Friday, April 28, 2006
WSOP Freeroll on Virgin Poker
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Sign up for a chance to win a WSOP package by clicking the link
Sign up for a chance to win a WSOP package by clicking the link
Monday, April 17, 2006
100 Not Out
I discovered a new "when not to play online" on Friday, add to "when drunk. tired, overly upset etc" the "when you've spent 4 hours setting up your DVD recorder to copy your Live 8 video and then delete the finished item in error". Managed to tilt off 30 big bets on Interpoker undoing my good work in building up a + 47 big bet run 3 tabling over the previous 5 days. Variance sucks :-(
I have adopted a new position since returning from Las Vegas. No internet poker at weekends, mostly so I get DVDs copied, forums and books read and telly caught up with, though I've cut down on taping to the minimum now. Can't see me ever ditching the Telly ala Andy Ward though.
I broke that rule last night playing the 7000+ runner Poker Million freeroll on Laddies. 143rd was bloody frustrating just glad it didn't involve money.
You know when you go allin with KK your foe turns over A2 and you can feel the Ace is going to river? Well I get that feeling before today's footy. Forest are on an incredible run and could be in the play off places for the first time this season by tonight. I fear we will lose a game sooner or later 8 unbeaten while every other team above us is choking means we are 2 points behind with 4 left. Fingers crossed we can beat Yeovil today.
I have adopted a new position since returning from Las Vegas. No internet poker at weekends, mostly so I get DVDs copied, forums and books read and telly caught up with, though I've cut down on taping to the minimum now. Can't see me ever ditching the Telly ala Andy Ward though.
I broke that rule last night playing the 7000+ runner Poker Million freeroll on Laddies. 143rd was bloody frustrating just glad it didn't involve money.
You know when you go allin with KK your foe turns over A2 and you can feel the Ace is going to river? Well I get that feeling before today's footy. Forest are on an incredible run and could be in the play off places for the first time this season by tonight. I fear we will lose a game sooner or later 8 unbeaten while every other team above us is choking means we are 2 points behind with 4 left. Fingers crossed we can beat Yeovil today.
Saturday, April 15, 2006
99 red balloons?
This is the 99th post in my blog. At long last the Vegas trip....
Myself and Old King Cole (OKC) had decided to book a hotel near Gatwick for the use of their free car park, unfortunately the idea of leaving redsimon towers at 5 pm developed into a 11 pm start and 4 am arrival at said hotel. Hence we were completely shattered arriving in rainy old Vegas at 3 pm local time. After a few hiccups getting the hire car (which was massive, a boo boo on the booking front I guess) we arrived at a smoky and bad tempered Gold Spike check in to find the rooms not yet ready and a staffing crisis there. After the best part of an hour we got our rooms (I got the shitty smoking floor one, OKC landed on his feet again with a newly redecorated non smoking). I did a quick and much needed dialysis and we had a late supper at the Plaza. A strange decision of the chef was to include a choccy muffin with our steak and eggs and a side garnish of strawberries. I decided to trust my guts and not mix steak with chocolates and strawberries.
First poker was the following day. I'd heard good things about MGM so off we popped. I recognised a few faces from the Orleans in the cardroom staff and we signed up for the 11 am $65 NLHE tourney. This was full so we were alternates 18 and 19. 6 tables ran and we both got in during the hour as it was a freezeout. 1200 chips and quickly escalating blinds. I got to the break with 700 and the next level was 200/400, time to get busy! I got it allin twice vs same guy first with AQ vs AJ then 66 vs A6 and both stood up. Then I called a serial pusher with Kd9d in my bb after flop came 8 high with two diamonds. He'd limped with 55 and I spiked 9 on river. It was a very fast structure with doubling blinds every twenty minutes. I saw a bizarre laydown. Flop 456 all spades. Matey boy bets 1200 leaving 2000 behind, foe reraises 2000 and matey boy proudly flips over 66 and says I can't call. Foe laughs and shows red kings. With the blind structure there I don't think I could lay down top set even on a monochrome board but heh ho. Mr Laydown of course got nowhere near the final.
I was moved table when we got down to 20 left and straight into OKC's old seat. I then went on a rush and got to the final with 15000 out of 102000 in play. The blinds though were 1500/3000 soon to go to 3000/6000. They only paid out 6 spots and only one player was really short so we chopped for $425 each which suited the house as they got 10 tips for the dealer not 6.
So a good start.
The form continued with a 5th spot at the Golden Nugget for $410 .
My big downfall was cash games. The only one I won in at the Orleans was a bizarre one orbit after I'd waited for 3 hours for a seat OKC finally reappeared from one of his many trips to try and get his laptop connected to the internet and I had to leave.
