Tuesday, May 31, 2005
The Road to Hell.....
....is paved with good intentions.
I never really got started with the plans for online SNGs and MTTs.
The bare stats are Online -$83 for the month, leaving a yearly figure of +$1171.
Live was boosted by the win I reported. The cumulative figures are 9 tournies, £1165 in buy ins and £2520 in cashes. +£1355.
Live cash saw a £13 loss from one session and stands for 2005 at 6 sessions, £670 sit in and £1177 cashed out +£507.
So overall this year I am around £2500 ahead. Not bad for a few hours per week!
Hopefully I will get more hours in next month and reverse the "blip", if thats what it is!
I never really got started with the plans for online SNGs and MTTs.
The bare stats are Online -$83 for the month, leaving a yearly figure of +$1171.
Live was boosted by the win I reported. The cumulative figures are 9 tournies, £1165 in buy ins and £2520 in cashes. +£1355.
Live cash saw a £13 loss from one session and stands for 2005 at 6 sessions, £670 sit in and £1177 cashed out +£507.
So overall this year I am around £2500 ahead. Not bad for a few hours per week!
Hopefully I will get more hours in next month and reverse the "blip", if thats what it is!
Monday, May 23, 2005
What a Difference a Year Makes
This time last year I was recovering from a 3 week trip to Las Vegas for the World Series of Poker. I left before the main event. A win like my one on Friday would then have meant a quick look on the internet for a hotel and a flight out with little notice. Unfortunately my health situation (plus my job) mean that is no longer possible.
So what do you do with a sudden influx of cash (even a relatively small amount as £2K). Sadly most of it has gone into the bank to be used later in the year (hopefully). I have bought some goodies though. WPT series two on DVD has been ordered and I got the "Curb Your Enthusiasm" DVDs of series 1-3, along with , rather tragically, a 2005/2006 Forest season ticket. A freebie I got this weekend was the WSOP on DVD which covers nearly all the ESPN shows from 1973 up to an including the 2004 shows. Theses were courtesy of my friend Derek (OldKingCole online) who I believe will be selling copies at 25 quid (which considering there are 20+ hours of shows is great value). If you are interested contact colepoker@yahoo.co.uk
So what do you do with a sudden influx of cash (even a relatively small amount as £2K). Sadly most of it has gone into the bank to be used later in the year (hopefully). I have bought some goodies though. WPT series two on DVD has been ordered and I got the "Curb Your Enthusiasm" DVDs of series 1-3, along with , rather tragically, a 2005/2006 Forest season ticket. A freebie I got this weekend was the WSOP on DVD which covers nearly all the ESPN shows from 1973 up to an including the 2004 shows. Theses were courtesy of my friend Derek (OldKingCole online) who I believe will be selling copies at 25 quid (which considering there are 20+ hours of shows is great value). If you are interested contact colepoker@yahoo.co.uk
Sunday, May 22, 2005
Friday Night's alright
Whoever said you have to be lucky to win a poker tournament would have been proud of my effort on Friday. 75 runners turned up for the £20 PLHE rebuy event. By the end of the rebuys over £6000 was in the pool with £2420 to the winner.
I had a relatively quiet rebuy period, buying in 2 times and adding on at the end. One big suck out was where I was short and raised an early limper, I had 88 and 3 called until the limper re potted it. So I was allin and faced the limpers AA, AQ and 87. Amazingly the first card dealt was the case 8! Nothing else of consequence appeared and I got up to 3000+ chips. I ended the rebuys with 2750 and topped up 1000.
My next big hand was TT in the big blind. The button mi-raised, small blind called so I smooth called. Flop KT3, small blind goes all in. i smooth call and button reraises all in. I can't put him on KK so I call. Small blind has KQ button AK 3 on turn and I triple up.
We move tables, already down to 40 players and I get a few small pots then raise in first position with AJ. My foe on my left reraises all in. I have seen him do this with any pair and I really cannot see how I am ahead. I decide to gamble and call. he has JJ! Oops. Luckily flop brings Ace and no case Jack appears. I then raise with QQ get 2 callers. Flop KK2 and I bet out the pot. Both my foes had Ax and passed. I am now up to 15000 with 30 players left. average is 11000ish.
