I know there's people out there.... but only a few of you leave a comment. If you take the time to read this could you please pass on a few words? I don't mind whether they're nice or not! A couple of people have messaged me on facebook talking about stuff on here, which is fine but a word on here would be more than welcome!
I'm a bit hyped at the moment waiting for next week's Winter Festival at the Circus - it's now a ranking event so to cash would make it three out of three, plus more points to take me up to about 1,987394 or something..
Friday, January 30, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Won my seat for te main event in the Winter Festival
Played the £30+£30 satellite at the Circus last night, for the main event in next week's Winter Festival and won one of the 4 seats up for grabs; big bonus was the BF also won his seat so there will be no sulking or huffy door slamming :)
Nasty beat early on for my first set of chips, dunno whether it was my fault for raising with 46? Hadn't raised at all as was a very limp table, all of whom didn't fold to a raise and I hadn't seen any hands that were worth a Cbet on the flop with 5/6 limpers holding anything from a raggy ace to 22. Started with 4k and I i'd lost probably 1k of it through blinds and a couple of mediocre hands that did nothing. 2 limpers in front and I'm in late position with 46 hearts - it just looked at me and winked. Figured I could make a stand with it anyway so raised it up, called by the button and SB but the 2 limpers folded, then the flop came - 4.. K... 4...
It must have been a full premonition moment - raise with this shite and you will flop trips along with a big card that one of your callers will be holding. The flop was flushing so I bet straight out, giving it some shite line about " I'm making a really weak bet here guys cos I'm really very strong, but trying to disguise it" Cue all table laughing except Sal who knows I'm telling the truth and either have kk in the hole or a 4, played me too many times!
The button folds but the SB calls. Now I'm sure this fella doesnt have a 4, he isnt that kind of player. He's limped in with KK and JJ and he's not an aggressive player at all, and not a chaser - I can safely assume he has a King.
Turn comes, I sit for a minute then push my chips over the line saying "you didn't think I was gonna bet any less did you and let you catch your diamond? You can't call that mate, not with only one card left to come, it's not worth the chase" It pressed his buttons exactly like I intended, he assumed his K was good and called. He turned over Kojak, and I flicked over my 46. His face was a picture. ( A bit like a picture of a tomato and raisin pizza in all honesty, he had an acne issue going on) He hadn't for a second placed me as the kind of player who could raise with this shite, he said he thought I had a smaller pair (Than Kings) so when I guffed about the flush draw he figured he was good. Yep, that's exactly what I aimed for. I didn't aim for a King on the river however.
So he took my chips with his rivered bigger full house. I took a moment to reflect, which involved going outside for 42 cigarettes in 3 minutes plus a quick headbutt to the wall.
Threw probably half my next stack away on semi tilt after that, so went and smoked another year off my life, calmed down and came back and just sat. and sat, and sat , and sat until the blinds were a bit bigger and I had regained such a solid image that I could steal a few hands till I had more chips. Got moved table, mananged to double up twice with pictures and steal a few blinds with pretty poor rag aces, til I scaped up to 20k, we were hand for hand for a bit then bang, final table.
Think it was about 50 odd players, paying 4 seats worth £550 each, so final table was a bit horrible, knowing you all got there but 6 were gonna be close but no cigar. No way was that going to be. So I made few hero folds (!) invented a new phrase about limp equity (I'm saving it for my book...) and reraised all in every time the guy to my right raised. He was placed between the BF and me, so once he found we didnt get involved in any pots together, for obvious reasons, he figured he could raise every time I was in the SB or BB, but he had a massive tell I had noticed from playing him all night to let me know whether he had a hand he liked or if he was just at it. Anyway, I ended up as chip leader, took out a couple of guys, then eventually took out the bubble - the seat was mine!
Suppose the main point here about my game was once again I wasnt seeing cards, which 6 months ago would have prevented me from getting past level 5, but it's something I now have my head round, and it doesn't stop me trying to win. I'm really pleased with how my game is developing - I dont pretend to be any kind of pro, but I do know I can pick up a few tells that allow me to make the right play, I can play a short stack very well now whereas that previously was a massive stumbling block for me, and I have finally found patience. Just on the poker table that is, don't think I've morphed into Mother Teresa.
Nasty beat early on for my first set of chips, dunno whether it was my fault for raising with 46? Hadn't raised at all as was a very limp table, all of whom didn't fold to a raise and I hadn't seen any hands that were worth a Cbet on the flop with 5/6 limpers holding anything from a raggy ace to 22. Started with 4k and I i'd lost probably 1k of it through blinds and a couple of mediocre hands that did nothing. 2 limpers in front and I'm in late position with 46 hearts - it just looked at me and winked. Figured I could make a stand with it anyway so raised it up, called by the button and SB but the 2 limpers folded, then the flop came - 4.. K... 4...
