More pain

Game #6030193583: Hold'em NL ($0.25/$0.50) - 2008/07/05 - 10:10:49 (UK)
Table "Partita" Seat 4 is the button.
Seat 1: Taalari ($47.50 in chips)
Seat 2: Quantic5 ($48.75 in chips)
Seat 3: memohb ($58.05 in chips)
Seat 4: W0TAN ($6.40 in chips)
Seat 5: demid ($18.28 in chips)
Seat 6: Jooper ($21.15 in chips)
Seat 7: Widowm ($50.49 in chips)
Seat 8: torpapa ($46.90 in chips)
Seat 9: 1860 ($47.25 in chips)
Seat 10: paxis ($49.50 in chips)
demid: posts small blind $0.25
Jooper: posts big blind $0.50
----- HOLE CARDS -----
dealt to Quantic5 [7c 9c]
Widowm: folds
torpapa: folds
1860: folds
paxis: folds
Taalari: folds
Quantic5: raises to $1.50
memohb: folds
W0TAN: folds
demid: folds
Jooper: raises to $3
Quantic5: calls $1.50
----- FLOP ----- [8c 9s 7s]
Jooper: bets $2
Quantic5: raises to $8.50
Jooper: raises to $18.15 and is all-in
Quantic5: calls $9.65
----- TURN ----- [8c 9s 7s][8h]
----- RIVER ----- [8c 9s 7s 8h][2d]
----- SHOW DOWN -----
Jooper: shows [Kc Ks] (Two Pairs, Kings and Eights, Nine high)
Quantic5: shows [7c 9c] (Two Pairs, Nines and Eights, Seven high)
Jooper collected $40.45 from Main pot
----- SUMMARY -----
Total pot $42.55 Main pot $40.45 Rake $2.10
Board [8c 9s 7s 8h 2d]
Seat 2: Quantic5 showed [7c 9c] and lost with Two Pairs, Nines and Eights, Seven high
Seat 6: Jooper (big blind) showed [Kc Ks] and won ($40.45) with Two Pairs, Kings and Eights, Nine high

Game #6030212513: Hold'em NL ($0.25/$0.50) - 2008/07/05 - 10:24:58 (UK)
Table "Kapelle" Seat 6 is the button.
Seat 1: Omtatsat ($13.25 in chips)
Seat 2: torpapa ($97.85 in chips)
Seat 5: Quantic5 ($49.25 in chips)
Seat 6: Taalari ($45.70 in chips)
Seat 9: BigBulls ($161.87 in chips)
Seat 10: W0TAN ($14.20 in chips)
BigBulls: posts small blind $0.25
W0TAN: posts big blind $0.50
----- HOLE CARDS -----
dealt to Quantic5 [Qs Ks]
BrutePoke joins the table at seat #3
Omtatsat: folds
torpapa: folds
Quantic5: raises to $1.50
Taalari: folds
BigBulls: calls $1.25
W0TAN: folds
----- FLOP ----- [3d 4d Qh]
BigBulls: checks
Quantic5: bets $2
BigBulls: raises to $4
Quantic5: raises to $8
BigBulls: calls $4
----- TURN ----- [3d 4d Qh][7c]
BigBulls: checks
Quantic5: bets $8
BigBulls: calls $8
----- RIVER ----- [3d 4d Qh 7c][As]
BigBulls: checks
Quantic5: checks
----- SHOW DOWN -----
BigBulls: shows [Qc Ah] (Two Pairs, Aces and Queens, Seven high)
Quantic5: mucks hand [Qs Ks]
BigBulls collected $33.75 from Main pot
----- SUMMARY -----
Total pot $35.50 Main pot $33.75 Rake $1.75
Board [3d 4d Qh 7c As]
Seat 5: Quantic5 mucked [Qs Ks]
#Seat 9: BigBulls (small blind) showed [Qc Ah] and won ($33.75) with Two Pairs, Aces and Queens, Seven high

Bad session

Running bad at mo...

PokerStars Game #18511543111: Hold'em No Limit ($0.25/$0.50) - 2008/07/01 - 15:11:26 (ET)
Table 'Luna V' 9-max Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: QuanticFive ($50 in chips)
Seat 2: Lorenzo6tr ($49.35 in chips)
Seat 3: alty88 ($142.30 in chips)
Seat 4: kayzai_86 ($14.25 in chips)
Seat 5: Pastafarian1 ($20.70 in chips)
Seat 6: rssoul20 ($40.40 in chips)
Seat 7: Dummkobb ($54.95 in chips)
Seat 8: jozsef75 ($7 in chips)
Seat 9: BaggieBoyyy ($9.50 in chips)
Lorenzo6tr: posts small blind $0.25
alty88: posts big blind $0.50
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to QuanticFive [Ah Kh]
kayzai_86: calls $0.50
Pastafarian1: folds
rssoul20: folds
Dummkobb: folds
jozsef75: folds
BaggieBoyyy: folds
QuanticFive: raises $1.50 to $2
Lorenzo6tr: folds
alty88: raises $5 to $7
kayzai_86: folds
QuanticFive: calls $5
*** FLOP *** [8d Qc 9h]
alty88: bets $8
QuanticFive: calls $8
*** TURN *** [8d Qc 9h] [Ks]
alty88: bets $40
QuanticFive: calls $35 and is all-in
Uncalled bet ($5) returned to alty88
*** RIVER *** [8d Qc 9h Ks] [Jh]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
alty88: shows [Jc Jd] (three of a kind, Jacks)
QuanticFive: mucks hand
alty88 collected $97.75 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $100.75 | Rake $3
Board [8d Qc 9h Ks Jh]
Seat 1: QuanticFive (button) mucked [Ah Kh]
Seat 2: Lorenzo6tr (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 3: alty88 (big blind) showed [Jc Jd] and won ($97.75) with three of a kind, Jacks

I'm gonna have a go at Bodog again - it was the last site I managed to win on.

Rant

Poker is a very, very annoying game.
I cannot win shit at the moment, and am wondering how I made $5000 at this game.
Every all in tourneys I'm in, I lose.
Today I busted AK v KQ, all in pre; AA v J5 all in pre (!); 24 v AJ (flop 24A) - all-in, turn J.
I can't remember the last cash I've had in a tourney.

On Littlewoods, I managed to get to 350 points and release a £50 bonus but unfortunately this has gotten me to break even only as I'm down, mainly on Omaha H/L cash games which I seem to suck at.

I'm starting to get pissed off with Littlewoods as there are simply no games going. There are always loads of half buy-in tightees who limp As and AKs cos they're pussies.

I very much doubt I will make it to 1000MPPs by the end of July, let alone 2000.

I hate Stars, but at least there's games going and people aren't playing sss tight poker all the time.

Rant over

Profit at last

I have finally broken into the black on Littlewoods with some truly amazing play...
OK, actually two pushes with AA2x, double suited on the Omaha H/L tables that stood up.
These two hands netted me $50 and I've won and lost a £5 Double Yr Money SNG since then. My loss came when I busted with Ks v Qs, all-in pre...it had to happen sometime.
I'm still a long way from my Ipod - a Touch if I reach 1000MPPs by end of July and Classic for 2000MPPs.
I have a grand total of 200 so far!
More grinding needed me thinks

Weekend on Littlewoods

I spent a good few hours grinding on Littlewoods. I signed up through RaketheRake and if I manage to reach 2,000 MPPs I get an Ipod, £350 bonus and rake of 30%. Not a bad return.

I have to do this by the end of July, which will involve many hours but I think its doable. I deposited $400, roughly £200 and currently stand on...£200!

The positives have been decent wins on full-ring Holdem cash games. I'm also four for four on the £5 double yr money SNGs, which pay 5 out of 10 players. V V easy with some terrible players.

Where I've lost it is the 50c/$1 Omaha H/L tables, which rack up the MPPs the fastest but are dangerous as hell.

I also tried the Tao of Poker's Omaha blogger tourney on Stars but crashed out 28th out of 32. Not a very impressive debut!

A break but I'm back

Its been a while...
The reason for no posts is because I have been playing very, very little poker.
A few low buy-in SNGs on Stars, and a bit of cash games on Mansion is all I've been able to muster in the past two weeks.
Grand Theft Auto is one reason - I've played a lot and am still only half-way through - but I'm also studying for an exam at the end of the month.
If I'm serious about my new job I have a lot of exams to take. I'm currently studying for the IMC, which is two parts and is reasonably easy.
But there is this thing called the CFA which takes three years and is very, very, very hard.
My academic record is such - shit A levels, a degree from the Mickey Mouse School of Disney Studies - that I may be forced to go for it just to get to the next level. Call it building a bankroll, if you like, so that I have a shot at working for an investment bank, where life is very sweet indeed.

I'm out now in Clapham to see a friend off, who has taken a job in Hong Kong, but I have no other plans for the weekend so you may find me on the tables.
I've just signed up to Littlewoods poker, who are offering an free Ipod to gimps like me who can grind for five hours playing $100 cash games.

All Quiet on the Western Front

Until yesterday I had literally played zero hands of poker last week.
The reason: Grand Theft Auto IV - a beast of a game.
Yesterday I pissed around with the Omaha $3 SNGs again, taking a 1st and two 2nds in five attempts, but lost the small profit playing some HORSE.

As for my currency predictions - I'm still very confident of a dollar rebound, which is becoming the consensus view. One report by Morgan Stanley suggested the dollar was 15% overvalued versus the pound - pointing to at least $1.75. It may not get there until the end of the year but if you can hold on it beats any interest rate you'll get in a bank account.

Gonna play a bit of poker now so wish me luck!

Three tourneys, one cash

No cash games this weekend, but I had a go at three different tourneys today.
I busted just out of the money on the same Omaha H/L tourney I played last week. It was bad play by me when I misread a hand that prompted my demise.
I also busted out of a $10 + $1 NL Holdem tourney less than an hour in.
The cash was a fifth in a $10 + $1 90 man SNG on Full tilt, I got $55 and a few more for busting a couple of fishees.

Dollar

Currency predictions are very, very difficult. When I was a journalist it was pretty easy to find one economist to forecasting the pound would rise versus the dollar and another to say the polar opposite.

However, if I was a betting man, and I am, I would predict a stronger dollar than the pound on a 12-month view.

Maybe $1.50 is a bit ambitious; but I will definitely exchange some of my roll at $1.70. We stand at $1.95 today, down from a high of $2.10 late last year.

Reasons: first up the pound is overvalued – this is a consensus view. The Economist magazine created the Big Mac index, which measures the price of McDonald's famous burger in various countries. A bizarre concept but it is a measure that has gained some traction.

A Big Mac in the euro zone cost $4.17 in the UK vs. $3.41 in the US (this is back in July when the index was last updated).

Second, the main driver of currencies are interest rates. Where do the big financial institutions park their cash? Where interest rates are highest.