The Rio cash game was the real disaster. $4/$8 limit Hold 'em and I actually went 2 and 1/2 hours before I dragged a pot. The average pot had 8 callers and a classic hand I had AA on the button. By the time it arrived at my action it was 4 bets so I capped and got the obligatory 6 callers. Flop J95 two hearts I have AhAd. I bet after its checked and bb raises, one cold caller and I call. 3 of us left in Turn 8 spades. bb bets out cold caller calls I raise bb three bets cold caller cold calls again and I call with a sinking feeling (Has bb got QT??). River is T spades so board is J958T. I feel like hurling my breakfast as bb bets and CC man cold calls. I call and throw down AA and say nice river, bb turns over 79o and CC 77. Sick stuff but I got some of it back with KT in the blind later with a KT2 flop K turn J river vs Mr Cold call with AQ. He decided to rerereraise river with his straight and almost choked on his drink when I flipped KT!
The final day found us at Caesar's Palace which defintely had the best structure. $80 + $50 rebuy for 4500 chips 25/50 blinds and 40 minute levels. I never saw a pocket pair until 13 left in but had some good fortune with J2 in the sb. 6 limp so i limp and flop comes 222. Holy cow! I check in the hope someone has a pair and will bet. They all check, drat... Turn is Q they all check. River K and I bet 2 x blind and get one caller, typical!
My first pocket pair was the best AA and I was in blinds and button got leery with 85 suited. After that double up I got one more pot with quad 5's and was 6/10 on final. I had a mini rush on final and got to 5 handed where a deal was suggested $1200 each. One guy refused and I busted him a few hands later. Suddenly we were 3 handed and I was chip leader $688 third, $1200 ish 2nd and $2400+ first. I then got AJ in bb sb goes allin for 24000 more and I have 120000+ so call. He has QJ and of course first card out is Q. I miss my 3 outs and am now on 99000 chips. I post the 2000 sb and look down to see AJ again. Allin. bb calls instantly and turns over A8...of course first card out is 8 and miss my 3 outs :-)
So $688, less 30% bloody tax. Knew I should've sorted out ITIN but all casino's I'd cashed in paid chips before. Caesar's were a bit more sticklers for rules. Getting the tax back is a real pain in the arse so if you go to Vegas get your ITIN sorted.
All in all the trip was good. Won money, had a good time and my dialysis wasn't disrupted too much. The plan is to go back during WSOP though I may go to Paris in July for WPT festival instead.
Meanwhile its back to the internet poker and hopefully I can get back into profit. A measley +$210 for 2006 online is not good for the soul
Myself and Old King Cole (OKC) had decided to book a hotel near Gatwick for the use of their free car park, unfortunately the idea of leaving redsimon towers at 5 pm developed into a 11 pm start and 4 am arrival at said hotel. Hence we were completely shattered arriving in rainy old Vegas at 3 pm local time. After a few hiccups getting the hire car (which was massive, a boo boo on the booking front I guess) we arrived at a smoky and bad tempered Gold Spike check in to find the rooms not yet ready and a staffing crisis there. After the best part of an hour we got our rooms (I got the shitty smoking floor one, OKC landed on his feet again with a newly redecorated non smoking). I did a quick and much needed dialysis and we had a late supper at the Plaza. A strange decision of the chef was to include a choccy muffin with our steak and eggs and a side garnish of strawberries. I decided to trust my guts and not mix steak with chocolates and strawberries.
First poker was the following day. I'd heard good things about MGM so off we popped. I recognised a few faces from the Orleans in the cardroom staff and we signed up for the 11 am $65 NLHE tourney. This was full so we were alternates 18 and 19. 6 tables ran and we both got in during the hour as it was a freezeout. 1200 chips and quickly escalating blinds. I got to the break with 700 and the next level was 200/400, time to get busy! I got it allin twice vs same guy first with AQ vs AJ then 66 vs A6 and both stood up. Then I called a serial pusher with Kd9d in my bb after flop came 8 high with two diamonds. He'd limped with 55 and I spiked 9 on river. It was a very fast structure with doubling blinds every twenty minutes. I saw a bizarre laydown. Flop 456 all spades. Matey boy bets 1200 leaving 2000 behind, foe reraises 2000 and matey boy proudly flips over 66 and says I can't call. Foe laughs and shows red kings. With the blind structure there I don't think I could lay down top set even on a monochrome board but heh ho. Mr Laydown of course got nowhere near the final.
I was moved table when we got down to 20 left and straight into OKC's old seat. I then went on a rush and got to the final with 15000 out of 102000 in play. The blinds though were 1500/3000 soon to go to 3000/6000. They only paid out 6 spots and only one player was really short so we chopped for $425 each which suited the house as they got 10 tips for the dealer not 6.
So a good start.
The form continued with a 5th spot at the Golden Nugget for $410 .
My big downfall was cash games. The only one I won in at the Orleans was a bizarre one orbit after I'd waited for 3 hours for a seat OKC finally reappeared from one of his many trips to try and get his laptop connected to the internet and I had to leave.
