How I won a FREE trip to Spain

I haven’t had any income since November 2020 but haven’t traveled since February 2020 so when I decided to take a month long trip to Spain, it was quite important to me to try to win from tournaments and cash games while I was there to at least cover part of my costs. Europe isn’t cheap and the costs quickly racked up as I traveled to 7 different cities and not all of them had a poker game. But here’s the final breakdown of my entire trip’s finances.

31 nights hotel (most of them 4 stars)	-€3161.38
Transportation (Flights, trains, buses, taxis, metro)	-€1909.17
Food, Shopping, Souvenirs, Entertainment	-€1311.70
Misc (PCR tests, Sim cards, etc)	-€245.25
Tournament Net result (4 tourneys 2 cashes)	-€280.00
Cash Game Net result (Played 16 days, W14L2)	+€11083.50
Net Total Profit/Loss of the whole trip	+€4176.00
7 cities, 32 days, first trip in almost 2 years	PRICELESS

To be honest I would have been happy with a reasonable cost for the trip but to my pleasant surprise, I made a decent profit also. Most of my cash games were played in Madrid with a few sessions in Valencia. I will do a proper review of each of the locations in separate posts for those interesting in visiting. Madrid offered bigger games but they were much tougher. The table usually consists of 6-7 deep stacked young GTO pros who had no fear. Then there was one fateful day where I was down €2000 on the easier €2/5 game. Before starting the day I was up about €4200 from cash games and one good session I would have broken even for the trip. But suddenly I lost half of my total profit and had only €2800 cash on me. Sure I could sell some of my crypto or use the ATM machine but I really didn’t want to unless I had to, so when I sat down on the €5/10/20 game with €2000 it felt like a big gamble. 

I guess I have to go back to Europe again

I was already super tilted losing hand after hand getting in good on €2/5. Top set vs flush draw, top two vs flush draw, bottom two vs flush draw all these hands were all in on the flop. So when I sat in the big game I knew one big mistake or bad beat I am left with €800 and only 2 more days to chase.

First hand I had A8 off suit I had posted the blind so I completed. Goes to the small blind tough young pro raised to €70 I defend. Flop is AT2r. He cbets €60 I call. Turn 8d. I must give you some context. I just moved tables, they were changing my money for me, and in Madrid, they play anticlockwise. I made a mistake and thought it was my turn and I checked oop planning on check raising. I forgot I was actually in position. He bet €175 I raised to €400 and he snap folded. I tried to apologise with my limited Spanish that I made a mistake and wasn’t angling him. Not sure if he believed me because he started to target my every big blind after that. 

A few hands later I was in the straddle with 82ss. The only fish on the table one passive uncle opens to €60, a few others called, I completed only €40 more. Flop was QT8 one spade. I had bottom pair and a dream I called his cbet. Turn was 7s improving me to a flush draw he bets pretty strong I called. River was As. I bet slightly over pot €550 and he called pretty quickly. Dang I could have bet more I think.

A glimpse of the Gran Via Casino Poker Room

A couple of hands later I was in mid position with A6cc I opened and the second weakest player on the table called. Flop was K66 one club. I cbet he called. Turn was Jc. At this moment I had a very familiar dejavu feeling that I was going to run super good. My dejavu moments are usually much clearer like I would remember very detailed stuff but this time it was more like a familiar feeling I have dreamt before. I checked the turn he checked. River was a blank I over bet pot €200 he tank called.

I was up €1400 in this game by now and feeling much better. So I opened 24dd in the cutoff when folded to me. The aggressive guy defended his small blind and uncle called in the big. Flop was 289dd. Bottom pair and flush draw I decided to cbet. Aggro kid called. Turn was Kd completing my flush and he leads for €300. I decided to trap I called. River unfortunately was another diamond J. And now he leads for €550. In hindsight he doesn’t have many bluffs but because he was so aggressive against me I thought he might. I called and he shows QJ offsuit but one diamond. I said to myself, I guess my dejavu feeling was wrong then. 