Interest rates in the UK are currently higher than in the US – BUT expectations are that interest rates will need to come down more in the UK than in the US. Our economy is in the mire, and growth stagnating, the market expectation is for interest rate cuts at some point to stimulate growth.

Against this the US is near the bottom of its rate-cutting cycle and the expectation is for one, max two more cuts.

Ok, I’m ignoring inflation pressures but this is just a blog after all and it is all very complicated.

Suffice it say I have been happy to keep my poker money in dollars on Neteller and various other sites, losing the potential for interest. This is partly for bankroll reasons but also as I feel the pound is too strong and had to come back.

Break

I think I need a break from poker.
Just dropped $150 bluffing like hell on Mansion in less than 45 mins, some of the calls people made on me were crazy but still...

My job is gambling - I'm basically spending every day working out how to make money from the markets - Are commodities in a bubble? Is energy a good bet? Can Japan come good this year? Will China rebound? The dollar or sterling?
Is this affecting my poker play? Not really, I'm drunk and need some food but it makes gambling when I come home every evening less appealing.

I'm addicted to this game so I'm sure I will carry on playing, but I'm worried about blowing through my stack on a whim.
My roll is in dollars and I think the dollar is set for a rebound. Some currency experts are forecasting it may get to $1.50. If it does I may consider withdrawing some of it.

Get over it

That's what I keep telling myself - but I'm still mighty annoyed about the bust in the tourney on Sat.
I basically threw away my chips when my foe made it obvious he had hit a set. For over three hours I was able to fold, but not at the crucial moment when the tourney was up for grabs.
Psyhcologically if you are slowly chipping up you feel in control but I started losing a few chips just before the final table and this sent me on mini-tilt. Not enough to throw me off my game but too eager to push all-in to try and win tem back.
When we made the final three I was shortie with 40k against my foes 80k and 100k, but with the blinds at 2,4k I had more than enough to play a few hands.
O well next time...

Didn't make the top 100 in the Planets challenge again, 400 points this time. I'm sure I'll try again soon when I know I have an easy week workwise coming up.

3rd sucks

Just finished an $5 Omaha H/L tourney in 3rd...
Good score but I was in the top two the entire tourney right up until the end.



I tripled up on the very first hand and basically limped A LOT, nabbed lots of pots and folded to any strength. For the first two hours the deck was hitting me in the face and I just chipped up and up.
I was only worried about one foe late on - who unfortunately was sitting to my left - and had worked out what I was up to.

During the week I haven't played much cash but pissed around with the $3 Omaha H/L games in an attempt to get on the Planets leaderboard again. I have one game left and need to come first or second to get a middling position.

Dropping $55

Sometimes the poker gods go against you...
I lost $100 on one table but got half of that back on the other three tables.
The two hands which killed me were AA v QQ - all-in pre-flop, foe spikes a Q and then set under set, my 555 v his KKK.
I managed to control the tilt, which I take as a plus, but still mighty galling.

Four-table grinding

Been putting in the hours this weekend, mainly on Mansion Poker.

My sessions over the last two days read like this:

2 hrs 17 mins, +$175.44, 392 hands

1 hr, -$43.25, 233 hands

1 hr 28 mins, +$74.75, 337 hands

1 hr 37 mins, -$50.05, 401 hands

53 mins, +$44.35, 99 hands

27 mins, +$4.70, 105 hands

So, around 1500 hands for a profit $200, or 13BB/100 hands which I'm very pleased with. Mansion is 90% Scandinavian and there are some super aggressive players. Even on ten-man tables there are certain players who play position very well and seem to chip up consistently.

The only way to play them is to put them to the test, as they are often playing with air.

He's a hand when I caught one out - I had played him before and knew he was very aggressive.

Hand P4-66930145-289, Started at 04/05/2008 20:40 (EDT)
Table 'Steyr': $1-$1 No Limit HE (Real)
Seat 0: Triglycenide ($220.05 in chips)
Seat 1: GiveUsATwirl ($100 in chips)
Seat 2: dvorn3k ($97.30 in chips)
Seat 3: Haieral ($99.80 in chips)
Seat 4: litemyfire25 ($139.70 in chips)
Seat 5: chiquili4 ($100 in chips)
Seat 6: SillySal x ($142.40 in chips)  (on the button)
Seat 7: GiveMeDolars ($102 in chips)
Seat 8: RIZLA POKER ($17 in chips)
*** Blind Bet Round *** :
GiveMeDolars : Post Blind ($0.50)
RIZLA POKER : Post Blind ($1)
GiveUsATwirl : Post Blind ($1)
Dealt to GiveUsATwirl: [ 6s. 8s]
*** Pre-Flop *** :
GiveUsATwirl : Check
SillySal x : Bet ($3)
GiveMeDolars : Call ($2.50)
GiveUsATwirl : Call ($2)
*** Flop *** : 2s Ks 9h (Flush draw)
GiveMeDolars : Check
GiveUsATwirl : Bet ($3)
SillySal x : Raise ($15) - Don't believe you

GiveMeDolars : Fold
GiveUsATwirl : Raise ($35)
SillySal x : Fold
*** SUMMARY ***
Pot: $61 | Rake: $2
Board: [ 2s Ks 9h ]
Triglycenide lost $0
GiveUsATwirl bet $41, collected $61, net $20

I also played three tournies on Stars and Full Tilt, I cashed in all three but didn't break the bank.

The first was a 10FPP $500 which attracted thousands, I basically folded/pushed my way to a 0.15c payout. Wooot!

I also reached the final table of $3, 90 man SNG on Full Tilt. 5th place. My Ks couldn't beat AQo.

And finally, I made it to 250th in a $5 tournie on Stars with 2500 entrants. I was card dead for the first hour like I've never been before, no prs and my best hand was A9s in 70 hands. I basically nursed my short stack into the money, winning about $15 for my trouble.

I'm also having another crack at the Battle of the Planets thing on Stars. Will update about that when I'm done, don't want to tempt fate!

Hello again!

After my blackjack woes of last weekend, I didn't play any poker until last night. The break did me good.

During the break I decided to play the $100 tables again.

Last nighy on Pokerstars, I managed to win $60 four-tabling on two $50 and two $100.

This morning I logged on to Mansion Poker and begun four-tabling the $100 tables.

One table in particular, an eight-man table was soooooo loose. If only foes could be this bad all the time.

TEXAS_HOLDEM, NO_LIMIT, P4-66808153-163

Seat 1: skriver2000 ($39 in chips)

Seat 2: tsekke ($29.25 in chips)

Seat 3: giuse75 ($70.55 in chips)

Seat 6: lucabrasi73 ($235.85 in chips)

Seat 7: geronimo62x ($82.85 in chips)

Seat 8: GiveUsATwirl ($143.45 in chips) - THIS IS ME ON MANSION

Seat 9: riela ($105.45 in chips)

Seat 10: orpedo ($153.95 in chips)

ANTES/BLINDS
orpedo posts blind ($0.50), skriver2000 posts blind ($1).

PRE-FLOP
tsekke calls $1, giuse75 bets $5, (I'd seen him do this with ATC including K7s and Q3s)

lucabrasi73 calls $5, geronimo62x folds, GiveUsATwirl calls $5 with [ QH,KD ], three fold, tsekke calls $4.

Four way action

FLOP [board cards: JD,QC,TD ]
tsekke checks, giuse75 bets $5, lucabrasi73 bets $19, GiveUsATwirl calls $19, tsekke folds, giuse75 calls $14.

 

TURN [board cards: JD,QC,TD,AH ] - O yes...
giuse75 checks, lucabrasi73 checks, GiveUsATwirl bets $30, giuse75 bets $46.55 and is all-in, lucabrasi73 calls $46.55, GiveUsATwirl calls $16.55.

RIVER [board cards: JD,QC,TD,AH,2C ]
lucabrasi73 checks, GiveUsATwirl bets $30, lucabrasi73 calls $30.

SHOWDOWN
GiveUsATwirl shows [ QH,KD ]
giuse75 mucks cards [ JS,TS ]
lucabrasi73 mucks cards [ JH,TH ]
GiveUsATwirl wins $60, GiveUsATwirl wins $215.15.

I wasn't folding top pr and an open-ended str8 draw against these two. Lucabrasi was sitting on a huge stack through luck rather than any poker skill and giuse literally couldn't check.

This hand makes me feel a lot better about poker!

TILT!

I just blew my entire Party Poker stack playing Blackjack.
What a tit...I was set on tilt on the poker tables, when I lost arond $60 in ten minutes. Why this set me on tilt I don't know...boredom, tiredness, frustration. I then busted out of the Bloggerment in 9th, fired up a blackjack table and blew $400 in half an hour.
I think I need a break from gambling for a while.

Partying

After struggling to make any headway on Stars I made the switch to Party Poker after cashing out a couple of months back.

The site was offering a $75 bonus which could be cashed out only after racking up 900 standard points within 14 days - no easy feat. They are also offering a 15% re-deposit bonus to run alongside this.

I deposited $200 to add to the $75 and started four-tabling $50 NL. It felt good to be back. The standard of play is a couple of notches below Stars IMO. The site is populated by mainly Canadian, British, German, Dutch, French, Russian and Scandinavian players.

There are a lot of short-stack tighties who deposit $10 bucks, wait for As and push. I've no idea why they bother - if their bankroll is that small they should be building at lower levels. The size of their stacks and their tightness mean that there is very little value calling their big pre-flop raises.

Thankfully there are some clueless newbies to play with thanks to Party's concerted advertising efforts across the continent.

I didn't break the bank but ended two longish sessions up $130. I shall stick with Party for the next couple of weeks; would be nice to get to $5k before the month is up.

Back to winning ways

No big wins but I took down a $3 45-man tourney this afternoon. I was two-tabling $100 NL on Stars when I started to play.
The cash games were pretty even, I lost a medium-sized pot with Ks v 7s when he spiked a 7 on the river but eeked it back.
The SNG was one of those games when everything went for me. I was last with 16 players remaining and got hands when I needed them. I knocked out the third placed player with K4s v his Ks with a flush. He rightly called me donk.
Heads up play took a while, I was up, even then down on chips before I took a stand with 8s v his Ako and I flopped a set.
Then my second pair was good enough to beat his opened ended str8 draw with two overs.
Its good to know I can still win multi-table SNGs...
No other play this week as I'm making an effort with work - its my first week after all!

Losing again and Presto

I'm struggling to get out of second gear on Pokerstars and am feeding the tight little fishes.
Eeked another $20 which is not much really but I played more than 400 hands - I couldn't hit shit.
Here are a couple of Presto hands (55), one which I lost and one which I won...

