Decent Sunday

I had a great session this afternoon on Mansion, when I logged out $220 up.
I was only two-tabling 8-man, $50 NL but one of the tables had a seriously aggressive raiser from Ireland who was tilting pretty much everyone.
He had position on me, but I kept chipping up off him; check-calling and check-raising.
The big hand, however, was against another foe who had doubled off the aggro player. I was sitting on the button with K7s and called a double blind raise.
Flop K,6,7. Turn 7. And I won all my foes $96 stack when he couldn't let go of Aces.
I decided to leave with $240 on one table and $75 on the other.

Dollar thoughts

For those of you that follow my blog, I first made my forecasts that the pound would fall to $1.50 against the dollar back in May when the dollar stood at $1.95 - Dollar forecast

Well, I have some more 'thoughts' that may interest you. The US Government yesterday announced a second $800bn lending programme to supplement the $400bn TARP program. This is a LOT of money. By comparison, the UK pledged £20bn in the pre-budget report this week.

I think the dollar will stay strong, and maybe get even stronger in the very short term, but come the New Year and into 2009 IT WILL TANK.

In the simplest terms, the only way the US can pay for all this spending is by printing a lot of money. Printing money means hyper-inflation and a weaker dollar.

It may not happen tomorrow but a fund manager we own and respect highly is now 45% short the dollar. This is the same manager who was 30% long the dollar as recently as last month and rode a $2.10 sterling/dollar all the way down, getting out at $1.55.

Just a warning...

Brit Blogger (part deux)

Somehow I managed to take down the Brit Blogger tonight with some truly stupendous shoving!
I've had a crack at Zagga's tourney a few times without making the final table.
Doubling up early with As v Js definitely helped and I managed to make a big comeback against Total Crud with three shove and hopes with A high and King high twice.

I then went back to Mansion Poker and lost my winnings in about three minutes when my AKs couldn't beat AJo, all in pre, and via a misplaced shove with A10 to double up another shortie.

Easy come, easy go!

Tourneys suck, cash games gut

I've had a pretty poor run in the handful of tourneys I've tried over the last few days. I've busted out of an $8 MTT on Stars, $10 on Full Tilt and $3 on Mansion without accumulating any chips.

Cash games however have netted me a few dollars - around $40 more on Party and $60 on Mansion.
I flopped quad sevens on one hand on Mansion and my foe turned a nine get a full house. Later on the same table I played against the worst player I've seen in a long time. He was a classic Any two card calling station. I stacked his first $10 with Qs against his Ace high. Then doubled him up with AJs versus his mighty 83o.
He then doubled up again with A7 v Ako, calling all in with a pair of sevens and spiking his two-outer on the river.
I was one to his left and managed to take another $20 off him over a few hands before he went busto.

Will try to play the Brit Blogger tonight if I remember and do some more grinding a quick afternoon kip...

Party Poking

Logged on tonight after work and rather than spend two and a half hours grinding away at two $10 Matrix SNGs, I decided to try and make some proper money.

I thought I'd give Party Poker a go again as I hadn't tried their new software yet.

Initially it was pretty disappointing. I entered a $9 MTT with around 500 around fish and busted out 300th without really playing a hand. The levels were every 10 minutes and it was way too fast for my liking. No hands, no time to read my foes. I don't think it was a turbo but if it was, I may not bother with many more.

Slightly pissed off with my first 45 mins on the site, I sat down at three then four $50 NL tables, full-ring. It was the same tight, boring, fishless snoozefest I remembered.

I was raising 3xBB a lot but no-one was biting. When they did, I had nothing, they had something and I had to fold. My bluffs got picked off and I kept doubling up $10 weaklings pushing with Aces. I was a buy-in down when I finally found a donkey to play with.

The background to the first hand was that I had pushed him off two pots following his 3xBB pre-flop raises previously. Once with position (he was sitting two to my left) and once from the SB; the first was with the nuts and the second was a bluff.

He wasn't steaming but he had me labeled as aggressive.

***** Hand History for Game 7550101414 *****
$50 USD NL Texas Hold'em - Wednesday, November 19, 16:11:49 ET 2008
Table Speed #1381865 (No DP) (Real Money)
Seat 7 is the button
Total number of players : 9
Seat 1: yzfdavid ( $35.96 USD )
Seat 3: thuttere ( $10.25 USD )
Seat 5: Tomshot ( $59.70 USD )
Seat 7: QuanticFive ( $69.16 USD )
Seat 4: VincentVegas84 ( $48.26 USD )
Seat 8: lissa35 ( $50 USD )
Seat 9: Aman_2525 ( $31.56 USD )
Seat 6: Sebmaster85 ( $22.50 USD )
Seat 2: Gauner175 ( $50 USD )
lissa35 posts small blind [$0.25 USD].
Aman_2525 posts big blind [$0.50 USD].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to QuanticFive [ 6s 6c ]

VincentVegas84 raises [$1.50 USD]
QuanticFive calls [$1.50 USD]

** Dealing Flop ** [ 6d, As, Ac ] - Please have a big ace!!!

VincentVegas84 checks
QuanticFive checks

** Dealing Turn ** [ 7h ]

VincentVegas84 checks
QuanticFive bets [$1.50 USD]
VincentVegas84 raises [$5.05 USD] - Hell yes, you've got a big ace!
QuanticFive calls [$3.55 USD] - bait struck...

