Final Animal Post Of 2006

Assuming i have no internet connection where im staying for the weekend im pretty sure it will be. Havent played at all today but did play 3 or 4 hrs yesterday nearly all on cash. After going down 600$ i finally finished about 600$ up for the day and very happy indeed with such a swing.

Ive done a tally and unless i do play any more (if i do i will edit below) im £6,012 up for the month and also have won a $7,000 offline package (really worth $10,000 on paper). December has become my 4th best months profit since i started and my 2nd best of the year. All bodes well for the future and hopefully i can keep this consistent run going and have a much better Jan-Jun 2007 than i had for Jan-Jun 2006.

Final profit for 2006 comes to £41,173

Happy New Year !!!

6 Monthly / End Of Year Review

A successful year with plenty of experience gained and many ups and downs to ride through.
After only £10,000 profit for the first six months im very pleased to have made in the region of £30,000 in the last six months and it appears my income has become steady now i have found a good combination of cash and tournament play. Not to forget i also have the pokerdome package to play in the new year, 1 in 6 win only for $25,000 + further game(s).

So the list of offline events in the last year i subbed and played in were (buy ins not package value):

February
Deauville EPT - 4,000 euro
Brighton - £100,£150,£300

July
WSOP Main Event - $10,000

November
Caribbean Poker Classic - $6,300


I only cashed in the WSOP but for $20,800. Lifes full of "ifs" but if the AKstd beat the 88 who knows the potential for the rest of that tournament back to above average chips.
I also came very close to a ladbrokes poker million package worth $25,000 which would have got me on sky sports LOL. Close to others but just natural variance and not so big.

My average cash per month made is in the region of £3,500 for the whole year. But splitting this up, the first 6 months it was £1,700, the last 6 it was £5000. Hopefully this bodes well for the coming months. My target set in December last year was £2000-£3000 per month or £24,000 - £36,000 over the year.

Next years target is £36,000 - £48,000.

I must sort out my fitness level having let that slide more in the last year.

I know if i look back i can see i didnt enjoy the game for long periods of time in the last year. Im constantly aware of this and have made adjustments where possible to keep my interest and enjoyment. Hopefully ive currently got a fun combination of games, ive certainly felt a lot more like i did a year ago when ive been playing the last few months in terms of enjoyment. I think the key was to vary the games i play and, if i do enter what i consider to be a bad run, be aware of it and either switch game type or ride the storm. As i get more experienced this has become easier to do and having a rant on this blog never does any harm either.


So for the time being the strategy is:

Keep the same combination of game type going, (includes direct higher buy ins for the last month or 2)
Get a bit fitter
Enjoy

How knows what 2007 will bring and thats the excitement of playing this game full time for a living.


Happy New Year !!!

Obviously final December and yearly profit to come in a few days.

Oh Lucky Me !

Wasnt gonna play tonight after getting up at 8:30am (about 5 hrs earlier than my norm at mo) and going shopping for new laptop as well as other things. So tired when i got home that i slept from 8-10pm and ended up in a value $109 15 players at 10pm which i have won for $960. Plenty of luck involved but i did also play well inbetween. Anyway details below. Ive only played a bit drunk cash yesterday and got tiny bit profit, didnt play at all Xmas day. Basically im winding down for the year now and playing very few select games.

Key hands: Not including steals which there were a fair few of at the final table.

1) 2k starting stack im down to 1800 at 20,40 and call utg or utg+1 with AcKc. Few callers and button makes it 120 which sb calls (he only has 520 total). I comtemplate moving all in but think it will look stronger to put a committing raise of 480 instead. I expect button to fold but he calls and sb is all in also. Flop is KsQc9c and i get the button all in , he has KQ !!!, im still about 40-45% to win the hand but i miss and im crippled on about 200 chips !!!

2) double A9 vs AQ
3) double A8 vs 1010 Still only 1k now !!!

4) having played very tight short stack i go with a AK even though there has been a raise and a reraise. Blinds too big to fold 50,100. Vs QQ and i more than double to 2.1k

5) freeflop 64 and flop of 6h4h2x i lead for 300 into the 400 pot and bb calls, others fold. Turn is Qs and i chk raise all in and get another 400 out of him and he folds.

6) having picked spots well i move to 4-6k never putting my whole stack in jeopardy, although i did defend my bb against a serial button raiser with only middle hands.

7) i then get a bit more agressive around the bubble and my stack increases to chip leader, i then get a key hand with 4 players left as ive been so aggressive. Blinds of 200,400 the button raises to 1200 (playing about 5-6k) and i reraise to 2900 with AK hoping he will think im at it. He does and goes back over the top with A6 and i hold for a massive pot.

8) Last 3 and weak stack is blinding out but i dont want to get committed to his stack so im actually raising the other big stack more often even though he has position on me. I increase my chips and have about 15k vs 10k vs 4k when i raise the sb with 89off to 1200 (200,400). BB calls and on a flop of 932 i bet 2200 which he check raises to 6700. I move in immediately hoping a slim chance he could pass a 9 or a lower pair and he obviously thinks of doing so as he take ages to call his last 3-4k with A9 !!!. I catch a very lucky 8 on the turn and go heads up 26k vs 4k.
That is quickly over when i call a min raise with 87off and he pushes with A5 on a K82 flop.

A Quick Reminder

Of how this game hits right back at you even when you are relaxed and getting well into the game.

I decided to play a value $200 at 3am with 145 players and started well and progressed my 1500 stack to about 2500 at low levels. I'll then list the key hands and review just how lucky/unlucky i was:

1) blinds 25,50 i caller i call with A4std on the button and sb makes it min raise to 100, bb folds.
Flop is A53 and sb bets pot of 350, he only has another 600 left over so if he holds the ace i have outs and if he doesnt obviously its mine so i push in and he calls with A7. I catch a 2 on the turn and im on about 3200 instead of the 1100 i might have been on.

I reraise a couple of pots and steal 1 or 2 others and progress my stack up to about 5k max then:

2) blinds 50,100 a 1500 chippie moves allin with 68std i call with QQ on the button and lose to a straight flush, pot was to have gone 2nd/83 at the time (pays to 18). In about 12th only when i lose that one.

3) blinds of 100,200 and im playing 3500 when button holding a stack of 2800 raises to 600. I move allin in the sb with J4std and he folds, stack now 4500 approx.

4) 2 hands later i raise with JJ in the cutoff to 600 and the sb who has me covered moves allin at the speed of light, i put him on AK and call as i know a big stack could secure a deep place and also he could have AQ or even a lower pocket. he shows AK and i hold to go 1/60

5) holding AQ i reraise a 600 raise to 2000 but he pushes in for 3400 total. I call and vs QQ i lose a huge 7k pot that would have put me 1/50 on 3 times the average chips and about 4k above my nearest rival !!!

6) Im left mid pack again in about 14th which was similar to my stack after the QQ loss above but there are less players left, i decide ill prob tighten up for a bit. But no, the nutter with the only allin move pushes for 3400 when the blinds are 150,300 and ive got AQstd in the sb. I call and im against 9,10off this time but he hits a straight to my flopped pair and i lose another huge 7500 pot leaving me this time, left on only 3000 chips.

7) Next hand on button ive got 55 and move allin but the sb rock that hasnt played a hand decides to commit his last 2k to his 150sb with only K10off and of course hits 2 10s to let me lose another ok sized pot of 4500 leaving me on just over 1000.

8) The very next hand (honest) i pick up AK and there is a short stack of 1k allin and a call and i obviously push and the bb also calls so good value pot if i can hit and get right back in with about 4500. Im up against 2 big chips that chk the whole way through and im looking good until the big chip bets the river 8 which he has trips with. Other short stack had AJ so that river sums that destruction of the tournament up really.


So i crash out in 46th and get a stark reminder of how the cards come back at you straight after a nice package win. Im lucky to have won that package but i certainly wasnt as lucky as i feel the above was unlucky. Anyway rant over im not pissed off because of the result earlier, just gutted. Payouts at the top for this tourney were:
1) 15000$
2) 10000$
3) 6000$


Still, failing a bad run im on for my 2nd best profit month of the year and thats without the package so its a huge month really for me in terms of potential for the future more than anything else.

Xmas Present For Animal

Namely a $7000 pokerdome package to play in Las Vegas. Too knackered for any real details so explain more when i know more about it but basically won the $215 final with 83 players that i had subbed for only 24$ to. Also bubbled in the 40k and cashed in a 750 player 100$k guaranteed but didnt get the help at the crapshoot end. Those were the only 3 i played today. It does seem too easy when you get the luck or hands hold up but i was certainly due a multi win given my recent record. Anyway im glad i subbed for that because i know i definitely would have gone out on the piss tonight if i wasnt forced to play !

Happy Xmas to one and all !!!

................
Later Edit:

Ok i couldnt help looking up the detail, i have no idea when i play but i would guess about 5 to 6 weeks time.

http://www.mansion.com/Content/poker/Poker.aspx?pg=pd&menuItemId=4

Also heres extracts ive copied from Sherwood Poker (Link At Side Of Blog) as he recently played there:

Poker Dome package supposedly worth $7k. Upon further investigation however, it turns out that the Poker Dome tournie has 216 runners and a payout of $2.2m, which is just over $10k per entrant. Not sure why they are advertisng it as a $7k package.

It is in a 6-handed format, with three rounds. Of course if you don't win your first table, you get diddly squat. Win the first table, you get $25k, second table $50k, and the winner of the final table scoops $1 mill. The hospitality package sounds good too - return flights paid for, hotel, $500 casino credit, and more. The format is speed poker - 15 seconds decision time, with the twist of being pot-limit preflop and no-limit post. There is a studio audience, and all players are wired up to heart rate monitors. Should be fun.

A Mixed Week

I havent played as much as i would have liked to so far this week due to having a bit of a sore throat and headache. Still running bad in tournaments towards the end of them and usually losing to some shocking plays. Cash has run ok though especially today where i think i was over $1000 up from just a 2,4$ and a 1.5,3$NL table for several hours play. So much for me in cash is finding the right table and i certainly did that today and really couldnt believe just how bad some of the play was. Good Stuff :))

I know im still under but approaching the £40,000 profit for the year mark. It certainly wont be a failure if i dont reach that by the end of the year, but it would be a nice round figure to enjoy if i do run ok in the last week or so.

Ive already started thinking about targets for next year but ill save them for a 6month/year review post i will write in a week or so.

Sunday Games

Hardly played much at all mainly due to tiredness and mild hangover but also had a pool match in the evening.

So far ive played a $27 (Xmas leaderboard game) 172 player game and i also played a $22 sub qualifier for a $215 multi final next Sunday.