It must have been a full premonition moment - raise with this shite and you will flop trips along with a big card that one of your callers will be holding. The flop was flushing so I bet straight out, giving it some shite line about " I'm making a really weak bet here guys cos I'm really very strong, but trying to disguise it" Cue all table laughing except Sal who knows I'm telling the truth and either have kk in the hole or a 4, played me too many times!
The button folds but the SB calls. Now I'm sure this fella doesnt have a 4, he isnt that kind of player. He's limped in with KK and JJ and he's not an aggressive player at all, and not a chaser - I can safely assume he has a King.
Turn comes, I sit for a minute then push my chips over the line saying "you didn't think I was gonna bet any less did you and let you catch your diamond? You can't call that mate, not with only one card left to come, it's not worth the chase" It pressed his buttons exactly like I intended, he assumed his K was good and called. He turned over Kojak, and I flicked over my 46. His face was a picture. ( A bit like a picture of a tomato and raisin pizza in all honesty, he had an acne issue going on) He hadn't for a second placed me as the kind of player who could raise with this shite, he said he thought I had a smaller pair (Than Kings) so when I guffed about the flush draw he figured he was good. Yep, that's exactly what I aimed for. I didn't aim for a King on the river however.
So he took my chips with his rivered bigger full house. I took a moment to reflect, which involved going outside for 42 cigarettes in 3 minutes plus a quick headbutt to the wall.
Threw probably half my next stack away on semi tilt after that, so went and smoked another year off my life, calmed down and came back and just sat. and sat, and sat , and sat until the blinds were a bit bigger and I had regained such a solid image that I could steal a few hands till I had more chips. Got moved table, mananged to double up twice with pictures and steal a few blinds with pretty poor rag aces, til I scaped up to 20k, we were hand for hand for a bit then bang, final table.
Think it was about 50 odd players, paying 4 seats worth £550 each, so final table was a bit horrible, knowing you all got there but 6 were gonna be close but no cigar. No way was that going to be. So I made few hero folds (!) invented a new phrase about limp equity (I'm saving it for my book...) and reraised all in every time the guy to my right raised. He was placed between the BF and me, so once he found we didnt get involved in any pots together, for obvious reasons, he figured he could raise every time I was in the SB or BB, but he had a massive tell I had noticed from playing him all night to let me know whether he had a hand he liked or if he was just at it. Anyway, I ended up as chip leader, took out a couple of guys, then eventually took out the bubble - the seat was mine!
Suppose the main point here about my game was once again I wasnt seeing cards, which 6 months ago would have prevented me from getting past level 5, but it's something I now have my head round, and it doesn't stop me trying to win. I'm really pleased with how my game is developing - I dont pretend to be any kind of pro, but I do know I can pick up a few tells that allow me to make the right play, I can play a short stack very well now whereas that previously was a massive stumbling block for me, and I have finally found patience. Just on the poker table that is, don't think I've morphed into Mother Teresa.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
three seats left for tonight's satellite
Holding a 10 seater satellite tonight at the pub, £50 +5 with one rebuy or addon. 5k start stack, 30 min blinds throughout. Familiar faces to anyone in the North west area, ANDOS, Big Jimmy, Nick "windy" miller :) Karl Stokes etc.
Promises to be a good game, we have a dealer plus free soft drinks, if you fancy a try give me a shout on 07703 879875, starts around 8.30pm
Promises to be a good game, we have a dealer plus free soft drinks, if you fancy a try give me a shout on 07703 879875, starts around 8.30pm
Monday, January 19, 2009
Finally broke my duck at Leos, Liverpool
I mentioned before how I have never cashed in Leo's casino, Liverpool, until I got to the final table at the Gala Poker Tour a few months ago. In my head it still didn't count as it wasn't against Liverpool players! Anyway, fresh from my success last Wednesday at the Circus, albeit only a small cash, I played the £50 FO at Leos on Friday night and won!
Went to the final table second shortest stack with only one move, managed to steal a couple of times and then took someone out with aq against his a4 (what a refreshing change!) till I was chip leader. Eventually we did a deal with all the remaining 7 players taking £400 and me getting £595. Apart from being happy with the cash boost, I was thrilled that I finally conquered a final table in a casino where I have previously failed to win. There was no big winning formula with my game, which was in fact far too loose at first, which ultimately meant I had to tighten right up in order to stay in. Every hand I had, which were few and far between, stood up for a change and the only bad beat I delivered was all in preflop from the cutoff with AQs against the BB AK, when I hit a flush.