** Dealing River ** [ 4h ]

VincentVegas84 bets [$11.37 USD]
bretaudeau has joined the table.
QuanticFive is all-In [$62.61 USD]
VincentVegas84 is all-In [$30.34 USD] - He thought about this but had been bamboozled by the power of Quantic :)

VincentVegas84 shows [ Qh, Ad ]three of a kind, Aces.
QuanticFive shows [ 6s, 6c ]a full house, Sixes full of Aces.
QuanticFive wins $20.90 USD from the side pot 1 with a full house, Sixes full of Aces.
QuanticFive wins $94.27 USD from the main pot with a full house, Sixes full of Aces.

Enjoyed that a lot!
So I was back in the black and had a loose table image on all four tables.
Mr Vegas buggered off but a new loser sat down, this time wearing a beret - although I also got a little lucky... :)

***** Hand History for Game 7550154089 *****
$50 USD NL Texas Hold'em - Wednesday, November 19, 16:30:19 ET 2008
Table Speed #1381865 (No DP) (Real Money)
Seat 8 is the button
Total number of players : 10
Seat 3: thuttere ( $13.54 USD )
Seat 5: Tomshot ( $62.94 USD )
Seat 7: QuanticFive ( $110.42 USD )
Seat 8: lissa35 ( $42.50 USD )
Seat 9: Aman_2525 ( $56.38 USD )
Seat 6: Sebmaster85 ( $25.50 USD )
Seat 2: Gauner175 ( $48.05 USD )
Seat 10: bretaudeau ( $30.34 USD )
Seat 1: pietjevdl ( $10 USD )
Seat 4: Aymen2007 ( $23.46 USD )
Aman_2525 posts small blind [$0.25 USD].
bretaudeau posts big blind [$0.50 USD].
** Dealing down cards **

Dealt to QuanticFive [ As Ah ]

Aymen2007 calls [$0.50 USD]
QuanticFive raises [$2 USD]
Aman_2525 calls [$1.75 USD]
bretaudeau calls [$1.50 USD]
Aymen2007 calls [$1.50 USD]

** Dealing Flop ** [ 7h, 3h, 6s ] - slightly scary but must fight on...

Aman_2525 checks
bretaudeau checks
Aymen2007 checks
QuanticFive bets [$5.70 USD]
Aman_2525 calls [$5.70 USD]
bretaudeau calls [$5.70 USD]
Aymen2007 folds

** Dealing Turn ** [ Ac ] - Bingo!

Aman_2525 checks
bretaudeau is all-In [$22.64 USD]
QuanticFive is all-In [$102.72 USD]
Aman_2525 is all-In [$48.68 USD]

** Dealing River ** [ 6h ]

Aman_2525 shows [ 7s, 7d ]a full house, Sevens full of Sixes.
bretaudeau doesn't show [ Qs, 4h ]a pair of Sixes.
QuanticFive shows [ As, Ah ]a full house, Aces full of Sixes.

QuanticFive wins $54.04 USD from the side pot 2 with a full house, Aces full of Sixes.
QuanticFive wins $52.08 USD from the side pot 1 with a full house, Aces full of Sixes.
QuanticFive wins $90.02 USD from the main pot with a full house, Aces full of Sixes.

A nice quadruple, although on reflection I would have doubled Aman_2525 up without the turn and had just a break-even session. Bretaudeau had shown himself to be a huge bluffer so I would have had to call if say a king had come up.

Anyway, I made $100 profit (which is now is now more like £65 rather than £50 from before)

Nearly big...

Woke up on Saturday morning feeling very hungover and unable to sleep...my cure? Poker!
It was 7.30am so there were still a few late-night Americans playing free and loose, so I joined them three-tabling $50 NL on Stars. Won a bit, lost a bit, then won a bit back.
Was having trouble concentrating as I was still a bit fooked so I logged off and tried my luck on a $3 donkfest. 1566 entries, first $820.
The first hour was a joke...the very first hand I tried to bluss with 64o on the river with 6 high. Got called but my table image was set. At one stage I was 75% flops seen, which dipped down to 65% by the end of the first hour.
I had trebled up and was talking a lot of trash.
I accumulated a decent amount of chips when I made the great play (!) of calling in the BB with Aces against a button push with 9s but other than that I can't remember many hands.
I watched Match of the Day, cooked some food, eat, brushed my teeth, while carrying the laptop round my flat. I had a free corporate box ticket through work to see Arsenal v Villa and time was ticking but I couldn't bust out.
My coinflips won, my big pairs held up, nobody called my bluffs. It was closing in on 2pm and I was 7th with 28 left.
I was in control but couldn't decide...do I post and fold my way to probably second last table, go for the win and fuck the footie???
In the end, the poker gods decided for me.
MP doubles blinds I call with AJo, BB calls. Flop A77. All check flop, turn blank. I bet half pot on turn, BB folds, MP raises. Should have folded here but I call.
Seven on river, I push, MP snap calls and turns over Aces.
The very next hand, I find AQs. Serial raiser trebles blind, I push, SB wakes up with Aces...IGHN.
The first hand I could have gotten away with, the second was tougher...
So no big score, a shitty $15 for four hours play, but it gave me something to think about on the tube up to north London...

