Which tournie to play?

Trying to keep myself busy at the moment so playing a fair bit of Poker (for me), at least a couple of hours a day. Started the month really well, but the deck has hit me in the face of late as I thought it soon would. Recovered some playing PLO yesterday and a little bit of 5 card stud! Currently up £170 this month, and strangely enough a fair chunk has come from PLO.

This leads me to my dilemma though of which event to play at the WSOP. Looking at the schedule, there are three events that stand out. May 31st $1,500 NLH, June 5th $1,500 NLH (Six Handed) or June 10th $1,500 PLO. The Holdem fields will obviously be huge as usual, so I may opt for the PLO but will need to put some hours into it.

Settling needed

Despite being really happy about the redundancy, there are still parts of my life that are up in the air a bit, which does weigh down on me sometimes. It's not going to be until the new year that I can move on; if that's what I need to do. Going to be a tough start to the year.

Poker went well again last night except when I busted out of $6,000 freezeout like this:

on the button A7, one limper from early so i just call and so does the sb, bb checks. flop A74 rainbow. checked to me i bet 3/4 of the pot. sb calls others fold. Turn 5 puts a flush draw out so i bet pot. sb flat calls me again. river Q no flush. Him having AQ did flash through my head at this point but I thought he would have raised with it pre-flop. I bet 3/4 of the pot, which now has 70% of my stack in it and he flat calls, turning over AQ. Bugger!!! Maybe i should have shoved on the turn but I think the fish would have called anyways.

Cash tables were good to me though and i was £25 up, after earning back the £15 for my tournie buy-in

now have £83 in the account

Roll on the New Year

I really don't like Christmas and I'll be glad when 2008 is here, although I am looking forward to Xmas Eve.

Not played much poker, don't have time, but once the new year is here I'll start putting more hours into it. Played for about an hour yesterday and was up £17 and thats about it. I currently have £57 in my CD poker account, after I cashed out £100 a couple of weeks ago. I play at $0.10 and $0.25 blinds but think Im going to move up a level to try spin my roll into a decent figure.

54 Working days

I know its sad but i can't help but count down the days until i leave TPS. Especially after Phil sent me my 'Donut of Doom'. I know down to the second how long I have left!



Been thinking about what my POA is going to be upon leaving but I'm still undecided yet. I think I'll have a little holiday to start with. There is word amoung the Badgers of a trip to Prague, so that would be ideal. If I do go traveling then I will be starting with Vegas in June, then make my way to New Zealand and Australia afterwards. Vegas is a definate, but I'm still unsure about the rest.

I've only played about 2 hours of poker in the last week because of the festive season, but should be able to squeeze some in at the weekend. Been a good month so far and I'm up around £200 including the live cash game at Steve's. Getting my money from CD poker has been a task though, as it took them 7 working days to give me my money back. Bloody joke. VC are on the same shell and it takes 3 working days. I'll be on the move again once I get my deposit bonus anyway. Might try my luck on Stars for a change, but I really dont like their software. Meh

Happy Matt

So yesterday I was given confirmation that I am being made redundant, yay!!!!! So I WILL be going to Vegas next year for the WSOP! I cant wait and I wish it was tomorrow. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted and I can now start making plans for next year, which will be a completely new start for me in every aspect of my life.

29th of Feb is my last day, and I'll probably take a couple of weeks off to chill out. Then I'll probably do some temp work for a month or so just to keep the funds ticking over....unless Poker is going really well and I dont have to bother lol. I wish. Then maybe a bit of traveling ending in Vegas in June.

Played a couple of hours last night and was down about £20, which took me back down to earth after my tournament result the other day. I played a bit rubbish to be honest, and pushed a couple of times when I really shouldn't have. Gamblers itch I call it.

Going to watch a band called 'Purple Monkey' tonight at the Propagaybar. I saw them a couple of years ago and they were really tight so should be good. Will get some Poker in beforehand methinks!

Anyway, back to 'work' I guess. 59 working days and counting.......

Tournament Result!

