back in a bit

Work is over and now i'm off on holiday. When I come back I've got a couple of week's before I start university so I'm gonna try a couple of the bigger buy in multi tables games on stars before I leave to try and cash big, and fulfil my original goal of playing 3 + $100 tournaments. I had a very good result yesterday and won a $550 seat so i'll use that money to buy into 3 slightly smaller games I think. Just gotta play nothing but A.

poker karma

After 8 days of not playing I was quite looking forward to my first session back. Maybe it was a reward for getting more organised and handing in a project from work, because my first session back was a good one. I've been sticking to the satellite's and straight away I qualified for a $320 tournament. As usual when your winning in poker, it all felt a bit easy.

On Saturday night, after a night out, I made the mistake of hitting the tables after I staggered back home. I sensibly withdrew all my real money but lost about 60 tournament dollars which I was not happy about. There was also another $320 China package tournament about to start when I got back, and with only 250 runners the alcohol nearly got the better of me and I nearly entered. Thankfully I gave it a miss.

A few days later, I was determined to win some money back, and it was one of the most brutal sessions I've had. I entered about 10-15 small stake satellite's and not only did I not cash in one of them but the way I got knocked out was comical. I like to think I take my bad beats pretty well, and the more you play the more you get use to them so it's easier for them to not tilt you. In one of the games, I had AJ on the button, pushed and get called by 33. Now, obviously it's a flip so I'm happy with losing it, but when the flop comes A J 2 and the river is a 3, it's a real jab to the ribs. I then check raised all in with 7,4 on a K 7 4 flop and get called by k2, and the turn an rivers are both 8's and I get DUGUIED!

Time to take a break, so I did, and came back to play a $36 six-handed satellite to a $215 tournament. With this tournament only 1st place got the seat and 2nd place got the booby prize of $1. At three handed it was time for me to get my share of good fortune. After the button made a standard raise I went over the top all in with A3, he called with AJ and I got a huge bit of luck by hitting a 3 to put me in contention. At heads up, and even in chips I get it all in with my aces against ten's and the ten on the turn gives me that same jab to the ribs feeling. That card sent me packing and thinking about how to spend my $1.

So after about 5 hours of play, I'm left without a single cash and not feeling too good about it.

The moral of the story has to be that I need to find the life/poker balance. Many people have there vice's, mine is poker. When I do play not only do I enjoy the strategy and competition but I use it as a distraction from life. If I can do both and find the balance, I'll be a much better player....

a little time-out

Last Thursday I decided to take a week-off the poker tables.

I'd been playing a hell of lot recently and it suddenly dawned on me that I've got a lof of more important stuff to be getting on with before I go off to London at the end of September. I think missing out on the China package was a bit of a reality check that, no I'm not going to win a hell alot of money but yes I will be starting a course that I'm committing to for three years very shortly.

So far the time off has been good, catching up with people, getting more regular exercise and playing alot of golf. I'm not sure when i'll next play poker cos the time off has been pretty good for me.

Tournament Report

Whilst the tournament is still semi-fresh in my mind I'm gonna jot down a few notes about it.

For the tournament to guarantee 20 $6k packages it needed 400 people willing to pay $300. However, maybe due to the fact that it started at 1am only 283 started, which meant Stars stumped up the extra $23,000+….a pretty sweet deal.

The tournament started well, when in the first level I flopped 2 pair in the SB against a couple of limpers in an unraised pot. I bet the pot on the flop and turn with both limpers staying with me. The river was a semi-scare card, completing a back-door straight and aiding on the side of caution, and not being able to beat much if I get raised, I just check/called a 500 bet. He had one pair and busted flush draw and I win a 1700 pot at the 10/20 level which gives me a bit more room to play with. After the first level I started getting a better feel at the table. The guy to my immediate right was incredibly aggressive and raised about 80% pots when it folded to him in the C/O or button. So, I decided to try and do something about it. It folds round to him in the SB and he makes it 150 to play at the 25/50 level. I have J10 in the BB and call. The flop comes K,3,7 rainbow, and whilst not great for me I can't imagining it hitting too many of his hands as he's so aggressive. He bets the flop, and I 3x raise and then he insta 3 bets me. Bad timing it seems (or just outplayed..), so I let it go, but just the fact of bluffing actually settles me down a bit. Soon after, once 6 players have limped to me pre flop, I have 99 in the SB, I raise the pot thinking that A) I'm likely to have the best hand and B) I don't want to play a multi-way pot with 9's. The UTG limper however decides he wants to limp re raise me for 1/2 his stack and I have to fold. So now i'm back to my starting stack....