On my new table I get KTo 3 hands on the trot and win 2 of the pots, one with K high! I then get QQ. UTG raises 4200 (Pot raise was actually 5600), One guy (very loose) flat calls. I see UTG has 5600 left and bet 9600. he calls and loose guy calls allin. UTG has small pp and loose AQ. Nothing hits and I win a 27000 pot. we move again now on last two tables i have 40000 which is well placed for final. The last tourny I played though I had 90000 with 15 left and busted 11th. I bust one guy with 99 vs his AJ after 9 flops. I then get AA in the small blind with 1500/3000 antes. UTG bets pot (10500) this puts him allin. Next guy reraises to 35000 allin. i call and big blind passes. My foes had 77 (reraiser) and KT (UTG man). Flop is 456 all spades. None of us has a spade. My 77 foe now can win with 7 twice, 3 four times and 8 four times. Running spades will split the pot! Next card is K and A on river. I now have 120000 plus. Eventually we get to final. I have 104000 out of 300K in play. Several guy have less than 20000 with 2000/4000 antes.
I dont play a contested pot until I am down to 79000 and there are 5 players left. I lose a few more small pots then raise UTG with 88. The bb calls. Flop is Q79 and he checks. I bet the pot and he reaises me allin. I am in a position where if I fold I am extremely short and I want to WIN not get 3rd or 4th. So I call. He shows 97 suited for two pair. amazingly 10 on Turn J river and I hit a straight! This puts me into a commanding chip lead with 170000 out of the 300K. I bust the third placed guy when I slow play QQ. Flop is 346 and he has A5 and misses his 11 outs.
We get heads up and play a few small pots. I then win a pot with trip Qs and the final hand occurs thus: I have 10 7 in the bb, I call a pot raise (I have nearly 260K now). Flop is Q107 and my foe puts all his chips in with JJ and my flopped two pair hold up.
A nice payday and I bought into the £250 NLHE freezeout for the 29th May. This payday has certainly boosted my 'roll!
I had a relatively quiet rebuy period, buying in 2 times and adding on at the end. One big suck out was where I was short and raised an early limper, I had 88 and 3 called until the limper re potted it. So I was allin and faced the limpers AA, AQ and 87. Amazingly the first card dealt was the case 8! Nothing else of consequence appeared and I got up to 3000+ chips. I ended the rebuys with 2750 and topped up 1000.
My next big hand was TT in the big blind. The button mi-raised, small blind called so I smooth called. Flop KT3, small blind goes all in. i smooth call and button reraises all in. I can't put him on KK so I call. Small blind has KQ button AK 3 on turn and I triple up.
We move tables, already down to 40 players and I get a few small pots then raise in first position with AJ. My foe on my left reraises all in. I have seen him do this with any pair and I really cannot see how I am ahead. I decide to gamble and call. he has JJ! Oops. Luckily flop brings Ace and no case Jack appears. I then raise with QQ get 2 callers. Flop KK2 and I bet out the pot. Both my foes had Ax and passed. I am now up to 15000 with 30 players left. average is 11000ish.
On my new table I get KTo 3 hands on the trot and win 2 of the pots, one with K high! I then get QQ. UTG raises 4200 (Pot raise was actually 5600), One guy (very loose) flat calls. I see UTG has 5600 left and bet 9600. he calls and loose guy calls allin. UTG has small pp and loose AQ. Nothing hits and I win a 27000 pot. we move again now on last two tables i have 40000 which is well placed for final. The last tourny I played though I had 90000 with 15 left and busted 11th. I bust one guy with 99 vs his AJ after 9 flops. I then get AA in the small blind with 1500/3000 antes. UTG bets pot (10500) this puts him allin. Next guy reraises to 35000 allin. i call and big blind passes. My foes had 77 (reraiser) and KT (UTG man). Flop is 456 all spades. None of us has a spade. My 77 foe now can win with 7 twice, 3 four times and 8 four times. Running spades will split the pot! Next card is K and A on river. I now have 120000 plus. Eventually we get to final. I have 104000 out of 300K in play. Several guy have less than 20000 with 2000/4000 antes.
I dont play a contested pot until I am down to 79000 and there are 5 players left. I lose a few more small pots then raise UTG with 88. The bb calls. Flop is Q79 and he checks. I bet the pot and he reaises me allin. I am in a position where if I fold I am extremely short and I want to WIN not get 3rd or 4th. So I call. He shows 97 suited for two pair. amazingly 10 on Turn J river and I hit a straight! This puts me into a commanding chip lead with 170000 out of the 300K. I bust the third placed guy when I slow play QQ. Flop is 346 and he has A5 and misses his 11 outs.
We get heads up and play a few small pots. I then win a pot with trip Qs and the final hand occurs thus: I have 10 7 in the bb, I call a pot raise (I have nearly 260K now). Flop is Q107 and my foe puts all his chips in with JJ and my flopped two pair hold up.
