Thursday, April 16, 2009

Home games

Well its been a while...
Probably the longest spell of no updates since I started the blog.
The lack of updates reflects my lack of play really - I no longer log on after work as a matter of course and my play now is limited to weekend tilts at the tables and home games (hence the title of this post).

The online play is still profitable but I have withdrawn $4,800 from all the sites, leaving $250 in Stars, FT, Party and Mansion.
This is enough for my levels, four-tabling $50 - as long as I don't go busto!

The home games are no a regula occurence and I'm killing them in the main. I feel a bit bad as some of them are good mates but they really have no clue.
It is mainly with unemployed ex-bankers with loads of cash and spare time.

We play cash, PL hold'em with pee-wee 10p,20p blinds but as no-one knows how to fold we often get up to £70 to £100 pots.

An example of how shitty the play is:

Six-handed, I have 75s in MP. A raise before me and everyone calls to the BB who pots it for about £4. Everyone calls except me!

Flop comes A,K,x - BB bangs it, everyone calls, another A comes, then a blank and four of them end up all in.
The pot is around £75. They flip them and there is QQ, KK, JTs and 82o!

The guy who played 82o is a Russian unemployed derivatives trader who literally has no idea but is immense fun to play with. He has left down around £60 to £100 every time and he doesn't give a shit. Perfect!

I've made about £100 from three games with these guys...should have been a more except for this hand at 4am (eight hours into our session) when I was utterly arseholed.

Early position raises, and two call. I am on button with 66.

Flop A, 3, 5 (rainbow) - they check to me and I bet out 2/3 of the pot. Both call.

Turn a 6 (gin!) and I put £5 down after they check to me again.

The early position raiser is an old mate Dan (a lawyer who earns a shitload of cash but is utter garbage at poker). He basically cant fold and duly calls, the other player folded after giving me the stare-down - lol.

River 7. Dan then bets out the pot which was £22. I have about £65 in front of me and Dan has been getting lucky and has about £20 left...

I couldn't see anything to beat me...he doesn't have the gumption to slow-play and I figured A7 at best.

I push, he calls and I know I am sunk...he flips over 77!

We wrapped up a few hands later with me down £15 instead of up again a load.

I'm really loving these games tho as the banter is superb and the play worse than any online game you could find. They think they are figuring me out but I know I will win it back.

Apart from this I am studying for my chartered financial analyst exams on June 6 - hardest exam I have ever taken (and its only level one of three). This is basically taking up all my poker time and then some.

When they are over tho I plan to party like an absolute banshee, already booked tickets for Glastonbury and Big Chill and will head over to Prague in June too for some alcohol therapy.

Happy gaming!