I placed 14th and also got through the satellite. 14th was only worth double the entrance fee , unfortunately i was 1 hand away from going 3rd/13 but AQ vs 66 failed to improve.

Another pool match tommorrow so unlikely to play in any large amount either. I still havent ruled out entering a $215 game at 3am but im tired so i dunno if i will bother. I may target some more satellites for bigger multis next sunday to make it a decent night of multis. I actually dont mind buying into these sort of buy ins now but i know if i have subbed to them i am forced to play them and im also effectively freerolling for any cash place which never hurts.

Whoops Maybe Time To Change

A costly drunk cash session has definitely dented my monthly profit somewhat, i dont think i played that bad i just ran real bad and seemed to get called on nearly every bluff i made buy calling stations with no respect.

Anyway not a stupid amount of money but i will think twice before playing drunk in the future. I guess i was destined to have one of these sessions drunk as ive never lost in so many loose drunk aggressive sessions ive played.

Late Night / Early Morning Update

Just finished 3rd/159 in a $55 3am game for $1670. Not too disappointed but again obviously gutted i didnt manage to win or come 2nd for $3900 or $2500. Was leading it from 20 players down or so and abused the bubble well to get a loose image and then got paid off big when i picked up some hands because of that. Unfortunately the pointless hand4hand at 10 left (already in money) helped to make it a crapshoot on the final table so even though i was 1st/9 i knew the score with expectation and thought 3rd or above was acceptable. I basically sat tight and only played a few hands before there were 6 left then started to gamble again as stacks were level and blinds were high. In the end i had 40-50k compared to the others 80-100k stacks so had to pick some spots and went out K2 vs QQ when i didnt believe the sb had a hand as he was playing his big stack well and probably deserves to win. Shame i didnt spawn the king but hey thats poker :))

Only problem i have now is its 7am and im wide awake, Oops.

GURRR

Bit annoyed, just crashed out of the 12k in 15th for a crap £150 (only 192 entrants thought tonight compared to usual 250-300).

Another total rollercoaster of emotions as i seem to be getting lately, totally drains me and i glad i got this blog to get it out of my system.

Right key hands were:

An early double up 88 vs A7 on a A87 board.
An almost triple up KK vs AQ vs AK for a big pot to go top 3 about 45 minutes in
A loss AKstd vs JJ vs AQ for a huge pot to have gone 1/92, was left weakish 55/92 instead.

Pushed that weak stack well to sustain it before i doubled with 55 vs QJstd terrible call preflop.
That hand was bigger than i thought as i climbed to 10k soon after that 8k pot and then doubled QQ vs 99 preflop (blinds only 200,400 ridiculous call by 99 but i had notes on him and knew he would with exactly that type of hand). Suddenly im top 5 after being in the last 10 for ages with 31 players left !!! (pays to 20)

I then reraise a couple of raises with AQ twice and uncalled climb to 30k and into 2nd place looking good as we approach the bubble.

Then it all goes wrong, a familiar story where the real big payouts are concerned of late.

10 handed ive folded the button and the cut-off the 2 hands before as i dont want to be too agressive and get committed to some medium stack behind me. So i raise next hand to 1800 (600bb) with Q10 off and the guy behind goes allin with only KJstd for 7k (KJstd lol so few hands i would have raised with that were worse than that at this point for the reasons mentioned above). As it is he is v lucky to b ahead and a short stack moves in also with 10,8std for 1800. I call as always i am trying to win and can afford 5k for a pot over 15k, fail to improve although many outs on river :(( and im back to 23k but im actually still 4th/28 at that point. If i had won that pot i was on almost 40k and joint chipleader with a massive stack compared to the average at that point.

I then move in with 10,6off in the sb to block the bb after a 2400 short stack moved all in as i have huge pot odds but again i fail to improve and losing 2400 chips i fail to win the 7300 pot. I also go fairly card dead from here except for an AJstd which i raise in the cut-off only to get reraised allin by 1 of 2 guys at the table covering me. He was bad but i couldnt call my last 16k off when the blinds were only 300,600 as bad players do get hands and it wasnt one of his common moves.

It moves closer to the bubble and again i lose another preflop pot odds hand J4 vs A3 and this knocks me down to just under 10k. I sustain that stack best i can pushing average of once a round but eventually we make the money and playing 11k with 15 players left i push allin with KQ and run into AQ and get no luck. Crippled with 3k left i push allin next hand utg for value with J7 and lose the 3 way pot to 56off.

Summary basically i hit a few coinflips and held up in the big pots early but lost 4 in a row preflop all ins in the end which is too much damage for any tournament. If i folded and played tighter with the 30k stack it could have been a different story but i dont regret any of the moves i made especially given the poor run of cards i had towards and inside the cash.


On another note i had a lovely hand in the £27 8k that basically proves how bad the game has become as some stakes and might as well put it in here.

Its the first hand of the tournament and i get KK in 4th position and raise the 20bb to 100 hoping for 1 mayb 2 caller maximum. I get called by all 3 players to my left and im left cringing knowing im pretty much double or bust if no ace hits the flop.

Flop QsJc7s and rather than go allin 1400 for only a 430 pot i bet 400 to try and let a player hang themselves. Amazingly but worryingly i get flat called by all 3 players (remember blinds are only 10,20 lol) So again im thinking im forced to go allin on the turn and when a 9c comes i know i could be in big trouble but its just unfoldable in a game where the standard is so bad and the pot is now 2030 and i only have 1000 left.

Again amazingly im called by all 3 players 1000 chips and the hands are as follows on a board of:

QsJc7s9c

KK vs A9off (WTF) vs A10off (WTF) vs Ks10s (Lucky fool who should have been raising the flop not flat calling on the biggest draw possible which obviously he caught but wouldnt have seen the river for free if he hadnt)

Classic example of how bad some games have become in my opinion and im not moaning its bodes so well for the future of a poker online pro. :))


Shame about the 12k as i guess a top 3 finish would have put me right up there (maybe top 10) in the Xmas leaderboard promotion but then on the other hand i know i cant play all the remaining games so its not too bad.

Resist The Temptation To Swear (Part 2)

And i wont this time, im absolutely drained from a crazy night of highs and lows. Ive just busted in the 12k in 5th for £860 but im disgusted my luck wasnt better , the standard of the last 6 players was a joke to put it mildly. Ive actually made a nice profit on cash today also so thats the only reason im not swearing. So many hands i could blog about but i pick several mainly at final 2 tables as thats key ones for the real big money.

14 or 15 left blinds not relevant im already in top 3 and i move all in over the top of the tightest player at the tables utg raise expecting a call. I have AA and he has KK and i hold for a pot so push me back into 1st with spare chips.

11 left (well 10 its just gone to but we 5 handed), i have been highly active and already know ive pushed 1 guy off a better hand when i moved allin with bottom pair. I raise (again blinds not too relevant) to 8k. BB moves allin 40k i call with JJ as have over 100k and its a stitch up against QQ. I lose and im back to 5/10 with er 70k.

This is where it got nasty for a bit, i lose 10k in a blind battle. I push all in 60k with Q10 when a short stack has moved in for 10k to block the bb. The short stack has J10 and the board comes AKxQx and im down to 50k. Next UTG calls 2400 so there is over 10k in the pot so i push 50k all in with 88. I get called by a 40k stack only holding AK (this annoyed the heck out of me cos there is no way he would be ahead of the play i made there and i got them in first) and of course he spikes an ace on the river leaving me on 12k.

Basically i thought i destined to go out 10th at this point but i push with KQ and it beats A9 so im back in it all be it 10 x the bb on 30k. I pick spots well and calm down as im still gutted from the above. Basically i sustain that stack until i push with AK and get called by A8 which held up to push me back up again. Again i was patience in an all or nothing way with my chips and it paid off as players dropped off leaving us with 5 left.

Again it gets nasty, i tactically slow played to allow the blinds to go up to 6k as the table was very tight, the big stacks having no idea how to use them (made me cringe). It worked as i got 1 or 2 pushes away uncalled and then got a medium pot with AA and i was back up to 100k 3rd/5 but happy again and freerolling (sort of).

Now 2 times the 2 short stacks double here with the worst hand and its all close again. Then a key hand knocked a stack down to 12k 2 pair vs straight and i looked good for at least 4th again. But NO, the short stack antes down to 10k folding a 3k bb in the first instance (terrible play the pot is more than their stack) then pushes on my sb. I have A3std and decide to block the bb and move in 73k (Im playing to win and the pot is 22k, 4th place only slightly more money than 5th) , im against 74off and lose of course so now im down to 60k. I push next hand with 55 on the button and unbelievably get called by the 24k bb stack holding Q8, yes its a good call but wtf how can he fold a 3k sb holding 12k earlier then commit to Q8 here. Anyway the board sums up my tournament and comes (in order):

Q8658

I knew there was no way i was going to win this tournament at that point. The same guy had overraised with KQ and outdrawn AJ for a massive pot earlier before donking that stack off. It totally summed up my tournament and i know i couldnt have played any better with the luck i had in the end.

Anyway thats me crippled and blinds go up to 8k, i manage to get lucky (YES but its too late as its only for a 60k pot at 8k blinds). The hand was 69off vs A7 in the blinds allin as there was too much in the middle for me to fold.

Then another classic sum up of my night, it folds to the sb on my bb and i have J10off. I quickly text in "go on" and "i go" to entice a push as ive decided im not folding an 8k bb even though i have 50k left. The sb was a tight player but my text must have triggered something cos he pushed with 10,8, yes its christmas i thought. No its not yet, the board comes 2,5,10,2K and we split the pot (How am i not mad writing this LOL).

Thats it apart from 1 last push, i know i need a hand in the sb as my image is too loose to push 60k with any 2 and i get dealt A3. I go allin and the bb calls instantly with K8, the pot is to go back to 3/5 for 130k but of course i go out here. I induce the bad call from my image but there is just no justice some days.

A sick tale from 11 players down but thats poker i guess. £4000 and £2600 to 1st and 2nd and so much luck involved its very disappointing, especially with some of the shocking play i witnessed on that table.

.........................OK cash


One of my better days (so far as cant rule out playing later). Running OK but picking spots well and definitely could not be happier with my decision making. One monster pot to mention for fun.

3,6$NL 9 handed 3 callers and im in the sb with A5 off and top up.

flop 234 (2 hearts) i lead out for 24$ (into 30 less rake pot) and get 1 caller. (flush draw/overpair/trips are his holdings (if 56 i double him).

turn is 9d and i check he bets 48$ and i figure the pot is big enough to shut so i raise a further $200 so he gets no odds on any holding. He pushes all in for er another 150 maybe on top of that and i call.

