Tuesday, December 16, 2008

A whole lot of nothing

Been running bad Sunday and Monday - nothing serious. But just can't seem to get anything going.
I was down around $50 on Sunday. $20 on Mansion, $30 on FT where I busted out of the Brit Blogger game, a $10 SNG and $5r Omaha H/L.
The Omaha was slightly annoying as I was in the top ten in chips with around 50 to go (18 paid) but donked off all my chips with a stupid call.
The only win was a $26 token from a $6 tourney.
Last night I lost around $60 on Party cash before I managed a $20 boost to my bankroll over five SNGs on Mansion.

A $100 loss is nothing to get too down about but I think its a sign for me to close down the year pokerwise.

I have xmas boozing for the rest of the week and have learnt the hard way that alcohol and poker don't work for me.

Will post soon with an updated bankroll and some goals for 2009!

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Quick update and more on dollar

Nothing doing on the poker front really.
Busted out of four SNGs well out of the money just now, which was the first time I've logged on in a few days.
May play the Brit Bloggerment but need to tidy my flat which is looking like a pig sty at the mo.

Quickie on the dollar - a very respected fund manager last week predicted parity - $1 for £1. Shit for visitors to that fair land - awesome for my bankroll.
Im not sure it'll get down there tbh, maybe $1.20, but am following it every day at work so will try to update again when there is a firmer view out there.

Monday, December 08, 2008

SNG rebound

After going 1 for 15 on Saturday I managed to make it all back again on Sunday with some wins. My ROI has dropped from the frankly ridiculous 83% down to a respectable 38%.
In the last batch I ended up getting in a right ding-dong with a dutch cock called MaxMDR. He was bitching about missing out on the $49k jackpot when his As got busted by J9s all-in pre. He said that cost him the jackpot, I told him he was full of shit, which he didn't like.
Anyway, we spent most of the next half-an-hour bitching at each other. I got him steaming when I beat his AKo with the mighty J5s.
He raised all-in on my blind, I (correctly) called off half my stack to bubble the c*nt :)
He was playing on another table with me and got his revenge by busting me on the bubble.

Anyway, one of the reasons we were arguing was about the rules of the jackpot SNGs on iPoker. I was under the impression that you needed to play five-in-a-row as they fill up. He said they didn't need to be consecutive games.

I had asked Mansion support about this but had missed their reply. I double checked my inbox to find the Dutch twat was right. They need to be consecutive ie you can't play another SNG in between, but they can be played over a 48 hour period.

This makes it A LOT easier and I'm gonna continue playing them. The standard of play is perfect for my style. Very loose early doors so I limp lots and more often than not get paid when I hit. But they all tighten right up around the bubble and my aggro-pushing works wonders.

You still need the hands but I've come mighty close already while five tabling, so if I limit myself to three-tables I reckon I can make a tidy profit.

Wish me luck!

Sunday, December 07, 2008

WBCOOP

Online Poker

I have registered to play in the PokerStars World Blogger Championship of Online Poker!

All bloggers can play in this exclusive online poker tournament.

Registration code: 569397

48 hours

Last night I had a terrible session: 15 SNGs, one first, 14 nothings.
Couldn't think, couldn't play after 48 hours of no sleep. New York is an absolutely amazing city - if you like London, you'll love NY.
The people have an energy sometimes lacking among Brits - we saw a street brawl between a white lawyer and some black dude.
The lawyer was being a total dick and getting in people's faces. The black dude took exception and started pounded his head against a taxi cab parked outside.
The lawyer started shouting "I'm gonna sue yr ass!", the black dude shouting back "Sue me, homie".
Then the lawyer's two girlfriends jumped on the two wrestling fighters, screaming like excited teenagers.
It was FUCKING hilarious, something out of the movies.
We went to this bar called the ChillOut bar and were greeted on arrival by platters of food, buckets of bottled beer and whole bottles of vodka and whiskey.
Fuck the credit crunch!

As well as drinking myself to oblivion and eating huge portions of food, I also went shopping (not as cheap now the dollar is stronger) and err...did a bit of work.
It was actually a press trip that I blagged my way on so the the work load was much lighter than a normal investment conference.

Anyway, I returned to Brixton fucking knackered and stupidly decided to play some jackpot SNGs on Mansion. I had my first place in the first batch of five - after that it went to shit.
Was so tired, by the end, I just wanted to bust out and sleep.

Played another batch just now, after sleeping for around 13 hours, and managed two firsts and a second so I still have the magic! :)

Tuesday, December 02, 2008

Maui jackpot

I had three tilts at the Maui jackpot on Mansion, which I've only just realised is on the iPoker network!!
The jackpot on the $5+$1 tables is a very tempting $49,000 for five consecutive firsts. This doesn't mean five firsts in a row over several days but five consecutive wins in a row as each Maui table opens up so to win them involves five tabling.
I play on a laptop which means I can't fit all five on to the screen and it all gets rather hectic.
The matrix SNGs are excellent training for this, however, and playing different foes is actually a little easier.
The opposition is generally pretty soft and my win rate is pretty decent.
Over 20 games (five games from previous sessions), I have a 83% ROI and am up $101!

The first batch I got a first and two seconds for a $20 profit, the second batch two firsts and a third for a $30 profit and the final batch: two first and three thirds for a $50 profit. I was on for the jackpot right up until the end, and was four-tabling having won one of the five outright. But I busted third in two of them in quick succession.

I also had a small $17 win on a cash game which makes for not a bad evening.

The jackpot will undoubtedly have been snared by someone while I'm in New York and will reset itself back to $15k. But if it isn't I'm gonna go all out over the weekend when I get back to win it.

Dollar update

OK, I was a little premature in my sterling rally forecast of a week ago.
It looks like the Bank of England is going to cut rates by 0.50% to 1.00%, maybe even another 1.50% are there are risks of a short term rout of sterling.
One commentator is forecasting $1.27.

No-one really knows for sure but the Bank of England seems to be happy to let sterling depreciate. My advice now is - let it ride!

Breakeven(ish) poker

I logged on again yesterday for a couple of short cash sessions on Mansion.
A $40 win before supper followed by a $60 losing session after. I was playing pretty aggressively pre-flop during both sessions - it worked in the first but not the second.
Got buggered with Ks v Js when he flopped trips and I called his river raise.
Loosening up is a much harder style to play as if it goes past the flop you need to be very careful of slowplayers and willing to deal with the swings.
You also need to tilt your foes enough to get them to call you down when you have the goods.
This is a BIG problem when they are all multi-tabling, not paying much attention and playing boring ABC poker. During the weekday evenings, this happens a lot and for the life of me I can't really think of way to beat them except follow suit, tighten up and grind. Yawn!

I'm off to New York tomorrow for three days through work. Never been and can't wait to visit - gonna do a bit of shopping and drink myself silly on free mojitos (all expenses baby!).

Will play a little tonight before my 5.45am taxi to Heathrow. Urgh!