Me and the BF had a rare night off together on Saturday so popped over to the Manchester G to play a bit of cash where I did my nuts in on the PL Holdem main table, outdraw after outdraw, stepped back down later to the NL feeder table and managed to claw back a large chunk of it. Sunday we were playing in Stoke at a charity poker team tourny where I met Paul Jackson, who seemed not only a decent bloke but a bit of a good laugh as well. Can't tell you how he got on as I was out after an hour :( and heading down the M6 for a cash game at Southport.
All in all a great weekend and nice to get a break from the pub for a bit, even nicer to start the week with a boost to your bankroll from the weekend's play.
Went to the final table second shortest stack with only one move, managed to steal a couple of times and then took someone out with aq against his a4 (what a refreshing change!) till I was chip leader. Eventually we did a deal with all the remaining 7 players taking £400 and me getting £595. Apart from being happy with the cash boost, I was thrilled that I finally conquered a final table in a casino where I have previously failed to win. There was no big winning formula with my game, which was in fact far too loose at first, which ultimately meant I had to tighten right up in order to stay in. Every hand I had, which were few and far between, stood up for a change and the only bad beat I delivered was all in preflop from the cutoff with AQs against the BB AK, when I hit a flush.
Me and the BF had a rare night off together on Saturday so popped over to the Manchester G to play a bit of cash where I did my nuts in on the PL Holdem main table, outdraw after outdraw, stepped back down later to the NL feeder table and managed to claw back a large chunk of it. Sunday we were playing in Stoke at a charity poker team tourny where I met Paul Jackson, who seemed not only a decent bloke but a bit of a good laugh as well. Can't tell you how he got on as I was out after an hour :( and heading down the M6 for a cash game at Southport.
All in all a great weekend and nice to get a break from the pub for a bit, even nicer to start the week with a boost to your bankroll from the weekend's play.
Busted for good....
Poker is a great leveller in that ten players sat round a table are all equal on a social level. Whether they are an academic, or left school early with just a clip round the ear to show for it, whether they are a company director or signing on, it doesn't apply once the cards are dealt. I'm friendly with people through poker whom I wouldn't have ever met if I didn't play - I met my partner through the game and as he lived in Wales back then, it's unlikely we would have got together any other way.
So, when you make poker buddies, their "day job" or their background is never an issue. I have a number of poker buddies who I'm aware make their money from "careers" that are not strictly legal; however, while I'm not burying my head in the sand, their source of income is none of my business, and is certainly not relevant to a friendship that begins and ends in the casino.
I mention this because I heard some bad news this week. A young lad who I have known for a couple of years was arrested last week and won't be around for some time now, due to the nature of the offence. I'm a big believer in those who live by the sword die by the sword etc but I can't help feeling it is such a waste. I have played the same circuit as him for a couple of years and watched as his game turned round from amateur bluffing faciliatated by his deep pockets and replenishable income, to a strong, aggressive tournament game that saw him cash in GUKPT events and similar over the past year.
The lad and his girlfriend were both arrested at the same time, which resulted in their young baby being put immediately into care. This has genuinely sickened me. While him and his missus made their decisions as to which way they wanted their lifestyle to go, and did what they needed to in order to finance that, how could they risk their own child's future happiness? I'm trying to not be judgemental over this I really am, but when I think of this toddler in care because of their stupidity I'm gutted.
Obviously they must be gutted more than anyone else, they've lost their freedom, all of their assets will be taken off them, and of course, the worst thing must be knowing their baby is with social services through their own actions. I know there's that old cliche about doing the crime and doing the time, but the baby is the innocent party in all of this, yet the baby's life is now as fucked up as it's parents, before it even made it to school.
Have thought long and hard about whether I should even be posting this, but it's a poker blog about my poker experiences, so it's on here. Just a complete waste, ultimately for nothing.
So, when you make poker buddies, their "day job" or their background is never an issue. I have a number of poker buddies who I'm aware make their money from "careers" that are not strictly legal; however, while I'm not burying my head in the sand, their source of income is none of my business, and is certainly not relevant to a friendship that begins and ends in the casino.
I mention this because I heard some bad news this week. A young lad who I have known for a couple of years was arrested last week and won't be around for some time now, due to the nature of the offence. I'm a big believer in those who live by the sword die by the sword etc but I can't help feeling it is such a waste. I have played the same circuit as him for a couple of years and watched as his game turned round from amateur bluffing faciliatated by his deep pockets and replenishable income, to a strong, aggressive tournament game that saw him cash in GUKPT events and similar over the past year.