The Rio cash game was the real disaster. $4/$8 limit Hold 'em and I actually went 2 and 1/2 hours before I dragged a pot. The average pot had 8 callers and a classic hand I had AA on the button. By the time it arrived at my action it was 4 bets so I capped and got the obligatory 6 callers. Flop J95 two hearts I have AhAd. I bet after its checked and bb raises, one cold caller and I call. 3 of us left in Turn 8 spades. bb bets out cold caller calls I raise bb three bets cold caller cold calls again and I call with a sinking feeling (Has bb got QT??). River is T spades so board is J958T. I feel like hurling my breakfast as bb bets and CC man cold calls. I call and throw down AA and say nice river, bb turns over 79o and CC 77. Sick stuff but I got some of it back with KT in the blind later with a KT2 flop K turn J river vs Mr Cold call with AQ. He decided to rerereraise river with his straight and almost choked on his drink when I flipped KT!
The final day found us at Caesar's Palace which defintely had the best structure. $80 + $50 rebuy for 4500 chips 25/50 blinds and 40 minute levels. I never saw a pocket pair until 13 left in but had some good fortune with J2 in the sb. 6 limp so i limp and flop comes 222. Holy cow! I check in the hope someone has a pair and will bet. They all check, drat... Turn is Q they all check. River K and I bet 2 x blind and get one caller, typical!
My first pocket pair was the best AA and I was in blinds and button got leery with 85 suited. After that double up I got one more pot with quad 5's and was 6/10 on final. I had a mini rush on final and got to 5 handed where a deal was suggested $1200 each. One guy refused and I busted him a few hands later. Suddenly we were 3 handed and I was chip leader $688 third, $1200 ish 2nd and $2400+ first. I then got AJ in bb sb goes allin for 24000 more and I have 120000+ so call. He has QJ and of course first card out is Q. I miss my 3 outs and am now on 99000 chips. I post the 2000 sb and look down to see AJ again. Allin. bb calls instantly and turns over A8...of course first card out is 8 and miss my 3 outs :-)
So $688, less 30% bloody tax. Knew I should've sorted out ITIN but all casino's I'd cashed in paid chips before. Caesar's were a bit more sticklers for rules. Getting the tax back is a real pain in the arse so if you go to Vegas get your ITIN sorted.
All in all the trip was good. Won money, had a good time and my dialysis wasn't disrupted too much. The plan is to go back during WSOP though I may go to Paris in July for WPT festival instead.
Meanwhile its back to the internet poker and hopefully I can get back into profit. A measley +$210 for 2006 online is not good for the soul
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Vegas...the results
Trip report to follow when I can get my notes together.
Tournies:
MGM $65 NLHE Chopped 10 way (!) $425
Plaza $98 NLHE rebuy 11th $0
Orleans $75 LO8 37th $0
Gold Nugget $100 NLHE rebuy 5th $410
Sahara $62 NLHE rebuy 80ish $0
Rio $80 NLHE rebuy 38th $0
Orleans $85 LO8 70ish $0
Plaza $68 LO8 9th (4 pay) $0
Stratosphere $50 NLHE rebuy 30ish $0
Binions $110 NLHE rebuy 90ish $0
Caesars Palace $150 NLHE rebuy 3rd $688
Plaza $98 NLHE rebuy 4th $210
Totals:
Buy ins $1041
Cashes $1733
Profit +$692
Cash Games:
MGM $3/$6 LHE -$54
Orleans $4/$8 LO8 +$25
Rio $4/$8 LHE -$330
Stratosphere $2/$4 LHE -$2
Totals:
Loss -$359
Big loss came at Rio waiting for OldKingCole to finish in the tourney I busted out of. Went 2.5 hours in that game before I won a pot :-(
Tournies:
MGM $65 NLHE Chopped 10 way (!) $425
Plaza $98 NLHE rebuy 11th $0
Orleans $75 LO8 37th $0
Gold Nugget $100 NLHE rebuy 5th $410
Sahara $62 NLHE rebuy 80ish $0
Rio $80 NLHE rebuy 38th $0
Orleans $85 LO8 70ish $0
Plaza $68 LO8 9th (4 pay) $0
Stratosphere $50 NLHE rebuy 30ish $0
Binions $110 NLHE rebuy 90ish $0
Caesars Palace $150 NLHE rebuy 3rd $688
Plaza $98 NLHE rebuy 4th $210
Totals:
Buy ins $1041
Cashes $1733
Profit +$692
Cash Games:
MGM $3/$6 LHE -$54
Orleans $4/$8 LO8 +$25
Rio $4/$8 LHE -$330
Stratosphere $2/$4 LHE -$2
Totals:
Loss -$359
Big loss came at Rio waiting for OldKingCole to finish in the tourney I busted out of. Went 2.5 hours in that game before I won a pot :-(
