The Poker Life of Dave

Resurrection

2010-06-05T13:26:00.003+01:00

Thanks Chopper, thought I'd resurrect this blog after your comment at the £100! Especially seeing as I'm going back to Vegas for the WSOP!

Was pretty sick really, the league leader LockeLamora was over 1100 points prior to start of play, plus any points he scored for a top 100 finish. Didn't help when my 5,000 starting stack was cut to 1,100 30 minutes in when I failed to get away from AA preflop vs KK.

But as Perry would say, Dave runs good, and from there I did not lost a race that mattered and all of my key hands held. A shove from mid-position with QJo was met with two callers, bets on flop, turn and river from the SB on a J8778 board left me thinking my tournament was over, but QJ>J2 funnily enough to bring my tournament back from the dead.

A further double up to just under 7k was mine snap calling a 4-bet shove from a muppet, my 77 holding v QJs.

From there, it was a real drag, TT binked a two-outer vs JJ in a 4 way all-in for my tournament life, and on the final table AJ chopped with AQ on the river and a Queen was flopped when my Q9 from the SB was shoved into the BB's A9. Never felt so much pressure playing poker, shouting in my own room and as good as hyperventilating when my AT flops an Ace vs KQ.

Really seemed my name was on this, at the same time I finished 4th in the main tournament of the night, the PKR Open for over $700. A real grind when down to the final 7, with just one card over a Jack for around 30 hands with an M of 5, managed to hold on and eventually take an unassailable chip position - sealing a top 3 finish by knocking out 4th and 5th in a few hands.

At all times LockeLamora was a complete gent whilst railing, as were the railbirds, the majority of which were pulling for him. My comeback was a 1 in 100 shot, and I know how he must be feeling, but he was unfailingly sporting and generous in his praise and congratulations. I hope he grabs one of the other six packages on offer, as no-one deserves it more.

Can't wait for this camaraderie as part of Team PKR in three weeks time!

Report Below:

dwh103 wins Road to Vegas League!

Locke loses out on dramatic final day...

By PKR_Danski on Friday 4 Jun 2010 15:00

Locke loses out on dramatic final day...

The Road to Vegas League concluded last night in spectacular fashion when longtime leader LockeLamora lost his grip on the title, as rival dwh103 clinched the top spot courtesy of a thrilling victory over a 194-strong field.

dwh103 - Southampton, UK

Going into last night's final event, dwh103, who also won the very first R2V League event, required seventh or better (and Locke to finish outside the top 24) to snatch the top spot and a $4K WSOP Experience package. Once Locke had busted in 77th place, all eyes were on the man from Southampton, who in turn claimed the League title emphatically, with victory at his fifth Road to Vegas final table - a worthy winner.

Locke and the other nine highest finishers will now contest a ten-seat SNG for two $4K packages on Sunday night. Last ditch points scores for FlushDream and suarnboy saw them claim a place in the 10-seat SNG, at the expense of salakaro and LetMeInTop.

Head to the rail on Sunday night at 19:15 GMT as the 2nd - 11th place finishers square off for two $4K WSOP packages!

Pos	Username	Tourneys	Points cashes	Points
1	dwh103	22	15	10,615
2	LockeLamora	22	19	10,365
3	Gambit69	22	21	9,855
4	JACKBLACK1	21	20	9,290
5	osteomat	20	15	8,820
6	FlushDream	22	19	8,805
7	mike65537	22	15	8,770
8	riverboatray	22	17	8,710
9	suarnboy	22	15	8,695
10	theblackbear43	21	18	8,680
11	hrabia11	22	15	8,675

WCOAP No-Limit Hold Em Main Event Review

2008-11-12T14:35:00.002Z

£75, 10k starting stacks on a 45 minute clock. Plenty of room for play in the main event. It didn't stop me seeing some horrific play though! I was leading the Player of the Series race, but I would love to get a nice score in the big one, where a little more money is on offer! Over 200 runners to get through - not easy. But I do have interest in the event, with £30 on myself at 150/1, and another £40 spread amongst other runners, one of whom being Tony, sat on my table, two to my right.

I'm on a high after the Omaha and Stud successes, and I start like a train, picking up 6 of the first 9 pots and boosting my stack by a not-insignificant 20%. I think I've probably solidified my table image pretty early on! In that time though, we see a hideously played pot. Blinds 25/50

UTG+1 opens to 300 with KK. UTG+3 raises to 800 with AA. Everyone else passes. Original raiser makes it 1800.

I love this last raise, he is able to get maximum information about his hand for the minimum. He has been allowed to do that though by the re-raiser. His raise is far too small for AA at a deep-stack table. He should be committing more chips pre-flop. It's far too easy for KQs, 78s, 44 etc to make an easy call with massive implied odds. I'd prefer him to raise to 1,300 or so, take some of those implied odds away, and pretty much rule out a re-raise for the other guy to find out where he is.

UTG+3 then makes it 3800. Alarm bells should be ringing here for the KK. The AA is hideously telegraphed, and I can honestly say it's the only situation I've seen where, hand on heart, I could lay down KK pre-flop, especially in a tournament this deep. I am certain of both their hands. It then goes from bad to worse. UTG+1 calls the extra 2,000, and with both have around 6.2k behind, they see a flop of 223.

KK, inexplicably, leads out for 5,000. AA makes a quick shove for 1,200 more, to be met with a TANK from KK. Obviously by now it's impossible to pass, and the AA holds up and is gifted a double up. Based on the action, he's lucky to have found a customer, as many players would not be so generous.

A previous APAT main event winner then hideously donks out. Blinds 75/150 - A raise to 450 on his button with KJo is met by a reraise to 1,350 from the rocky SB, who check-raises all-in on a J high flop with KK. The previous winner calls off his entire 30BB stack with top pair, 2nd kicker, against an out of position rock.

Meanwhile, I'm playing some great stuff. Raising with 33, I am called by said rock. Seeing a TT4 board, I lead out, only to get raised. Putting the rock on a solid pair, I am aware he can't call a 3-bet, so proceed to raise, and sure enough, he passes. The key hand (am pretty much guessing the details here, it's a bit hazy) is soon to develop with blinds 100/200. I cautiously limp AQs and smooth call a raise from the small blind. We see a J98 board, I smooth the c-bet with the intention of raising the turn. I carry this out on the turn 4s, which gives me a flush draw. My SB opponent calls, making the pot about 16k, I have only 4.5k left behind. The river pairs the 8, missing all my draws, and my opponent amazingly checks. I actually recoil, and gather my thoughts quick enough to shove - my only chance of winning the pot. The SB, getting 5 to 1, passes KK face up, and I show my A high. I'm a bit lucky, but the hand is bizarre. He convinced himself he was ahead on the turn, but changed his mind on the river. I was very grateful, as I was shoving, expecting to be receiving the exit round of applause.

I'm soon on a very strong 25k with 140 runners left, with the average being around 16k and blinds 400/800. A couple of new faces arrive at the table, one of which being Willis. My tournament however, is soon to be over within the space of a minute.

Hand 1:

I raise UTG to 2,400 with AQ. A new player in the SB smooth calls. Flop comes A99. He checks, there's no need for me to inflate the pot and announce my hand, so I check behind. The turn is a brick, and my opponent checks again. I bet 3,000, and receive a quick call. At the moment I'm putting him on something like AJ, or more likely a pair from TT-KK. I also think this is a similar range to what he's putting me on. The river is another blank, and again I'm checked to. I make a value bet of 4,000. Only to be snapped by the SB, holding J9o. Disgusting! How he hasn't got more out of me - I guess he's worried about my flop check, perhaps he thinks I hold Aces? But his pre-flop call against an UTG raiser is annoying, and I'm down to 12k.

Hand 2:

Willis raises in the cut-off to about 2,500 or so. Muppet from the previous hand calls on the button. Tony considers making a squeeze, but decides to pass (he's very glad when he sees my action). I look down at AKo, with the pot representing 60% of my stack, I have the easiest shove in the world. I try to make it look as tilty as possible, but that doesn't work when the original raiser has AA. Bugger. From 25k to out in 2 hands. Nothing I can do.

Out of 210 runners or so, the Southampton crew brought along 14 players. Despite my poor 142nd place exit, I'm still only outlasted by 3 others and none of them get anywhere near the cash. Not the best of tournaments for us!

I recieve consolation in the fact that none of my leaderboard opponents make the money, so I am confirmed as the Player of the Series! Score!

WCOAP Stud Championship Review

2008-11-12T14:06:00.002Z

Same structure as the Razz, but with only 32 runners, something that surprises me. Stud is by far and away the better game, and I was hoping to have a bigger field. It's definitely more enjoyable for me, and with it being the old powerhouse of poker I guess I'm a little surprised to see the tournament so light on runners.

As I've left it so very, very long to write this review, I've forgotten many things of note. The main thing that stands out is the standard of the play. It was very poor, especially in the early stages. A lot of people owed their existence in the tournament to horrific outdraws. As usual, I sat back and played tight, hoping to profit from these mistakes. I enter the first break pretty much on my starting stack. I'm just waiting to hit anything of note!

The second phase of the tournament goes much better. I begin to pick up big pairs, and managing to hit at least two pair by the river, which is most unusual for me! Again, no specific hands I remember, but I enter the second break as chip leader on my table, with 7,800. There are 21 left at this point and I'm well above the average.

I am able to attack the short stacks, and continue to pick up reasonable cards when needed. I enter the final table 2nd in chips:

Final Table

Seat 1 - Owen Rankin - 8,500
Seat 2 - Francis Lincoln - 7,200
Seat 3 - Don Roberts - 14,000
Seat 4 - David Rice - 12,500
Seat 5 - Robert Resurreccion - 7,600
Seat 6 - Charles Sanderson - 22,100
Seat 7 - Dave Howard - 17,500
Seat 8 - Richard Rudling-Smith - 4,700

The biggest mover on the final table was eventual winner Owen Rankin. He was fortunate in a couple of spots, hitting monster cards in big pots to propel him into the medal running along with myself and Charles Sanderson, who had played very solidly. We entered three handed with Owen on 16k, Charles on 43k, and me holding 37k.

The live updates are very sketchy at this point, and coupled by my lack of memory. I believe Owen Rankin does most of the damage in crippling and then eliminating Sanderson in 3rd. He's made his way up to 60k, playing very aggressively and hitting cards at the right time. He holds a 2 to 1 chip lead as we enter heads up.

I still felt like I was going to win, I was steadily clawing my way back, which included a massive bluff on the river, betting 8k with just 12k left behind with K high. Fortunately my board was scary as hell and I win a huge pot when Owen folds his solitary pair of 7s (I've missed K high straight and flush draws). I am soon holding a large chiplead, and have Owen down to the felt. I can't quite finish him off though, he survives with the best hand on one occasion, and then the key hand on the final that weakens my resolve occurs.

I bring in, holding [Kc Jc] 4c

Owen raises with [K 7] K and I call.