Ok, so I'm due a bad run of cards but it didn't come last night. Played one $7 tournament and came third for $246.40. I just ran out of luck at the wrong time and ended up all-in with an over card and flush draw on the flop. Other guy had just Ace high but called my all-in and no spade came along to help me. Still really pleased with how I played and felt I deserved the result.

Redundancy, Traveling and the WSOP 2008

Well, the second two rely upon the first. Should find out the decisions on Redundancy by this time next week so I'll be able to start making plans....or not. I think there is a good chance my application will be accepted, 75%ish I would say! When I tell people about it most of them are confused as to why anyone would want to lose their job, but as i was intent on leaving anyway this is a nice way to go. I've never really had a good word to say about the company I work for, but the Redundancy package is really good, which would explain why more people have applied for voluntary than there are packages available!!! To be honest the place isn't that bad anyway, but there is just no way of going up and I cant think of anything more de-motivating than that.

It would give me the opportunity to do a bit of traveling, which is only something i've recently considered doing but I think getting away from everything for a few months is just what i need. It would also give me the chance to get to Vegas for the WSOP next year, and this is something i've wanted to do for ages. I blame Moneymaker. OK, so I wont be putting in for the $10,000 main event! But there are some $1,500 bracelet events going on which are in my range. Like I say though its all dependant on next weeks decision, so I will probably post next week a very happy man or severely pissed off!

Poker is going OK, making a few squid here and there but wont be turning pro anytime soon! Up about £75 this week, but will be playing a bit this evening and Im due a bad run!!!!

Quick Update

At work quite bored so thought I'd do a quick update the Poker situation. Going really well this month, up about $200 at the moment. Certainly makes a difference now i have more time to play. Sadly enough, I dont have much planned over the next couple of weeks so I guess I'll be putting quite a few hours in at the tables. Maybe a few tournaments.

I have downloaded a trial version of Poker Tracker, but cant seem to get it working yet. Think it'll come in really handy when I do though, so may buy the full version.

Caught in the Cooler

Severely caught that is. The third hand of my session yesterday went as follows:

Blinds are 0.5/1$, my stack is around $40, and the SB and BB have about the same

All fold round to me on the Button and im holding Qd 10s. I just call. SB raises to $3, BB calls and I call. Flop is Jd 9c 8c. So I've flopped the nut straight. SB raises 5$ and BB calls, i raise to $12. Both call me so the pot is now $45. Turn is Kc. They both check to me, and I raise $20. SB goes all in, BB calls and obviously I call the extra $5 ish. SB turns over Ac 10c for nut flush and BB turns over a set of 8's. River is blank so SB takes a $120 pot.

I keep recalling the hand over in my head, and Im still not sure how I could have avoided losing my stack to this. I maybe should have checked the turn but I thought that maybe the SB had QcQx, which means he would have been on a flush draw.

I played great from then on in though and was up about $70 for the session. Up about $120 so far in three sessions since I started playing again.

What next?

Going through a bit of a transition period at the moment, which has pretty much left me wondering about what I want to do in the future. Me and Lucy recently split up after just over two years together which really sucks, but I guess its for the best.

Anyway, this leaves me with some serious time on my hands that I'm not sure how to fill, but I think Poker might come into it! Really feeling like playing again and after discussions with Limburn on Saturday, there is a possibility we could be headed to Vegas next year for The World Series of Poker. Its a bit of a pipe dream in a way, but it is do-able. I would have to be careful with my cash and save a lot, which is the main issue for me. Its my dream to play in the WSOP, and is something I'd like to accomplish sooner rather than later.

I'd also like to do a bit of travelling at some stage, but that is largely dependant on what happens on the job front. Even if we get made redundant I cant see them giving us any more than the government minimum.

As for what job I want to do in the future....i have no idea, so I'm not even going to worry about that yet.

Poker

My poker playing online has been up and down recently and this month in particular I seem to be losing my way a little bit. I think my problem is me. There are periods where I will play some really good poker, stay disciplined and end up with profit. On the other hand there will be times when i call down big bets with middle pair, for no apparent reason other than in case my opponent is bluffing. I just cant seem to concentrate long enough on it anymore. Not sure what the answer is to this, but need to find it quick...