The lad and his girlfriend were both arrested at the same time, which resulted in their young baby being put immediately into care. This has genuinely sickened me. While him and his missus made their decisions as to which way they wanted their lifestyle to go, and did what they needed to in order to finance that, how could they risk their own child's future happiness? I'm trying to not be judgemental over this I really am, but when I think of this toddler in care because of their stupidity I'm gutted.
Obviously they must be gutted more than anyone else, they've lost their freedom, all of their assets will be taken off them, and of course, the worst thing must be knowing their baby is with social services through their own actions. I know there's that old cliche about doing the crime and doing the time, but the baby is the innocent party in all of this, yet the baby's life is now as fucked up as it's parents, before it even made it to school.
Have thought long and hard about whether I should even be posting this, but it's a poker blog about my poker experiences, so it's on here. Just a complete waste, ultimately for nothing.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Internet hand played out live ... :)
Final tabled at the Circus last night, mainly due to this hand...
Last hand before the break of a £30 + £30 semi freezeout. UTG who hasn't played a hand for ever and hasn't stopped talking about how bad his cards are limps in silently while hyperventilating. I find AJ offsut on the button with 4 limpers inbetween me and him and say "Have you finally found a hand or are you just hoping to see a cheap flop?" He goes bright red and replies in a squeeky voice, "Me? on no I just want to see a flop", as his face slowly turns purple with the effort of trying to breathe. So I say I'll raise to see where I am, which I do - raising from 200 to 1200. (I have about 9 or 10k, he has about 6 but there are 4 others inbetween so I want themout for a start, and if he reraises I'm happy to fold. What I don't want is to hit a J high flop and find I'm behind to a bigger pair without asking the question preflop first. (Just so you know my thinking here and don't assume I see aj off as a monster hand)
Well before the chips have hit the felt, the guy in the BB has practically shouted RERAISE. This guy has suddenly found a pair of balls under his rolls of lard and looks me in the eye (only possible as we were sitting down - he would have needed a box otherwise) and says "I guess I'll have to reraise you to find out where I am and raises it 1200 with another 2k. I say "so you obviously have a big pair then" and he says, what like Kings? yes mate, exactly like Kings.
The UTG, who we had both forgotten about, stands up and throws his chips in while giving it the bullshit about o well I know I'm behind - roughly translated as please please call me I'm massive.
His reraise is less than the BB's reraise, another 1200 to put him all in.
Now obviously I know my AJ is far behind I need a miracle, but there's now nearly 10k in the pot and I have to put in 3200 to see the flop, making it about 13k altogether in the middle, so I have to call, much as I know I'm behind and really don't believe i have a chance of taking this down.
So I reluctantly call and like the bitch I am, say to the BB (who is a bit of a novice) "Now you wouldn't do anything stupid here like bet a dry side pot would you?" Everyone's laughing cos firstly he doesn't know what I mean, plus everyone knows I'm behind and really need to catch something here, so they know I want to get to a river for nothing.
The flop comes Q K 10 - I flop the nuts, and it's rainbow just as a bonus. BB checks and the biatch says "You really think I'm gonna let you catch up on that flop?" and threw a handfull of chips in - BB sitting on his set of kings like it's a cushion made of gold can't get his chips in fast enough to reraise me all in, which I obviously call. UTG turns over his cards to show his Aces, BB shows his set of kings and I flip over my shitty AJ which has blossomed into a beatiful straight and overtaken the monsters like Seabiscuit on speed. The turn comes an Ace to give the UTG a set of aces, leaving him calling for the board to pair while I'm screaming "2 2 2 2 2 2 I need a 2!!!" and it comes.. a lovely non-scary 2!
So I went into the break with about 28k when the average was around 8k which definitely got me to the final table without much more effort required, which was lucky as I couldn't catch a hand or a flop after the break. Went out 9th when I ran my AK shortstack into AA but you can't ask for miracles too many times can you?!
Just an aside about the Liverpool Circus. Paul who runs the card room does a very good job and actually seems to want to build up a proper card room, unlike so many other cardroom managers who just go to work to pick up their wages and brownnose thebosses - prime examples being Blackpool G and Manchester G. I've never been a fan of Stanley - possibly because I was barred from two of them :) Southport admittedly my own fault for scrapping but Stoke a complete travesty and a long story that seems pointless dredging up again now after two years - anyway I digress.. Point being, Paul has restored my faith in Stanley, he works hard and seems to be very proactive so I hope his bosses realise that. If you get the chance to support him by playing there please do so.