4th street brings me the Tc and Owen a brick. The money is 4-bet all-in, and the cards are flipped over, with me a 60:40 favourite holding 9 flush outs and the remaining K as an out, but behind to Owen's pair of Kings. 5th street gives Owen a brick and me the Ad, adding another 5 outs, but the board blanks out and catapults Owen to the chip lead.

That was my chance, I'm now about 3 to 1 down, and fail to put up much of a fight thereafter, exiting meekly when Owen wins a race. He played a ggressively, and is a lovely bloke, but I wish he didn't have a habit of picking up great cards and holding on when it was really needed! But that's the way you win a tournament!

UK Sharks review of this tournament can be found here.

APAT live updates are here.

WCOAP Razz Championship Review

2008-11-12T14:03:00.002Z

£75, 48 runners. 3,000 starting chips.

I begin badly, attempting to bluff my way out of a hole first hand. This fails and I've quickly lost 20% of my stack. I am very nearly the first one out, before I hit a miracle 7th street card to save me. It only prolongs the inevitable, everyone outdrew me, and I couldn't outdraw anyone. I finish in 39th, but after the previous day, I'm hardly bothered.

Razz is shit anyway.

Fiiiiinally

2008-09-03T15:01:00.001+01:00

I'm on The Hendon Mob Poker Database!

My page.

APAT All-Time List

It's about bleeding time!

WCOAP Omaha Championship Review

2008-09-01T14:02:00.002+01:00

I'd joked to people that the only reason I'd entered all 4 events at the APAT World Championship of Amateur Poker was to make a run at Player of the Series. In all honesty, I would be happy with a winning Series after expenses. 70 runners anted up £50 for 7,500 chips at 30 min blinds.

It didn't start too well, failing to win a pot for the first hour and seeing my stack fall to 5k. I thought the tone was set, when I raised the first pot with AKJJss, see a T92 two suit (not one of mine) board. That'll be a check-fold then.

It was slightly awkward with an aggressive and slightly vocal guy to my left, so I was planning on treading carefully. I don't believe LAG is the way to go in Omaha tournaments when so many of these players would be making post-flop mistakes. Add to that I'm just not good enough to play that style and I was intending to play like a rock. So of course an hour in I limp my button with Q992, flop bottom set and take my first pot.

Aside from those two hands, I really do not remember many hands. I didn't hit the nuts until the final table, never saw a wrap (even a 9 card semi-wrap) or a nut flush draw that I remember all tournie. How I chipped up, god knows, but I played a couple of excellent pots, getting maximum value from bottom two pair, and a 9-high flush. It was a confidence boost to know exactly where I was, and still able to bet out on the river into a turn caller with nowhere near the nuts!

It was one of those perfect tournaments. My stack gradually increased. If I did get it in behind, it was for 10% of my stack with KK65ss v AAxx, an 842Kx board sealed that deal. I didn't get all my chips over the line once until the FT, which is pretty amazing. I made moves at the right time, with the right hands, always found the right spots, check-raising pot with A-high against a recent 3rd place GUKPT finisher being a particular favourite. I guess because I failed to flop a single draw of any note I managed to avoid spunking chips all over the place...I'm sure there's a lesson in that somewhere!

People began to drop like flies, many of them on rather tenuous draws, even the players I'd marked out as good, maybe ill-timed moves, but I tried to stay clear of that temptation. I was folding many AKsT7 type hands aside from the occasional steal - have never played that nitty before! I was on the stacked table with around 12 players left, so I was glad to see a quick transition to the final table, where I drew a nice seat, to the left of Jim Lynott who had been quite aggressive once he'd obtained a large stack.

Final Table

Seat 1 - Linda Iwaniak - 130,500
Seat 2 - Rich Stevenons - 53,500
Seat 3 - Thomas Cardoso - 40,000
Seat 4 - Warren Jackman - 29,500
Seat 5 - Richard Bard - 42500
Seat 6 - Tony Ross - 26,500
Seat 7 - James Mitchell - 45,000
Seat 8 - Jim Lynott - 99,000
Seat 9 - Dave Howard - 55,000

It began quite badly, raising Tony Ross' UTG limp with KKTT no suit, to have the BB and UTG move all-in, with 20k to call for an 80-90k pot, I made the call and received no help v two loads of AAxx. Apparently I was a 30% shot to win, even with one of my Tens gone, though still not sure if I should've made the call. One of the marginal spots where a lack of real Omaha experience counted against me.

This left me with just 14k on the bubble. Now I'm not one to wait for the inevitable, so when Tony Ross raised UTG+1 to 12k, I looked down at JJ88ss and moved in for my 14k. The BB called (not sure he saw Tony's raise), as did Tony. A beautiful flop of K8x8x got me right back in it. A rollercoaster ride ensued, with me being the only player giving it a real go.

Winning is everything, second is nothing when it comes to my poker philosophy. I don't think that's a weakness, more a real strength that can give me a massive edge against some players.

I was looking to get in a position to have a shy at the title, so when Lynott limped in UTG+1 (very unusual for him, I definitely read this as weakness), I raised to 16k, with the intention of a go-and-go, with KQ55ss. I carried out my plan on a T96 board. He tanks and calls with QQxx before one of my nine outs, a beautiful Jack, lands on the river. This was definitely my only misstep in the tournament, I needed another 10k behind to really carry this out, but it put me back into a great position.

I stole my way up to around 90k when an irritating blind on blind hand ensued. Jim Lynott limped in on my BB, and I raised pot with KK95ss. The board comes A high and he check raises all in, back down to the 30k area, but at least by now we're in the money after James 'Worzel' Mitchell exits on the bubble. You'd usually feel sorry for the bubble boy, but he's just won 40 grand, so he can do with the extra 200 smackers I reckon.

After a good hour of 7-handed play - AFTER the bubble's burst - we lost the next 4 in quick succession, and I went to 3 handed play as the short stack with around 100k of the 520k in play. This was soon to change.

I raise the button with AAxx, Jim Lynott defends his BB and we see an AA6 flop. It's a bit too good for me to get paid! The flop is checked, and the turn is a 2. Lynott bets 30k, I smooth call with 76k behind. The river is another 6, Lynott value-bets his 22xx for 60k and is forced to call for the extra 17k. I am now chipleader and we are soon heads up when Lynott stakes his tournament life on a straight draw that cripples him when it fails to come in, as Linda Iwaniuk's pair of 5s hold up. He exits soon after, leaving myself heads up with Linda, approximately even in chips.

Linda has been playing her button very aggressively and often c-betting whilst the game has been shorthanded, so I'm looking for a spot to commit post flop if possible. I don't really want a £600 flip. I don't have to wait long, when my Ac4c smashes the KcTc8cXQc board against Linda's Jx clubs, giving me a 3 to 1 chip lead. I get my chance to knock her out with AK83 v 9986 but the 9s hold up to return us to even, when we agree to split the prize money equally. I do believe I had a decent edge, but I could not afford a 60-40 flip at best for £600, given her willingness to be aggressive pre-flop with medium pair holdings, so I'm still happy with this deal.

Linda ekes out a 2 to 1 chiplead, and we spin it up pre-flop with her AQT6 v my AJ98 opening up a myriad of possibilies on a QJ4 board, but the 9 on the turn puts me back in pole position. The final hand is soon after, as Linda raises to 30k again on her button, I smooth call with KQ52ss and check-raise pot against her c-bet on a Q96 2 spade board. I guess she feels priced in to call with JJ93 and the 10s falls on the turn to give me the pot, the win, and the title of World Amateur Omaha Champion!

UK Sharks Review can be found here.

APAT Live updates are here.

And my too-cockney/Essex-sounding interview!

WCOAP

2008-09-01T01:33:00.002+01:00

Am running rather good. I think I'm on around a 60-70% final table rate in tournaments atm, including at least 5 wins (or chops) from 15 or so.

The APAT World Championship of Amateur Poker was held in London from Wed 27th Aug to Sunday 31st. Running tournies with no juice, deep-stack, Omaha, Razz and Stud one day events, and a two day NLHE Main Event.

A quick summary:

Wed 27th. Omaha. 7,500 starting stack, 30 min blinds, 70 runners.

Finish - 1st. Dealt Heads Up for £1100 each and took the gold medal. 20 Player of the Series points.

Thur 28th. Razz. 3,000 starting stack, 30 min stake increases, 48 runners.

Finish - 39th. Nearly first out. Shame really, never got above starting stack.

Fri 29th. Stud. 3,000 starting stack, 30 min stake increaes, 32 runners.

Finish - 2nd. Took £500, unlucky not to win, but a silver medal as consolation with 17 POTS points.

Sat 30th. Hold Em. 10,000 starting stack, 40 min blinds, 206 runners.

Finish - 142nd. Was in a slightly gambley move, but ended up in two spots in consecutive hands where I couldn't do much bar lose my chips.

So I decided to head back on Sunday with the guys, no watching the final for me. After 5 days in Newcastle and another 5 in London with minimal sleep, I wisely chose to play the £150 Big One at Grosvenor Southampton after just a couple of hours relaxation. 7 hours later, a four-way chop and I'm £600 richer.

Anyway, just a small blog of updateness, will have a fuller report when I can be arsed - but hopefully before I forget key hands.

World Poker Open

2008-08-16T01:45:00.002+01:00

Boy, I'd love to play if one of these 6-max shootouts. Some of these relatively well known pros - what are they thinking?

5 handed at 5k/10k, Robin Keston raises UTG to 25k with AcJc. Mick McCool is sitting on the button with TT. Now obviously these shows are heavily edited (craply, I must add, why show a non-entity of a hand where Channing limps 78s, Tyler checks 94o. The action goes check, check, check, bet, fold - wtf?!), so there is the possibility of play we've missed which may account for the actions here.

Keston's stack is short, no more than 130k iirc. McCool has 180-190k I believe and Channing and Josh Tyler to act behind him. 5 handed without exceptional information there is no way McCool is passing his TT, but he somehow finds a smooth call here. Now it's not a great spot granted, but raising is by far and away the lesser of two evils. It is staggering to think that Keston is suddenly going to lose interest in the pot with 65k in it, with only the winner progressing. Position is irrelevant and aggression is everything here. He moves all-in dark (I like it, doesn't alter the hand dramatically, but has the chance of screwing with McCool's mind) and McCool passes on a K9x 2 club flop. How he can call pre and then fold post-flop, I don't know. What does he want to see? It's a pretty decent flop!

These tournaments are crapshoots from the sounds of things, McCool has no option but to ship it in with his TT and put the decision back on Keston. He's not passing, so it's raise or call, and it's clear to me which option is better.

The other one was one of the last hands. Blinds are stupid, 10k/20k, Channing has 260k, Tyler 340k. Tyler raises to 100k with KQ. I'm don't like this.