My live game however does not have this problem. Round Steve's on Saturday I played really well for six hours straight, finishing at about 2am! I really do prefer live play, because of the psychological part of the game. Studying my opponents movements, trying to put them on a hand by the way they carry themselves. I find that part of the game a lot more interesting than the statistics etc...although you need to know your rough odds to survive in the game.

If i could actually pass my driving test, i could go play cash games at the Casinos and Card clubs but there is nothing in Andover like that. If i could afford the Gambling license I'd set up my own card club here as I think it would do really well.

Failure, Newquay and IOW

Ok so I will post at least once a month, coz clearly I am never going to post every week. Failed my driving test by driving in a bus lane (which diguised itself as a normal road) for about 5 seconds. I now have to wait 7 weeks for another test! So its booked for 23rd July. (obviously booked a couple of weeks ago!)

Went to Newquay weekend before last with the lads. So nice to get away and have different surroundings for a few days. The campsite was ok for £5 a night, but the grass really needed cutting which was a little annoying. Fistral is such a great beach, its always clean and it wasnt packed like you get at Bournemouth as soon as the sun comes out. The bus service leaves alot to be desired though, and dont even bother reading the timetables; you just have to get lucky.

Went to Isle of Wight with Lucy and Jess weekend just gone, and I don't think i'll be going back. The roads and signposting are shocking. The caravan was ok, and the amenities at the site park were pretty good. The on site entertainment club has bingo at about 7pm....there is a song and dance to go with it, and i cant get it out of my head!

Poker has taken a firm backseat recently, just havn't had the time to play but maybe i'll get a chance this weekend

Bank Holiday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Firstly, in my last post I said I'd post at least once a week. I have stuck to this, despite the previous post being dated 10th April. I saved a draft of it on 10th April, and then updated it at the beginning of this week. However, it seems to have posted it under the date of the draft. Wonder how that got through Beta testing.

Anyway, the bloody DSA cancelled my driving test less than 24 hours before I was due to take it. The examiner has become 'unavailable'. I really don't fancy doing my test at 8 in the morning or 5 in the evening, so my test is now booked for the 31st May at 2.32pm! It's further away than I'd like but I don't have a lot of choice.

Poker is going much better this month so far, up about $200 in the last few days and I'm round Steve's tonight for a cash game. Got lots to do over the bank holiday so doubt I'll get much poker in. Marwell Zoo tomorrow with Lucy and her little girl Jess, and quiet night in with a pizza after that. Need to get in the garden on Sunday and dig up the weeds. It's gonna take me ages. Out on the razz on Sunday night with Big L and the Huge Crew. NTL (or Virgin Media as they are now) are coming round on Monday morning to fix the Internet, again. If they don't, I will lose it with them. Then me and Lucy have Tuesday off together.

Right, better do some work, or at least pretend to......

Catch up

Long time no post, mainly because I'm really lazy. But I am going to make myself post at least once a week from now on.

My weeks holiday in Gran Canaria was fun, although i was ready to come home by the end. It was pretty hot during the day, so at times it did get a bit much with my whiter than white skin colour! If you like sunbathing and you are on a budget, it is the perfect place though. The apartments we stayed in (sol y paz) were really good value for money. No frills, but it was very clean and situated literally across the road from the Europa shopping complex. One thing I cannot stand though is the people who stand outside the restaurants trying to get you to come in. Seriously, if I want to eat at your place, then I will walk in and take a f**king seat.

Got my driving test next Wednesday and I cannot afford to fail. I'm definitely ready and consider myself a good driver, but knowing my luck a chav will walk out in front of me and I'll put my foot on the accelerator rather than the brake.

My poker playing has been limited, partly due to the fact that my Internet connection is buggered (I'm at work writing this!) and partly due to the fact that i have got a bit bored of it. I needed a break and haven't played for about 2 weeks now except the odd 15 minutes or so at Lucy's place. Every time I do play I get spanked at the moment anyway, but I'm still $800 or so up for the year. Feeling refreshed now, so think I will start playing again soon. Maybe a few tournaments to start with.