He shows 99 and an ace on the river seals a 900$ pot for me on a day where i was already nicely up from cash.

Like i said i may play later but over $1400 up from 2,4$NL and 3,6$NL on the day and i only played 1 table in the evening for 3 hours. Earlier session was for 2 hours.

I guess my outburst yesterday worked exactly as intended. That being to help me relax after letting off the steam but also to remind me to put more effort in today which i certainly have done and been rewarded by.

Resist The Temptation To Swear

in the title, *** the rest of the post

what a ****** load a ******** , *** off u stupid ****** game i ****** hate u sometimes , ****** ******** **** ****** ******.

*** the detail 6 tourneys 5 near cash and only cash in 1

massive pots in 2 of them for chip leads or close ****** ******** never run well at end of tournament load of ****

****** dummies taking my money give it back u ******

big payouts possible and i get ****** $100-200$ *** that i spent 4 times that in entries and cash table lower 2 pair vs nxt higher 2 pair earlier

not happy

1 positive i hav a blog to let this ****** steam off i feel calmer already and ive smashed nothing

More Time But No Rewards

Put in a fair days play today in time, mainly on the cash tables. In the end i was only about level on the cash tables but i think i could have run a bit better especially earlier in the day when i took a couple of nasty river beats, but thats all part of the cash game and im getting used to it.

As for multis i lost KK vs A3 for a pot to have probably been about 30/90 in the 12k £55 one and i busted a good stack early in the 8k £27 one when i committed to an AQ, but was against trips. I just think the cryptologic network is against me at the moment and my balance in interpoker has got very low because of this. I also played a $50 game and a $200 game today. The $50 never got going then a muppet reraised my strong raise with 66 and held against my AK. As for the $200 it was long blinds and i played very well but just couldnt get a break in terms of actually hitting or getting any decent cards. I was very active and saw loads of flops or stole loads of blinds but in the end i got overraised by rocks a few times and eventually 88 ran into QQ leaving me crippled and my push with Q7std was no good against JJ. It was probably the best tournament ive played in the last few months where i only finished halfway through the field, about 60/120. I couldnt be happier with my play in it but everyone needs some lucky spots or help somewhere in the game.

Drunk Aggressive Cash Tables

Played a couple of $3,6NL for a few hours and was running bad for a while, made a few big laydowns to nasty hands but had to paid off a few and just didnt seem to get paid on my big ones. I was down $1300 at one point but i recovered and finished only $500 down, which, considering how i was running wasnt too bad a result. I also entered a $215 multi but was on a hellish tight table and never got going A8 running into 99 as the crapshoot blinds caught up with my stack. Still over £2000 up for the month so far but as i said before im gonna enter more larger buy ins than normal this month so it will be interesting to see where i finish at the end of the month.

Mixed Fortunes

After another bad day on cash on Thursday i decided to only play a limited amount on Friday. As it turned out the few hours i played on cash became quite profitable, especially late in the morning when i guess i got paid by 1 or 2 drunk calling stations. Multis on Thursday resulted in further lack of confidence in them and i guess it must have been at least 20 multis without a cash before tonight.

Im been in a funny mood the last few days, i think the weather after the caribbean doesnt help and also the distinct lack of fitness and extra weight ive eaten my way towards. Must do something about that and managed to force a 2 mile run today which is a start anyway.

I again bubbled in the 12k this time finishing 32nd (pays to 30) when my A9 ran into JJ. However before this i had played and run well in a 107 player 109$ game and i ended up finishing 2nd.

Things of note in this tournament were the abuse around the bubble i gave the table stealing 80-90% of pots as i already had a monster stack and i sustained that well. Keys hands of note in the game were:

Blinds of 200,400 i flat call in middle position with AA playing a 4-5k stack, next guy calls, but the sb makes it 1200 and i decide just to call and play slow. The other guy only had 1400 left and amazingly folded so it was heads up going to the flop of 983 (all clubs, i had the ace of clubs). He leads out for 1200 and i flat call (obviously could have played this hand so many different ways). Turn is Jc and he again bets 1200, now i only have 3200 left so push all in and dont get any more action. A bit of an overbet on my part but the pot was big enough there and if he did have trips i wanted him to pay for the river.

Several minutes later the same guy raises my big bling to 1200 and i move all in, which amazingly gets called by A8. My queens held up and i was up to 16k in 1st with 2nd place down on 10k i knew i could get more agressive now. There must have been about 30 players left at this point but once we lost a few more i became ultra agressive around the 18 players bubble and got very little resistance. I climbed to 40k , hitting 1 or 2 pot odds pots or knocking small stacks out.

The next hand got me fuming. With blinds of 300,600 (14 players left) my bb gets raised to 2400 and i move all in 40k with AQ. This is such an obvious fold for a 16k stack (in top 5) holding only A8 but he calls and spikes the 8 for a 35k pot. Unreal i was livid, if that pot held up i had over 40% of the chips in play with 13 players left. That certainly would have been the most dominant chip lead i could ever have had in a poker multi at that stage and i was not happy. Anyway i was still 2nd with 30k and i actually was marginally 1st when we hit the final table of 9. There were 3 other stacks almost my size though and the blinds had increased so i tightened up a lot and let the others knock each other out.

Then the reverse variance (or whatever you want to call it) came with 5 players left when my QQ ran into KK but i hit a full house and shortly after there was 3 of us left with level chips. Again i played tighter than normal as the others looked good for a face off and the cash increase from 3rd was $1000 more and only $1600 more for 1st than 2nd so i if i could cruise into 2nd it would be good. The plan worked but i was left 60k vs 100k heads up. I got back to 80k vs 80k but then lost 1 or 2 pots and was back down to 65k. The blinds increase to 2400 bb so i was looking for a good spot to gamble to try and catch up or take the chip lead when i moved all in 65k over a 12k raise with KJoff i was amazed when i was called by A3off as i had not moved in before that. Still in reasonable shape for a pot to go 133k vs 27k but no help came to either of us on the board and i was happy enough to accept 2nd for $3140 and maybe more importantly a multi cash win.

That pushes my monthly profit up nicely to a point where i can enter a few bigger multis this month and i may even consider moving up cash games stakes if i can put aside an amount affordable to lose.

Is It Really That Bad ?

I dont think my online multi tournament skills have got any better or worse the last few months, main reason being i havent played as many as i used to because of cash games. Now ive played 10 games the last 3 nights from between $27 to $109 or £55 and i cant believe how bad the standard seems to have become. There are so many ridiculous plays, people just dont seem to have a clue what they are doing. The problem with winning in these games is i need to play tighter and thats difficult for me as i like to be in the action where possible. I try to tighten up but just cant resist playing some hands and havent cashed probably as a result so far although i know ive been unlucky in a few.

I bubbled tonight in the £55 multi (282 runners) pays to 30, i pushed with a gamble hand of only 9,10off. Reason being the bb had a similar weak stack so couldnt call without a biggie and there were only 2 players after me covering my stack. I had 5k and the next weak stack called for only 1800 then a big stack decides AJoff is good (which it wasnt as the other guy had 77) but i just dont understand the call, he could so easily be dominated. They see AJ, they call its as simple as that, no thought process into the fact it could be miles behind. Thats just an example of what i saw many times tonight, couldnt believe some of the stuff but i guess its encouraging for the long term money making. I need to work on being more patient for sure and adjust my techinique accordingly to maximise profits if i carry on playing these sort of games.

Cash unsuccessful today but not a big loss and i suppose had to be expected after yesterday.

Best Day On Cash Tables ?

Quite possibly, although i never remember daily profits, im pretty sure the $2150 profit ive made today is for sure. The bit that makes it the best day is that its mainly from only 2 tables of 2,4$ NL with a small % from 3,6$ NL also. I did play 3 tables for a while but i also only had 1 table going some of the time. On average i played 2 tables for an estimate of maybe 7 hours give or take a bit so given the stakes its a rare result.

Interestingly enough i wasnt hitting any more flops than usual, i just hardly made any mistakes and every time i got my chips in ahead in a big pot ahead it held up. On average i probably would have expected a couple of outdraws and be moaning about them so its very nice for a change.

Ive played 6 tournaments since my return and have no cashes busting out early in 5 of them in exactly to the sort of hands im happy to bust on, basically stitch ups or fools getting lucky. Not a problem if cash sustains itself.

Another thing i cant help noticing is when i returned from Vegas in August i had one of my best 2 weeks of poker in the year so i cant help thinking having a rest away from the online game is only a good thing for me when im forced into it as im itching to get back on when i return.

CPC Review

POKER:
Main Event - Very Poor
Other Multis & Stts - Very Good

As the main event was effectively a freeroll i think i am able to calculate i paid $220x2+$330+$100x3+$110x2 = $1070 for side multis/stts
and cashed for $1590+$540+$220 = $2350

giving a overall profit of $1280 from live poker on the trip. I will take some expenses out and probably include say $1000 in Decembers profits, its all a bonus as i intended to spend the $1500 i took out there but came back with roughly $2500 in my pocket.

OTHER GAMBLING:
About level on slots , only played for a small while anyway.
-25$ on roulette on 1 spin only.

TRAVEL:
Taking my car to the airport made life a bit easier especially on the way up there and i certainly will do this again. Unfortunately without going into detail the flights were a nightmare with chunky delays on the way out followed by huge ones on the way back. It actually took me 24 hours from leaving to hotel to getting home (and that doesnt include the fact i checked out 3 hours before i left the hotel).

SERVICE:
If i had paid to stay in this hotel i would have gone nuts but i laughed off the ridiculous standards of service and saw the funny side of just how bad it was. Could put so much in here but the top 3 had to be- Arriving to a dirty room - Ordering a drink at the pool bar and signing for it only to be told they would be right back to actually pour it , did they return ? , er no :) - The night cafe serving chap, you had to tell him your order twice as you were guaranteed a total blank expression the first time as if he was saying why the *** are you ordering food from me.

FOOD:
Mostly good to very good (excellent in the seafood restaurant) but a pizza shack without chillis as a topping and the 2 nights i asked for a caesar salad they had sold out. Also sometimes some drinks were unavailable that surely should be fully stocked at all times. Also worth a mention is the "Bastard Fish Burger" Azimut found on an otherwise normal menu off resort, god knows why its called that, i guess we should have got one to see.

WEATHER:
Lovely, knew there would be a wind some days so it didnt bother me at all.

PEOPLE:
Met some new people and got to know some old faces better too, always nice to put some online names to faces and im sure ill bump into a few at the tables.