- If Channing folds, fine. He's taken the blinds. Fine
- If Channing holds a weak/mediocre hand. He'll pass, can't possibly make Tyler fold, it's a scared raise, it's begging for an all-in pre.
- If Channing holds a strong hand, he'll move all in. Tyler will have to call. Not terrible, if I'm up against someone better than me, I'll take a shot with KQ here.
- If Channing chooses to make a move with a stop n go, Tyler will need to hit, or he will find it near impossible to continue. There was a comment in commentary about Channing getting the upper hand, so perhaps Tyler had been sitting back a bit. If he misses and Channing shoves, he can't call with K high.

Imo, a raise to 60k opens up more possibilities. Channing could shove with a wider range, believing he has more fold equity, as stated, I'll take a shot with KQ here, so I don't mind that. He could call with a wide range and look to outplay Tyler. With a hand that plays well post-flop, I like that option too. Should Tyler miss, he's lost 40k less.

Of course Channing throws a spanner in the works and just smooth calls. I would think he's intending a stop n go with Tyler apparently clamming up during the end game - who knows, shite editing. It's a nasty spot, I don't like making a move with A9 here, but I wouldn't expect him to pass, and if he intends to bang the flop he can't really do too much else. The board is 983 and he now checks. Tyler inexplicably moves in with his K-high. Channing has smooth called 40% of his stack pre and then checked a 9-high board. Do you really think he's folding?! You check behind, pray you hit, and if you don't, scold yourself for making a rubbish, scared pre-flop raise. Channing obviously snap calls and wins.

I can only think that some of the bigger names have old habits ingrained. Like making use of position, position and position in McCool's case, and in Channing's case, not getting it all-in pre-flop in a race for your tournament life when you have an edge. Channing doesn't have much of an option. Whereas the youngster seems to have taken the aggression thing too far, and lost his cool when the going got tough.

Two pretty elementary mistakes. Pretty much leads to both being eliminated. Boy would I love a shot at one of these.

And another thing...

2008-08-09T16:21:00.002+01:00

I've even managed to flop quads...and get paid, twice in less than 24 hours. Not even online too. The run is definitely over!

Cash, raise with KQ, several callers. Flop KKK. I get all the chips from 33...somehow.

And then in the Wednesday tournament. Am involved with 88 and see a T88 two spade board. The beautiful As peels off after the flop is checked, and the money flies in on the river against KsXs. Not something my opponent would normally do, but he was on tilt!

Wooooooo

2008-08-09T16:02:00.003+01:00

See the date of the previous post? Early June...

That's because I have fuck all to report, apart from the coldest streak of my life.

2 months without a final table, with people doing their very best to out-do the current 'worst bad beat I've ever suffered' champion.

New entry, in 2nd place:

Wednesday £50 comp.

With 14k (one of the chipleaders) and blinds 200/400 I raise the button to 1200 with AA. Rik in the BB is well aware of my aggressive rep, and reraises to 3700. Sticking in a reraise gives the game away, so I just smooth call in position, expecting him to fire on the flop.

Flop J 6 2 rainbow

What a flop, and Rik leads out 4000, I move all-in for his last 3k or so. He comments 'I don't want to play this comp with 3000' and calls with T9o.

Turn 9

River T

Bah, argh, soapytitwankcuntbollocks.

Anyway, it's been stuff like that for 2 months, I have no problem getting a stack - just keeping it. Finding hideous spots against the worst players with my tournament life continually on the line. I'm sure I can't do anything any differently, I'm sure I'm making the correct long term decisions - I will take a +EV gamble if it puts me into a dominant position.

Anyway, 2 weeks ago, the tide began to turn. I wasn't experiencing any bad beats! The big problem is that I was either getting fuck all hands to get bad beated with, or getting hideously cold-decked when monster stacked.

£10 rebuy, 1k starting stack, 90 mins in I've built it to a massive 23k. No-one else has more than 1800. I promptly get other stacks all-in or committed against me 7 times. One is a 6 way pot where I'm racing on the side and pretty unavoidable given my chip position. The other 6 times I am significantly ahead (AQ twice and AT v A6, 6 hits twice and flush once. Q4 v AK on QJJ board, 88 v K9 etc etc) and lose 5 of them. I go to the break with 'just' 14k.

It gets built to 18k, before James Bagley raises to 1200 with blinds 200,400. He has 9k or so. A weak-tight old fella calls from the CO, he has 14k. With odds in the BB with 86o it's an easy call for me.

Flop 6c 6d 3c

I've checked dark, and I plan on betting most turns.

Turn Ah

Not that one, I check, Bagley fires 1600, old fella smooths, I repop to 7600. Bagley folds and Villain moves in. He is seriously bad enough to go broke here with AJ type hands. But he has A6 - of course. Gah. I am crippled and soon out.

Anyway, Sunday 2nd I made a final table! I did only manage 9th after isolating the short stacks shove with KQ, I make trip Ks but he hits a flush with his bare Jh. A7 is soon smashed by TT which sets up on the flop. But it's a final, the tide had been ready to turn for a couple of weeks. Was still feeling good about my game and online had kept me afloat.

Wednesday though, I finally got a slice of luck in one of my customary hideous spots (AQ cracking KK) and although I was unlucky not to win heads up, a slight deal meant I took £500 for 2nd, overturning a 10 to 1 chip deficit at one point, gaining the chip lead and getting the money in on the turn as a 2 to 1 favourite against a player who'd won 7 out of his last 9 tournaments. I'd have taken that at the start and after a rocky midgame.

Lady Luck's Anal Rapeage

2008-06-02T06:24:00.003+01:00

Man, what a weekend.

Saturday - Play atrociously in the tenner rebuy, get one big piece of luck, no difficult decisions, chop heads up for £800.

Sunday - Play well in the £150 freezeout and perfectly in cash. Get all-in bad twice in 10 hours - neither occasion avoidable. Net result - probably £1200 less than deserved.

Tournament :

I raise with AJ, KQ reshoves, I call, flop JT9

8 left, a chop is pretty imminent, BB misses a chance to knock out the short stack on the button after I flat call his shove from the SB. As a result am forced to shove from the button with A6, and BB calls for a large percentage of his chips with K9. I need chips to be a factor in any deal-making, so this pisses me off when they chop 7 way about 5 minutes later. I take £310 for 8th. The rest take £885 minimum.

Then cash (50p/50p):

AK v 66 all-in pre after my limp re-raise, the pair falls to the only person on the table who would be able to get all my chips. £150 coinflip.

Miss nut flush on flop and additional nut gutshot draw from turn. Potential £80 pot.

Raise with 65 to £2, called by blinds, flop 753. SB bets £4. I call, turn 4. SB bets £10, I raise to £25. SB calls, river 6. SB has Q7 and hits his 3 outer to split, or I take a £140 pot.

UTG Mr Willis tilt straddles to £10, Chris reraises to £40 with AK, I shove in £130 with KK. UTG calls dark. Board Q654T, UTG has 73 in a £190 pot.

3rd last hand, I straddle to £2, Willis straddles to £10, folded around to my ATs, I announce raise and am met with an all-in before I can announce the amount. I call and am smashed up by Q9 on a K7658 board for a £150 pot.

That's a potential £1500+ swing. Not amused.

Chris, you bastard

2008-05-30T17:30:00.003+01:00

Just to remind me (should I ever need reminding).

Myself and Chris have a 10% agreement in any tournament we both play in. Let's just say to date he's done a bit better from this deal than I have so far...

Of course, Mr Webber delivers his best ever casino result the day before an exam, when I'm not there.

You bastard.

But congrats!

Shame, Vegas and Procrastination

2008-05-30T16:44:00.003+01:00

Shame: I spelt Optimistic wrong, and the blog was shit. It really was, so am shunting it down with this long overdue effort.

Procrastination: I should be revising, got a freaking exam at 9:30am tomorrow (that's a Saturday) - and I still need to learn the course, but just can't concentrate at the moment.

But Vegas, baby, has been over two months since I've returned. I finished a tidy $2.5k up, but was very disappointed that it wasn't more.

It started so well, after driving down with two friends from San Franciso, I decided to take a walk down the strip to check out the poker rooms and get some info. I stumbled into Planet Hollywood at 6:58pm with their $60 freeze starting in two minutes. I got the second-last ticket, and outlasted the other 98 runners to take down a $1400 payday before the poker was even supposed to start!

It meant I didn't have to make a single withdrawal from my account for the rest of my time there. Helped by winning two of my next three tournaments and FTing the other (won $65 Caesars Palace for $800, 4th in PH $60 - about $140 for that - and then 1st at PH for about $450).

I'm sure the eagle-eyed have noticed that would make my winnings $2.8k already, or about $2.5k profit after buy-ins. It didn't go too well after that. I'm not a cash game player, but I was card dead. The deck hit me in the face in tournaments (in an hour period I hit quads twice and flopped two straights, one with a nut flush redraw, getting paid off each time), and in cash games I could go 8 hours whilst seeing just 4 top 10% hands and having to lay down the best, QQ, to a pre-flop limp re-raise. I tried to play tight, but I just didn't hit a thing. I had a couple of good sessions, but broke-even at best over the trip.

One highlight was FTing the $10k guarantee (they took >15k) at Binions on my first ever trip there, until my chip leading dominance was derailed by a complete monkey:

I've already cold-decked someone else in the extreme to give me the chip lead with around 30 players left of the 156 that started. With blinds at 100/200, UTG (~8k) raises to 600, folded to me in the BB with 33 (I have around 11k). I call and check the flop dark. I don't look at the flop and just stare at him, he looks at me and checks behind. I glance back.

The flop's AA3 - with his check I have him!

Turn.....3

So naturally I bet 1600 into the 1300 pot with quads. He flat calls. I am now 1000% certain he has an A.

River J

I bet 3k, he grabs a large stack of his chips and just sticks them over the line. I move all-in for his last k or so. He calls and flips AJ. Hehehe!

Anyway, back to the situation in the last 30. Blinds are 600/1200. BB has been quiet, and is moaning with his last 3400 chips, and says to me he's going in no matter what. I don't think anyone else was paying attention. I'm UTG with AJ and raise to 3600 (my stack is approx 35k). It's folded round to the SB, who calls (he's an absolute donkey, with 25k or so he's jammed off me, with A8s v A8s. I've also had people shove into me, giving me 3:1 odds, with Q7o and A9o, needless to say I didn't win either of those, anyway, the standard is poor).

BB keeps his word and moves all-in. The pot is 10,200 with 400 more on the side.

Flop JJ4 two diamonds. I'm happy to take it down here and bet 4k into the dry side pot. This should be a massive warning sign! SB calls.

Turn 2d. Great, flush draw down, he checks, I check behind.

River Td. 4 diamonds now, he grabs 10k and sticks it in, I insta-pass in disgust and he shows AK with just the Kd. Well done, idiot. He's chip leader now but doesn't even make the money (top 18).