Stayed away from home yesterday and returned late today to read about Milkybarkid's truly amazing exploits on the Omaha tables - that guy must be the UK's biggest online winner playing today - and made $12 playing a Matrix SNG.

Bed time now, and another week of trying to negotiate the fucked-up stock markets ahead.

Market blues

For those who follow the world of business and finance the past year has been interesting to say the least.
Where we go from here is the question that I'm obsessing over at work. One day I'm bullish, the next day I feel like the world is going to end.
Whatever happens next, the market is CHEAP and with my personal money I'm planning to wait until New Year and then start buying shares in earnest.

As for poker, no play last night but will probably put a session in over the weekend. Just linked up to a new poker blogger - Cheesie's Poker - who has been making rather a lot of money this year playing SNGs and tourneys. Welcome!

More Matrix

Spent the weekend in Edinburgh and got back very late Sunday night.
I'd booked Monday as I knew I'd be knackered and played a few more $10 and one $20 Matrix SNG.
I'm up but just busted out of one without cashing. I was resigned after beat number three that nothing was going to stand up.
Just entered another, which will be my last tonight. Hopefully will do a bit better than last!

Running hot (ish)

My graph for sharkscope looks kinda pretty - although I lost $4 on the last Matrix SNG I played. Three-outer busts on two tables and two thirds. Overall on FT under my old alias Razorlight (my 2nd one with rakeback got banned) I am running at 21% ROI after 58 games although since I started playing the Matrixes it is prob double this as i've made around $140 profit after 25 games.

Was bit pished tonight so a $4 is not bad considering..

So much for study

Bought myself a tuxedo from Primark on Oxford Street on my way home last night - everything including a shirt and black tie was £42!!!!
What a bargain...

In no mood for study so I decided to fire up a couple of $10 matrix SNGs and a $50cash game. I was five-tabling which was far too much for little brain to cope with but managed to win about $60 all told - $20 on the cash game, and $20 more on each of the SNGs.
I placed 7 of the 8 tables, and won the $9 bonus for the most points on both.
The matrix games have really invigorated my game - I am happy with the buy-in and feel I can beat most players.
I sharkscope ones I think may be dangerous during play and am amazed how many seriously losing players there are.
If I was consistently losing that much I would give up.

The last game I was down to heads-up on three tables which was a bit much to be honest, which I why I think winning all four and scooping the whole pot is almost impossible.

Quick wins

Doubled my money on a $10 Matrix SNG on Full Tilt and made a quick $20 on Mansion cash games so a reasonably successful night.
Still searching for that elusive Dominatrix score on the Matrix SNGs and came close last night.
I had accumulated decent stacks on all four tables when I get AKs and As at the same time on two of the tables.
I raise 3xBB from the button with AK spades, aggodonk calls. Flop AJ6, two clubs, aggodonk who is also sitting on large stack insta-pushes. I call. He turns over A7o and duly spikes his 7 on the river.
I look down to table two, where the SB has completed the blinds but there are no other callers. I raise it up, SB pushes, I call and he shows A10o. K and J on flop, Q on river.
O yes!
I quickly bust from those two tables, but managed a 1st and 2nd on the other two.
The Matrix SNGs are mighty frustrating and there may be better value out there but I really like them as I can usually get really good reads on my foes.

Brit Blogger

The monkey is my "punishment" for busting out first in the Brit Bloggerment, although I must say this chap is really rather cute.
I had a 'fuck it' moment with 7s against my foes As. First place was a FTOPS 24 entry, so a large $120 overlay...should maybe have folded :)

Earlier I busted out of a couple of peewee buy-in tournies on Stars and made about $40 while three tabling $50 NL Holdem. The river was kind to me twice, once when I beat AQ with KQ when I went runner-runner flush and the second time hitting a Q on the river to 2 pr my AQ; my foe had AJ for a flopped two pr and instantly called my push on the river. Ship it!

The best news is that I've totted up my various stacks and I have finally pushed past the $5k mark.
Looking back at the early das of my blog, I had $220 in May 2006 which reached just shy of $1k by the end of the year.
This rose to $3400 in 2007, so I've made $1600 in 2008 so far...
Not bad, but my winrate has definitely slowed this year - i have been hovering around $4500 since April - althoughtwo months were 'lost' growing at low stakes trying to clear the bonus for my Ipod.

Anyway, hopefully get it close to $6k by the time we reach the year end. My target at the start of the year was $7k but this looks a dream now.

Good luck at the tables!

PS Just busted out of a Bodog $4 tourney when my 3s lost to 9s on a 3AA95 hand. All in on turn, thought he was slowplaying a big ace. I was a huge stack in that with four tables to go, but my foe was the 2nd biggest. Think its time I logged off!