------------------------------------------

Final Notes (For Future Reference):
Drive to airport prior to a flight to a big event
Consider a hotel prior to flight if my body clock isnt too late to make proper use of it
Consider arriving a day or 2 before the first day of play of the main event if that isnt part of the package
Dont overplay big pairs early levels in big offline multis, ultra caution next event, rock up if uncomfortable for a level or 2
Only play live smaller warm up event(s) for fun or for small practice for main event
Buy/Take a laptop in future
Relax more before a main event (i know something wasnt right the first few days out there but cant quite put my finger on it)
Look at flexible flights for non exotic locations as option to go home early after busting

At this time im shattered so i may adjust the above or add to it if i think of anything else in the next few days. If there is a cpc next year i will target it but i will have to wait to see on that one. If not ill maybe look for something similar to break up the autumn/winter weather and double as a holiday as this event certainly does.

As for the next offline event, at this time i have no desire so ill probably only stick to sub qualifers or finals with value. Even the WSOP may not be possible if they stick to the no online qualifers stance which isnt 100% confirmed yet but could happen.

Land & Sea

1 hour left before i leave for the airport and a fairly long flight. Hopefully i will get some sleep on the way back, im certainly tired enough. Last night i got a second wind at midnight and ended up staying up until 4am playing stts and having a few beers. Ive certainly enjoyed the last few days as a proper holiday after the crash out of the main event. Ill do some sort of cpc review when i get home but overall its been a great experience again. There is some doubt as to whether it will run next year which would be a shame as i certainly would target a return next year.

Back To Reality

It took me about 24 hours to get over my main event exit and properly relax again. Ive now just been enjoying the few days as a holiday and im a lot more relaxed than ive been for a long while.

I did play 1 more multi, that being a $330 NL 137 runners. Could have easily won it with a bit of luck at the final table but the crapshoot blinds meant i was forced to push regardless of cards a couple of times. Eventually i reluctantly stuck my last chips in knowing i was calling a tight guys raise (blinds were just to big to fold) with 77 only to run into 88 and crash out in 7th for $1590. The prizes were very top heavy so only 3rd or above was any decent money relative to the buy in. Anyway that covers my buy ins out here plus a tiny profit so it as nice to get something back. The worst thing about it was it took 9 hours to finish 7th, a tidy reminder to stick to big buy in offline events only. 10 hours it took for the whole game to complete !!!

Anyway flight leaves tommorrow at 6pm, hopefully without as many delays as the way over but as long as i get some sleep on the plane i dont mind. think i managed 1.5-2hrs on the way out so try and beat that :)

Short & Sweet, Rough & Smooth

As i write this i am at what is definitely my lowest feeling in poker to date. I didnt think i would feel worse this year than busting out of the WSOP main event but im mad with myself, my play, my preparation and my attitude to the game today. Basically im absolutely livid.

I lasted just over 2 levels when i bust my whole stack (less 25 chips) overplaying aces on the last hand before the break. Bust pot is as follows:

I raise to 400 (50,100) mid late position and get caller on button and in the big blind. Flop is 9d10dxx and i bet 900 which is reraised by the bb to 2400 (yes i know i should have folded there). The bb has been in more pots than anyone and i make a decision that he doesnt have better than a draw or a pair and flat call, almost certain to move in on the turn. The turn is a Kx and i am stubborn enough to stay with it despite his 3400 bet and move in. He shows 9,10 for 2 pair and i fail to improve and am left on 25 chips. Get that to 300 after the break then exit A4 vs AJ.

I never felt comfortable at the table and for some reason i just didnt have my head on today. I know im so mad mainly because ive gone out on a stupid hand which for a player of my standard is just not good enough. Anyway i will take the positives from this, that being the lesson not to overplay big pairs in early levels in big events. I also think i sub consiciously put pressure on myself in this event because of my good record to date in big games. I know i play better when im relaxed and feel like im freerolling with any win is a bonus attitude. Hopefully this feeling will not last too long as i can now have a few days holiday.

Other hands maybe worth a mention, well not really but ill stick em in anyway.

Blinds 25,50 i make it 200 utg with QQ. Flop is AJ8 and i bet 300 which is raised to 800, i put the guy on trips bare ace or AJ and peel off another card as i know potential to bust him is huge if a queen should come. Turn is a 10 giving me additional outs and he bets only 600 pricing me in which i call but miss and fold to a 1600 river bet.

Blinds 50,100 i call a utg raise of 300 with QQ. Flop Qh9hQx chk chk. Turn is a blank but i bet the quads to try and make the hand look weaker and he calls my 275 bet. River is a Jx and i check putting him on AK or a failed draw. I believe i was right as he bet 700 very weakly into the pot and i raised to 2500 before he folded so i was happy with the chips i got from that hand.

Blinds 50,100 i raise to 300 with KK and get 3 callers, flop is 975 and i bet 1100 to which all fold.

Er thats about it for any ok sized pots, anything else was just minimal pots. So i floated between 12000 and 16000 before that stupid pot.

So thats 4 big event multis ive played to date and 1 big event sixpac heat. Its still a good record to have cashed in 2 out of the 5 and hopefully i can look forward to the future and forget most of this in a hurry.

CPC Main Event

Drawn seat 1 table 12. Starts in 40 minutes. Looking forward to it as all other poker so far has been crapshoots. a few $100 stts and a couple of $200 multis which werent too interesting.

Got way too drunk day before yesterday and all day in bed yesterday as a result. Anyway im raring to go now, we play 10 levels of 50 minutes today so hopefully it will be a long day.

Other activities so far include:

Too much food
Too much drink
Day by pool
Day on catarmaran
Interviewed by Norman Pace for TV (of Hale & Pace)
Welcome party
Interpoker party

OK time for a few last minute nerves and hopefully another big poker day. No idea on stategy, will decide when i see type of table i have. I reckon maybe half the field will exit day 1 so a target of 30,000 chips at end of today is probably realistic.

The Return To St Kitts For The Caribbean Poker Classic Starts Here

I leave in about 14 hours and cant wait. Im almost packed and looking forward to what will hopefully be another great poker adventure. With a buy in of $6300 and $3500 extra in the package for the all inclusive holiday ive been looking forward to my return.

Targets are really similar to any other big event ive played. First to have a good time, hopefully go deep and get another good chance of cashing. As this is my first return to an event ive played before (and done well in before finishing 13th/252) it would be easy to get carried away and be looking to beat last years position. Obviously this will be the case if i make the cash but at the end of the day im never looking at 13th in any multi, im either looking at cashing in it or winning it as this attitude has got me where i am today.

Ive read back over my WSOP blog entries and hopefully this will remind me of what it takes in these games to get somewhere with or without a fair share of cards, where to take risks, and where to make huge calls if my instinct feels right.

With a 50 minute blind level i will look to get more involved in the first few levels so an early exit is always possible. As ive said before i couldnt care less if i was first out, its much better than going a day or 2 into the event for no money (although experience gained can be useful). Whatever happens it will be interesting to see how it pans out and i will try and update my blog whenever possible.

I expect to play 1 or 2 warm up multis similar to last year. The $200NL and $300NL are the most likely ones on the first 2 days but i will decide when im out there. The good thing about those 2 is there is then a 2 day gap before the main event starts to basically just chill out. STTs for fun with a few drinks are bound to be on the agenda also.

Anyway it all starts here !!!

November Review

Another successful month with a final profit of £4788 in total. This was mainly due to winning a 2nd CPC seat (although a deal was done so i got $7800 cash). I also received cash for my 1% share in laddies poker which turned out to be £910 in the end, a tidy sum. I more than held my own in the games i did play although i did get a bit lazy after such a early win in the month. A good warm up for St Kitts in such a short month for online play and as mentioned prior St Kitts cash will be represented in December's profit if there is any.

No December targets, i guess i will see what my head is like when i return from St Kitts and take it from there. CPC targets in next post.

Semi-Drunk Cash And Table Image

Seeing as i dont post about cash much i thought i might as well include a couple of pots from the last couple hours play on 3,6$ NL, all 6 handed.

I was over $100 down with nothing happening and slightly pissed still so i decided i would probably stop within 20-30 hands to limit the damage. With this in mind i decided to reraise an $18 raise utg on the button which has also been flat called by utg+1 both playing good stacks so by no means committed. I went to $63 and all folded and i showed 72off hoping i would get a big hand in the hole or on the board before i leave the table with a much bigger chance of getting paid off.

Im pleased to say it actually worked for once, again im on the button probably 18 or 24 hands later and get AA. utg+1 makes it 30$ and i reraise to $75 (the same 45$ raise as before). sb moves in for $185 (with 99) and utg+1 goes all in $375 (AKstd) to try and shut me out and i was pleased to see a blank board for a nice pot.

That took me from $100-150 down to $400 up and i stopped for a break before returning and making another $200. Actually one of my best sessions for the month (given the small time i played) without a doubt and that will help keep the tidy monthly profit balance up.

This was my first poker for over 40 hours, i just havent been interested with the CPC so close and have found other things to do.

Dunno if i will play tommorrow, i need to pack but either way i will post a final monthly profit for November on here before i depart at about 3:30pm on Thursday (if on schedule). Any winnings (or major losses !) in St Kitts will go into Decembers figures.

Same MTT Story

Just isn't happening on the big important pots lately.

$109 game tonight, hit some nice pots early and only had my stack in danger once until the last 18 of the 90 players that entered ($5000 added).

That pot was a blind battle. 75,150 i raise to 450 in the sb with A5 flop is 952 i lead out for 600 and big stack bb puts me all in. I have enough 2500 or so so its a tough spot but i decide to go with it as a lot of players push without the 9 there. He shows AQ and i hold for a big pot to go 1/39.

18 left i lose AK vs 77 to have gone 7/14 (pays to 9)
then i double with A10 vs A3 before again losing to 77, this time with QJ for a pot to go 6/13. It had become a crapshoot but its disappointing to lose 2 x 50/50s to almost ensure a cash payout.


On to the next 100$ game, this one made me mad. I was playing fairly loose agressive from the start and had built my stack up nicely more with bluffs or semi bluffs than cards.

Anyway middle position raises 200bb to 600 and i decide to flat call in the sb with KQstd. bb moves in for another 800 more which the middle raiser only flat calls (so he cant be too strong or would have raised). Flop is Q9x with 2 clubs and the pot is big enough (3500) so i move in for 2500 to block any draw or mid pair. The raiser has 8c5c and calls for all his chips anyway, the all in short stack show AcKc so im actually not in too bad a state with regards to the flush. Despite that it still comes club club and im left on about 300 chips instead of 8.5-9k. That was to have gone chip leader 1/70 (100 entrants with $5000 added also).