I drift along to the final, no able to pick anything big up, and go out in 7th despite sucking out on AQ with T3. I can't repeat the trick with J7. They chop 5 way as well, so my $400 could've been $2k. Argh.

Got very bored of poker after a week, which didn't help me play my best game. Sitting down at the Mirage with $200, only to lose it all first hand with set over set doesn't help. But on one notable occasion the deck ran my way.

Planet Hollywood $1/$2, 9 handed.

I'm BB, and it has been straddled to $4. UTG +1 calls (he seems tight, relatively weak, but not going to be playing trash). Someone in MP calls, as does the Button (no info) and me with 7h5h.

Flop 6d 8c 8h

There is a tendancy to overbet in Vegas, and I fancy seeing a cheap turn, so chuck out $5. EP player and Button both flat call.

Turn 9h

Woo, I turn the straight, and am immediately putting EP on an 8, and he's also shown no tendancy to play suited connectors, he's a high card guy. Not sure about the button, but I think I'm likely to have the best hand here.

Then chaos. I bet $20. EP min-raises to $40. Button raises to $105. Now I'm flummoxed, but don't believe either player would be raising with a full house on this kind of board, so I flat call hoping to bring EP and his A8-type hand along too, believe the button has a similar hand.

EP reraises to $210. Button moves all in for $170 total and the decision is back on me. EP has about $80 behind. I decide to talk to them, saying neither would raise with the boat, so I think my hand is good. Neither of them look comfortable, and when I push all in, the disappointment on EPs face is apparent as he pushes his final $80 in, feeling he's pot committed. Button turns to me and says 'Have you got a full house?' and tables T7 - ouch, didn't put him on that. My read on EP is spot on as he shows A8.

River 2h

Ship it!

Other than that, I am pottering along nicely both live and online. I've stopped the cash for a while, as I'm not playing well in it. The tournaments are going well, I feel like I'm outplaying people at will and only continued bad beats and cold-deckings are preventing me from more frequent and bigger scores. Despite this, I am slightly up over the last month live.

Online, I have discovered the 45 man Full Tilt $26 SNGs. They're juicy! 18 tournaments, 2 wins, 2 seconds, 2 thirds and a fourth. Again, various suckouts are crippling me even in these, KK v TT three times for example! The luck is well in the negative column, but with my ROI at 152% and my online ranking up to 21,000 or so, I can live with it.

It's just a bit frustrating when you know there's so much more on offer. I can't win a race to save my life, but I can't even win one in two when I've built a dominant chip position.

Consecutive hands, short stack shove with AKs, I call with QQ, he flops the nuts, I turn the set, miss the boat. Next hand, he shoves again with QQ, I reshove with AKs, obviously the QQ hold up this time! It costs me half my stack!

FT on Grosvenor Wed tournie. I lose a race with AK v 77 3 handed for 90% of the chips in play, then about 10 mins later, another race with AK v 88 for 70% of the chips.

16 people left in the £150 Freeze in Southampton, after being card dead and winning 5 pots all night, I shove 9k in with QQ, get two callers, the blinds. I win the pot I am up to 3rd and one of the favourites for a £3.5k payday. They both flip AK, so I'm a 3:1 fave. Obviously the A flops.

Moaning over. I'm still winning. And if the luck goes my way too, I'll be disappointing a lot of people at final tables!

Upbeat and Optomistic

2008-02-20T15:30:00.003Z

Following on from the below post. Myself and Chris have played in the sickest cash game we've been in to date. After outlasting Chris (again) at the £10 Harbour Rebuy, aided by some rubbish (think it was 98s) v AK saved by a full house on the board, and then A3 hitting running 3s v AJ. 11th and 12th for us, a little money for the final table bubble for me, plus Chris' £10 for our ongoing last longer!

We decided to start a 50p/50p NLHE cash game with a few other runners and a certain rich gambler named Mo. My first buy in was cracked by a 3 outer, and then another £60 died by way of a 5 outer, both on the river. So I brought the £100 chip I had in my wallet to the table. About an hour later I'd chipped up to a respectable £215, as Mo was generally playing rather loose and aggressive to put it mildly, with massive over raises, and calling down with anything. We were distinctly moist at the thought of this cash game continuing.

It got to the point where myself and Chris (I'm usually psycho-aggressive, and Chris is rather LAGgy too) are playing weak, tight, passive poker pre-flop. On one occasion I limp for £2 pre-flop (there's been alot of straddling) with KQ. Mo raises to something like £10-20, it's pretty irrelevant, but I call, to see a beautiful QQJ board. I make a small bet, only to be reraised all-in by Mo. The immense relief when I see his AJ is drawing to running Aces or Jacks is overwhelming, and I rake in a £430 odd pot.

The game is sick, we're eventually 4 handed with over £2k on the table, for a 50p/50p game! I've never lost a £250 pot with K8, on an A high board - and not even blinked. I lose a few pots, before getting my chips all-in on the last hand with AK. I reraise Mo half his stack (about £60), he calls, and I push the flop dark, he calls for another £70 or so. He doesn't turn his cards over, so seeing a beautiful Ace of clubs on the turn is a massive relief, a J on the river is irrelevant as he shows QJ. My AK takes the last pot of the night, worth around £250.

Running good continues, a final table Harbour the following weekend for £250 and win the Grosvenor Sunday tournament the following night for £410. UNfortunately, since then, the wheels have come off a bit. Playing a Wednesday cash game in the wrong frame of mind has really killed me, a couple of bad Monday rebuy tournaments has cost me around £400, punctuated by a £160 cash game profit, where again I played pretty badly but got lucky in one key hand, then redeemed myself in monster pots against Seb and Tony.

Having said that, playing terribly, I've still gone deep in 3 recent tournaments I've played, it's taken bad luck to knock me out. AT v KQ, QJ v 96 on a Q65 board are two that come to mind.

I've generally had an awful week of running bad, I've been one outered 3 times this week, 225 board, A2 v K2 v T5, case 5 hits the river. J8 v QQ on JJ3 board, case Q hits the river. 77 v AJ on T74 board, turn and river K J.

One sick cash game, 0.25c/0.50c heads up. This guy hit everything. He was awful. In 90 odd hands out of 650 he showed down, he hit 4 trips, 9 straights, 1 flush and 4 full houses. To be fair, only the straights got me into trouble, but he hit everything.

And I mean everything. KK on a 952 rainbow baord, a pot bet sees his 78 hit the jackpot with a 6 on the turn. In his 9 straights, he flopped one of those v my top pair, and hit FIVE gutshots. What made it worse, is that EACH time he hit - so had I! It wouldn't be so bad if he'd limped his SB, hit the gutshot, and got a dollar or two out of me on the river. No, he'd win $20 each time against my top pair/two pair/monster draw/overpair. And the one time I hit a straight...he hits a runner runner flush. I run JJ into QQ and 99 into TT. I'm finding alot of that at the moment, the deck is pretty ice cold.

But I've read a poker mag, and am feeling optomistic, so am playing the £25 semi-freeze tonight - not had a result there for a while. But Chris' recent run is keeping my losses from being too bad - I'm getting a little bit back after my run! ;)

Reading is happening from Thursday to Sunday, then Vegas in mid March, and Dublin in April. Will be alot of serious poker going on!

Whining is good

2008-02-01T04:25:00.000Z

Should whinge more often. Shortly after posting the below blog, myself, Chris, Tony, Vicky and Andy all headed to Cardiff for the weekend to play the £75 APAT Welsh Amateur Championship. It was a generally successful week, with me first out in around 68th of the 200 odd runners. Kudos for Andy for going so deep, and to Tony for making day 2 and the money spots.

Anyway, like true poker addicts, we packed up around 3:30, and headed back to Southampton...to head straight to the casino's £30 treble chance freeze. Well, not Tony and Andy, because they're lame. Myself and Chris are duly rewarded for turning up 15 minutes late, Hellmuth style, by taking a 1-2, worth £440 to myself for the win. Chris will insist my A7 v his A6 on a KJ9 flop runner runner badbeated him, when it comes 5 4, good luck with that mincing dinosaur man. This is followed by a 2-3 the following evening - the luckiest person in the world dodges multiple bullets to take the win, but my coffers are swelled by another £450. Wednesday is a damp squib, as I run into an awful player who happens to be the card rack for the night.

Sunday stays good though, another 2nd for £200, though I needlessly gave away the chiplead and a £500+ payday 4 handed. Chris makes another final table and takes 6th. I got too aggressive, and ran into the eventual winners AQ after an ill-advised shove from the button. Monday's £10 rebuy made up for that, Chris taking 3rd and another win for myself, for £450.

He's rather narked, that after 5 tournaments, he's taken 2nd, 3rd, 6th and 3rd, and lost our £10 last longer bet each time, including the Wednesday tournament, where neither of us make an impact.

Online cash has been a different matter, no-one seems to be donating to me, not getting into any good spots, combined with a couple of suckouts and a little bit of tilt, I'm running a good $300 down at 25c/50c over the last couple of days. I've played pretty well, but some horrendous suckouts have not helped the cause.

PLHE, 25c/50c

I've chipped up slightly to $65. Pick up QQ UTG and pot raise to $1.75
CO calls.
BUT reraises pot to $7.75
SB folds, BB (monster stack of $160+) flat calls.
I use up my entire time bank, and repot to $33, leaving $18 behind.
Passed to the BB, who uses his timebank, and flatcalls.
Flop T 8 3 rainbow. He puts me all-in, I obviously call, he has 88.

Gimp.

Anyway, all is well following a live cash game - hence the late post. Blinds 10p/20p, a tiddy £110 profit, including "My new favourite Ten-Six play", as said by Mike Perry. Chris blind raises to £1.20, Willis reraises to £5.20, I flat call with T6o on the button. Chris reraises another £18, Willis passes and I shove my £60 stack in. After a good 3 minutes, where I'm absolutely bricking it, and Chris tells me he has an Ace, and he knows I don't have one. After long deliberation (I'm know I'm not in terrible shape) he passes A3, and I breathe a huge sigh of relief!

Anyway, a couple of hands, a few good plays, and it's been a good session. Chris was rather despondent about his cash performance, but you have no need to be mate. We all have bad sessions. You know you're easily good enough, discipline can be improved on. Your words of encouragement helped me over my dry spell, so I'm sure your self-belief will shortly return, as will the results.

If it's any consolation I haven't got a tell on you!

You only sing when you're winning

2008-01-05T20:19:00.000Z

It's true.

I hate poker, I can't take much more. The last 4 months has been terrible. I'm probably running at nearing £1,500 down. I just seem to be the best player in the world at finding the fish at my table. They just get lucky. I haven't hit a big hand in god knows how long. I've not won more than £160 since September 1st.

I've tried a return to cash games, sticking $550 on Full Tilt. I've employed sensible table selection, using Poker Tracker, and making sure I've got position on any stacks bigger than me if possible. It's done bugger all.