A nice payday and I bought into the £250 NLHE freezeout for the 29th May. This payday has certainly boosted my 'roll!
Saturday, May 21, 2005
Chirp Time
Brief chirp as I am away this weekend....Went to my local cardroom for the first time since Easter. Ostensibly to sign up for their £250 NLHE freezeout 2 dayer to be held on the bank holiday weekend but also to play a £20 PLHE rebuy tourney. Long and short of it is I won the competition for a cool £2420 prize. Paid my entry and a bit more!
A fuller report will follow. I am off to play the "Cheeseypoker" home game (after banking the winnings). Will update the blog on Sunday night...
A fuller report will follow. I am off to play the "Cheeseypoker" home game (after banking the winnings). Will update the blog on Sunday night...
Saturday, May 07, 2005
A change of tack
Decided to take a rest from cash games on PokerStars for a few weeks. I am going to concentrate on SNG's and play a few multi table tournies there. I have neglected these so far this year and this despite a good return on my play in these in 2004.
I will be playing a bit of cash on Empirepoker, just to clear their bonus on offer on Tuesday. Plus I have $1800 in Ultimatebet.com bonus dollars to clear too which need cash game play to clear, so its a semi-retirement :)
Most of my SNGs will be NLHE around $20 or $30 single tables, though I started this afternoon with a $20 PLO8 one (finished 2nd yipee!). Hopefully the experiment will recover some of the losses I incurred in the first 48 hours of May.
I will be playing a bit of cash on Empirepoker, just to clear their bonus on offer on Tuesday. Plus I have $1800 in Ultimatebet.com bonus dollars to clear too which need cash game play to clear, so its a semi-retirement :)
Most of my SNGs will be NLHE around $20 or $30 single tables, though I started this afternoon with a $20 PLO8 one (finished 2nd yipee!). Hopefully the experiment will recover some of the losses I incurred in the first 48 hours of May.
Thursday, May 05, 2005
The (Second) Nuts of May
Not a good start to the month. dropped $70+ on Sunday at $2/$4 Limit O8 and another $140+ on Monday in the same game. Got a $120 bonus from PokerStars but the losses combined with a $27.50 entry into the Hendonmob.com forum tourny leaves me minus $130 already.
The O8 was on initial inspection a good game with some poor players chasing thin outs. Unfortunately they hit too many times and i also had some fatal second nuts. One example I have 2345 in the blinds Flop AA3, turn 3 river 3. My foe had AA. That multiway pot cost me a lot!
I tried my luck in the Hendonmob forum tourny. $25 plus $2.50 NLHE. 2500 chips a slow clock and $500 added by the site. I started slowly then hit paydirt with JJ. Flop 9J4 two spades. turn 4 of spades. My one foe bet minimum and I called. River K spades. Now the only hands beating me are KK 44 or QT spades for a straight flush. Foe bets 300 I raise to 600 and he goes allin for 1500 more! I call and he shows red QT. Four spades on the board plus a paired board and he puts all his chips in with a straight!
I hovered around 10th for a few levels and after the break went card dead. I saw one pair 22 and folded to a massive reraise. I got 55 two hands later. A early position raiser put 2 x bb in. I reraised allin for 3000 more. The big blind flat called (yikes!). The original raiser passed. I am up against AA and An Ace on flop comes just to rub it in! Out 24th.
Hopefully i will play a bit more this weekend and get back to winning ways.
The O8 was on initial inspection a good game with some poor players chasing thin outs. Unfortunately they hit too many times and i also had some fatal second nuts. One example I have 2345 in the blinds Flop AA3, turn 3 river 3. My foe had AA. That multiway pot cost me a lot!
I tried my luck in the Hendonmob forum tourny. $25 plus $2.50 NLHE. 2500 chips a slow clock and $500 added by the site. I started slowly then hit paydirt with JJ. Flop 9J4 two spades. turn 4 of spades. My one foe bet minimum and I called. River K spades. Now the only hands beating me are KK 44 or QT spades for a straight flush. Foe bets 300 I raise to 600 and he goes allin for 1500 more! I call and he shows red QT. Four spades on the board plus a paired board and he puts all his chips in with a straight!
I hovered around 10th for a few levels and after the break went card dead. I saw one pair 22 and folded to a massive reraise. I got 55 two hands later. A early position raiser put 2 x bb in. I reraised allin for 3000 more. The big blind flat called (yikes!). The original raiser passed. I am up against AA and An Ace on flop comes just to rub it in! Out 24th.
Hopefully i will play a bit more this weekend and get back to winning ways.