PokerStars Game #16889215165: Hold'em Pot Limit ($0.25/$0.50) - 2008/04/21 - 11:25:27 (ET)
Table 'Telamon III' 9-max Seat #4 is the button

Nine-handed

Seat 1: Bonpapa ($51.15 in chips)
Seat 2: THABANA ($32.30 in chips)
Seat 3: QuanticFive ($70 in chips)
Seat 4: Sfida ($4.85 in chips)
Seat 5: MIConfire ($116.45 in chips)
Seat 6: BlGGIESMALLS ($50.20 in chips)
Seat 7: magic_maniac ($49.25 in chips)
Seat 9: kbeefmeister ($21.65 in chips)
MIConfire: posts small blind $0.25
BlGGIESMALLS: posts big blind $0.50

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to QuanticFive [As Kc]
slythefly: folds
magic_maniac: calls $0.50
kbeefmeister: calls $0.50
Bonpapa: folds
THABANA: folds
QuanticFive: raises $1.50 to $2
Sfida: calls $2
MIConfire: folds
BlGGIESMALLS: folds
magic_maniac: calls $1.50
kbeefmeister: folds

*** FLOP *** [5c Ks Ac]
magic_maniac: checks
QuanticFive: bets $3
Sfida: calls $2.85 and is all-in
magic_maniac: calls $3

*** TURN *** [5c Ks Ac] [6d]
magic_maniac: checks
QuanticFive: bets $8
magic_maniac: raises $8 to $16
QuanticFive: calls $8

*** RIVER *** [5c Ks Ac 6d] [6c]
magic_maniac: bets $20
QuanticFive said, "set?"
QuanticFive: calls $20 (AGAINST A $50 TIGHTEE THIS IS A VERY BAD CALL...)

*** SHOW DOWN ***
magic_maniac: shows [5s 5d] (a full house, Fives full of Sixes)
QuanticFive: mucks hand
magic_maniac collected $70.05 from side pot
Sfida: mucks hand
magic_maniac collected $15.05 from main pot

Five hands later...

PokerStars Game #16889289368: Hold'em Pot Limit ($0.25/$0.50) - 2008/04/21 - 11:30:12 (ET)
Table 'Telamon III' 9-max Seat #9 is the button
Seat 1: Bonpapa ($51.65 in chips)
Seat 2: THABANA ($32.30 in chips)
Seat 3: QuanticFive ($50 in chips)
Seat 7: slythefly ($49.25 in chips)
Seat 8: magic_maniac ($92.60 in chips)
Seat 9: kbeefmeister ($19.60 in chips)
Bonpapa: posts small blind $0.25
THABANA: posts big blind $0.50
m0rFi: sits out
seems2easy: sits out

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to QuanticFive [5h 5d] - NOW I HAVE PRESTO...
QuanticFive: calls $0.50
slythefly: folds
magic_maniac: folds
kbeefmeister: calls $0.50
Bonpapa: calls $0.25
THABANA: checks

*** FLOP *** [5s 9c 4s]
m0rFi leaves the table
Bonpapa: checks
THABANA: bets $1.50
QuanticFive: calls $1.50
kbeefmeister: folds
Bonpapa: folds

*** TURN *** [5s 9c 4s] [Ah]
THABANA: bets $2.50
QuanticFive: raises $5 to $7.50
THABANA: raises $19.80 to $27.30
QuanticFive: raises $19.80 to $47.10
THABANA: calls $3 and is all-in

*** RIVER *** [5s 9c 4s Ah] [3d]

*** SHOW DOWN ***
THABANA: shows [Ad 9s] (two pair, Aces and Nines)
QuanticFive: shows [5h 5d] (three of a kind, Fives)
QuanticFive collected $62.60 from pot
THABANA said, "ouch"

*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $65.60 | Rake $3

Board [5s 9c 4s Ah 3d]
THABANA (big blind) showed [Ad 9s] and lost with two pair, Aces and Nines
QuanticFive showed [5h 5d] and won ($62.60) with three of a kind, Fives

Damp squib

Two hours of four-tabling netted me a loss of $20. I was down $20 inside two minutes, was up as high as $50 in the black but then lost a $120 pot with a full house v quads.
I was ahead until the river with 777 v my foes 444 - he rivered his one-outer to take the pot. I swore loudly.
Its big pots like these that are the difference between a winning night and losing one.
I managed to clay some of my losses back on another table when I flopped a str8 and managed to get some money of a player holding 72o, gotta love 'em.
My roll on Stars is about even today from the winnings from the SNGs...the big pots will come, I can feel it, I'm playing well but not getting the breaks.

On the personal front, I fly to Glasgow with a friend to see some old journalist colleagues. I also discovered that car insurance is way cheaper being in "banking" than in journalism...I'm not really in banking but its the closest I could think of. Little do they know I'm still a massive pisshead and 'my locked garage' is in fact the pavement on a dodgy street in Brixton! (although keep that one to yourselves)

Last Battle of the Planets

Well that sucked. 360 points for a disappointing end.
I kinda felt tilt coming at the end, I was going for wins and coming up short...
Bubbled four times in the 20 games, too many seconds, and too many stupid busts.
Not sure I'll be trying that again - I've wasted too much time playing piddly little stakes for a gain of $50. For the hours I put in that's terrible...

The clowns I was playing...ok, enough.
Gonna play some cash games after supper and MAKE SOME MONEY!

Battle of the Planets (Part V)

After 16 games I am almost exactly in the same position as last week.
330 points and needing a four decent games to break into the top 100. Last week, I had a first and three busts and ended up with 390 points. I need slightly better this time.

I played four tables on Stars $50 tables for a couple of hours last night but pretty much broke even. I was up $30 on one table but down on the others. My flopped set to a horrible player's turned flush was the big losing hand.

Battle of the Planets (Part IV)

I'm having another stab at the Battle of the Planets promo on Stars again.
My 390 points last week saw me end up 262nd, 30 points of 100th place.
I've played five games this morning and made one first place, two second places and a third for 130 points - a much better start than last week so here's hoping...

Home games

Just returned from five days in Brno and Prague in the Czech Republic, where I lived for four years between 1997 and 2001.
Quite a few of my mates from back then still live there, mainly Americans for whom returning to the States fills them with dread.
Most are married with kids now, to beautiful Czech wives, and they seem to have all turned into degenerate gamblers...without much skill.
We played a four-handed game for a few hours in a bar in Brno and I cleaned up. Tommy and Danny were down four buy-ins each, and Chris one and a half buy-ins.
Buy-ins were only 200Kc around £7, so I wasn't bankrupting them, but my aggression and downright luck seemed to be serving me v v well.
I was especially lucky against Chris, the only player who knew what he was doing - I rivered my second pair to beat his turned two-pair, and then beat his AQo with AJs when I turned a jack.
In Prague, we played a six-handed cash game with a 400Kc buyin and I trebled my buyin this time. It meant I hardly spent any money while over there!

Online - I received a $90 bonus for my time on Bodog and just won another $60 on Stars, four tabling.

Battle of the Planets (Part III)

Close but no cigar...
The last four games this morning ended with a first and three blanks, leaving me with 390 points and just outside the top 100.
Its not been the most profitable of ways of spending time on the tables but I really enjoyed the challenge.
I also re-loaded $600 into my Stars account so will playing their NL holdem when I get back.

Battle of the Planets (Part II)

My second block of 20 games is definitely going better than my first.
My first attempt ended with me racking up 140 points - good for 3777th!
My second sees me with 340 points after 16 games, a couple more places and I should be in the top 100 at least.



I started off slowly but then went on a run of seven places, two firsts, two seconds and three thirds.
I'll play all four games this morning and that will be my fill of poker for a few days.

Feeling slightly better

I managed to pass out at around 7.30am once the booze had left my system, slept til 1pm, then poker degenerate that I am, reached for the laptop for more punishment.
Its mighty slow going, one-tabling is so much easier and you can get a feel for the players and the ones you can push around.
I'm only on my fourth game, but one first, and two nothings so far. I'm not sure I will manage another block of 20 games at this rate before I fly to Czecho on Saturday. Not working helps tho :)

More misery

Couldn't sleep after a long, boozy session with colleagues on my last day of work so decided to log on at 4.30am.
Bad idea. Dropped 2.5 buyins at the $50 tables. Lost $50 with flopped set v turned nut flush after five minutes and it got worse from there on in.
O well, there's always the morning :)

Calmed down now...

Rant over, calmed down now and starting my very last day as a working journalist!
After today I will be "between jobs" for two weeks and then switch to being a fund analyst.

I have thought about yesterday's play and believe the main reason I played so badly was I was three-tabling.
Three or four-tabling cash games using the mini table view is my prefered way of playing. But with SNG's I was getting mighty confused.
I was concentrating on one table, and had no idea about my foes on others.
Its very different when you get down to four-handed play on three tables, compared to full-ring.
O well, lesson learnt.

The annoying part is I do not think I will manage to get in another block of 20 SNG before I start my new job as I'm visiting mates most of the two weeks I'm off.

I fly to Prague on Saturday for four days. Back for two days and then fly again up to Glasgow for a long weekend.

I'm back in London again on the Monday and start the new job the next day. I've been a hack for seven years so I'm actually quite excited to be starting a new challenge.

Battle of the Planets - tilting style

O deary me, what a horrible session.
After a solid $60 winning session on Bodog cash games I decided to have a sniff around the other sites and spotted the Battle of the Planets promo on Stars.
I won't go into the ins and outs but before I started I thought I was a shoe-in for a prize.
I wasn't. The $3+40c Omaha H/L games have been a recreational way of grinding up money.
I once went on a run of six straight wins and have an ROI of around 30% on them.
However once the tilt starts it rarley goes away for me. My results: played 12, first once, second once, third twice.
By my normal standards this is FUCKING SHIT.
I bubbled four times and feel mighty pissed off. The play is terrible but so was mine.
The last bubble was embarrassingly bad when I called off almost all my stack when another player was all-in.
Even thinking about makes me mad...too pissed off to write or think straight, need a cigarette and then bed :(

First blogger tourney

I put in a few hours on Sunday and managed to make it to my first blogger tourney, Bloggerment 53.
On the cash side, it was a evens day. I lost a $50 buy-in against a solid player who sucked me in to pushing on the turn.
I called in mid-postion with 57s (spades) three other calls before the SB pot-raised to $2.25, cut-off called.
I stayed in as I had position and had seen the SB make big continuation bets with nothing.
Flop 9,Q,K - all spades - SB led out $3, cut-off called, I raised to $10.
SB called, cut-off folded.
Turn 9h. SB led out $14, around half the pot, I had around $30 left. Looking back I think it was tough to get away here, it was either push or fold, my read was that this was a blocking bet, with the SB holding the ace of spades and a pair of kings.
I pushed, he called and he turned over QQ for a full house.
Later the same, pre-flop aggressor raised again from the SB $3.50, after three callers.
I was in mid-position and made a slightly tilty call with Kh10h. Four callers, pot $15. Flop 8,Q,Q (two hearts).
All checked to the button who bet $3, original raiser and cut-off folded, I flat-called.
Turn 9h. I checked, button bets $8. I was sure here that I was up against trip Qs, but his kicker was key. He flat-called from the button so Q9 was a possibity but raised $8 to $16.
He flat-called and I knew I was ahead. The river was a blank, a low card, I push, he calls and shows QJo.
This recouped all my losses from before and I decided to call it quits.
I also played a $4 180-man SNG where I actually fell asleep half way through, I woke up with 50 left and I was sitting on a 2,000 chip stack and in the bottom five.
I doubled up with Ks in the BB, then again with AJs v QKo, before busting out with four tables left with Qs v As.
The bloggerment was fun, I had been meaning to play one for ages but always forgot.
I outlasted three-qaurters of the field busting out 6th v Zagga, 7s v Qs. I could have got away from this but for some reason felt the need to gamble.
My run w/o a cash in multi-table SNG and tourney is long and barren, I last a long time before I lose my patience and push.
For some reasons tho I can sit for hours in cash games and chip away.
Why this is, I don't know, but I need to do something about it as they have been a good source of income in the past.