Some hands over just the last 3 weeks - mine in bold:

5h6h(UTG+1) v 55 (BB) on 24K3 board. 56s min raises pre-flop and minimum bets 5 player flop - calls a too small reraise on the flop and hits the gutshot.

KQo (UTG) v 98s (Button) on A56T9 board. My UTG raise and bets are called pre-flop, flop and river.

77 (BB) v 6d2d (HJ) v Kd9c (CO) on Td8d4d board. HJ and CO limp. I overraise from BB, am called by both - it is 1/3 of K9's stack.

Qc3s (BB) v As8s (SB) on Kc Qs Js Ad 8c board. Two aggressive late limpers, SB completes. I overraise from BB, limpers pass, SB calls. He then check calls a 3/4 pot bet on the flop and turn - by this time it's 2/3 of his stack to call. This was a £150 comp!

AsJc (BB) v 3c5c (CO) on Ac Kc 2s board. Blinds 25c/50c HJ raises to $1.75. CO and button call. I reraise to $10, leaving $41 behind. Get called by the CO. I check raise his pot flop bet all-in, his 3c 5c hits the Qc on the turn and I miss the redraw.

In 2 nights of cash game play. I've hit one straight with KJ on a 69TQ board...to split it with KJ. In 200+ hands on Full Tilt, I have just seen this one straight, no flushes, only two trips (neither with pocket pairs, have had 15 of those and not hit one set - add to that 150+ hands on PKR without hitting a single set). I have lost with AK v A4 all-in pre. Hit top two pair, only to run into bottom set. Had JT on 3J4T board only to run into 33, A3 and KK, with a K rivering. Have had AA, QQ and 88 uncalled in a session where around 80-90% of my raises were being called.

I have had KK twice and seen an A high flop both times. The only walk in a 170 hand session saw me holding QQ on the BB. I've bet out with an 8 on 9c 9s 8s 7c board, to be called by 7h 2h which rivers a 7. I've run JJ into AA in heads up play, and a misclick caused me to run A8 into QQ on a blind v blind confrontation, not withstanding he insta-called an all-in on a 3 spade board, holding no spades. I have had a check raise on a 34K flop met with a reshove from A4.

T6 hitting an 865 board, T on the turn, to run into T8 - held by a muppet who'd been the final caller in a 3 way all-in holding Qh6h.

I've raised a single limper from the BB holding JdTd, the flop comes 248 with one diamond. I c-bet flop and turn 8. I am called all streets by the limper. The river is a 7, I check, he checks behind...with Qd5d.

I've overbet the flop with AdJc on 2d6dJs flop, received one check-caller, who pot bets the turn 3d, forcing me to pass. I've held a pair + flush draw, a gutshot + flush draw (twice) and a pair, gutshot + flush draw, and have missed the lot.

Most of the above in just 24 hours. I hate poker so much. APAT next weekend though, am due enough cards to win the tournament!

How do you win a SNG whilst hitting FA?

2007-10-19T19:34:00.000+01:00

As Full Tilt are exceedingly homosexual in that they don't take Maestro - I've been pottering around, concentrating on work and other things. The month started badly, dropping £200 at poker from 30th August to 4th October, and I've decided to ease off the live poker, as I feel I'm not giving it my all, despite very positive recent results. With about $8 lying around in Stars I decide to play an SNG for fun. But I win, so play a $10 SNG, play well and make 2nd. Feeling like I'm playing very solid poker, I've decided to give SNGs a go over cash in the future. Far less variance!

6 $10 SNGs, 2 wins, 1 2nd, 1 3rd and 2 4ths - and one of the 4ths I made a terrible mistake which otherwise would've resulted in a cash. So into the 7th.

Hands 1-12: Bugger all, I see my first two BBs for free with 54o and Q2o. Limp with Kh9h and reminded it's a poor play when SB raises big and I pass. Only 20 chips though. If I play every hand here, I hit 2nd pair once (a 9 with 96o) and 3rd pair thrice on the flop.

Hand 13: SB, AQo, MP and button limp. I hate the hand and position, too early to raise, so complete. Flop comes K high and I pass to the bet.

Hand 16: AQo, 4th pos. 3rd limps, I raise to 5xBB, all fold and I take my first pot.

Hand 22: AJo, Button. Cutoff raises 4xBB, I flat call, board comes 2h 5d 9c Qc Tc. Checked down and he has the only hand I could've pushed off the pot (AK). Thought about betting the turn, but I don't like risking too many chips early on. If I'd played the last 11 hands, I'd have hit 3rd pair once.

Hand 24: QJs, 4th pos. I limp, one EP limper and button. T high flop and fold to the button's bet.

Hand 26: AKo, 2nd pos. I raise 4xBB. All fold.

Hand 28: 9s3c, BB. No raise on my BB for 4th consecutive time. Button limps. Board Js 8s 2d 3s and a 2/3 pot bet takes it down. Haven't hit another flop yet. Still on 1235 chips with blinds 25/50.

Hand 36: 99, SB. MP and button limp. I hate the position, all-in or pass realistically, and the blinds are small enough, so I flat call, miss and fold. Playing the last 8 hands would've seen me hit 2nd pair for the 2nd time (the 4 with 84o this time!).

Hand 47: 88, UTG. Down to 910 chips with blinds 50/100. I have no option but to push. All fold. Not hit another flop.

Hand 49: 97s, SB. Button limps, I complete. Flop 874 rainbow. A huge 2nd pair sees me bet 2/3 pot and take it down. That's now 3 2nd pairs and 4 3rd pairs on the flop.

Hand 52, QJo, 2nd pos. 6 players left, I raise 3xBB and take the pot.

Hand 64, KQo, 2nd pos. 860 chips, blinds 75/150. I move all-in, BB calls with JTs. Board 62574 doubles me up. No more hits in the last 15 hands.

Hand 66, T6s, BB. Blind on Blind, board AK5T sees me take it with a min bet on the turn.

Hand 74, K7o, Button. Still 6 left, blinds 100/200. Folded to me and I min raise on the button. BB calls. Board 9h Td Qh 4c 8s. It's checked down and his A3o wins. Still can't hit a flop.

Hand 75, AcKh, Cutoff. 1170 left, MP raises to 800, no option but to push. He shows 99. Board comes Qc Kc 2c Jh 6s. I HIT TOP PAIR! Oh, and I doubled up.

Hand 76, 92o, UTG. Would've hit 2 pair, when you're hot you're hot!

Hand 77, ATo, BB. Blind on blind. SB limps, I raise 3xBB, SB calls. Flop 456, he checks, I push, he folds. 2nd of 5 left now.

Hand 88, AA, SB. Not hit since last time. Blind on Blind. BB short stacked. I min raise and he flat calls. Flop down J65, I put him all-in and he insta-calls with JT. Turn 9, river 7 knock him out. Though I didn't actually hit that flop!

Hands 91-97. I win 4 of these 7 hands, hitting bottom pair once, 22 on a K44 board and two pre-flop raises. 4 left.

Hands 104-106. I win these 3 in a row with pre-flop raises. A couple of flop hits, but no top pair if I play every hand. Chipleader with 4600 and blinds 100/200/25.

Hand 111: A raise stops me from playing QTo, flop comes Q high and QJ hits two pair on turn.

Hand 117, QQ, SB. Now 3 handed and in the money, somehow. I over raise from SB to 6xBB, BB pushes and I call, he shows JJ and board 6726T puts me as monster chipleader 8800 with both opponents on 2300.

Hand 122, 22, BB. Blinds now 200/400/25. SB raises 60% of his stack, I reraise all-in, he shows ATs and 465KK board knocks him out and leaves me 4 to 1 chipleader heads up. The odd 2nd and 3rd pair, but nothing much.

Hands 125-130: I win 4 of 6 without hitting a thing.

Hand 131, 9c4c, SB. I've been raising every button to 3xBB, this time he calls, flop down Ac 3c 4s. Lovely flop, I put him all-in, and he folds, leaving him 1500 chips and me with an 8 to 1 leader.

Hand 132, KdJd, BB. He doubles up wtih A8o, both miss. He starts folding his SB.

Hand 134, 95o, SB. I raise 3xBB again, he flat calls, board 4AA2K and I put him all-in on the river, he passes and I show, hahaha! He again folds his SB next hand (135), and I show him 93o.

Hand 136, 74s, SB. I stupidly put him all-in, and he doubles up with Q6 when we both miss.

Hand 138, KhJh, SB. I'm 12 to 1 leader - I put him all-in again, and he calls with J9o. I fittingly hit top pair and the board of 23J7T gives me the win.

If I play each of the 138 hands (played hands in bold):

I hit two-pair once (92o).

I hit top pair 3 times - played hands in bold (AKo, QTo, KJs).

I hit 2nd pair 7 times (with 84o, 96o, 97s, 72o, 96s, 64o, 94s).

3rd pair was hit 11 times, as good as a fold really, though I took a couple of pots down with these.

A pre-flop move with 88 was uncalled, as were many smaller raises with rags. QQ and AA both held as 4-1 favourites.

I won both my races (only one crucial one) 22 v ATs and AKo v 99. That is all, 4 key hands all won.

How do you win a SNG whilst hitting FA?

Patience.

And a little bit of luck ;)

Mmmmm...satisfying

2007-09-24T21:41:00.000+01:00

Sometimes, everything just comes together. The cards, experience, physical tells and poker strategy all combine.

It's just the freeroll at the casino, have been very stacked at some points but have fallen to just above the average (~13k) with around 18 left. I've not really put a foot out of line - absolutely unheard of for me, and have generally played good, solid poker. This time however, with blinds 300/600 I feel it's ripe for a raise and bump it up to 1800 UTG with 67o. Only 5 active players in the hand, the two after me fold, but the small blind calls. He's been looking to play some poker, and has been trusting his reads. Has made several aggressive raises and reraises and has been sensible in who he's been targeting. The flop comes T64 rainbow.

My instant feeling is that he'll believe I've not hit, so I am expecting him to bet. But he checks fairly quickly and 'naturally', not at forced check. I fire out a value bet of 3000, wish to charge him if he gets tricky. He goes into the tank and his demeanour instantly changes, muttering 'you HAVE to bet there', and then moves all-in for 7500 more. I'd be left with 400 if I call and lose. My initial assessment of the flop is that I would be ready for a stop and go re-raise a bet all in, but his talking out loud about his hand analysis made me stop and think. Is his chit-chat, suggesting I'm on the c-bet bluff, a cover for a monster?

I look into his eyes, he holds my gaze for the tiniest of split seconds and shifts his eyes around. He doesn't look comfortable, the smile is forced. He hasn't seen me get tricky with rags before, and I'm playing to get into this kind of position. But good players usually don't put their chips at risk without something. Surely he'd bet a T straight away on the flop? Anyway, if I were holding a T there I'd be pretty comfortable about it, so it just doesn't seem likely. I also don't think he's called me with rags, or he'd again bet out at that kind of flop. The only hands I'm worried about are now 77, 88 and 99. He's not pushing all-in with a set here on a drawless board, but these pairs would fit with the nervousness - 77 is slightly more unlikely given I hold a 7.