Still at the 25/50 level, I finally pick up some premium; aces. A fairly tight-ish player in EP makes it 150, and it folds to me in MP. I make it 500. It folds back round to him and he decides to push his 3.5K stack in with 5's. Seems a very strange move as I hadn't been that active but the aces hold and I'm back to being in the top 25% or so, and 1st in chips at the table. A couple of levels later I get in a very interesting spot with the guy who is 2nd in chips at the table. Here's the hand....


PokerStars Game #19495525859: Tournament #99559965, $300+$20 Hold'em No Limit -
Level V (75/150)
Seat 1: kyomi (6610 in chips)
Seat 2: londongee (5915 in chips)
Seat 3: samsonov888 (7235 in chips)
Seat 4: alocakoc (4240 in chips)
Seat 5: TrickFish (7185 in chips)
Seat 6:Playing A (7630 in chips)
Seat 7: BradST (5185 in chips)
Seat 8: Luxembourg (4175 in chips)
Seat 9: KingTaylan (8842 in chips)
londongee: posts small blind 75
samsonov888: posts big blind 150
*** HOLE CARDS *** Dealt to Playing A [Qd Qh]
alocakoc: folds TrickFish: folds
Playing A: raises 290 to 440
BradST: folds
Luxembourg: folds
KingTaylan: folds
kyomi: calls 440
londongee: folds
samsonov888: folds
*** FLOP *** [Th Js 5d]
Playing A: bets 780 kyomi: calls 780
*** TURN *** [Th Js 5d] [Td]
Playing A: checks kyomi: bets 1350 Playing A: calls 1350
*** RIVER *** [Th Js 5d Td] [Ah]
Playing A: checks kyomi: checks
*** SHOW DOWN *** Playing A: shows [Qd Qh] (two pair, Queens and Tens) kyomi: shows [As Kd] (two pair, Aces and Tens) kyomi collected 5365 from pot


This is one of the hands I think I semi-misplayed. Obviously, now I know he has AK if I bet the turn I'm sure I take it down. Reasons for checking the turn was that the pot was already getting quite healthy and if I bet the turn it has to be about 1k and then if I get raised I think I have a pretty tough decision. In hindsight, on the turn I think he can have a lot of hands that I beat: 66-99, AJ, KJ, AK and only a few that I don’t; 55, JJ, KK & AA( both unlikely). More reasons for betting the turn! Anyway, I kind of got away with it, as he could of got a bit of value out of me on the river.

So, now I’m back to my starting stack again! I got pretty card dead for quite a long time and the next hand I played was at the 125-250 level with a 25 ante. It folds round to the SB (big stack) and he min raises. I have 6s8s and decide to call. The flop comes down 5, 5, 6 rainbow. He checks which is slightly surprising and I bet 500, he calls. The turn is a J and it goes check check. The river is my bingo card, another 6. He checks and I value bet 1000, he calls and shows A3. Although not a huge pot, it got me back up to around average stack.

I’m not sure if the next hand classify’s as a mistake but it was, in hindsight a missed double up.