That's all for now.

Overbet for value

Readers of Fuel55's blog will now he is running a overbet for value contest up until the WSOP.
You can read about it here
This hand doesn't quite qualify as the overbetter lost - to me! - but I thought it would be fun to include it.
I've also sent it to Fuel; would be cool if he publishes it.
My foe was a big-stacked donkey with a penchant for firing out huge overbets. I thought about his riverbet and couldn't put him on anything that beat me.

BODOG Hand number: 1180464032

HOLE CARDS
QuanticFive calls 50c with [4c 4h]
latinumman raises $0.50c to $1
cringle calls
pokerdr calls
QUanticFive calls

FLOP [As 9h 2h] Pot size $4.25

latinumman checks
cringle checks
pokerdr folds (?!)
QuanticFive checks

TURN [As 9h 2h] [9c] Pot size $4.25

latinumman bets $ 0.50
cringle folds
QuanticFive calls $ 0.50

RIVER [As 9h 2h 9c] [4s] Pot size $5.25

latinumman bets $ 47.00
QuanticFive calls all-in $ 46.75

SHOW DOWN
latinumman shows [3s 5s] a straight, Five high
QuanticFice shows [4c 4h] - a full house, Fours full of nines

QuanticFive wins the pot ($96.75)

OBFV called $46.75 and the pot was $52 = 0.90

A $3.50 night

Another few hundred hands over 90 minutes and another break-even night.
I was hitting but no-one was calling - I hit top set three times, with Ks, Qs, and Js but couldn't get anyone to bite.
I don't think I've seen Bodog playing so tightly. The night before there was a huge fish on one of my tables, who was sending the table wild.

Back with a whimper

I was so tired after five days of hanging with my buddy that I struggled to focus on play last night.
I managed around 300 hands in 2 sessions, both marginal losers.
I also tried Bodog's $2k guaranteed, starting at 9pm UK time as there was 15% overlay as there are on many of Bodog's guaranteed tourneys.
I lost a bunch with Ak v A10 when he flopped top two, then doubled up when I luckily rivered a flush.
However, I crashed out when my flopped nut str8 lost to runner, runner full house.

Will have another go tonight!

No play

Quick update...
I've had a friend staying so I haven't managed to play a single hand since he arrived on Friday.
He's around until Wednesday so I doubt I'll get much play until he's gone.
So...erm...nothing to report really.

Pot odds

Played 400 hands on Bodog, no big wins, pretty static really before this happened:



At the end of the hand my foe said "pot odds", then left!
I had to add the hand manually to the site PokerHandReplays and the pot sizes are not quite right - he had a $40 stack so I won around $50 but a truly bizarre hand.

200 hands, up $30

Added another $30 to my roll playing Bodog after a short session.
Roll there close to $1,200 now.
The site has this nice facility for PokerTracker phobes like me which tracks your recent winnings.
Over three days I'm up $172, over seven days I'm up $356 and since I deposited ten days ago I'm up $695.

Speaking of PokerTracker, I'm going to try to get back to using it again. Its a no brainer really, I just couldn't be bothered to transfer all the data when I upgraded my laptop last year.

By the time my one-month bonus period is up on Bodog my roll should be $5k and I'm going to have another stab at the $100NL tables again.
I've been watching them on Bodog and Mansion and don't see much different to the $50 tables.

Last time I tried them for any length of time I got spanked so it will be a good test of how far I've come in a year.

Lastly, I've been reading this guy for a while now and he CRACKS me up.
If you haven't checked him out, you should: WAffles on Poker

Easter summary

Just played my last hand for Easter on Bodog as I'm pokered out.
I've put in a lot of hours - more than I have all this year.
Managed to double my buy-in on one of the three tables during my last one session, leaving me a stack of $1166.45.
I also have around $65 of bonus due next month.

My updated bankroll stats are on the right which shows I'm only up around $700 since the start of the year, although most of this has come in the last couple of weeks.

Anyway, back to work tomorrow...

Token woes

The $26 token satellites on Full Tilt are becoming the bane of my life.
I am currently 6 and 0 in these and it looks like it will soon be seven entries without a token - I am 140th out of 141 left in the daily $6 + 50c with a paltry 550 chips. The top 50 getting a token.

I'm also playing a $3, 90 man tourney also on Full Tilt where I'm 7th with 17 left - top 9 pay. Its one of those knockout ones, but not managed to knock anyone out yet.

On Bodog, I have edged up to $1,120 with a couple of double up with big pairs, one again an all-in check raise with a flush draw, the other was a slightly odd one.

25c/50c NL, 6-handed

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Button raises $2
QuanticFive raises $6 from SB with [As Ah]
BB calls $6
Button calls $4

*** FLOP *** [6c 3d 3h]
QuanticFive bets $10.50
BB folds
Button calls $10.50

*** TURN *** [6c 3d 3h] [Ac]
SB checks (Way ahead here and the Ace would have scared any high pair)
BB checks

*** RIVER *** [6c 3d 3h As] [Kh]

SB bets $24.50 (Hope he has something
Button calls $24.50

*** SHOW DOWN ***
QuanticFive shows [As Ah] a full house, Aces full of threes
UTG+1 mucks [2c 3c] - three of a king threes !!!

How the guy can call the pre-flop re-raise with 2,3 suited. Although I got v v lucky on the turn as I was going all in.

UPDATE: Just busted out 13th from the $3 tourney, four off the money.

650 hands....-$30

What are shitty day. Played a lot, and couldn't get anything going.

Everytime I won a decent pot, I would lose another. One foe in particular really got under my skin...he was hitting everything on me but was losing to everyone else.

The most galling was his $60 shove into a $30 pot, I had $40 left, and folded.

He turns over AQs for the $30 side pot, board was A 10 2 9 2, I fucking fold my AKo - my read was right but I pussied out.

Earlier he won a $45 pot off me with 109o, we got it all in on a A 10 9 flop, and he was the pre-flop aggressor.

He also won a $120 pot all-in pre with Ajs v kk. He rivered a str8.

Generally, the raising pre-flop was crazy, and the calling even crazier. One chap called me down with 42o...I raised pre-flop, post-flop and the turn with AQo. He wins a $30 with a pr of 4s.

I must have played 30 pocket pairs and hit once, with Ks, for a $15 pot.

My stack on Bodog, is now $1,030.

I shall try again tomorrow.

Bodog rules

Have more than doubled my $500 deposit in six days which I'm pretty chuffed about :)

Gonna play a lot over the Easter weekend and accrue as much bonus as possible before the 30 day offer period is up.

If I keep going as I am I should make another $150 on top of my winnings.

I'm not sure if its luck, skill or fishy players that is behind my winning run, prob a combination of the three, but long may it continue

More Bodogging...

Just finished another decent session on Bodog, winning around $90.

I should really move up as my bankroll is now around $4,300 - most experts would put my on at least the $1/$2 tables.

To be honest though I'm happier plodding along - it stressing me out losing, and I see this as my hobby rather than a source of income.

This evening I had no real stand out hands, although I won a nice $25 when I limped with Ako in mid position and milked the SB's AJo.

I also pot raised in the SB with AKo and got four callers.

FLOP was a rainbow Q, 10, 4

I checked, BB, who was pretty weak, bet $2 into a $12 pot, the button called, and I called, hoping to hit my four outer.

Bingo, Jc, making a club flush draw.

I check, BB bet $4, button called and I raised it up to around $18.

BB folded, button called, and then folded to my bet on the river when the flush didn't hit.

Anyway the bonus on offer has definitely galvanised my interest, as has the fact that I'm now working out my notice for a month and don't care as much about the magazine.

GL all!

Set mining

Been playing on Bodog, all weekend, with some success.
Some US bloggers refer to it as Bodonkey and I can see why. I couldn't get anything going and was only $80 up on Sat and early Sunday, despite playing more than 800 hands, but I knew it was just a matter of time. Too many idiots...

Set mining (Part 1)

QuanticFive 4s 4h
phil3333 Ad Kd

QuanticFive Call $ 0.50
phil3333 Raise $ 2.75
QuanticFive Call $ 2.25

FLOP 4c Kc Jd

QuanticFive Check
phil3333 Bet $ 6.75
QuanticFive Raise $ 13.50
phil3333 All-in $ 29.95
QuanticFive Call $ 23.20

Side pot = $80.15
TURN 9s
RIVER 10h
Rake amount $ 2.00


Quad mining (Part 1)

(MP) QuanticFive Call $ 0.50 55 (5h 5s)
(Button) RoyalME Raise $ 2.00
(BB) effoo Call $ 1.50
QuanticFive Call $ 1.50

FLOP 6d 5d 5c (QUADS!!!!)

effoo Check
QuanticFive Check
RoyalME Bet $ 2.50
effoo Raise $ 6.00
QuanticFive Call $ 6.00
RoyalME Fold $ 2.50

TURN Card dealt to table 4s

effoo Bet $ 9.00
QuanticFive Raise $ 18.00
effoo Call $ 9.00

RIVER Card dealt to table Ad

effoo Check
QuanticFive Bet $ 36.50
effoo Fold (had to be medium to high pair)

Rake amount $ 2.00
QuanticFive Hand result $ 54.75

Set mining (Part two)

BB ZeroCall 7c Ac
EP sealit Jh Ah
MP QuanticFive 2h 2s

FLOP 9c As 2c

ZeroCall Bets $ 4.00
sealit Raise $ 8.00
QuanticFive Raise $ 20.25
ZeroCall Call $ 16.25
sealit Call $ 12.25


TURN 7h

ZeroCall All-in $ 26.50
sealit All-in $ 13.30
QuanticFive Call $ 26.50

RIVER Kd

Rake amount $ 2.00
QuanticFive Hand result $ 130.05

I've put the last hand through an odds calculator.
Pre-flop I was actually ahead with a 36% chance of winning vs AJ's 34.75% and A7's 23.5% - although my foes had a 5% chance of splitting.