I come to the conclusion that he'd be fairly likely to reraise pre-flop if holding 99 out of position. 88 is entering risky mode, but I believe a fair chance of a reraise there too. 77 feels like a stop and go hand, but his failure to bet on the flop, combined with his instant body language change when I bet goes against everything he 'should' do in this spot. I call, and am rather pleased when he shows 55. When I call he asks if I have AK, and isn't best pleased when he sees the hand, it holds up, and I make another final table, I make it my 4th this month and soon follow it with a 5th with another FT at Harbour House. It's been a good month.

Casino Update

2007-09-02T15:52:00.000+01:00

Over the last month, live tournament poker really hasn't been going too well. Out early in a £20 crapshoot Gutshot tournament making a play a few hands in (one move is all you have and I got in far too deep). That was preceded by an absolute nightmare of a £30 deep stack the previous evening. 90 runners with 3,000 starting chips, early on I pick up T8o on the small blind. 3 limpers around and I complete to see a flop of T85. I check BB makes a small probe bet which is called by one limper. I make a large overraise, hoping to confuse the opposition. It doesn't work as they both fold, but at least they're thinking about my raise - which was the aim. I'm not able to take advantage as I'm quickly moved to the most cramped poker table in the known universe. A few hands in, and I reraise an obvious button steal from the SB with J6o, the button passes and I show the bluff. Taps on the table all round, so hopefully that'll get them thinking. If only the table didn't get broken 5 minutes later. Great, as we go into the break I've run my stack up to 3,600, but gambled chips on some set up plays which I'm not able to follow through with.

Anyway, I feel I'm getting good reads and playing quite well. At my 3rd table in an hour and half I raise two limpers on the button with 94o. Again, showed, and I'm hoping one of the lesser experienced players will pay me off in the future. I don't have to wait long. A young lady moves to the table with blinds 150/300. UTG limps and she raises half her stack to 2,000. It's a massive raise and stupidly easy to put her on a hand. When I look down at QQ it's a no brainer and I shove for 4,600. She insta calls her final 1,900 as expected and shows 99. First card out is a 9. I can't even remember the hand I lost my last 700 chips on, but I know that was sick too.

2 weeks later I was at the only regular live freeroll in the country at Southampton Grosvenor. It's a lovely tournie, 72 runners, with 3,000 chips, 45/45/20 min blinds and time to have some fun. I start on the same table as a very aggressive young lady, calling my AK raise and my continuation bet on a 2 heart board, pushing all-in on the 3rd heart. Despite holding Kh I pass and wait, but she puts me to the test again when I raise with KK to see a TT7 board. I bet the flop and she pushes all-in, this time I call, and she shows K5 for the bluff. Nice try love, but I wasn't laying this one down. I spend most the tournament hanging on below the average stack and make the final table with just 15k of the 219k in play. Not that it matters, AJ v KT, 64s becomes a flush on the river against an appallingly played AK, and then my QQ holds up against 99. Within 20 minutes I have 160k of the 219k with 5 players left. I've never had this dominant a position, and despite an old regular clawing his way back to level by heads up, we do a slight deal and I take the extra tenner on offer for the winner when he runs into my KK. £85 for free!

The night gets even better when we get 8 players for a £10 dealer dealt Omaha SNG (fantastic!). I'm by far and away the most competent Omaha player at the table and cruise to victory, slightly aided by quad 9s and a flopped straight when holding AAKK. Another £60. It was a good night, but I spunk most of it at a snooker club £10 rebuy with the worlds worst structure.

Now skint, I borrow money off my mate Mark when he comes to stay last night (Sat 1st Sept). We decide to lose our Harbour House virginity and play their £10 1000 chip rebuy. It's Mark's first live tournament for well over a year, he's barely played over the last two. First hand I pick up 66, and a competent lady raises to 250, I call from the SB to see the perfect AT6 flop. I check, she shoves with AJ and I take the first pot. The very next pot, EVERYBODY limps, making 325 in the pot before my action. Holding AK I raise to 550, a perfectly reasonable raise imo, making sure any caller has to commit. Plus I don't want one caller and then everyone getting great odds to stick around. I get berated by one player who later tells everyone that "the correct raise is 3x BB". Can I play you every day? I hit a KK5 board against the one caller that I wanted and I'm already up to 2,800.

It continues to go smoothly, I don't lose any big pots where I'm ahead. 3xBB man is annoyed by a guy two to my left who raises anywhere between 6-10x BB. It's working, as 3xBB man is getting rather worked up. A limped 77 stands up on a 642 flop, going no further. A button limp with 33 is met with a J73 board. UTG bets with 73, I call and SB calls with KJ. The turn J loses me the UTG player, but I take the SBs stack. My play is again called into question soon after. With blinds 50/100 3xBB man raises to 250 (now that's just 2.5x BB mate). SB calls and I call with J9o. The flop comes AT7, both blinds check and 3xBB man bets 150, SB calls, and me, getting 6 to 1 odds, call also. With a small bet and a call, I am perfectly entitled to expect I might get paid enough to compensate if I hit my 11 to 1 shot. Turn K is checked all round and river Q is bet by the SB. I raise with the nuts, hoping against hope he's not got a J. 3xBB folds KQ and is astounded when SB shows J7 and sees my J9. He then goes on about 'how could we call with bottom pair and a gutshot?' respectively. Nothing to do with the fact he made a shit raise and a shit c-bet. A little discussion ensues, and he just doesn't understand the concept of implied odds. I've done some degree level maths thanks, but decide to count his chips rather than argue.

I cop it some more when competent lady raises to 400, 3xBB calls, I look down at Ts8s in the BB. 300 to call into a pot of 950. Obviously I call to see a JT8 board. I check, lady moves all-in for 2200, 3xBB folds and I win when I hit my boat on the river. She's stacked herself with AJ and she slags off my play again. Within a few minutes I fold my KhQh on a 762 board one heart to her 94o all-in and 3xBB's call with 22. Running hearts come, she asks if I would've won, I said yes, and she snidely remarks 'Oh, that's such a shame'. No need for that, and I'm a bit irked to have to double up her pushed AQ against my BB AJ. She's a bit of a hothead, but did calm down later.

I reach the break safely with 7,750, including the add-on. The first time I've completed a rebuy tournament without a rebuy since 20th November 2006! The good luck dries up for a while. I raise the button with A9 against 2 limpers, one old gent (another snide bastard) calls and checks a Q64 board, I put him all-in and he calls with a well played KQ. Again my play gets criticised! I double up a short stack when I'm forced to call and I'm down to 2,600 with blinds 200/400 after the blinds pass through me. I'm lucky enough to pick up TT on the button. I shove and SB reshoves with KJs. I hold on to double through. I again get all-in with 7d8d, reraising a MP limper on a Td9d3c board. He calls with KT and can't stop shaking his head when the board comes running 8s. Not the way I was expecting to take the pot, but why are you surprised you lost that pot?

I'm moaning about needing a slash my this point (toilets, not wrists), pick up my 2nd pos hand, find KK. Curse you poker gods! I raise and one guy ignores this most obvious of tells and gets it all-in with AQ, I'm now up to around 20k and one of the chip leaders with around 35 left. I'm forced to stick around now the blinds pass me. Plenty of jiggling of legs and I'm almost dribbling when my next 2nd pos hand comes round...it's TT. I warn UTG about raising, but he does and I insta-push. He thinks about it for minutes, probably just to annoy me, before calling with JJ, but a flopped T knocks him out. A new player arrives, but I'm now UTG and wishing I had a catheter. By this time Mark has joined my table as we're down to the last 25-30, and he's sitting on a handsome stack of around 10k, from a breaktime stack of 1,800. He continues to build it nicely throughout the tournament. Mr. Tucker, I am impressed! I continue to dominate the table, reraising a quietish EP player's raise, putting him all-in with AK. He eventually calls with JTs (don't think that's a terrible call tbh). I catch the A on the flop, but avoid running clubs to boost my stack to nearly 40k of the 277k in play. About 15 left at this point and I have no need to mess around with blinds at 800/1600, only stealing once and having enough raising hands to maintain my stack. We break with me holding the chiplead at 45k, and Mark holding well over 20k after winning some key hands without showing. The final table is a mere 20 minutes away, I go slightly card dead, but Mark is well on his way, dominating the table to enter as chip leader with 50k. I enter 3rd with 36k.

Sadly, after a really good tournament the final table becomes a complete crapshoot. I'm lucky when I forget the BB is a short stack of just 5,500 with blinds 1,500/3,000. I raise to 8,000 with 83o. He actually passed (prize money for 9th and 10th identical)! It becomes a card catching contest. We've already done a deal to flatten out the prize structure (a ridiculous 45% going to the winner, £1,240 of the £2,770 prize pool) but one guy picks up AA and KK in quick succession and is soon sitting on 80k. Mark exits in 7th after his first mis-step in my opinion - though he was exceedingly unlucky to miss 19 and 22 outs on flop and turn respectively. After another 15 minutes of pushing chips around with blinds up to 4000/8000 the final 6 agree to chop the prize money. £350 each with the extra £180 left going to the waitress and top two chipleaders. More than happy with that - it was pure luck as to the outcome, and I was big blind with just 24k left! Badly needed the score, but very happy with my play.

Will most certainly be playing Harbour House again, despite some bad tempers!

The second most annoying thing in the world...

2007-09-02T13:53:00.000+01:00

...are average speed checks. Now, they work, but they fuck me off. Big time. You just sit there, for mile after mile, no bleeding workforce to protect, and if they are there, they're having their tea - probably laced with vodka. So they'd do bugger all anyway, which makes me want to mow them down.

Anyway, day 1B in Luton. APAT European Amateur Championship for £75. 151 runners out of the total of 299 or 300. God knows which. 10,000 chips, 40 minute blinds. It's a tasty structure. I have good memories of APAT, the normal weak-tight play, plus I dropped 80% of my starting stack in Cardiff, only to run it up to almost 50k a few hours later. There's time to come back if you're struggling.

I make my first big mistake on the first hand. I win it. Or rather, I share it. On the BB with T3o it's checked to the river and share with the SB who was holding KT on a J7498 board. Up to 10,025 and an early chiplead on the table.

I'm then continually dealt the kind of hands that do their best to bust you. Most people who play with me know I hate AJ, with a passion, closely followed by JJ and AQ. Very next hand I pick up AQ suited and proceed to play it atrociously. UTG limps, I decide I don't fancy raising out of position against him this early on, so I just complete the big blind. The flop comes AJT and I bet out flop, turn comes 9. I bet 300 into the 500 pot, get raised to 1,000. Now, a blind man on the moon can see I'm behind, but I stack 1,700 calling this and 1,000 on a blank river. Of course he has the nuts, KQ. AJo on the button, I raise, get called, flop down KQ rag and I fold to the BB's lead. 76s next hand, raise and take the blinds. 4 hands in, and already down to 8,000. But at least I'm creating an image that might work to my benefit later on.