Seat 1: ~US&Co~ (11735 in chips)
Seat 2: Playing A (6810 in chips)
Seat 3: fishbones11 (18475 in chips)
Seat 4: holdplz (5175 in chips)
Seat 5: FreeDomL1fe (270 in chips)
Seat 6: jonk (18075 in chips)
Seat 7: Bluffman9000 (2510 in chips)
Seat 8: AgentNo9 (9957 in chips)
Seat 9: bisquit11 (23200 in chips)
~US&Co~: posts the ante 25
Playing A: posts the ante 25
fishbones11: posts the ante 25
holdplz: posts the ante 25
FreeDomL1fe: posts the ante 25
jonk: posts the ante 25
Bluffman9000: posts the ante 25
AgentNo9: posts the ante 25
bisquit11: posts the ante 25
holdplz: posts small blind 125
FreeDomL1fe: posts big blind 245 and is all-in
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Playing A [Qd Ac]
jonk: folds
Bluffman9000: folds
AgentNo9: folds
bisquit11: calls 250
~US&Co~: folds
Playing A: raises 450 to 700
fishbones11: folds
holdplz: raises 4450 to 5150 and is all-in
bisquit11: folds
Playing A: folds
Uncalled bet (4450) returned to holdplz
*** FLOP *** [9s Kd Qh]
*** TURN *** [9s Kd Qh] [Jc]
*** RIVER *** [9s Kd Qh Jc] [3c]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
holdplz: shows [Ad Jh] (a pair of Jacks)
holdplz collected 915 from side pot
FreeDomL1fe: shows [Kh 7s] (a pair of Kings)
FreeDomL1fe collected 1205 from main pot

However, I think AJ is at the very bottom of “holdplz’s” range….so pretty sure it’s a fold.

At this stage of the tournament there is about 110 left and I’m coming approx 95th. Desperate times, but I’m still patiently waiting for a good spot to shove. A serial raiser then raises in the CO and I’m on the button with A10o and re raise all in. Judging on the amount of times he raises pre I think he folds about 80% of the time here. When he calls I’m pretty happy to see 8’s, and even happier to see an ace on the river. That double up puts me back in average chips with 100 to go.

With 45 to go, and coming about 35th I get in a big spot. It folds round to the SB and he makes it 3k and the 500-1k level. He’s coming 25th in chips. I have A5 and with 16K I think this is a pretty easy shove due to the amount of stealing going on at the table. He call’s which I hate and has A4o. Whoever wins this pot would be coming about 10th, but the board blanks and we split the pot.

With 35 to go, I get in another interesting spot. Blinds are 800-1600 and I have 25K, in MP with 9’s and I have decision whether to push or make a standard raise. My M is only 5 ½ so to raise and then fold is pretty sick, but due to the folding equity you have in satalites I think if I, raise to 4K and get in a tricky spot on the flop or pre, a 20K stack is still workable. So I elect to make a standard raise….I then get RRAI by a guy with 16K and start to think whether I can really fold? However the big stack then decides to push his stack in and it makes my decision fairly easy as I’m likely to be up against one over pair. The smaller stack has JJ and the big stack has KK…bad timing.

With 30 to go, and coming 28th I’m in desperate need of chips. A guy one 35K makes a standard raise to (4.5K) and it folds to be in the SB. I have 22K and k3o. I think it’s not a bad spot to re-steal and push. He folds and it’s a big pot to win with all the blinds and antes.

So after playing 6 hours we and 29 left we get a 10 minute break. At the time the last thing I wanted was a break, I didn’t wanted to ponder what we were playing for I just wanted to keep playing well and keep making good decisions. The first hand back I have K9s UTG and we are 7 handed. I’m coming 27th and with an M of 5 push. Everyone folds and now I’m coming 19th! First time in the bracket….

A couple more orbits later and 2 more players gone I push but don’t get the same luck. As I’ve mentioned I run my 910 in to QQ and AA and lose…however, I think a big stack will certainly call me with AK/AQ and if I win the pot I reckon I’m there.

Next time perhaps.

no jack on the river

6 hours later and it's now gone 7am and I've just busted out...in 27th. It's hard to take because I'm really happy with the way I played but have nothing to show for it. A couple of years ago a mate came very very close to the Vegas package now I have some idea of what he went through...
I will write some kind of report of the whole tournament, as there are some interesting spots which I'm not sure about. Final hand, with an M of 4.5 and coming 24/27 I pushed with 910o in MP and run into AA AND QQ. It was a 100k pot and even though my equity is only 16.5% it would pretty much guarantee my seat on the plane. A jack on the river (ideally one-eyed...) would of saved me but no love. Felt for the guy with AA though, as a Q flopped.