Saturday, January 03, 2009
Have you missed me? :)
Wow feel so out of touch with the poker world! Moved house and job to a new pub and have been working our asses off just to get through Christmas & New Year - worst time ever to come into a new pub in some ways. We had the delightful job of getting a rota of 180 hours down to under 80 so we've been working pretty much every day and night and I won't pretend it's all been fun.
Then we had the added bonus of no internet here so reliant on a 3G dongle: 3G coverage in Aughton is seemingly non-existent. Apparently a neighbour tried to upgrade his dial up to broadband and they told him it wasn't available in this area - surely this can't be true?! Maybe they just didn't want him to have faster net access in case he shipped over a russian bride or similar - they don't take well to strangers round these hereparts - all a bit American werewolf in London. However - they couldn't resist me (how could they?!) and we've pulled the pub up from 3.5k a week to more than double that in just 5 weeks, so we must be doing something right. (I think just opening the doors has helped - the previous guy was a bit hit and miss by all accounts).
So when I have had a window - well more of a skylight - to play a little poker online I have had to stick to sit and gos cos the connection is liable to go off at any point during your game, but usually only when you have a big hand and are about to make your move. Or when you get to heads up - that's a bonus when you finally get back on after a 15 minute battle to find you've been blinded away.
I got out twice to play live, both times at the Liverpool Circus as it's the nearest place, plus they do run a good game there. Cashed once, think I was 7th for £150 (£30 buy in) second time crashed out with 3 tables left (99 runners) and played cash, spectacularly uneventfully. Decided to leave when I raised in SB with aces, all limpers folded round as I hadn't played a hand for about 3 centuries and had only raised previously with JJ, 10s and 78 (what?!), folded till we reached college boy who said - and I quote - okay darlin I'll dance with you.
I shit you not. "Ok Darlin I'll dance with you?" I have no knowledge of how he can translate "Raise" into hey scarf wearing goofy frat boy please call me with 93 off and we can tango round a flop of 955 together?
Don't need to tell you how I reraised his pot bet all in and he called only to hit the 9 on the turn. These may well be the calls YOU want, but me - I'm happy with a fold there, either pre or on the flop.
I'm off tues and weds this week so hoping to get out for a game somewhere - any suggestions? Within an hour's drive pls from L39 postcode - Manchester, Blackpool, Liverpool all easily reached but must be dealer dealt and with loads of fish as long as they are good enough fishies to fold on the flop if there is any chance of outdrawing me :)
Say hello if you drop by please, I'd like to think I'm not completely out of touch :( x
Then we had the added bonus of no internet here so reliant on a 3G dongle: 3G coverage in Aughton is seemingly non-existent. Apparently a neighbour tried to upgrade his dial up to broadband and they told him it wasn't available in this area - surely this can't be true?! Maybe they just didn't want him to have faster net access in case he shipped over a russian bride or similar - they don't take well to strangers round these hereparts - all a bit American werewolf in London. However - they couldn't resist me (how could they?!) and we've pulled the pub up from 3.5k a week to more than double that in just 5 weeks, so we must be doing something right. (I think just opening the doors has helped - the previous guy was a bit hit and miss by all accounts).
So when I have had a window - well more of a skylight - to play a little poker online I have had to stick to sit and gos cos the connection is liable to go off at any point during your game, but usually only when you have a big hand and are about to make your move. Or when you get to heads up - that's a bonus when you finally get back on after a 15 minute battle to find you've been blinded away.
I got out twice to play live, both times at the Liverpool Circus as it's the nearest place, plus they do run a good game there. Cashed once, think I was 7th for £150 (£30 buy in) second time crashed out with 3 tables left (99 runners) and played cash, spectacularly uneventfully. Decided to leave when I raised in SB with aces, all limpers folded round as I hadn't played a hand for about 3 centuries and had only raised previously with JJ, 10s and 78 (what?!), folded till we reached college boy who said - and I quote - okay darlin I'll dance with you.
I shit you not. "Ok Darlin I'll dance with you?" I have no knowledge of how he can translate "Raise" into hey scarf wearing goofy frat boy please call me with 93 off and we can tango round a flop of 955 together?
Don't need to tell you how I reraised his pot bet all in and he called only to hit the 9 on the turn. These may well be the calls YOU want, but me - I'm happy with a fold there, either pre or on the flop.
I'm off tues and weds this week so hoping to get out for a game somewhere - any suggestions? Within an hour's drive pls from L39 postcode - Manchester, Blackpool, Liverpool all easily reached but must be dealer dealt and with loads of fish as long as they are good enough fishies to fold on the flop if there is any chance of outdrawing me :)
Say hello if you drop by please, I'd like to think I'm not completely out of touch :( x
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