Yeah, right. I'd need to hit the odd hand. I miss with 88, 33, 22, 99 and JJ (x2) when I get in cheaply. I pick up AJ (x3), AQ (x4) and AK (x3) in the first 4 hours, playing them all differently. The ONLY one I win is when EP (dodgy player, didn't rate him) raises, I call on the button with AJs. Flop comes down A77. He bets 300 into 500, I dwell for over a minute before reraising to 1,100. He remarks 'nice bet' and lays down what I assume to be QQ or KK. At least I got that one right.

And it was pretty much the only marginal play I got correct all tournament. I win with AK, raising pre-flop and betting a 9 high flop when I miss yet again, and I make the first break with 6,700. After playing the 2nd hour rather tight I decide to come back and take the bull by the horns. First hand I raise 3 limpers from the button with J4s, two call, the board comes 456 and a bet from me takes the pot. The very next hand I reraise an EP raiser with AK, then move all-in on a 942 rainbow board. He passes and I'm up to 9,000 despite not hitting anything. Raises are generally being respected, and when I hit my most promising flop yet I'm quite hopeful. With blinds 100/200, I'm the 3rd limper on the button with Tc9c. The flop comes Jc9d7c. The BB bets out 400 into 800 and is called by the HJ (hijack, one to right of CO). I reraise to 1,900...and get called by both. Turn J is checked and River checked to me, I bet out 2,400 when I completely miss again but am called by the HJ, who shows QJo. I take a couple of small pots over the next half hour, but lose another 1,500 when I raise for the first time blind on blind with Q5s. I lead the A high flop and turn, but lay down to a reraise on the turn. I've gone and run into AQ. This hit shakes me, and I'm quite relieved when I'm moved tables, though the second one is far less friendly than the first.

I'm immediately put to the test with 5,600 left, first hand I'm dealt QT in MP, folded to me with blinds 200/400 I test the water with a raise to 1,200. I get instantly reraised by the small blind, and pretend I folded AQ. He shows AK. Not a good start and it only gets worse. With just over 4k left after putting in the big blind, the short stack moves all-in from MP for about 2,600. It's folded around to me as I announce 'An easy fold or a very easy call please', as I look down at A....J offsuit. I curse, though the rest of the table find it hilarious. I've been there for 3 minutes, I have no idea what his range is, if he's really waiting for a good hand. If I'm beat I'm crushed, and if I'm winning, it's probably not by much. I think for about 2 minutes, and then make probably the wrong decision and fold face up, apparently he had K8 suited. I'm low on confidence after the total coldness of the deck so far, and it was manifesting itself in my poor decision making. I was playing terribly. I limp to the dinner break with 3,500 left.

Blinds are 300/600 as we return, with 118 left. First hand in MP I look down a 7s8s, and as I'm about to announce all-in the big stacked guy on my left announces 'call'. It doesn't really affect my decision as he can't be that strong if he was only going to call, maybe he'd fold any connector or Ace than has me dominated. I move all-in anyway, he calls and all others fold, he shows AJo. Flop Ac6s2d hurts, the Ts on the turn gives me 12 outs but the 8 on the river sends me to the rail in 118th.

I've hit top pair twice all night, and one of those I'm against the nuts. I've missed every draw. A freezing cold deck.

The most annoying thing in the world?

APAT No Limit Hold Em Championship Main Event

2007-08-12T18:10:00.000+01:00

148 entrants for this deep stack $50 freezeout. Top 18 paid with winner receiving $2,220.

Very quiet first hour, found some spots to gamble early on without sucess, generally playing rather tight and passive. Didn't lose a pot at showdown, but also failed to find a suitable spot to trap one of the 3 retards on my second table. My one effort led to AK being split against A4 on a 66228 board. Ended the first hour slightly up, building my 5,000 to 6,200 for a spot in the top 1/3.

Shortly after the break my progress was checked. Having raised the previous hand from the button to steal the blinds, my identical raise from the cut-off with 22 was met with two calls from the blinds. A flop of 9c 6h Js was checked round to see a beautiful 2s on the turn. The BB bet 450 into the pot of 1350, I reraised to 1350 and he called. He checked the river Qs, and correctly putting him on the flush, I checked behind to lose no more. The lost pot took me down to 4,300. Following that beat, I go card dead (not that I was particularly flush with good cards before), so sit back with the blinds just about manageable and look to pick my spots, though my patience is running thin as I'm dealt rubbish over and over again. Halfway through the second hour, antes come in, my stack drops below 4,000 and my M is just under 8.

Time for some aggression, a fairly new button raises to 700 with blinds 100/200/25. I find Ks7s and push all-in for 3,500, taking the pot and boosting my stack by 30%. The very next hand I lose 600, making a loose call of a raise on the button with AcTc. The raiser was a rock, so some quality donking off of chips when I inevitably miss the flop and fold to his c-bet.

I donk out in style soon after, picking up Kx suited on my SB several times in row leads me to decide to limp this hand and see a cheap flop if possible, but to reraise all-in if raised. When I eventually do it, I run Kd 4d into QQ. A flop of Qh Td 6d gives me hope, but a blank turn and the case Queen on the river knock me out in style. I have the consolation of knowing I probably would've taken a chance on the flop anyway, but it still wasn't the best move. Never got into this tournament, especially after the 22, finishing a poor 89th.

APAT No Limit Hold Em Heads Up Championship

2007-08-11T19:54:00.000+01:00

Heads Up. I'm not really a fan if I'm honest, but I'm a sucker for poker action and hey, it's worth the most money in tournament play so practice is certainly no bad thing. 108 people are in for the 4th in APAT's online series. Top 16 pay, unfortunately I'm not one of the lucky 20 or so receiving byes into the next round.

Match 1:
Straight into the action on the big blind. Small blind...folds. So it's going to be like that is it? I hate matches like this and the need to be patient, taking 90% of pots whilst avoiding and pot where they bet unless you have a monster. I settle down for a long stint. I quickly discover minimum raises acheive what I want them to, so decide to minimum raise with my trash and continuation bet 1/2 pot regardless on the flop. After he folds his BB to my min raise with JJ, I'm now limping my big potential hands.

I take 4 of the first 6 pots no trouble, before I check my BB with Q7. We both check a T64 flop before I check, he bets pot and I call on turn 5. River is a blank and I bet 1/2 pot on the river and he flat calls, showing QT. A rock then.

The above strategy is firmly in play. A limped QQ takes down a pot on a flop of 88T as I win 15 of the next 16 pots, most pre-flop, losing my only one when I test to see if he folds to two bullets, check folding when a 3rd heart falls on the river after he check-calls flop and turn. Shock Horror, he takes two pots in a row before I pick up AA on my SB.

I complete the BB for 20. He raises to 60. I reraise to 140. He reraises to 300. I reraise to 640. He reraises to 1400 (surely some alarm bells must be ringing). I push all-in for 2620, expecting him to call with a big pair, and he does, with KK. A bit unlucky, but I did telegraph my hand to him. An 86JJ2 board make sure I'm the 5th person through.

Match 2:
The inevitable wait sees me unearth the diamond acoustic cover of Outkast's 'Hey Ya' by a fat, bearded bloke called Matt Weddle of an alt-rock band called Obadiah Parker. I loved the original, but this cover is even better.

The next opponent is far looser, but still fairly passive. The early spoils are shared as I see what he responds to. He seemingly calls down with below par hands as is proved by his calling down with 66 on a board 24Q8Q after I flat called his raise pre-flop with KK. I'm unable to exploit this weakness, as I'm continually dealt rubbish and can't hit a pair, let alone top pair. A couple of occasions I catch two pair and trips, both times he folds to my flop bet.

He's frustrating to play against, purely playing his cards and calling down with any pair, a couple of fortuitous rivers save his bottom pair with weak kicker, and I'm soon 2 to 1 down. I briefly retake the lead when my Qc9c hits a flush on a board of 2c 8s Kc Ks 6c. He calls my check-raise on the turn and pot sized bet on the river with JJ.

I give back the chip lead when I'm forced to lay down As6s on a 3d 7c Jd 2h in the face of an unusual bet from him and then I make a mistake with J6, hitting 2nd pair on the flop and paying off his bizarrely played TT when a K on the river leads me to believe he may have been counterfeited.

My plan finally comes to fruition when I raise with AsKs, he reraises and then calls my all-in with AhTh. I'd rather have set it on motion on the flop or later, but with the cards running pretty cold, I'm forced into a pre-flop all-in. It's heart in mouth time when the flop comes 5h 8h Js, a turn of 7d gives him 4 more outs but another 5 on the river gives me the 2 to 1 chip lead.

The end is in sight when I'm dealt AdAc the very next hand. I make a standard raise and am called. He raises my pot bet on a flop of Jd 5d Tc, I reraise all-in and he calls with 7d 4d, the 2d arrives on the turn and the river is no further help to me, as he regains all his chips lost in the previous hand.

The rising blinds force my hand and my aggressive play narrows the gap slightly. At blinds 50/100 I call his standard raise in the BB holding Kc Jd. The flop comes Ks 3s Th. I check, hoping he'll lead at it, but he checks behind. The turn brings the 9h, and I push all-in, hoping he'll make a dodgy call on a draw. He does, showing Ah6h, but the Ad on the river knocks me out in 46th place.

I've made a few mistakes, perhaps I should've lead at the final flop, but at the end of the day I've got my chips in at crucial points as a 66% and 72% favourite. Frustrating, but standard.

APAT Razz Championship

2007-08-08T20:20:00.000+01:00

More APAT, plus the shittest card game in the world, equals a tournament populated by 82 complete retards (can't really exclude myself here - in relation to most of this lot, I've just about dragged myself clear of the aquarium). Evidence can be provided by the player who, on his board of 3Q3 against my A72 proceeds to call two bets, catches two miracle cards for the nuts and FLAT CALLS my bet on the river. Give me strength, or a cash game against this muppet.

John Woodfield is also in the...erm...field, and he took 13th of 341 at the 2007 WSOP Razz event. Not too shabby.

I'm soon running in the top quarter, but hindered by numerous awkward hands like [Ks 2d] Ac which I feel compelled to at least see 4th street with. I also pick up dealt trip 3s and 4th street trip 10s, which is mildly irritating. Memo to Poker Gods: 3 days too late. After a run of brilliant stud hands, I somehow get paid off when calling the bring in, a raise, and then betting on every street with [4 5] 7 6 3 2. How it got to 6th street with my opponents showing Q 8 6 T (one of the chip leaders), and 5 Q 9 9 (earlier nuts muppet) - I have no freaking idea, but I sure feel good about my prospects. A short stint in 4th follows with a high point of 3,800 chips but a few dropped pots see me finish the first hour in 20th of the 81 left, holding just under 3,100.