The flop, however, changed all that.

I moved to a 68% favourite, AJ down to 0.66% with A7 now at 30.5%

I papped my pants when I saw my foes cards after the 7 turn, but A7 now was down to 28.5% against my 71.5% with AJ drawing dead.

The bonus/rake system for the first month on Bodog, is pretty generous and I'm racking up the points. On the downside they only allow three-tabling, which will limit my gains somewhat.

I'm up $250 from my $500 deposit, with $25 of bonus to come, and this has put my roll up to $4,200.

Decent start to the year

February has treated me v v well.
I returned to FT to take advantage of the bonus on offer, a $75 for me.
From a starting roll of $80, I am now up to $500.
All four-tabling on the $50 tables.
I'm really pleased with my cash play at the moment, I am much more aggressive pre-flop and am mixin up my play well.
I still play ABC poker, but my starting range for pre-flop raises has increased, hopefully making it harder to put me on hand.
The stack would have been 600 if I could lay down As.
Twice now I've busted off a buyin in the face of aggressive on the turn or river. On both occassions I could probably have gotten away from it.
One foe in particular made it v v obvious he had hit his set but I carried on calling regardless.
PLayed another $24 + $2 just now but busted again jut out of the money.
I'm going to keep playing them as I feel a big cash is just around the corner.
Can't be arsed to work out my exact stack but it must now be approaching $4k.

Slow start

I have been playing very intermittently this month. with mixed success.
I'm up, probably around $100 only, after a tough couple of sessions ate into my roll.
The SNGs on Stars are also hurting and I have had a run without a cash.
But I have probably played just five or six times this month. My goal of doubling my bankroll to $7k this year seems a long way away.

The only tourney of note I've played, in fact the only tourney at all, was a $26 + $2on FT with my token.

I busted in the top 100 with 54 paying.

I feel I was unlucky as I had a top 30 stack when I lost all-in with Ks v AJo, 5s v AKs and AKs v Js, all against the same player.

Busted with AJ v AJ to a four flush...

Have bought the first two Harrington tourney books with points on Stars which hopefully might spark a run.

2007 update

Slightly late in coming but I was offline throughout the entire Christmas and NY period.

OK, here are my stack totals:
Mansion: $559.45
Pokerstars: $559.45
Party: $1527.75
Full Tilt: $81.11 (plus one $26 token)
Neteller: $673.64

This makes a grand total of...errrr...£3401.4 (plus token!)

Slightly on tilt when I write this from running sooo bad in Omaha H/L games, driving me nuts.


Anyway here were my resolution's last year:

1) Build my roll to $3,500.
$100 shy of this, would have easily made it if I hadn't used some of my roll to repay a debt to a friend.

2) Win a cash MTT with more than 100 entrants.
Nope, came close, but nope

3) Don't play limit holdem and NO RAZZ.
Succeeded in this, a bit of limit and Razz in the horse games on Stars but didn't do too much damage to my roll.

4) Learn how to use Pokertracker better
Used it, mastered it, changed PC, and no don't use it anymore :(

5)Try to vary my game more
Not really but I'm a better player than I was a year ago.

Soooo, this year me thinks I want to double the roll to $7k. Do-able but it will be hard.
I'm not playing as much as last year, and every time I moved up to the $100 tables I got my ass handed to me and I had to move back down.

We shall see.

I will be posting sporadically, just for fun. I know I don't really have any regualr readers but even if its just for me, it will be nice to keep the blog going.

GL on the tables.

Up and down

Just a quickie before heading to the boozer after work...again!
Been grinding at Party since they started the promo offer 'Winning Hand', many, many others have joined me, so traffic has been good.

Overall I have been losing small amounts here and there during the course of the promo, with a couple of big wins.
The promo bonus has netted me $115 clean, so I'm up to $1600 there, on a $950 deposit.

I'm thinking of making another switch soon as I am without a rakeback site (Mansion, despite its new software, still sucks IMO).
Ladbrokes maybe, not sure yet.
Pretty sure I won't get to $4k by the year end, been putting in some solid sessions but remain hovering around $3.5k.

Work is good so pretty content all round.

Running good

Had a couple of days of work so lots of poker.
My last seven SNGs have yielded 3 2nds and four firsts, and I'm running super hot according to Sharkscope.
Also running well on Party and have won $250 on the cash tables in the last three days. At this rate I may hit $4k by the year end...here's hoping!

Recent Results
GameID Date (GMT) Type EntryFee Profit
69507986 7-Dec-07 11:36 TURBO PL Omaha H/L $3 10 $11.60
69464421 7-Dec-07 01:51 TURBO PL Omaha H/L $3 10 $11.60
69459396 7-Dec-07 00:55 TURBO PL Omaha H/L $3 10 $11.60
69453366 7-Dec-07 00:03 TURBO PL Omaha H/L $3 10 $11.60
69399070 6-Dec-07 13:22 TURBO PL Omaha H/L $3 10 $5.60
69241149 5-Dec-07 00:28 TURBO PL Omaha H/L $3 10 $5.60
69136494 4-Dec-07 00:08 TURBO PL Omaha H/L $3 10 $5.60
68979027 2-Dec-07 13:34 TURBO NL Holdem $11 180 -$12

Very Pwetty graph

The run endeth

My mini-run on the tables is slowly grinding to a halt.
I've lost my mojo to play again after most nights over the past few weeks.
I've run my roll back up to $3.3k, this includes sending my mate $250, so I'm pretending its $3.5k.
No big wins, just grinding at the $50 tables, booking wins here and there.
I've been continuing with Party and Stars, with a bit of FTilt thrown in.
Also been railbirding my crazy gambler mate who has no clue but is playing SNG up to $220!
He was down $1500, then scored a big win on a $69 45 man SNG, and is slowly loosing it all again.
Prob do one more update to close out the year.
Byeee

This game is easy...even when I lose

Had a real yo-yo night last night. Four-tabling on Party again and managed to drop $120 in about an hour, nothing hit, my big pairs didn't stand up and I lost my mojo.
I logged off, had some supper, had a quick lie down and came back feeling ready for the fray, and won back $60. I misplayed a couple of nut hands where looking back I think I could have made some more.
At these levels, against these players, I think I can keep eeking out a profit.

Quick update

Poker going really well at the mo, hope it lasts.
Have managed to get my head around 4-tabling at last, and have won $350 in four days on PartyPoker.
Also up to $500 on Stars.

I have a foolproof system to make money....he-he...i wish. But its going well, fingers crossed it lasts.

Blogger tourney

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

This Online Poker Tournament is a No Limit Texas Holdem event exclusive to Bloggers.

Registration code: 1682392

Quick update

It's been a month and I'm still alive and stillkeeping my hand in.
I had a little splurge on FT around the time they handed out the reload bonuses.
I owed a friend some $, deposited $500, transfered him $250 (his first real money deposit) and rolled it back up to $450-odd in the two weeks before the bonus expired.
My friend won't tell me what happened to his roll so I think he lost it!

On Stars I've taken my puny $50 deposit up to $250.

I also have a grand total of $564 in Mansion, where the traffic is frankly a joke. I'll withdraw this once I get round to sending them a copy of my passport.

Speaking of traffic I've been seriously considering taking a punt on Partypoker.
I write about the stock markets and speak to professional investors every day. They constantly talk about unloved stocks, and going against the crowd.
Partypoker is seriously unloved by the market.
It is sitting on 30p but was once a member of the FTSE 100 at 150p.
If you check out Pokerlistings.com, it now sits at no.2 in traffic, having disappeared off the radar following the US gaming ban.

Europeans have flocked to the site and when it makes its next trading update, early next year, it may surprise the market.

The key for Partypoker and many other sites is Asia, and the Chinese.
At the moment, the Chinese are going crazy for the stock market. Millions of dealing a/cs are being opened every day so that ordinary people can take a punt.
Inflation is running at 6% and you get 2% by depositing yr cash in the bank.
This is against a 10% gain EVERY MONTH from the Chinese stock market.

Almost every fund manager I talk to is talkign about a bubble.

It sounds simple but these guys like to gamble and if there is a crash, if the Chinese gambling instinct moves from playing the stock market to playing poker, and if Partypoker can get a slice of the pie, it could grow its earnings exponentially.

Lots of ifs, i know, and there is a danger that the Chinese could chose a homegrown site to play.

But on a one year view, I would hope to at least double my money.

I'm also going to invest in an Africa fund, but that's another story.

Holidays

After three months of non-stop work I am now enjoying a two and a half week break.
I'm spending a weekend at a festival in Ireland at the end of the month and then going to Prague again the following weekend.
I think in the last two days I've played more poker than the previous 2 months altogether.
I decided to deposit $500 into Mansion and have made $78 there in a couple of hours play on the NL tables.
I've also doubled up my mini-$50 deposit on Stars.
I went very deep in their nightly $2.50 +25c tourney last night. There were 3080 entrants and I came 20th!
I was third wth 50 left and was sitting 15th when I busted.
The hand that i went out was one of those i could have got away from but it was getting very frenetic.
I won $30 with 1st getting $1300 so v disappointing to spend four and half hours to come so close.
Came in the top 100 this morning in $1 tourney for pittance.
Now playing the same tourney as last night. 2126 entrants and down to last 450. I'm 88th.
Wish me luck!

Long Time

It's been a long time...too long.
What's been happening to me the past couple of months? Have I given up poker?
I think its fair to say I've seriously cut back but am still playing the odd game.

I have realised gambling is not good for me. When I say gambling, I mean playing medium stakes poker. I enjoy playing low-limit SNGs and cash tables, partly because I know I can beat them, and partly because I don't get pissed off when I lose.

When tilt gets me it is not pretty.

Tilt did get me a while ago and I blew about $500 very quickly. After this I withdraw every cent I had from all the sites, dumped the roll in Neteller and planned to take out the lot. $2,300. Poker career over.

I haven't. It is still sitting in Neteller. But I have put $50 back into PokerStars and I'm playing turbo $3 SNGs. I'm winning and according to Sharkscope my ROI is still in the high 30%.

I'm also enjoying playing again.

Work is brutal. For three weeks my editor was on paternity leave and I have to run the magazine which took a lot out of me. I'm also doing a lot of freelance work.
I just don't have the time to devote myself to the game and grind out a 5bb/hr on $100 tables. Nor do I have the time to sit for six hours and play deep into a tournie.

So $3 and $6 SNG it is. And maybe the odd low limit tournie.
I'll try to update a bit as well!!!

Same again

Two hours play tonight and exactly the same story.
Doubled up playing heads-up on FT, then lost it all against different foes.
Logged out at $285, exactly the same as I started the night.
However I did win another $50 on Stars playing full ring $100 NL and my stack there stands at $2800 now.
I'm v. close to releasing my $150 bonus there too.