I did cover my buy ins playing 1,2$ omaha on a terrible table but i think im itching for a bit of live tourney play, online mtts just arent satisfying me at the moment


Did play another 100$ game but lost interest after the 2 above although did have a huge pot 99 vs 1010 where the chip went in on a 742 board. I had been playing so loose i had to commit to his stack as he was dumb and easily could have just held the 7. Anyway hands the other way round and i win, just one of those pots.

Latest FTOPS + Other

Other being done ok on cash couple hours ago, hopefully luck has changed there as so far ive had a good day profit wise.

Also just busted a $55 2am weekly bounty game (which i get refunded with promotion through Doyles Poker, see the raketherake site link and please refer to my name and a/c number if you join up through them) with 748 runners, i went out 156th (pays to 81) on a 50/50 but not for a significant pot. I also lost 55 vs 10,8 against a weak stack just before that which resulted in my downfall in the end. I had held on 1 or 2 other pots so i cant moan that much, luck was level for the tournament overall.

On to FTOPS , again ive took a agressive stance and as is the norm it only works to a certain extent. I built my 3k stack up well to almost 8k when i lost this pot.

Raise in the cut off after no limpers with 6c3c to 360 (bb=120). Just the bb calls and flop is AcQcQx. I decide to check (obviously i often bet here but i wanted to see the turn and in pot limit you are more likely to get reraised imo, also i wasnt ruling out a semi bluff on the turn which would look stronger than a continuation bet if i missed). Turn is blank and bb bets 350ish into the 800 bet. I decide to raise and do so to 1000. He flat calls so im pretty sure he has a weak ace at best but also likely worse(eg a middle pp). I miss and he checks, he only has 2600 left and i feel a bet for his whole stack would look weaker so i bet 1800 , he thinks for ages and eventually calls with A2, gutted. That put me back to 5k and i decided to tighten up a bit but try and retain my loose image for a little longer if possible in case i hit a hand.

Then i dunno 10 maybe 20 minutes later this hand occurs at 100,200. Im playing a 5k ish stack at the time on the button.

UTG makes a single raise and table loose dummy (a lot looser than me and also a lot dumber) flat calls in mid position. I decide not to go mad and just flat call the 400.

On a flop of AdKd4h utg bets 900 into the 1500 pot and dummy calls, im happy to go all in here as im only behind a set or AK and reraise pot which is basically all in about 4k. UTG folds but table dummy puts me all in for my last 400 and shows Ah10h, perfect i think no split pot please.

Turn is a low h giving him any heart or 10 to knock me out and a 10 hits the river and im out. Apologies if u get chat banned Mark but i couldnt hold back and put in "f off dummy" in the chat box :((

This was a $200 Pol limit game with 1005 entrants. I finished 495th. Heres the nasty bit, the pot i bust on would have put me 45th/495 at the time (pays to 153), a big advantage in such a tight game. Im not normally a fan of PL but apart from the bluff that failed (which i dont regret) i was very happy with my loose agressive play and its a shame i didnt get more table time in this one. Im full of coffee tonight and its 4am and im wide awake and was looking forward to more of that game.

Just hope Mark gets better luck on his final table in Singapore, im sure he would prefer it to me getting it in this :) for a 33% share.

Finally A Bit Of Luck

Or just better than normal anyway. Hit couple sets and stuff and got some cash back on 3,6$NL.

As for tournaments. Went out on pot to go 40/112 (pays to 63) in the 511 player 18$ rebuy. Board was 10d5x2d and i held Ad5d so went all in to take the pot there and then but a Q10off couldnt resist calling even though i bet 4 times the pot and it was an unraised pot. Knew i was only marginal favourite so didnt want a call but not a bad spot if i was called as i got them in first.

Anyway GL to Mark Whent on the final table of the Betfair Singapore main event. Apparently he has doubled through countless times all against Tony G. Lying in 8th/10 at moment and guaranteed a nice payoff, 20-450$k. I guess my FTOPS results wont matter so much to him now lol, but they matter to me !!!

I Wasnt Gonna Play

And i wish i hadnt friggen bothered. Basically i found other things to do all day and didnt play for a 24 hours period then i figured i would play for up to an hour just before i hit the sack at 5am as seems the norm at the moment.

Again i would describe the session as fairly faultless. I know im at the top of my game at moment, but the gods just aint smiling. I have an excellent read for the game and i know rewards will come if i carry on playing like i am.

So on to the session to blog it out of my system ...again. :(

Finished $220 down for the 50 minutes play on 2,4$ and 3,6$NL. 2 Key Pots:

1) Preflop All In on 3,6 , i got the chips in first, i even typed in the chat box i had KK to try and discourage 1 or both of the callers that had put half their stacks in already. No of course they call and its KK vs JJ vs AKoff and of course the jack comes on the river for approx. a $550 pot.
Pissed me off more because the JJ player had been playing so tight, i knew they had AA QQ or JJ when they reraised me preflop (unlikely AA cos they bet too much) and of course the worst player gets the luck. Seems the norm of late unfortunately.

2) Preflop All In on 3,6 , i raise with AK gets called and another moves all in for $100-110.
AK vs AQ and of course the queen is the first card out of the pack and i fail to improve for approx. a $220 pot.......ie level for the session if that held.


These sort of runs are becoming easier to take with the experience ive gained in the last month or 2 but they sure are nasty, especially when they come day after day without a really good one inbetween. Also being up for the month does make it easier but maybe i should stick to 2,4$ as my luck at the 3,6$ is horrendous to say the least.

FTOPS Summary

Never really got going, played agressive from the start but lost half my 3k stack early.
Gradually built that stack back up to a peak of 3500 with plenty of missed flops by being agressive but lost a chunk (1k mayb) when i called a river bet on a Q43JQ with 77 but the preflop caller had J9 and i never recovered, slipping to 2k there.
Saying that the exit pot was another to add to todays collection, i had tightened up a little as the blinds had increased and details are as follows:

Raise on the button to 240 (40,80) with KJoff and just the sb calls.
Flop is K9x , chk i bet 333 which is flat called.
Turn is a blank, chk to me i take ages to try and look a bit desperate or weak (i dont use that tactic enough online i think) then push all in for 1000-1200 which is called by K9std.

Great i understand the preflop call but its dumb in my opinion to flat call a shortish stacks preflop raise with K9, any other king high board and i double, obviously i missed the river and lost the 3-3500 pot anyway. Anyway 1086th/1596 for the record.

Only 2 more of the FTOPS left, Thursday at 2am $200 and Sunday 11pm $500. Will do my best as always guys but just wasnt happening anywhere today or yesterday in the poker world for me (although so close to the TV, see other post)

Even Dafter Than Yesterday I Think

Oh where to start.......

Just crashed out of betfair added game where 1st place gave a 42inch TV, i finished 5th. About 200 ish entrants.
So many hands i could discuss but i havent got the energy, basically my luck completely let me down from 20 players down. Lost every pot odds call when behind and lost a couple of big pots when dominating the other player. I was card dead from 50 players down but at that time i was chip leader and was still able to conserve and build a stack with agressive play. I stayed within the top 3 players until the final table , the majority of the time being chip leader or 2nd place. I know i couldnt have played much better but it did become a crapshoot on the final table and my exit pot summed my whole day up so far.

150k all in with AK , called by AJ and flop is AJx. Even that pot would have put me joint 1st with 2 others and 2 weak stacks but you have to hit some cards to win these things and my "fair" share was just not there despite not needing to rely on it until the final table. I also lost AQ vs AJ at the final table to have gone 1/7 when i was middle stacked and the blinds werent quite so high.

Money was crap, it was the TV i was after but a do get a PSP for finishing in the top 9 and $160 from a $10 buy in so it could be worse and i guess its all warm up practice for St Kitts.


Ok moving on to the rest of the nightmare....

Steady cash tables made me $200 up in the afternoon but i returned this evening and heres a couple of examples, the first is just variance but the second one just takes the piss:

2,4$NL 1st hand of the evening im in the bb obviously and get 66. sb makes it 10$ in total and i take a flop of Q64. He bet, i raise, he call, turn = blank 10. i bet he all in i call he has QQ and bye to $200 1st hand of the night !!!

Later on 3,6$ a free sb top up with Kc8c sees a flop 4 handed of 9c8x3c. I bet 12 , utg (who is a huge loose dummy) makes it 105$ with a mass overbet. I think im over 50% favourite (or a lot more) against this nutcase so i move all in for $400 in total. He thinks and calls with 76off and of course hits a 5 on the turn and i miss any club saver. Defintely the biggest pot beat ive had for weeks but the horrendous play just made it so much harder to take. Was about a $850 pot and when this guy calls $300 more into the $550 pot he is only a 20% dog to win.

Anyway its a strange day overall because im down only about $150 on cash and obviously the tourney small win above currently covers this. I will probably venture back onto the cash tables at 2am when the next FTOPS on Full Tilt starts which i have a 33% freeroll in. 200$ six seater $250,000 guaranteed. My play for the day has been top notch so far, i only recall 1 reckless semi gamble move when i moved in with QQ on a KJ10 board on a cash table but the other guy had KKK and i missed. It wasnt even that bad a move as i had outs if i was wrong but if he had AJ or lower then i would have got a fold for sure and he wasnt deep stacked, but just enough that he would have folded.

OK That Deserves A New Post

Im still in shock, so ridiculous dunno whether to laugh or cry.

Double that stack up to 2k with A rag vs Q8 hitting ace on turn when committed in bb.
Lose 1k on a king high free sb with shit loads of callers. I have K2 which was good getting 2 callers on each street until flush comes on river. (That would have put me to a 3500-4k stack)

So down to 1k and what happens, well i think its my biggest hand to be beaten in holdem limit or no limit. I know ive seen higher and had higher beats in omaha but pretty sure my personal biggest beat in holdem for sure.

Basically button raises to 300, im only on 900 and reraise obviously gonna commit to any board so betting is irrelevant.

I have KQoff , board comes Kx9c9x. Chips go in and im up against 10cJc. Turn is Qc and the river is Kc. LOL i lost with Kings full of Queens to a Straight Flush, Nice.

I think i can safely say my name was not on any cash in that tournament. Thx Mark/Luke for the reminder of how limit is only to be played very rarely for fun purposes if thats possible.


On another note i busted more cash while this was going on and i can safely say this is worst day ive had in poker for 3 - 4 weeks in the end.

Blllx

Just loading this up in a good mood , steady all night although no good in a few tourneys.

