so it was a good atmosphere.  Calgary has some fun cowboy bars and clubs and people there are just more down to Earth and down to have a good time, plus it doesn't hurt that all of the girls are 9's+!

All the CPT staff was really friendly and they put on a really good tournament with a great structure.  10k starting chips and best 2 out of 3 matches.  I really think the NBC heads-up championship should have as good a structure, but I do understand that worse structures give the celebrity invitees a chance and it is better for tv.

Well, I made it to the Final heads up match!  My road to the finals was pretty tough, but not as hard as it couldve been.  With all the name players in the field {Flack of course a no-show... as usual loool}, I really didn't play any name player, only Terrance Chan in the sem-finals was someone I had heard of.  A few of my matches were pretty easy, and I really felt good about my reads and about my patience in a lot of different spots.

I was challenged in the match before the money, in probably my toughest match with my toughest opponent, Mike McWhirter.  In the first game I got lucky with AT vs. JJ to survive and came back and won that.  He won the second game though, and in the third game i found myself down to my last 1400 vs. his 18600!  The blinds were still only like 1-2 i think, so I found some room and was able to double up and work my way back up and won!  Close one.

In the finals i was up against a 22 year-old kid named Ben Lablond, he had previously beaten Hellmuth and then Brad Booth in the semi's to get here.  Hellmuth gave me a scouting report and I felt confident going into the match, everything seemed to be falling into place.

In the first game I started to learn some patterns in his game, he was aggressive in spots but would be checking the flop a lot and would also make some loose calls if he felt he had the right read.  I was down to 5k to his 15k after a bit but then made a sick two hand swing: the first hand I raised and he decided to reraise to 2k, I had 99 and was happy to get it all in.  He showed 33 and I had my first double up.  Now even at 10k each I decided to limp the button dark, he raised it up... I looked down at QQ obv and reraised.  He went all in and I had the game won when his 22 couldn't improve against my QQ.  Now I was feeling very confident. Poker News

Long story short, in the second game I picked up some good cards and played well, it was a close game the whole way teetering back and forth.  Blinds got fairly big, probably to 500 1000 i believe, and we played a huge pot for almost all the chips, my AK suited vs. his AJ.  He was unable to improve and I won the massive pot.  He got up to shake my hand, thinking it was over.  He of course, had 800 chips remaining, to my 19200.  I was all smiles now.  First hand he is all in dark of course with like A9 vs. my A2.  Now he's at 1600.  He's all in dark again and doubles up with the worst hand this time.  He pushes the next hand with like Q2 and doubels up through my AJ.  Now he's at like 6400.  We go back and forth a couple times and then he doubles up again to take the chip lead!  What the fuck is going on!  We go back and forth i regain the chip lead he doubles up again.  The last hand he pushes all in I call with AJ he has T5.  I was worried because him and his buddies were wearing shirts that said something along the lines of "Ten 5 Warriors"  With a picture of the hand T5 front and center on the shirt.  Lol how could I win now?  Flop T5x and the match was tied 1-1 now.  Sigh.

The third game we both played well but he won some frustrating pots for me, hands where we both would have flush draws and I would have the nut draw, pretty big pots, and if we both hit the flush I would win the tournament there.  Instead he would river a pair... at least I didn't play those pots all-in.  I was pretty short and the blinds got to 300-600 and higher and it was a pushfest again, I lost the race AT vs. 44 and he had miraculously come back to steal the title.  I was kind of devastated.

It's ok though!  2nd ain't bad, and it gives me confidence for the world series.  Poker's never really fun unless you get 1st!  Well that's not true but sometimes it feels like it.

On the flight home our plane experienced what the captian called "severe turbulence".  It was scary, unexpectedly the plane went from a little shaking to a MASSIVE drop lifting everyone out of there seats... a couple people were hurt that were in the bathroom or didnt have their seatbelt on.  This shit was the worst.  After the flight the captain said it was the worst Turbulence he's seen in his 23 year pilot career.  Ive always been a little worried about flying for some reason and going through that will either make me more fearful or less fearful as I dont think I'll experience taht again.

Meanwhile in L.A. mostly just been kiiicking back and supporthing my Lakers.  We won a nailbiter the first game, then I went to the 2nd game and was having a great time but we fucking lost!  First time I've been to a lakers loss ;(.  That's ok, the Cavs lost so they don't feel invincible anymore.  Until... Lebron!  What a shot!  Honestly one of the most amazing sports moments I've ever seen live.  Just amazing!  I would rather the lakers play an easier team but I really cant wait for a Lakers Cavs series.  

Meanwhile, follow me on TWITTER obv.  Because Twitter is going to destroy blogs anyway.  https://twitter.com/JeffMadsenobv