Wild n' crazy times

Well not quite. But for the first time in quite a while I felt like gambling a bit.
I was spurred on by three pints and reading a heads-up player's blog who had ambitions for becoming BlueScouse.
Played some $100 heads-up. Doubled up my $40 buy-in after two mins with As.
Then lost a $40 buy-in, then won $15 then lost $90 and then won $90.
All against diff players.
The $90 loss was stupid as I could have stacked him a few hands before but got too cute.
The aggression from the foes was pretty unreal.
Bit of a roller coaster ride and my stack is exactly where it started.
At the same time I won $60 on Stars playing $100 NL full ring.
Was planning a proper update but doing this at work and I have shed loads of stories to write.
GL!

Nice run

My three-hour session on Saturday and it was the first time I managed to managed to win a reasonable amount of dosh for a while.

First this happened...

Seat 1: J-Wheezy` ($49.50 in chips)
Seat 2: ChipSoldier ($23.05 in chips)
Seat 3: Wallerwally ($58.75 in chips)
Seat 4: Kinl69 ($34.60 in chips)
Seat 5: Florkins ($69.60 in chips)
Seat 6: eypaul11 ($41.75 in chips)
Seat 7: QuanticFive ($51.60 in chips)
Seat 8: plurals ($10.75 in chips)
Seat 9: pronts ($47.70 in chips)
J-Wheezy`: posts small blind $0.25
ChipSoldier: posts big blind $0.50
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to QuanticFive [Jd Qh]
Wallerwally: calls $0.50
QuanticFive: calls $0.50
pronts: calls $0.50
J-Wheezy`: calls $0.25
ChipSoldier: checks
*** FLOP *** [8d Th 9s]
J-Wheezy`: checks
ChipSoldier: checks
Wallerwally: bets $1.50
QuanticFive: calls $1.50
pronts: calls $1.50
J-Wheezy`: folds
ChipSoldier: folds
*** TURN *** [8d Th 9s] [4h]
Wallerwally: bets $2.50
QuanticFive: raises $5.50 to $8
pronts: folds
Wallerwally: calls $5.50
*** RIVER *** [8d Th 9s 4h] [6s]
Wallerwally: bets $15
QuanticFive: raises $15 to $30
Wallerwally: raises $18.75 to $48.75 and is all-in
QuanticFive: calls $11.60 and is all-in
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Wallerwally: shows [Ts 7s] (a straight, Six to Ten)
QuanticFive: shows [Jd Qh] (a straight, Eight to Queen)
QuanticFive collected $103.20 from pot

What a wally...

Then this:

Seat 1: Atze Cavallo ($25.40 in chips)
Seat 2: ChipSoldier ($21.65 in chips)
Seat 5: Florkins ($78.30 in chips)
Seat 6: eypaul11 ($38.75 in chips)
Seat 7: QuanticFive ($101.70 in chips)
Seat 9: pronts ($36.70 in chips)
ahlle will be allowed to play after the button
pronts: posts small blind $0.25
Atze Cavallo: posts big blind $0.50
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to QuanticFive [Qc Qh]
QuanticFive: raises $1.50 to $2
pronts: calls $1.75
Atze Cavallo: calls $1.50
*** FLOP *** [Td Th Qd] - O yes!
pronts: checks
Atze Cavallo: checks
QuanticFive: checks
*** TURN *** [Td Th Qd] [Qs] - Mummy!
pronts: bets $2
Atze Cavallo: calls $2
QuanticFive: raises $5 to $7
pronts: calls $5
Atze Cavallo: calls $5
*** RIVER *** [Td Th Qd Qs] [Ts]
pronts: bets $15
Atze Cavallo: calls $15
QuanticFive: raises $15 to $30
pronts: calls $12.70 and is all-in
Atze Cavallo: calls $1.40 and is all-in
*** SHOW DOWN ***
QuanticFive: shows [Qc Qh] (four of a kind, Queens)
pronts: mucks hand
QuanticFive collected $22.60 from side pot
Atze Cavallo: mucks hand
QuanticFive collected $73.20 from main pot
Florkins said, "nh!"
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $98.80 Main pot $73.20. Side pot $22.60. | Rake $3
Board [Td Th Qd Qs Ts]
Seat 1: Atze Cavallo (big blind) mucked [Ah Jd]
Seat 7: QuanticFive (button) showed [Qc Qh] and won ($95.80) with four of a kind, Queens
Seat 9: pronts (small blind) mucked [Kd Kh]

No-one had a ten!

Got up to $185 before leaving on $165-ish.
Booked more wins that morning and tonight and I'm now back to a stack on Stars of $2,750, with $300 odd on FT and $19 left in Neteller.

Not much progress really but at least its not dwindling away.
Feel reasonably positive about my $50 game, wish the same could be said for my $100!

$100 tables

I've had a few stabs at the $100 tables since getting back from Monte Carlo.
I was doing well, then lost about $50 last night.
Actually managed to play ten hands in Monaco where I managed to double up on a $50 table with As v Ks.
Other than that just grinding away.

Low limit junkie

A quick update:
Moved up to $100 NL and had to move very quickly back down after getting my arse handed to me again in a big way.
Was way too aggressive, had all my bluffs picked off and lost a big pot with trip ks v trip ks, my j kicker losing to his a.
So went back to the $50 tables and slowly grinded it back up.
I'm still down overall but close now to realising the $150 bonus which should put me back in the black.
I'm off to Monte Carlo of all places on Tuesday through work for five days, so prob no play till then, although i'm taking my laptop so may get some hands in if they have wireless.
GL all!

Small win

Put another $600 in Stars from my Neteller a/c to boost my roll to over $1800.
Two tabled $50 NL and recorded small wins on both. I felted a loose short-stack with Qs v his A9o (nine high flop).
Also made a nice move on another shortstack on another table.
He had caught me stealing with position post flop and had shown down 94o for a bluff.
He was still on tilt having lost a $72 when his slowplayed As got rivered by 9s and a str8.
I found Ako in the BB and just checked. Only one caller, my tilting foe.
Flop A,K,J - basically a beauty.
I check, he bets $1, I put it to $3 (almost exactly what he did to me earlier), he pauses, pushes, I insta-call and win another $30 pot (He had j9o).
Anyway, gotta get back to work but I made about $35 in about 90 mins.

Moving up postponed

Got back later than I thought last night so only had about half an hours play.
Also was only able to deposit $600 into Stars, the top of the daily limit.
Will bung another load in tonight and $300 in the day after to make my $1500 limit for the week.
This should be enough to allow me to play the bigger tables.
The play I did have last night saw me make about $3 profit!

I need to move up

After a decent week on the tables and another load of wins on Sunday I feel I've gotta little bit of confidence back.
With my roll I need to at least be playing $50 and $100 NL, but I was loathe to risk my stack.
Tonight the plan is quit being a puss and put my $2,000 odd in Neteller to some use.
Its going in Stars to bolster the $675 I have sitting there so I can play some proper poker.
I built my stack playing $50 and $100 tables on FT since November 2006 before I started going backwards.
I know now after playing the $25 for the past month that I can beat this level easily, and I know from Pokertracker that I can beat $50 and break even on the $100 tables.
I will have another shot at the title this week. Self-motivation speech over.
Wish me luck!

Drunk again

Got home pretty pissed late on Friday night and still managed to win about $50.
4-tabled, $25 tables and logged off at 3am up $40 on one, $15 on two others and down a buy-in on the fourth.
Also won a few bucks playing limit HORSE.
This morning I logged on and tried three tournies - Sat morning seems to be the only time I can dedicate five hours to playing at a stretch.
Just busted out 40th in a $5 rebuy tournie for a $26.10 - a whole $1.10 profit on my investment.
Crashed out of $5 tournie on FT out the money earlier.
Gonna get some food now!

Wine and poker

Got home last night having shared 2 and a 1/2 bottles of red wine with a contact and thought it a good idea to play some poker.
It was.
Then woke up very early this morning needing some water, decided to play some more.
Doubled up again in 40 mins.
Up $90 in about 2 hours, most of which I was half cut, on $25 tables.
This game is easy!
Here are some hand histories:

How to double up in ten minutes!
HAND 1

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to QuanticFive [4d 6c]
EP raises $0.25 to $0.50
MP calls $0.50
CO calls $0.50
QuanticFive in BB calls $0.25
*** FLOP *** [Qh 5d 3c]
QuanticFive: bets $1
EP calls $1
MP calls $1
Ken7Card: folds
*** TURN *** [Qh 5d 3c] [7h]
QuanticFive: bets $2.25
EP raises $2.25 to $4.50
MP folds
QuanticFive: raises $5.75 to $10.25
EP calls $5.75
*** RIVER *** [Qh 5d 3c 7h] [Js]
QuanticFive: bets $7.25
EP calls $7.25
*** SHOW DOWN ***
QuanticFive: shows [4d 6c] (a straight, Three to Seven)
EP mucks (7s,7d) (Unlucky sir - left him with $4, should've taken it all)
QuanticFive collected $38.20 from pot

HAND 2
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to QuanticFive [Kh Ad]
UTG calls $0.25
QuanticFive: raises $0.75 to $1
MP calls $1
MP2 calls $1
UTG calls $0.75
*** FLOP *** [Kc 7d Ac] - Bingo!
UTG checks
QuanticFive: bets $3
MP folds
MP2 calls $3
UTG folds
*** TURN *** [Kc 7d Ac] [9c] - Scary flush but must fight on...
QuanticFive: bets $2.75
Winestone: calls $2.60 and is all-in
*** RIVER *** [Kc 7d Ac 9c] [5d]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
QuanticFive: shows [Kh Ad] (two pair, Aces and Kings)
QuanticFive collected $14.80 from pot
MP2 mucked [As 4h] ...erm...

AND LAST NIGHT.
HOLE CARDS
Dealt to QuanticFive [Qc Qh]
EP QuanticFive: raises $0.75 to $1
SB calls $0.90
BB calls $0.75
*** FLOP *** [4d 5s 5d]
SB bets $2
BB folds
QuanticFive: calls $2
*** TURN *** [4d 5s 5d] [6h]
SB bets $5
QuanticFive: calls $5
*** RIVER *** [4d 5s 5d 6h] [9h]
SB bets $5.15 and is all-in
QuanticFive: calls $5.15
*** SHOW DOWN ***
SB shows [Qs Jh] (a pair of Fives)
QuanticFive: shows [Qc Qh] (two pair, Queens and Fives)
QuanticFive collected $26 from pot
SB said, "WOW" - He must've been drunker than me.