At this point I was only left with €300 profit in this game but after a few hands, 99 hit quads, QQ held, straight against uncle I was back up to around €1000 profit. After that hand the uncle left and it seem the game wasn’t worth playing anymore. Couple of pros decided to leave but then two players walked in. One was a rich uncle who wasn’t a strong player. The other player took out a €10000 plaque and suddenly the game became interesting. 

The €10k guy who we will name Mr. 10k from now on was very aggressive. Basically trying to push everyone out of the pot with his chips. I had one hand I defended with A4o. Flop was ace high. He cbet flop and bet very big on turn and I folded. My profit dwindled to now only €400 but I said to myself. Do not play scared. Just play your best and go with your gut. Then came this very important turning point.

I was card dead for a while then I’m in the straddle position with J7hh. Mr. 10k opens to €70 on the sb, in position and haven’t played a hand in a while I defended. Flop was AJ4r. He cbets €70 I call. Turn was a 2. He bets €200 I called thinking he should shut down on river if he doesn’t have an ace. River was a T and he bets €500. Now I lose to KQ and he can value bet a good Ace. The problem is if I made a bad call, I would be stuck €900 or so and would be much harder to come back. But I tanked for a few minutes and made the call. He insta mucked, I showed him I called with second pair in hopes he would not push me around in later hands.

With that call I am now up about €800. A few hands later I had 89ss I opened but got 3bet by the new rich uncle. His stack was €2000. I called oop. Flop was A75 all spades! He cbets I checked raised and to my surprise he reraises. At this point I felt if I reraised again it would look super strong and not wanting to see another spade I thought maybe I pot control and jam a safer turn. So I just called. Turn was a blank and after my line, leading turn feels weird and I can always lead river to represent a missed draw. I checked and to my surprise he bets big committing himself so I jammed and he snaps it off. For a split second I was concerned he might have a higher flush but if so it’s a cooler. River was another blank and I showed my hand. He looks at his hand for a long time without any saying anything and stared at the board. Finally 30 seconds later he mucks. Now I am up almost €3000. That means I have recovered my €2k loss and now up €1k for the day. But I hate people who hit and run and I wasn’t going to be that kind of guy so I played on. 

Only casino I've seen that has €50 and €250 chips

Uncle reloads for another €2k and exactly one orbit later I have 79hh this time. By now we were 5 handed. I open and uncle called in position. Flop comes 763dd I cbet uncle calls. Turn 9 I bet again and to my surprise uncle raised. For some reason I felt that he was super strong so I just flat. River was another 9 and now I have the nuts. Uncle had about €1500 left and I think in order to get it all I have to check raise. Checking with the nuts on the river is not an easy thing to do but can be a super profitable play. He did not disappoint because he overbets the pot to the tune of €500. I tanked then shoved. To his credit he tanked a while before calling with his 85 straight. Such a cooler. 

Now I am up almost €5k I didn’t want them to think I was locking down. I played a few small pots most of them going my way to run my profit to close to €6k. Mr. 10k is now opening €100 instead of the usual €60-70. This time he opens on the button. I am on the sb with two black Aces! I didn’t want to bloat the pot as he was €7500 deep and has no fear. I just flatted and uncle flats. Flop is A69cc. We checked and Mr. 10k cbets €250. I was happy to take down the pot so I checked raise to €1000. Uncle folds and I guess in his spot, my check raise is super huge feels more like a combo draw than the nuts. He reraises to €2500 with only about €5000 behind. I thought it might be a set over set situation or a combo draw like 78cc 9Tcc. I rather get it in now and maybe run it twice. I jammed but he snap folded. I guess my check raise felt bluffy to him and he thought he could rebluff. 

A few orbits later I announced that I would play one more hour till 3:30am. Up and down in the last hour, no notable hands that I remember and ended the session up €8500. Tipped the dealers €110 and ended the day +€6500 or so. Overall I played 16 days of cash games, winning 14 days and losing 2. I felt I played well throughout and Madrid games were much tougher than Valencia, but this session was just pure run good. Very hard not to play well when you run like that. Thanks for reading this far and sharing with me this super hot session. Thanks to those who sent their run good wishes when I was devastated in the €2/5. Thank God for the opportunity and the life I have This wasn’t my biggest win but it probably was the most memorable.