Back to nuts retard from earlier. I limp with [A 2] 2, as does he, showing an A and giving away his non-premium under cards. The board eventually shows [A 2] 2 4 2 A [2] as I hit trips, then a boat, then quad 2s for the second time in a week. The board is scary though, so I bet it from 6th street, I'm somehow called by [8 5] A 4 K 8 [T] for 10-high. I resisted the temptation to curse in the chat box, but I now feel I must name and shame. pernille0, take a bow.

When the government decide on poker: skill or luck? They'd better not look at Razz.

The deck remains cold, but there's more donators here than at a charity convention, so a few hands and I will get paid off handsomely. Sadly, before my new found optimism comes to fruition, I'm moved tables. But fear not, Mr. Weak-Rock from Stud is here! Starts badly, buts I console myself by thinking that playing 3 card poker with my starting hands would be rather profitable. A straight-flush, two pairs,a flush and a straight in nine hands and I'm up £300 in my virtual life.

I'm shaken out of my daydreaming, as I realise the 2nd break is approaching and I'm on the way to becoming short stacked. A few pairs later, I limp to the break with 2,800. Stakes going up to 300/600/60 and I'm 32nd of 44.

Fortunately, this table actually has some respect for your upcards, and I rapidly move to 7,000. Then the deck returns cold, and I have a winless streak stretching for 23 hands, with a excruciating run of 11 hands where my upcard is 10 or greater before I finally take the antes when showing an Ace. It's hard going, whenever I pick up playable hands, the person to my right always seems to bring in, and everyone else has low upcards too, making my 1st position raise too risky. A 37% win rate when showing down isn't helping.

I donk off 2/3 of my chips when battling the bring in with a substandard hand, mine leading but failing to improve. I get away with it, however, raising with [3 4] 8, getting 3 callers, 5th street is kind, enabling me to thin the field, before Woodfield gives me maximum value, calling down whilst drawing dead. My 9-high beats his Q-high and I'm up to 11,000, but still just below the average with 17 left. He gets 4,000 back when calling my raise from his bring in. My [6 5] 3 looks good against his Q, but the board shafts me by 6th street. I enter the 3rd break with 8,200 chips. I'm 13th of 16, average 12,800 with stakes at 1000/2000/100.

Woodfield exited in 15th, and with the majority of short stacks finding hands I found myself 14th of 14, some way adrift. I find [7 4] 6 and raise in EP, two callers showing A and 8. 4th street brings J, K and 8 respectively and I'm going all the way. The AK folds and my [7 4] 6 J A 4 [K] is all-in on 6th street and rivered by [A 2] 8 8 J 6 [4] to send me to the rail in 13th, missing the money by 5 spots.

Razz is shit.

APAT Stud Championship

2007-08-06T16:27:00.000+01:00

The Amateur Poker Assocation and Tour have provided some excellent events, both online and live over the past few months. Unfortunately I've not been able to play many events during the first season, but am looking to significantly up the quota next season, starting in October. I went fairly deep in the Welsh Amateur Championship before a cold deck left me exiting in 59th of 200. Other than a couple of small online events, I made the decision to enter the grandly named APAT World Championship of Online Amateur Poker Stud Championship event. With some supposedly chunky medals up for grabs and a mere $20 entry fee, I decided to test my stud skill against 74 others.

The standard in many APAT events is generally weak-tight, a delicious combo, and so it proved in this event with many players playing purely for the ranking points on offer without any experience in the game, grossly overvaluing hands and playing for too passively. With little alarm my stack increased from 2500 to 3600 by the first break, knocking out the only player to fall in the first hour with trip Jacks. The second hour followed the pattern of the first, up to 4100 chips - 14th of 48 remaining.

First hand after the break I take a 1200 chip hit. Playing [Ts 9c] 8c 3c Jh 5s aggressively I'm forced to fold on 6th street against a 6d 6h 7c 7h board, he shows [8d 6c] for the full house. An unsuccessful raise takes me down to 2300, below my starting stack for the first time since beginning. Fortunately the presence of Mr. Weak-Rock enables me to bluff raise on 3rd and 4th street before 5th street pairs my open Ace and he scurries away in the face of aggression. With the aid of a flush a few hands later I'm back up to 4,000 with stakes at 300/600 and not much room for anybody to maneuver.

Halfway through the 3rd hour, getting anted away at 400/800, I raise with [4h Th] Jh. The player to my right (twice my stack) calls me with the only higher up card [Qh].

4th Street:
Me: [4h Th] Jh 2h
Him: [xx xx] Qh 4c

He checks, I bet 400, he calls.

5th Street:
Me: [4h Th] Jh 2h Qc
Him: [xx xx] Qh 4c Js

He checks, I bet 800, he calls. I put him on a draw or a weak hidden pair like 99 or TT (no re-raise on 3rd street)

6th Street:
Me: [4h Th] Jh 2h Qc 6c
Him: [xx xx] Qh 4c Js 3c

I bet 800, he calls. I know he's not in love with his hand, but I'm now left with 944 chips. I pick up Kd to miss my flush draw on the river, muster the courage to press 'bet 800', and he passes. Thank Christ for that.

More aggessive play from me gives me the chip lead. Bringing in with [3c 2h] 2s, it's folded around to a short-medium stack on my right who raises. I reraise and bet every street, hitting two pair on 6th street and eliminating him - who called all the way with [9h 6h] 4h Kc 5d 4d [Qs]. Shortly before the break, I attempt an ambitious mid-position steal with [6c 6s] 2d. I'm reraised by gulibert n2 with an Ad but decide to call, hitting my set on 4th street. I call here which enabled me to cap the betting on 5th street. He (eventual runner-up) check calls from thereon and my [6c 6s] 2d 6h 5d 3h [7c] crushes his [Tc Td] Ad Qd 7s 9c [4h]. I temporarily take the chip lead, and despite having my hidden JJ cracked by then 2nd places (eventual winner thetinkerman) rivered straight, I go into the 3rd break in 2nd of the 20 or so left with 22,000.

With 12 left I go on a rollercoaster hyper-aggressive streak. Hidden JJ turns into 2 pair against a new player to the table, but I give most back when forcing him in with [2h 7s] 2d against his [8c 8h] 7c when neither improves. I sadly waste a chance to double through the chip leader when raising once on 3rd street with [2h 2d] 2c. When the 2s falls on 4th street he folds his pair of Kings and the opportunity is gone. A few hands after we enter the final table and the money positions, I'm 5th of 8 with 24,000 chips. The standard has increased markedly, with the vast majority of hands being raised by the highest upcard. No more easy chips!

I cripple gulibert n2 again when he opens the pot with a bet with [Ks Kd] 2d. I call with [3d Ad] Jd. I eventually hit runner-runner-runner-runner full house with [3d Ad] Jd 3s Td Th [3h], (check calling 4th and 5th, both checking 6th and him check-calling the river), beating his [Ks Kd] 2c 8d 4s 5c [Tc] for a pot worth over 20k. I take the chiplead once more shortly but lose it when I fold my [Kc Kd] Ad 2d 5h against thetinkerman Js 8d Jh (two other Aces showing and a 3rd street raise from the Js). I recover with [Ts 8s] Th 9h 7c Kd [6c] v the aggressive Prieure's [As 4d] Qh 3d 6h 7s [Qs] (he 3 bets 3rd street and I call 4th and 5th, both check 6th and I bet river, he calls). gulibert n2 gets some revenge when my KK is beaten by his 6th street straight. We're soon 4 handed, and my 24,400 is half the amount of 3rd, but my favourite play of the night changes that. I bring in with [7d 6h] 4d, thetinkerman raises yet again with the 9d.

4th Street:
Me: [7d 6h] 4d Kh
Him: [xx xx] 9d Qs

I check, he bets, I raise, he calls. I've now got control and I'm going all the way!

5th Street/6th Street:
Me: [7d 6h] 4d Kh As 4c
Him: [xx xx] 9d Qs 2c 6s

I bet out both streets and he passes on 6th street, with me having just 3,000 chips left.

The play is to no avail though, despite Prieure throwing away a strong position. He's far too aggressive with a weak pair and draw and drops to 10k. I'm a solid 3rd with 38k, and the other two have around 70k. I make my first big mistake of the tournament, and it costs me a medal.

3rd street:
gulibert [xx xx] 5d
Me [3d 9h] 9d
Prieure [xx xx] 6c

gulibert n2 opens with raise, not bring in. Alarm bells should be ringing, but I reraise and Prieure moves all-in. gulibert reraises and I call.

4th street:
gul [xx xx] 5d 8s
Me [3d 9h] 9d 3h
Pri [xx xx] 6c Kh

I should be wary, but with Prieure all-in, I felt I was strong and guaranteed 3rd with a great chance to get in contention. gulibert checks, I bet and he calls.

5th street/6th street/river
gul [xx xx] 5d 8s 8h 7d [xx]
Me [3d 9h] 9d 3h 7s 8c [7c]
Pri [xx xx] 6c Kh 4d 5s [xx]

With blockers all over the shop I call all the way down, putting gulibert on a weaker 2 pair. I should've known better. He shows [Qd Qh] [9s] for a better two pair, whilst in a nightmare scenario, Prieure shows [Ad As] [5c] for the highest two pair on the river. I didn't bank on two hidden pairs, and I'm left with a shade over 6,000. I am out the very next hand.

Disappointing, but I would've taken 4th before the tournament. At least I've proved to myself I can play Stud to a reasonable standard. I took $150 and 6 irrelevant ranking points (only played 4 events this season of around 40 odd!) for 4th place, and am looking forward to the Razz event on Wednesday, followed by NL Hold Em at the weekend.

First Post

2007-08-06T01:46:00.000+01:00

I've been planning a poker blog for some time. If no-one ever reads it apart from me...well, that's not really going to bother me too much.

Having started playing a little poker (badly) 3 years ago, I've eventually graduated to a point where I feel I can make some serious money from the game. During university I've always found enough money to enter local tournaments and win enough to support myself. I've never given cash a serious go and as for my bankroll - I've never really had one!

Now full-time studying is over, I aim to invest approximately $2,000 into online cash under stringent bankroll management conditions. In theory, if I can beat the levels I play at, I stand a minimal chance of ever going broke.

I'm a No-Limit Hold 'Em specialist, but proficient at other limits and disciplines. Primarily a live player, but the money is there to be made online. In the past year I've made $10,000 profit from largely live play.

Notable results include a runner up spot in a national student poker championships. After dominating the final table, the structure did not reward my aggressive play, and the poker gods deserted me in the crapshoot that was heads-up play. This is still my largest cash. I have cashed at a UK festival event (via a bubble deal sadly, so the aim of getting my name onto the Hendon Mob database will have to wait) and taken down a good mid-stakes event on Pokerstars, good for over $2,600.