Sometimes you need to give up, or BET BIGGER

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to QuanticFive [Js As]
EP raises $0.75 to $1
QuanticFive: calls $1
*** FLOP *** [3h 5d Jc]
EP bets $1.25
QuanticFive: calls $1.25 - Don't believe you
*** TURN *** [3h 5d Jc] [2s]
EP bets $3
QuanticFive: calls $3 - Still don't believe you
*** RIVER *** [3h 5d Jc 2s] [9h]
EP bets $3.50
QuanticFive: calls $3.50 - O, please be lying...
*** SHOW DOWN ***
isoteck: shows [Qh Kh] (high card King) - yep
QuanticFive: shows [Js As] (a pair of Jacks)
QuanticFive collected $17 from pot

You need luck in this game
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to QuanticFive [Ah Th]
EP raises $0.50 to $0.75
MP calls $0.75
QuanticFive: calls $0.75
SB calls $0.65
*** FLOP *** [Td 5h Ac] - looking good.
SB checks
EP bets $3.50 - I have you beat son
MP folds
QuanticFive: calls $3.50
SB raises $8.30 to $11.80 and is all-in - But maybe not u!
$teveOH: raises $1.55 to $13.35 and is all-in
QuanticFive: calls $9.85
*** TURN *** [Td 5h Ac] [Kh]
*** RIVER *** [Td 5h Ac Kh] [3h] - NOW I HAVE THE NUTS!
*** SHOW DOWN ***
$teveOH: shows [Qd As] (a pair of Aces)
QuanticFive: shows [Ah Th] (a flush, Ace high)
QuanticFive collected $2.95 from side pot
ericbaasch: mucks hand (Ts, Tc) - unlucky sir.
QuanticFive collected $36.75 from main pot

WTF, I can lose...

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to QuanticFive [Jd Js]
QuanticFive: raises $0.75 to $1
SB calls $0.90
*** FLOP *** [Qc Ts Kd]
SB checks
QuanticFive: bets $1.50
SB raises $3.65 to $5.15 and is all-in
QuanticFive: calls $3.65
*** TURN *** [Qc Ts Kd] [6d]
*** RIVER *** [Qc Ts Kd 6d] [4s]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
SB shows [Tc Td] (three of a kind, Tens)
QuanticFive: mucks hand

Yes, I can lose...
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to QuanticFive [Kh Kd]
MP raises $0.75 to $1
QuanticFive: calls $1
BB calls $0.75
*** FLOP *** [3d 8s 7d]
BB checks
ZenTrickster: bets $2
QuanticFive: calls $2
*** TURN *** [3d 8s 7d] [6h]
MP bets $4.50
QuanticFive: raises $5.25 to $9.75
MP raises $13 to $22.75 and is all-in
QuanticFive: calls $9 and is all-in
*** RIVER *** [3d 8s 7d 6h] [Ts]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
MP shows [8c 8d] (three of a kind, Eights)
QuanticFive: mucks hand - RELOAD!
ZenTrickster collected $42.40 from pot - lucky puppy

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to QuanticFive [6s 6c]
UTG raises $0.75 to $1 - Same guy who won a smallish pot with Ts v my Js earlier
QuanticFive: calls $1
*** FLOP *** [6h 2d As] - I WANT MY MONEY BACK
UTG bets $1.25
QuanticFive: calls $1.25
*** TURN *** [6h 2d As] [3c]
UTG bets $2
QuanticFive: raises $7.25 to $9.25
UTG calls $5.65 and is all-in
*** RIVER *** [6h 2d As 3c] [2h]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
UTG shows [Kc Ks] (two pair, Kings and Deuces) - terrible call
QuanticFive: shows [6s 6c] (a full house, Sixes full of Deuces)

So there you have some wins and losses.
The hands don't tell the whole story and I won some other pots too. But the game is great when you're winning!

losing run

My last post seems to have disappeared into cyberspace although it appeared on bloglines.
Being running bad last couple of days, mainly due to my loose play.
To be honest I'm not enjoying the poker at the mo and am not treating it, or my roll seriously.
Hopefully have something positive to say soon!

Lack of posts, lack of play

The title sums it up really.
I've been playing here and there, mainly on the weekend, and success has been fairly limited.
My roll on Stars is moving between $650 and $750 as I try to reach a 2,250 FPP target to release a $150 bonus.
It stands at around 900 at the mo.
Cash play has been solid but I've lost most of my money taking shots at various $20/$30 buy-in tournies.
The latest saw me get down to the last 200 with 150 paying on a $24,000 tourney before crashing out to a rivered flush, against my top pr, and then a four flush with me holding 10s and my foe holding 6s.
Will keep trying these, just need a bit of luck here and there.

I have $2,200 still sitting in Neteller, accumulating interest for them (kind soul that I am) and $300 on FTP, so my combined roll is over $3,000.

Hope to play a bit this week and I'll try to post some interesting hand histories soon.

Hit n Run

Made another $20 last night, three tabling $25 NL on Stars.
Only played for 30 mins before the tables tightened right up again after the weak players busted.
When I look at table selection, I'm more bothered about average % flop seen, and try and sit at tables with over 35%.
It works well but the churn on the low limit tables mean you can very quickly end up on a table of tight, nut players (All from E Europe tee hee :))

+

Work do's tonite and tomorrow so prob not much play until Thurs.

+

Despite being totally skint, I should get paid a fair whack on Friday after my promotion so I'm gonna hang tough on my bankroll and leave it in Neteller.
I'm tempted by the Mansion Poker $1,000 deposit bonus, which is paid in $10 increments.
Soooo, tentative plans are to play Stars until I clear the $150 bonus, 1/3 of the way through so far, before moving a chunk over to Mansion.

OK, Ta-ra for now

Decent weekend

I had a good weekend of poker - the first time I can say this in what feels like a long time!
My win-rate was not fantastic, but I felt in control, calm and made some really good plays.
I only played on Stars to take advantage of the double FPP points on offer and try and scoop some cash in their giveaways.
Played $25 and $50 NL, mainly three tabling, and won about $150 over the 2 days.
I was a new player so nobody had a read on me and I felt really good about my play.
I called down bluffs, made some bluffs, extracted maximum chips when I could and laid down some big hands.
I think the redeposit bonus and overlays on offer at the mo on Stars is making for some very juicy cash tables.
Lots of new Europeans who don't have a clue.
One thing I did pick up over the weekend that I've been thinking about - Eastern Europeans play TIGHT!
Having lived there for four years I know the average salary is rubbish and they are the biggest misers out there. The classic Czech family will think nothing of driving to Croatia with their boot packed full of food and not spend a penny when they're there on essentials.
Look at the Poles in the London, working 80 hours a week and spending NOTHING.
The Russians are gamblers, but the Czechs, Poles, Slovenians, Hungarians that I've been seeing on the site play super-tight.
If one re-raises you, think long and hard about calling.
In my experience, the western Euros, esp Scandis, play looser and their range is bigger.
This is a huge generalisation, but I truly believe that national characteristics make a difference when playing.

*

On Saturday I went very deep in a $8 rebuy tournie where I managed to get to the top 40 using only one rebuy and one add-on, when other players were buying in like crazy.
I thought I was on a for a big score but busted with Js v As against a similar stack just outside the payouts (135 paid, about 880 started).
I replayed that hand many times afterwards and I'm not sure I could have got away from it. Flop was low, foe was v aggressive, so it would have gone all-in whatever happened. Sometimes the luck is against you.

*

I'm seriously considering withdraw the rest of my stack in Neteller.
I have $750 now on Stars with $150 bonus pending, $250 on FullTilt and this is enough for me to play $25 NL and $50 NL, as well as buyinto some tourneys up to $30.
I have $2,100 left in Neteller and I'm SKINT! Sooo tempting.

OK, back to work, GL at the tables!

Stars play

My play this month has dwindled right down, partly due to an effort to cut down starring at laptop screen all evening and partly due to the annoyingly addictive game Oblivion (!)
I played a little over the weekend but lost more than I won.
I have deposited $600 at Stars to take advantage of their 10bn hand offer of a 25% bonus. Down about $60 already to $630 there, most from a $33 loss on a $11 re-buy tournie.
My FT a/c sits at $300 and change which means I have $2,900 now in poker winnings.
I'm less motivated to grind it out at cash games at the mo, so will continue with my tournie strategy on both sites and hopefully score another big win soon.
Of the last three tournies, I've busted out 2x through lack of focus/losing patience - bad beats I can take, but busting through my own stupidity is the pits.

Patience

Patience is key to playing solid poker, something that I normally have in bucketloads.
In tourneys especially the winning player has no problems folding hand after hand, waiting for the right moment to show aggression and build his stack.
On Saturday morning, I went deep again in another of those $24+$2 tourneys which had a prize pool of around $7,500.
With 300+ players, I managed to stay in the top ten throughout most of the tourney and made it to the final two tables lying 6th.
I then busted out in one orbit, the final hand pushing 85o (WTF!) from the SB against the table bully who called with a7o.
This hand stayed with me for the rest of the weekend. I was sitting solid and blew my whole tourney on a crazy steal.
Instead of winnning several hundred, I ended up with $55 for a small profit.
Patience!
Anyway, I made another $75 playing $50 NL, to build my stack further.
My new PC allows me to four-table using the new tile facility on FT pretty easily.

Still don't know where to put my $2,500 from Neteller but I will find a new home for it soon.

No posts, no play

The lack of posts reflects the lack of play I'm afraid.
My new laptop has opened up a world of opportunity for me. My internet is superfast, I can download quicker and play the latest games.
At the moment the gambling urges have receded somewhat.
I've withdrawn all but $200 of my FT cash to neteller and will deposit bankroll somewhere soon.

Nasty surprise

A rather horrible thing happened to me this weekend.

My Full Tilt a/c got closed!

The reason: dual accounts.

I first played on Full Tilt back in 2005, before this blog started, when I was playing very low limits.
I deposited $200 and would withdraw any decent profits, say over $50 or $100.
I ended up closing the account after my initial bonus was up.

I then discovered rakeback. And started a new a/c under a different name and a different email address in November 2006.
I stress I NEVER again touched my old a/c...until a couple of weeks ago.

I made the big mistake of logging on, twice, when Full Tilt were offering a one-off bonus. I didn't play but the fact that I logged on using the same IP address must have triggered an alert somewhere at FT.

After a couple of dodgy plays I decided to make a big withdrawl from my newer QuanticFive a/c.
First I tried $2,000, which was voided, again $2,000, then $1,000 - both voided.
I queried and received an email saying I had been using two a/c's and the newer one, which had $2,500, a $26 token and 12,000FTPoints had been closed!

For a short while, about five minutes, I actually thought I had lost the money but the last paragraph of the email told me that I could either withdraw all the cash to my neteller a/c or to my old a/c.

I chose the latter, so I now have all my cash there, minus the 12,000 FTP.
The FTP would have afforded me prob three poker books, so I lost about $50 in the incident.

I'm not going to criticise Full Till outright. What I was doing was technically wrong. BUT I would have much preferred the old a/c being closed and actually asked for this.

I've now lost my rakeback ability and I think my Full Tilt days are coming to an end.
I'm now looking for a new home for my cash - not decided where yet.