Then this happens

9 handed 2,4$ NL utg raises to 20$ 1 caller, im in bb with 22 and call, flop is K42 with 2 hearts, chk raiser bets 32 caller folds and i raise to 80$ making the pot 200$ when he flat calls. There is no way i lay down this hand now and im prob all in or close on the turn and hope he has a king or AA in the hole. Turn is Qh and im all in 200$ for a $200 pot, he calls with 8h9h wtf ??? utg raise 9 handed to 20 jesus, crazy but i still have outs but miss and now im down for the day.

Anyway reason for logging was just to put an update on here on the FTOPS on full tilt for my investors.

3k starting stack missed every draw so far (4 or 5 in total) , 1 draw rivered against me for a medium pot. Was as low as 1800 but currently 2300 after 1 hours play.

Correction just gonna shut and missed with AQstd after break, down to 2k :(


OH dear further update (only a few mins after last one)

Fuking joke have to give u investors full details so you can know just how bad im running in this.

Early 100 call i raise to 200 on button with KK and get bb and caller calling.
Flop 10,6,5 rainbow chk to me 100 called by bb only.
Turn = 9 giving 2 diamonds, chk me 200 he call.
River = J diamonds he bets 200, i call and he shows Jc9c

Jc9c R u kidding me, i restrained from swearing as i didnt wanna get u chat banned Mark and believe me that was difficult. Im now left on 900 chips with bb at 120, i wont update any further unless there is a comeback, ridiculous.

Sunday Updates

Well yesterday first, played 1 game $154 CPC shootout and was unsuccessful at the first hurdle. A little cash also only about level.

Today i've played my raketherake freeroll which was a 1 in 5 chance of $4000 cash (with 31 runners) but unfortunately i pumped the wrong pots early on and crashed out, it was a very tight fairly good standard game so im not too bothered anyway and a big stack early would have been a massive advantage.

I also played another $154 CPC shootout, again the standard in the 1st level was good (apart from the heads up guy, see below) but i played very well, especially 3 handed to build up a 6k vs 2k heads up lead. I then lost 2nd best 2 pair vs top 2 pair on only the turn card (cheers for that) to go back to level and the other guy chased in a nasty (fairly dumb call) gutshot which he hit on the turn of course to cost me another 2k. I threw the chips in then and of course got the luck then to double up 50/50 (tooooo late) before losing another chunk when he calls my 2xbb A5 raise with 75off and bets 800 on a 763 flop and showed the cards when i folded. So basically this guy hit everything apart from a survival 50/50 by me, i ended up losing a 10,5off vs K9off preflop which he called at the last micro second from my overraise (very surprised he called but he had no idea so maybe it aint that surprising). Pot was to have gone 6k vs 2k again so was in with a chance still but the board failed to help and i was again out at the first hurdle.

Thats the end of cpc subs now as its too close to the event so ill have to find other targets in the future !

Still in a $36 rebuy 90th/250 left (860 entrants) on just over average chips. Also have a $200 game later that i have to play for a mate which i get 33% of any cash for free.

Update to follow later i expect.............

................Late Update

Busted out of bl sq shortly after last blog entry, i went all in after a short stack had moved in in front of me. I had 88, the short stack had 99, unfortunately for me a guy that had me covered behind had KK !!!.

They happen , if i had got lucky i was i was 18th/220 if i fluked that pot but not to be.

Full Tilt $200 has started well but that doesnt mean much in a 3010 player multi !!!


................Later Update

No joy i finished exactly 1000th/3010 (paid to 459) in the end on a 22 vs AJstd coinflip.
After a good start to move my 3k stack to 9k hitting some nice hands i just missed everything at got overraised preflop 3 times running with the only semi decent hands seen in the last hour or so. Twice i let it go , although one was tempting, and the other time i had Q10std vs AJoff for a 5k pot that lost leaving me with a 5k stack at that point.

Thats the first time ive played Full Tilt and i have to say the structure isnt bad and the graphics are very easy to use, i must sort out a rake a/c and start playing myself sometime before the end of the year for sure.

£910 More Profit Without Playing

Final payout for 1% in "laddies poker" the racehorse, not bad at all and im sure i will try and get a share in the next one for the fun element also. Anyway im too ill to carry on blogging so the posts stop here for today.

Drunk, Hungover And A Reference To Dean Troop

OH dear im still pisseeeeeeed as a fart and its 1pm the next day, i also i have a monster animal hangover and struggling to keep any fluids down. Thats it i ban myself from drink for 2 weeks until i land in st kittssssssssssssssss.

On the plus side i made $200 from poker last night playing 2 x $3,6 NL , on the negative side i dont remember playing a hand so in theory i could have bust shit loads.

Dean Troop (Q3off) slept in a field , and i thought i was drunk !!!

Anything But Poker ?

Following on from the last post ive still hardly played this week. I reckon maybe about 5 hours in total in the last 5 days. I did play a 55$ and 109$ tournament last night but got nowhere in the loose (as hell) $50 game and lost a fairly big pot AK vs QQ in the $100 one. I will be playing more next week as i have some value games targeted. Only 2 weeks from St Kitts so its more important i play a few more multis i guess, and i will do this as long as im in a patient mood.

So what have i been doing of late. Golf, snooker, badminton, pool, running and looks like im building up to a piss up later tonight :) , maybe the last one before St Kitts but im not sure about that yet !

Lazy & Lack Of Motivation To Play Times

I suppose i should have expected it, after a decent win so early in the month ive gone into one of my "i cant be assed to play" moods. It will be interesting to see how long it lasts but at the moment i just have little desire so my play will be limited to any value games that i do actually fancy. Ive spent well over an hour tonight looking at new sites for other decent offline packages that could be worth targeting to increase my interest. There are 1 or 2 but nothing really that exciting to target loads of subs to really. Most of them only have finals when im away in St Kitts anyway so there isnt that many to choose from.

More Detail And Latest Milestone

Appears that was my 4th biggest cash win last night and it also has taken my cash profit from poker to over £100,000 in exactly 2 years since i started keeping details of earnings. With a CPC package and some cash (£800) from the sale of the horse still to come also.

I didnt play particularly well last night, it was a very tight game and whilst i did up gears at the right time i had to survive a few hands to make it to the winning post.

1) 9 left blinds 50,100 i flat call with AA and check raise all in on a king high board, KJ calls and i hold up.

2) 4 left blinds 100,200 55 vs AJ preflop when i was out if i lost but i became chipleader when i hit.

3) 3 left blinds 150,300 K4std vs 33 preflop when i was out if i lost but again i was marginally chipleader when i hit

I did lose AJ vs KK preflop when i was chipleader of 4 players but i had pot odds when i got reraised and more so because i still had an average stack when i lost and it was a win only game. If i hit i was on a monster stack 3 handed with 60% chips in play.

In the end i guess i picked my spots well and i probably played better than i thought but the variance of luck had to be in someones favour and it was mine in that tourney even if it wasnt massive bits of luck.

So many good games listed for tonight but im playing pool and thats probably a good thing as i dont really feel up to playing much today anyway.

The Strangest Way To Win Part Of A CPC Package

This is crazy and i dunno what my emotions are at the moment. I played a $154 CPC shootout with excellent value with only 22 runners in it. Survived a few coinflips to eventually go heads up 7k vs 13k against. I got back to level chips when the guy became disconnected. Now this causes a massive moral argument as to whether to let the guy back in but i know most others would just take the chips as ive been disconnected before as have most players at crucial times, its the downside of online poker. Recently crypto updated their software so that there is 15 seconds or so in between every hand to give the other person a chance to get back in. The trouble with that is this uses up the blinds level so it would have been a crapshoot at 300,600 had he come back in as normal. Anyway as i knew i was at a disadvantage if i wait since the low blind level was always gonna help me, i decided to just take the chips in play as they come. Eventually the guy came back in but the blinds had rose and the stacks were approximately 14k vs 6k. I immediately offered a deal where i give them $3500 to guarantee a good cash win (as it was now a crapshoot) and also to cover a bit of the guilt i was feeling , hopefully they will be ok with that. So for my troubles ive got $11300 less $3500 = $7800 so im happy and im also amazed that its been credit to my account immediately, i didnt expect that :))).

Earlier in the evening i had switched off despite some good value tournaments cos my hangover was just doing my head in, im glad i came back on anyway.

Connection Problems / October Review

Didnt play at all Monday then when i sat down to play Tuesday evening i realised my internet connection is playing up and this could take a few days to sort. Because of this im unsure of my exact monthly profit at this time but i know its in the region of £3,300 (£3,357 actually) which is satisfactory. My cash from the sale of laddies poker horse is not included and i should receive this in November and will include it in that months profit instead. I continue to look forward to St Kitts , even more so now its cold and dark all the time outside. After a rough couple of weeks (where i only lost £500 on what was was worst run since March) at the start of October it came good as i knew it would. Bad runs always end when you know your ability is good enough to run through them. Once through them they just improve you as a player with the experience gained.

Targets for November = relax, get bit fitter, get pissed fair bit, enjoy the st kitts experience at the end, and hopefully make some cash for the month. (Note if any cash is made in St Kitts it will go into December profit anyway)

Winter Season

Yep its well and truely back to the winter type season of poker now the clocks have gone back and the days just get shorter and shorter. With less daylight i normally would expect to be playing more but so far this is not the case and i dont really mind how many hours i put in at the moment anyway.

Cash games progress seems consistent currently but i will make sure i get a fair bit of multis practise in before St Kitts anyway. Good news is the tournament structure is improved on last year with 15,000 starting chips compared to just 6,000 last year !

Semi drunk poker sessions on friday and tonight have resulted in level and a reasonable profit respectively. Favourite pot of the night for sure is below on 3,6$ NL.

6 handed utg raises to 18$ which i call from the sb after 1 caller with 66.
Flop is 8c8x6c which i check call 24$ from the raiser.
Turn is 10c and i check then raise a 48$ bet to $115ish to which to guy pushes all in another $100 with only AQoff and no clubs, NICE , always nice when they are drawing dead.

I've let my exercise slide a bit this week for no particular reason but i'm booked to venture into the gym for the first time in ages tommorrow so here's hoping i turn up.

Cash Games Blog

Once again i'm back playing cash and at least i seem to be enjoying it quite a bit. I dont think i've made much since monday (if anything) but im trying to reach a rake promotion on interpoker and that is now well within range. Whilst the enjoyment factor is there and the boredom factor doesnt creep in (and i dont lose too much :) ) this is where i will remain for the short term with a few select tournaments mixed in.

Unfortunately that doesnt leave much poker to blog about because , as ive said before, cash pots just arent that interesting to write about.