On another note, I'm thinking about taking up a bit of gardening. I feel it could be the Yin to my Yang (my Yang being drinking and gambling) . I'm no Monty Don you understand, so I cant see our place ending up like Kew gardens, but I'm sure I can improve on the current weed colony.

Cash Games, $20,000 added Tournie & Holiday!

So played cash game round Steve's on Saturday which was 8 handed for the first couple of hours, and then gradually dropped to three handed by 2am! Played really well the whole time and was £100 up by the end. Coincidentally this is almost exactly what I am down online this month! So in six hours i managed to even the month out which is a result. If I can get a little bit of momentum going over the next week or so online, then maybe I can turn this month into a winning one after all.

The $20,000 added Tournament is tonight at 8 and it looks like its going to be a big field. I had a look on Sunday and there were already 330 registered for it, so I think it may well be a full 999 sellout. As its a re-buy I wouldnt be surprised if the prizepool is somewhere around the $80,000 mark....which would mean $20,000 for the winner. I'll be playing extremely tight early on, and loosen up once the re-buys are over (if I make it that far!). Not sure if the level up is every 8,12 or 15 minutes but the longer the better as far as im concerned. Cant stand speed or even medium length level up times, as you have to make too many gambles to avoid being blinded out.

Its less than 2 weeks until my first holiday (abroad) for about 5 years. Gran Canaria. Cant wait for a few beers on the beach front, and SOME sun. I will be doing my best to avoid getting burnt. I cant do 7 days in a row on the beach so im going to have to find something else to do. Any suggestions?

Can it get much worse?

I bloody well hope not. At the time of my last post, i was getting poor cards but not getting outdrawn too much - just a lack of premium hands. I was making a few mistakes and generally not getting the best of luck. But since yesterday afternoon i have had about 10 terrible beats. One was a 2 outer on the river for a $76 pot. I played it perfectly - thats the most annoying thing. I dont usually talk about individual hands to Lucy, but she heard about this one last night! I started the month with $300 and im now down to about $120 which is really not good.

Cash game tonight round Steve's place - and i think its going to be 8 handed.....could be painful

Bankroll issues

Having a poor run of cards at the moment, basically since the start of February so around $100 down this month so far. Lost about $20 of that in one pot yesterday and looking back I don't think I played it very well. I'm usually pretty good at spotting betting patterns but I don't know why but I missed this completely. It was the first hand i played!!!! So I was on the Big Blind. Q-7 off suit. Guy in 1st pos limps in, as does the guy on small blind. Flop comes Q-7-2 rainbow. I don't usually check 2 pair, only trips or higher, so I bet $2 into a $1.50 pot. They both call. I'm thinking one has a pair of Q's or 7's and the other the same or even fishing. Turn is 3. I bet $6 as there is now a flush/straight draw on and I don't want to get done on the River. Guy (now on button) calls and the SB folds. This is the point where I should realise I'm in trouble. There was no flush or straight draw on the Flop and yet he call my bet which was bigger than the pot, and has now smooth called the 3 on the Turn. Looking back on it, it's so obvious the guy has trips and its this kind of situation that I'm usually good at avoiding. Anyway the river is a 5 which doesn't make a possible Flush. There is a straight out there but it would have been an insider for $6 so I dismiss that. I bet $8 when i should have checked, and the guy instantly puts me all in, which is only another $3 so i have to call. He turns over Pocket 2's so he hit trips on the flop. Pretty unlucky to hit top two pair on the big blind and walk into a limper who hits trips; it wont happen very often, but still I felt I could have saved at least $8 from that pot on the river. If I had checked he would either have bet for value $4 or so, or gone all in which would have given me a chance to get away.

Well you live and learn I guess

Got a few big tournaments coming up soon. VC are doing a $100,000 freeroll but i have to beat 998 other players for the $24,000 first prize. Think it pays $200 down to 80th or so, so making the money would still be very worthwhile. They also have a $20 rebuy, with $20,000 added so I think this will be $60,000 or so total prize pool, with $16,000 going to the winner.