Gonna take a quick walk to clear my head and contemplate going to bed or just trying to start the day as people in my house are starting to wake up. But anyway, as they say THATS POKER.

taking a shot

I'm about to play in the $320 satalitte to the APPT-Maccau tournament in China. The package is worth $6K and the tournament guarantee's 20 spots. Now this is a big jump in my usual $20 games I usually play...but let's hope the slow structure (5,000 starting chips, 20 min clock) can help me ease my way into it. The tournament starts in 15 minutes, so here's a few things I'm going to try and remember before I play.

-Don't worry about the money, it's cost me $12 to get in so i'm pretty much free rolling.
-Take time over decisions.
-Don' expect to win, just try and make good decisions.
-Learn from the experience of playing higher buy-in tourneys.


-Enjoy it...

from old skool to new school

I've been ummming and arring over whether to start a poker blog for a few months and have decided to give it a crack. Whether I keep blogging or not is another matter, but let's see how it goes.

Anyway, welcome...

A little background; I was first introduced to poker probably when I was about 7 or 8 years old. From a big family, all my cousins got together and we used to play a variation of dealers choice when basically, as it was our turn to deal we used to invent any type of poker game we wanted. All we knew was stud and draw but the games got incredibly complicated when we had thing's like, draw, 3 changes, hi low with red two's and "one eyed jacks" being wild. Crazy kids...but they were quality times.

Fast forward about 10 years and I was introduced to Texas Hold Em' by a school friend. Literally from the first game I played I was hooked. I remember starting playing for play money online after the first home game and making my first money deposit seemed a real big deal. When I started playing I knew I had a bit of an edge just because I was a patient player. I didn't know strategy but I knew hand strength and probability. After that I grinded $2 STT's for about 3 months, for just a small profit. After about 6 months or so, me and mate had a set up a poker challenge. To make $5K and go to Vegas for a holiday, however with one condition: we had to obey bankroll management.

I deposited $5 on to VC poker and hit the $0.02c/$0.04c tables!! VC was the chosen site just because on each cash table up to $200NL you could buy in for 200BB, every other site was 100BB. I didn't have poker tracker back then but after a year and a bit I found myself having grinded all the way to close to $4k. It was time to move up limits too, to 0.50c/$1. However, after five days of playing this level, and each day being a losing one I had dropped $700.

All those months of grinding for such a quick loss got to me. I then made a big decision to withdraw everything and spend it. If I could go back in time I wouldn't of withdrew any of it. It's a lot of money but it's part of poker, it was only 7 buy ins and pretty standard variance, I could of dropped back down levels and won it back. However, I was still proud of turning $5 into about $3k.

So, where am I now? I don't have a bankroll as such but am still playing. Currently, it's $10 and $20 HU and low stake satellites. I've just subscribed to sharkscope and it's helping my HU a lot. Basically, if games aren't filling up quickly you can find people's stats before you play them. Ironically though I seem to be losing to the fishies and beating players with better ROI's. I really enjoy satellite strategy and this week have won 3 entries to the WCOOP $215 6 handed hold em' event. I've kept the W$ however and might take a shot at a couple of the big live event satellites , however I don't think my games good enough at the higher limit satellites.....yet.

To get a bit of practice, tonight I've tried an $88 satellite to a $475 one. It had 28 runners with 4 seats. With 12 to go I was coming 10th and with blinds at 50-100 and my stack just at 1300 it wasn't looking great. The button on 2.8K raised my BB for the 2nd time running and with just about enough of a stack (I thought) to force some fold equity I pushed with my Q6o. He made the call with K9o, and no help and I'm outta there. I'm not sure about his call, or my raise really. Maybe he is priced in....

Aa little about me away from poker... I'm 24 and live in St Albans, however I've just decided (one week ago) to be a student again. I will be doing Sport Psychology in September in London as a mature student. That means I can leave my 9-5 office job I've been doing for the last year and do something I enjoy, I'm looking forward to it.

Finally to give my blog some direction, here are the reason's why I'm doing it:
- To help me play better
- To discuss hands...the best bit of poker
- To keep a record, so I can look back at it after I take a bracelet at the WSOP
- To shut Iron monk up.
- To improve my discipline

Target's for the next month or so:
- Keep the blog up.
- Play (well) in 3 $100 + tournaments
- Reduce the number of hour's I'm playing weekly as it's too many and play focused when I am playng.