St Kitts seems very close now (just over 4 weeks) and im definitely starting to look forward to that a lot as it starts to get colder here and the nights draw in. Also i have my 30th birthday before that so the next month will probably fly by as well. Ordered my $ yesterday , not too much as its all inclusive and ill probably only play a few select side games a day. Also sorted out my parking near gatwick as well.

As long as i carry on as ive done the last couple of weeks i should be a fair bit fitter by St Kitts as well. Seeing as that seemed to pay dividends at the WSOP main event im determined to be fit in body and mind by the time i leave for St Kitts.

Laddies Poker Sold.....

At a terribly low price. Months back i would have been happy with a return in the region of £800-£900 for my shares in this horse. After its latest races i am very disappointed that today it was sold for 60,000 guineas (1 guinea = £1.05) . This is almost exactly what was paid for it originally, it had come on leaps and bounds of late so i was hoping for at least 80,000. Some people thought its real worth could have been as much as 200,000. Obviously this will come to light in the next season or so and i will await with anticipation to see just how well it does. The experience of owning shares in a racehorse has been nothing but fun (up until this sale price anyway) and i still think i wont be able to resist trying to get some in the next one ladbrokes do in the future anyway.

Too Many Multis

Think i made that mistake today , but if i had a bit more luck in one of the latter ones this would be a different post.

896 players , i lost a 150k pot 1010 vs K3std for 50k and 1010 vs K3std vs AJoff for 100k. That pot would have put me 7th/38. Unfortunately on the tribeca network these big multis only pay to 27 so i got nothing for my $54 entry fee + rebuy + addon. Obviously if i had even just won the side pot of 50k i would have still been in with a good shout for making the money. I had rode my luck plenty in the tournament but then thats only fair when i've had no luck in the other multis. To go out on such a pot hurt with $1087 just to 27th rising to $27k for 1st.

With some spare profit for the month i've decided to head back to cash tables a bit more and see if i can improve on them with a bit of patience being the tactics.

1 Place Short But Decent Money

Played several games tonight but only 1 was of any form. The same tournament as 2 or 3 days ago 18$ rebuy resulted in a 2nd place finish out of 425 runners for about $3500.

I wasnt as lucky in this one in terms of beats, but apart from 1 or 2 hands i got my chips with the better hand and won.

There are several really key pots in this game to my progress but the biggest were these 2:

Playing a 500k stack (about 3/5 left) and blinds 10,20k 5 handed i raise to 60k with J10std. Sb ok player flat calls with slightly higher stack and the flop is J,10,9. He leads out for over 100k and i decide to push all in due to the nature of the pot and flop and he calls with AA and i hold up.

That basically sealed my top 2 or 3 finish at worst with a monster stack but unfortunately the blinds were big so i couldnt take as much advantage as i might have liked after that pot.

Anyway when i finally went heads up almost even chips with 1,000,000 each i fancied my chances at 20,40k blinds against a fairly simple player in my opinion. Stayed about level for a while but was getting a feel for the guy and then came the monster exit hand when we were even in chips.

Blinds 20,40k and he flat call the 40k on the button. He had been folding the button often with trash so i know he will call a small raise and i have AA so only make it 90k in total. He flat calls and the flop is 9,6,2 with 2 clubs. I decide to check to see if i can induce a bet as hopefully he has hit and i can get some action. If he checks too i bet the turn as he prob missed and the pot is ok anyway. Anyway he bets the pot of 180k, i know im almost certainly ahead but instead of pushing all in i give him chance to hang himself by only raising another 200k on top of his bet. He flat calls so has a draw or part of the flop and the turn is a blank J. I push all in 700k and he has J9off and he holds up to win. I could have played this hand slightly different but i dont think the outcome would have changed and im a bit gutted to have not won the extra $2000 but sometimes it just aint meant to be. Still a decent win but the winning feeling aint as good as it could have been unfortunately.

So the patient play run continues, i must keep reminding myself of this so that i keep this style for the time being at least :)) .

More Relief, More Luck & More Progress

Even though i wasnt really in the mood to play much tonight or last night i played 2 games last night and a couple tonight. Made a small profit yesterday but got another decent result on the comeback tonight.

The £27 375 entrants game resulted in a 5th place finish which was good because i was short stacked from about 140 players left and just picked my spots well and hit a few 50/50s as well as a 40% beat when there were 41 players left (pays to 40). Patience again being rewarded and i know everything the last few games is pointing to me playing a lot tighter to get paid more, even if i dont enjoy it so much.

Unfortunately i wasnt happy with the pot i lost when there were 6 left when i moved in utg for 60k (blinds were 2000,4000 and ante) with 99 and a 40k stack decided to call off the blinds with A10std, yes he was short stacked but there is no holding he could be ahead of the way i had been playing (very tight) up to that point. Anyway i lost the 90k pot and was left crippled on 10k and i went out 2 hands later (1 place higher as the other shortie got eliminated) for £600.
£600 is good but with more than double that to 2nd and £2500 to 1st its a bit disappointing in the end.

Other good news on the day was my CPC money coming through of $1800 that i had been promised but i hadnt expected it for a few weeks at least.

Only thing im slightly worried about is im still not enjoying playing that much at the moment and ill just have to make sure i dont play much each day until this changes. No afternoon play seems to help with poker 100% reserved for the evening only at the moment.

Animal Instincts Finally Rewarded.....Surely The End Of The Bad Run

It had to come good sooner or later and i certainly feel like a bit of weight has been lifted from my shoulders after finally getting a reasonable cash. Only played 1 game yesterday and lost on a flip to have gone 5/26 with 100 entrants at 20euros, key thing im changing for the moment is to go back to basics and be more patient (well most of the time). Tonight i played a few games but only came good in the 18$ rebuy game i played with 480 entrants, finally finishing 4th for $1600. Normally the finishing place i would feel gutted and pissed off with $6k and $4k to 1st and 2nd, but after the run i've had of late its relief more than anything else. Funny thing was when i hit the last 15 or so players i thought to myself it would be nice to make the top 4 as anything below wasnt a significant cash for me.

Anyway i could probably write a book on key hands and stuff but i will put some examples down below.

Biggest pot by a mile was 1) anyway.

1) blinds 1200,2400 i raise utg to 7200 (i hav 75k stack) with AQoff (no diamonds) and i get called by middle position 100k+ stack that has been playing way too tight since he hit my table. This narrows down what i think he could hold and i put him on 2 high cards or a low pocket pair, his game was very ABC and i think he would have reraised the way he was playing with a monster.
Anyway flop is Jd10d8x and with a double gutshot out of position i know it could be tricky. I decide to put a smaller feeler bet out rather than my usual 60-70% of pot bet. 7k into 18k is the bet and he raises me but only to 20k in total. I take the 20k to be weak and cant resist pushing all in because i think he has missed the flop or even if he has hit there arent many holdings that would want to call a 67k in total bet all in. Anyway he calls with KdQd and i hold up with ace high on this 50/50 pot after the flop. This guy was not happy and could not understand my move and proceeded to stalk me for the rest of the tournament which for a change i laughed at and didnt get annoyed one bit by his actions.

That pot set me in 2nd of maybe 200 players left and i never looked in trouble to make the cash after that (pays to 27). I lost a 60k pot a few hands later JJ vs AQ which wasnt ideal but i probably hit about 50% of my 50/50s in the game and the 1 or 2 75-80% shots i had held up.

With 18 left i was top 3 or 4 and was trying to play tight for a change as there was a table nutter that you could easily get paid off against if you hit. Anyway i did hit 1 flush against him but unfortunately he priced me in on another pot with 11 players left and i missed both a flush and gutshot draw costing me a wad of chips. When it hit the final table i was only about 4th-6th with a few players having around the same stack. I sat tight and eventually doubled AQ vs A9 after 1 or too all ins b4 that.

The whole game when i overraised with middle to big hands i fortunately picked the right spots as never got called. These were KJstd, AJoff and 77. When we were down to the final 5 or 6 i also folded 22 preflop correctly when a button had raised and then 77 the next hand when utg had raised and got a caller. JJ and QQ were out there on those hands. My patient pick the right spot tactics were definitely being rewarded for a change.

With 5 left i missed one huge 600k pot when i called a small (gay) raise in the bb with J10std. Unfortunately the blinds were too big to not go all in on the 89K board, got chips in first but he had AK and i missed. I was left crippled and pushed the small stack well before eventually losing K8 vs AJ for a 400k pot that would have put me right back in but i finished 4th.

Hopefully more of the same to come in the near future, patience patience patience with 1 or 2 mad animal instinct moves does work and these are the tactics for now anyway.

Drunk, Hungover And Bored Poker

All reasons not to play poker and after a few crap sessions my bad run continues. I know i need to not play for a few days but im so bored at the moment when i dont play that its easier said than done. Anyway poker aint a cure for boredom at the moment as im finding the game so frustrating and boring itself, beat after beat, shit play after shit play rewarded especially against me.

The Run Continues

Without going into any detail i can confirm i've had 2 more days of the same crap with no sign of a turn around. Im actually playing well now but its difficult to be confident when the cards are so against me and shit play is being rewarded almost every time against me. Poker is a damn annoying game at the moment but i will turn it around and back into the game i love somehow.

A Few Hours Later........

I go back for more punishment with the same £10 and £20 sixpac at same time. This time the £10 runs as normal and i finish 2nd 77 vs 99 cant argue with that but example of the most annoying crap play pissing me off below from the £20 one.

4 players i have 1800 and in the sb with AK ...1500 stack flat calls 100 on the button with QJstd then instantly calls my all in. board Kxx10A, i think somebody makes these cards come out in the most annoying order possible at the moment to maximise my frustration. Anyway im left on 300 which i get back up to 800 before busting K8 vs A10 to bubble in 3rd, what a complete and utter joke. I know when im running bad because i cant control my temper in the chat box and frankly i couldnt give a shit what i type and how offensive it is when people make plays like this and get lucky on me every flaming time.

I Need To Win So Badly

Im fast losing interest in the game, im pretty much in one of those dips where it doesnt matter what you do, or how you play. Simple fact is you lose whatever happens. The main problem with this is it doesnt take much to completely lose focus after all the stupid outdraws. All ive played today is 2 x sixpacs and im already mad as hell even though im only £3 down. Get heads up in a £20 one and have a 2500 vs 3500 disadvantage, climb to 3200 avoiding preflop all ins, the blinds go up to 200,400 and he pushes 1st hand with Q4off, i call with KQ and the first card out is a 4 , jesus i know this is just a small variance and i win 3/4 times but its happening in every game or if im behind it just doesnt happen to reverse the variance. Example being im playing a £10 one alongside that and i lose QJ vs KQ short stack, then blinds go up and its about level at 100,200, donkey decides to backwards dummy me twice , once with A5 and the second time with J10off !!! I just cant play this game during the day after that crap and it only takes a couple of games like this to stop me playing for a few hours, at the end of the day there is no point playing when im not enjoying it and i know that. The problem is i want to play through this shit and get back on a good or even just a normal run of luck. Cant wait until later for more punishment, thank god for this blog to release this bollox or i would be a friggen nightmare to be around.