I'll be off to the World series in June if I was to win either of them ;-)

Poker Update

About $40 down this month so far, but havn't really managed to put many hours into it. When i dont play much it seems to put pressure on me to win big in a small amount of time. I do need to put more hours in. Got Saturday evening to myself so will play for 4 hours or so in the evening, just cash games probably. Im not really worried about being down over the last few sessions, i feel like i can step up my game if i need to, and i also think im ready to start playing two tables at once. Played my first tournament since my win the other day, and came 11th out of 35 players. Not a bad result, but it only paid up to 6th!

Im playing with my fellow Badgers tomorrow night which should be a laugh. We dont play for cash, but its really fun because i can call raises with 6-9 offsuit like i used to when i was a really bad player! Man i love that hand. It's got me into a world of pain in the past though.

My Tournament Success!

At last I've won my first tournament. It was a $10 buy-in and there were 85 runners, and i pocketed $323. Funnily enough i think this is only the second tourney I've played since my last post about how i never do well in them! I just sat back with an average stack most of the way, and once we were down to 30 runners or so i started playing more aggressive and it worked a treat. It's certainly boosted my confidence and im looking forward to playing my next tournament tonight.

My cash games however have been up and down. I was losing badly playing limit poker, so switched to no limit. I really cant understand why i didn't do this sooner! It suits my game much better and it's starting to look like i can actually make some decent money out of this game. My bankroll is up to $816, which means i've made over £300 playing poker during January.

Anyway into Febuary, and this month will be the real test....to see if i can prove January wasn't just a lucky month and that I am actually a winning player instead of a breaking even player.

My Tournament pain

Despite the fact that my bankroll is up to $445, it would have been a lot higher had i stuck to cash games rather than play tournaments. My tournie form is just awful. Played in three tournaments yesterday, and didnt cash once. Not only that, but i didn't even make the first break.

First one i get AdKd early on, obviously raise and get one caller. Flop brings A 7 5 rainbow. I put in a fairly large raise which now means i've got about half my chips in the pot. The caller goes over the top for all his chips (he has me covered). I had to call really, and he/she turns over pocket 5's and im done.

Second one i get pocket 3's in the Big Blind with two other players in early position who have just limped in. Flop brings 10 2 3 rainbow. BINGO i think, especially as the first player bets into me and the second calls. As they were in early position and just limped i think its safe for me just to call here and give them the opportunity to bet into me some more. The likey is that p1 has nothing but maybe A high, and p2 maybe a 10. Turn card is a 4. Same thing happens again, p1 makes a bet, p2 calls. This is obviously the point where i put in a raise. As expected p1 folds, but p2 goes all in. I have him covered, but this pot now has 3/4 of my chips in it and at this point im thinking BINGO still. He turns over 65 for a straight, river brings no help for me and im so short stacked that the following hand I put the rest in on a middle Ace and walk into KK. I spend the next 15 minutes thinking, 'why did he limp from early position with 65'? Crazy and doubt he spent my chips wisely in the end!

I'll keep it short for the third tournie, i had QQ, he had AA.

Not sure if im doing something wrong, or if I'm just unlucky in the Tournies. I do want to play them though, as thats where the big money and glory is.......time to look at my strategy.

Nice cards, good cards....

Suddenly i don't feel like the unluckiest Poker player in the world anymore. For about 3 months or so prior to December i was on a bad run of cold cards, and was being outdrawn on every big pot i played. I'm sure D. (http://fabadger.blogspot.com) will agree to this; he's seen me have some really bad luck in the past few months.

Things seem to have evened out quite nicely now, and although I'm still getting outdrawn sometimes, i feel like I'm getting an even amount of luck and bad luck. You always remember your bad luck more though! I'm also finding it easier to control my rage when a fish takes the pot away from me on the river. It happens quite often on the limit tables so you have to accept it, move on, and concentrate on the fact that over course of an hour or two the fishes money will be sat in front of you.

Anyway, my bankroll is up to $345 and I'm feeling a lot more confident about how I'm playing so hopefully I'm becoming a winning player at last.