I Cant Win A Heads Up In An STT

I might as well go all in every hand and leave it totally to luck cos any play is wasted when i lose any preflop all ins way way too often (look at those 2 recent posts for examples).

£30 sixpac heads up 1500 vs 4500 i get up to 5000 vs 1000 avoiding any preflop all ins before the blinds go up and the following happens, mind you i should be used to it by now.

K6 vs K9 loses
96std vs Q10 loses
55 vs 78std loses
and finally when im down to 1200 i lose the only other preflop all in K4 vs 99.

I know this is no where near as extreme as the 2 posts prior but this is still taking the piss, where is the luck evening out where i win several of these preflop all ins in a row or at least more than i lose ???

Odds time 23% 15% split, 38%, 50% and 29%

Odds of losing all 4 preflop all ins heads up is approximately 1/7, come on gimme a break.

Just to top it off 1 minute later i bust in the 15k AKstd vs QQ vs 99 for a pot that would have put me 30th/230 ..310 entrants for £55.

End of Leaderboard Challenge

This just wasnt meant to be so im gonna stop here and regain focus on the month again.

I've probably played in excess of 150 stts over the last 4 days and i would have expected points for this challenge in the region of 3500-6000 if i was to base it on my ROI average. As it is i've got only about 2000 approximately (+700 from the weekend before the challenge was announced) which leaves me too far from the top to justify playing stts flat out any more. Its never nice to fail in a challenge like this but at least i've had a bad run only 2 days in so i haven't got beaten after 10-13 days of play. The only run like this i've had before was the multis bad run i had back in Feb for 2 to 3 months where i got beat just outside any big money in sooooo many multis, when nearly always holding the best hand. At least the real stinker only seemed to last 24-36 hours so hopefully i can move on and look to the rest of the month.

5 days of stts and what do i have to show for it, well im a massive £72 up WOW, i've made 450 mpp points which probably means i've earned about £50 in rakeback as well. I could see this as a waste of time but i dont at all and if the same promotion was to run again i certainly would have another bash at it again at least for a few days anyway.

Next stop has to be watching the England game tommorrow with lager a plenty and very little poker for sure. Heres hoping theres no drunken poker this weekend, highly unlikely methinks though!!!

Example of How Bad I'm Running in These STTs (PART 2)

Having just busted AA vs K7off with 4 left on one sixpac i focused on my remaining on to dominate with 4 left down to heads up then the same old shite comes again.

Again all of the pots below are when i have the other guy covered to bust him and there were no other preflop all ins between us.

Started at 4800 vs 1200 and this guy was as passive as they come.

Q3 vs A7 (36%)
J3std vs 64 (59%)
10,2 vs Q5 (36%)
K3 vs 95 (58%)

And

10,2std vs A9 for 5500 out of 6000 chips in play. (40%)

The odds on me losing all of the preflop all ins listed above in this heads up match were approximately 1 in every 24 times this occurred.

Come on pokergods im not one to harp on but give me some of this luck, this guy has to get this sort of heads up luck to beat me when its 50/50 if we were same standard and same chip stacks.

This is fast becoming a joke, how on earth can i lose two heads up so badly in the space of 24 hours. 1/24 and 1/40 shots win against me, come on play fair i dont expect to be lucky but i expect it even out a bit, especially given the number of games i've been playing lately.

Example of How Bad I'm Running in These STTs

Get to heads up in a £20 10 player game with a 7500 to 2500 advantage.

I then lose all these pots preflop where i have the guy covered to win:

A9 vs 94 75% fav
A8 vs 25 65% fav
A8 vs AQ 25% & 5% split
A3 vs A9 25% & 15% split
K10 vs A8 43%

Then lose only other pot 56off vs 9,10off to bust when he flops the straight.

Just done a rough calaculation of all those above and basically i would win about 39/40 times heads up against someone if these hands were the same every time. Other information relevant is that i did not have any other preflop all ins against this guy heads up in case it looks like i got to 2 or 3k then doubled i can assure any reader this was not the case.

I think my leaderboard challenge is going to fail , i cannot fight against luck like this and believe me this is just one example of plenty of shit thats happening again today following yesterdays joke. I will see how i am placed later or tommorrow and make a decision then whether to continue or let this go down to experience.

Betfair STT Leaderboard Challenge

Im in the middle of attempting to go for this, ive been playing $10 - £30 stts for the last few days the whole time when im playing poker online. Betfair are giving an $8000 package to the BAPT to the leader at midnight on the 15th October. I started well a couple of days ago but today has been a nightmare. So many preflop all ins lost its just against me. Anyway ive almost finished for the night and my luck may well be changing. An example of this is the last £10 10 player stt i've played in.

Level 1 i lost a 2k pot AQ vs AK on a ace high flop and was left with just 30 chips of the 1000 starting stack with 10 players still left. I proceeded to quad that into 120 with A2. I then pushed the 120 with Qc10s and the board came KsQsJsAsKc for a royal flush, trebling me to 360. I won another A10 vs dumb 9,10std call to go to 780. I then played the low stack well and hit one or 2 other 50/50 before going on to win it, LOL. Crazy day but poor results overall and my quest to move up the leaderboard fast will not be helped.

Holdem Blackjack Should Be Banned

All it friggen does is put me in such a mood that i dont wanna play holdem any more. Jesus was pretty much leading a $30 25 player with double value in the tournament the whole way only to crash out 5th (pays to 3). Its far too easy for your stack to swing both ways and this just fuks me off completely, compared to holdem a big stack is a pile of ass in my opinion. It also doesnt help when the lucky rock of a player that knocked me out of the WSOP on a 50/50 wins about 10 pots to every 1 i win against him at the final table despite me having the best hand over 50% of the time after 1 card. Absolute joke and those of you reading , no he is not a good player, he is a complete rock that got lucky here and at the WSOP. That table on day 3 of the WSOP was a joke, he was only 3 to my right so i couldnt target his and the other rocks (sat next to him 2 to my right) blinds even though they were free and nobody else at the table in a later position than me seemed to realise that which did surprise me.

Other tourneys complete rubbish as well and cash was an utter joke also, but thankfully at low stakes. So many rivers and dumb plays winning its a joke start to the month in all aspects.

Oh Dear Y Did I Log Back On ?

The correct answer was "to lose some money" :((
$50 multi i played at 10pm went really well until hand 2 when i stuck em in with AKstd and lost against KK. LOL it was one of those days oh yes. The $160 game i played started well but i probably played too agressively because i kept getting overraised later on when i couldnt get any decent cards at all.

The $50 sub to the BAPT (Betfair Asian Poker Tour) was much more promising but ended up being a crapshoot with 20 players left (paid 2 packages) and eventually after a run of being card dead i pushed with A6 and was out running into AJ in about 15-18th somewhere. Not to be but with the structure there wasnt gonna be too much poker unless i reached the last 5 or so.

Not the best of starts to the month from these first 2 posts of the month but then again i know ive got to a late stage in 2 or 3 of them today and just need that ounce of luck in 1 to place high or at least cash anyway :)) . Start a fresh tommorrow night i think.

Somebody Just Smacked Me in the Face

Well thats what it feels like anyway, absolute destruction of 2 big tournaments , both of which i was medium to large stacked to whole way through. All within 10 minutes with nothing to show.

EPT 143euros final, (subbed earlier). 88 entrants, good structure. Was in about 10th the whole way through including when we hit last 20. 10k stack at only 300 blinds. utg goes to 600 i make it 1800 with AK only for a 4500 stack to go all in with queens. three aces useless against the flopped queen and i lose a pot to have gone 4th/19. Payout 1 x EPT 5000 euro seat + 1600 euros cash. Residual cash 2nd 2000 euros down to 6th for 400 euros. Anyway next hand i have 4200 and flat call utg+1 with KK, button same stack goes all in with 44 and yes the 4 on the river comes for a pot to have got back to the 10k stack i had 2 hands before.

At the same time i was playing a medium stack in the $33 $50k added, 547 entrants. About 140 left. Within 2 minutes if the EPT exit i lose KK vs QQ for a medium sized pot to leave me crippled. Several minutes later i push with AK and what do i run into ? Only friggen aces and out 96th (pays to 60).
Some days you just know it aint gonna happen but i was running well in both of these games, only to bust them both within a 10 minute period on some big pots. AK vs AA was to go 38th/96 btw.

Its still early and there are some more decent games on but i cant play them at this moment, i need to cool down after that.

September Review

Nothing of interest on the tourneys today, only a few played and was never really up for it while suffering one of my lovely hangovers (cheers Wayne for the shots i shouldnt have gone onto). Anyway on to the monthly review instead.

Its been a strange month, seems to have gone very quickly for me anyway. Another CPC package is the obvious highlight and achievement. As i went last year and cashed 13th/252 i know what to expect this time. I am really looking forward to returning to St Kitts with another all inclusive package and ill make sure i enjoy it to the max regardless of how the poker goes. As a poker package goes its easily the best one ive won or have wanted to win. The surroundings are very nice and there is the option of playing as little or as much poker as i want to out there. It will be nice to play in the same big event 2 years running as well although i must not put daft high expectations on myself given my result last year. As most of you know i was very unlucky to finish 13th with some nasty beats and i know i cannot play the tournament much better than i did last year.

Final profit for the month finished at £528 which im happy enough with when i have the $9500 of package as well. I played too many cash games and not enough tournaments within the month and i will change this approach next month. My patience wasnt great later in the month and thats why i just didnt enter many tournaments, saying that i could have played better cash games and the patience factor probably cost me a bit there too. Recurring illnesses did not help and i found myself quite bored a lot of the time because of this.

The other success for the month was my horse getting me some prize money in the region of £300 which will also almost certainly increase its sale value in the next month or two. I believe i will receive the money along with the sale money once its sold and to date i dont know exactly when this will be. It will be a nice addition to a future months profit/bankroll anyway.

October expectations ? Well i dont normally set any but i will be making sure i play more tournaments for starters. Apart from that i will just be trying to regain some focus and hopefully get a bit fitter as well. I did lose some weight last month but im only a tiny bit fitter and (provided i dont get ill again) i will attempt to reverse this in October. Yeh stop laughing :))