For those that have two accounts on FT (naughty, naughty!), my advice would be to stay away from your old one like the plague.
Having said that I think the size of my withdrawl ($2k) may have meant someone looking more closely at my activity. A $350 withdrawl made at around the same time got through fine.

Anyway, I'll now be playing on FT under the moniker Razorlight, so feel free to drop by and take some chips off me!

Quickie

Not much play since last week.
I spent four days back up north trying to get my flat on the market.
Either side of this I've not had a serious session and my roll is floating around the $2,700 mark on FT.
Had a crack at a $5k $26+$2 tourney with a token on FT but crashed out after an hour on a steal from the button.
I have a new laptop arriving on Friday and plan to play some tourneys over the weekend.

SNG time

Had fun with various sit'n'gos last night.
Won a heads-up $5 Horse SNG, then $10 on a cash game before I saw one of the Token Frenzy tournaments starting up on Full Tilt.
For those that don't know about them, they are a $6+50c buy-in and basically one in four entrants gets a $26+$2 token.
In my opinion these are excellent value, play is generally very poor and once you've accumulated enough chips, which I did last night, you can tighten up and let people knock each other out.
I am now two for two in these. This compares with the $8+70c 2-table SNG which pay five people tokens and the 6th cash. One in three in these, which means I effectively paid outright for a token.
Last night there were around 220 entrants and 50 got tokens and I will take those odds anytime.
Also played a couple of $3 turbos on Stars winning one and coming 3rd in the other.
Plan to have another go at the $14k $26+$2 tourney, which starts at 7pm UK time, when I get the time.

Cash games

Cash games are really killing me at the moment.
I edged up over the weekend around $100 playing decent poker, then lost it all and another $50.
First buy-in lost was top two par v bottom set, all-in on flop.
I then lost a succession of $20-$30 pots for the rest last night.

In my non-poker related life I've just been promoted to news editor on my magazine for a hefty pay rise and my very own team to order around :)
Very, very chuffed so I think I will go home now and play some poker!

Deep again

Just had another deep run in a tourney, this time on Stars.
Only a $3 entry but with 650 players there were some decent prizes at the top.
Didn't quite get there unfortunatly - 7th for a $60 win.
Played much more aggressively than the big win on FT and went into final table in 3rd but lost a chunk laying down js to and to two all-in re-raises (ks and aqo).
Then aks wasn't good enough to beat 10s.
Fun while it lasted.

On Thursday I withdrew my $200 and change from Interpoker.
It was a decent looking site and I had made $50 there, rakeback was also high.
But unfortunately traffic wasn't. Normally only 5,000 players and five or six cash game tables at the limits my bankroll allowed me to play.
I had a $150 match bonus available, but I had cleared just 10% and had about a month and half left to clear the rest.
Not sure where it'll go, leave it in Neteller and see.

Bigstack.com

www.sharkscope.com is good.

For Full Tilt players, www.bigstack.com is better.

All results, no search number limits, you can see how well you're running and more importantly see if your foes are fish or shark.
Check it out!

Tourney post

This will be an uber-post!
Starting 597, 63 paid.

HOUR 1

All start with T3,000 chips.

Fairly uneventful first 20 mins but I'm down to 2,678 when I raise the BB with A10h to 150 from SB, BB calls. Flop 4s5h6h, I bet 200, BB raises to 750, I push and BB folds. The very next hand I steal a small 250 pot with a limped j10o from the button, all check to me on Q hi flop, I pot it and win.

Steal with QKs to put me at T3,900 but drop down 200 when I limp early with A10s and call a 4xbb re-raise, flop double-gutter but don't hit.

Nice move from the button after 35mins which had me chortling. Raise 6xbb with 72o, SB calls, flop KK2, not bad, checked to me bet 500, fold and I show. No-one said anything but it stopped me stealing (so wasn't a good idea to show!). Raised very next hand A9s but had to give up to strong post-flop bet from TM8 (decent-ish player).

45 mins in I get 10s, I pot raise from MP, but get re-reraised by BB, TM8 again. Flop Qd Ac 7h and I have to laydown to strong pot-sized bet. This put me back down to 3,603 when I got moved to another table.

We are five mins before first break and 2nd hand in I get As, blindsd now 50/100. 1 limper who has T5,285 odd, I raise pot to 450, blinds fold and he calls. Flop a beauty 999. He bets out 500, and I waited until my clock almost ran right down before (reluctantly) calling.
Turn 3, he bets 1,100, I consider just calling again but I think the bait is struck and he thinks AK, raise my remaining 2,500 and he calls and turns over 4s.

This put me up to 7,350. I get Ks very next hand, raise, no callers. Then AQs which I limp from 2nd position, three callers, flop AQx, pot it and win. Then win two small pots with 56o and k6s from SB and BB to leave me on T8,156 and in the top 50.

HOUR 2

Did very little for the first half hour, winning one pot with AJo, one caller but an Ace on turn scared him away. Got moved again with T8,456.

For some reason, I've lost some stats for this table (I think because I was downloading a better version of Hud cos of flickering). But when I moved again and I can pick up the story, I had 12,186 and blinds were 120/240 with 25 ante. Three others had equalish stacks, the other five were all under 6,000.

Picked up Js in 1st position, raise to 800, all fold. Fold 4s to an all-in 2,000 bet and one caller before (10s v KQo).

With blinds at 150/300, ante 25, I pick up 9s in MP. 2xbb raise from UTG, one caller, I call, blinds fold. Lovely rainbow 9Q7 flop, UTG bets 300, I raise to 2,400, fold and I pick up 3,000 pot.

Sitting at T13,500 when I get lucky again. Blinds 200/400, ante 50, I raise to T1,000 from button with 10h9c on a steal but SB calls. Flop Tc,2s,Jc. He puts out half-pot bet of 1,200, I think about raising but just call, turn 8c giving me an open-ended Straight flush draw.

SB bets 1,200 again, I call. River Qd giving me str8. He checks, I value bet 2,000 knowing I'm ahead and he shows 8s for trips. Up to over 19,000, in top 25 and chip leader at my table, I think prob still 300 left in it tho.

Last hand before break I decide to limp with AJo in MP two other limpers, BB checks,
flop 3h,5d,Jd, check, check, I bet pot of 2,000, and all fold.

HOUR 3

Sitting on 21,500, I have one more hand at this table before being moved.

Blinds now 250/500, ante 50. 'Steal' blinds with Js, then lose my first biggish pot with As against very shortstacked Ks, and drop back to 20,000.

Get As again a few hands later, but no callers.

'Steal' with Aqo and then Q8o from the button. Lose 2,000 in SB v BB battle, me with 93s, trying to steal.

I now have around 17,000 which is below average and there are, I think, about 120 left.

Blinds are 400/800, ante 100 so short stacks are dropping like flies.
Steal with AJo to get back up to 19,000. Still playing tight though, and I fold AJo and A10o from 1st and 2nd position, am heading for the money and there's no need to start pushing.

Win a nice pot with 10s, calling one pre-flop raiser, and forcing short-stacked BB all in. Hit my set on flop and win 7,200. 80 left just 17 more for money.

With blinds 500/1000, ante 125, I find As (again!) in mid-position. Raise to 3,500, BB re-raises all in with Js and I win a T20,000 pot.

Now 33,564, big stack (who is on my table) has 59,750, and I'm back in top 30. 76 players left.

Steal blinds with 8s from MP.

Then hit trips for the 3rd time. Blinds now 800/1600, ante 200. Call from SB a 2xbb bet with 4s. Four on flop and check raise foe's continuation 2xbb continuation bet to take down a 16,000 pot. Now have 46,500.

Blind down to 42,500 by the end of the hour.

HOUR 4

Now in the money but I want to go further!

Blinds 1000/2000, ante 250 and I 'steal' with AKs.

I then get bad-beat number 2.

Button, who has been pushing all-in often, pushes again against my SB pushes with A10s, I call with AKs and 10 on flop, 10 on turn and he wins 42,000.

Back down to 25,000 and 12xbb. I get blinded down to 19,000 when I make a move on the SB who had raised my BB before. He doubles BB to 4,800, I push with 109o, he folds.

Now down to 40 left and I am in bottom few.

Drop even further, to 15,000, when I call a 7,200 raise from serial raiser with A10o, SB calls, I call, too much of a pussy to push. Flop K hi, check, fold. O dear.

Antes push me down to just 12,659 and 5xbb when I push with 4s from MP (7-man table) and pick up blinds and antes and I'm back to 18,359. Need more stealing, I think to myself, before folding A9s like pussy with the very next hand :)

Again for some reason Pokertracker misses the hand that gets me out of the shit. But I remember it was my dubious push with A6s in MP and an even more dubious call from another shortie with JQs. Ace on flop and I was back in it.

Blinds 1500/3000 Ante 400, 33 left. Final three tables paying $60.

However, the blinds and antes eat me up again, so much stealing going on, every hand raise, re-raise, and I get blinded down to 25,000, back in the shit and facing a new table.

However we are know on the the final 3 tables and if I can hang on in there we get to the real money.
This is the hand that propelled me back to within sniffing distance of the leaders.

Full Tilt Poker Game #2180935514: $14,000 Guarantee (16001934), Table 23 - 2000/4000 Ante 500 - No Limit Hold'em - 17:58:40 ET - 2007/04/10
Seat 1: MusicMan09 (50,973)
Seat 3: indieangler (214,863) - Big stack now but ended up coming 9th
Seat 4: John_Galt65 (52,977)
Seat 5: RaginAZN (67,052) - Cames 6th
Seat 6: The Phenom33 (52,088)
Seat 7: Cashkidz4 (82,763)
Seat 8: SuckTheRedFox (20,021)
Seat 9: QuanticFive (16,815) - Came 5th! :)
All post ante of 500
indieangler posts the big blind of 4,000
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to QuanticFive [Qh Qd]
RaginAZN raises to 66,552, and is all in (He'd been doing that A LOT)
SuckTheRedFox calls 19,521, and is all in
QuanticFive calls 16,315, and is all in
RaginAZN shows [Th As]
SuckTheRedFox shows [Jd Ac]
QuanticFive shows [Qh Qd] - Just two outs to dodge.
Uncalled bet of 47,031 returned to RaginAZN
*** FLOP *** [7d 4s Ks]
*** TURN *** [7d 4s Ks] [Kd]
*** RIVER *** [7d 4s Ks Kd] [8s]
SuckTheRedFox wins the side pot (6,412) with a pair of Kings
QuanticFive wins the main pot (56,945) with two pair, Kings and Queens
O yes!

I'm back to 56,000 and in with a shot.

However, I then lost 15,000 from the BB when I rivered a STR8 only to fall to a rivered flush. And I was back against the wall before I knew it.

The blinds were such however that just one steal added 8,000 to your total, so I duly stole with ...errr...Ks again! The did the same with 8s, both pushes and I was back to 53,000.

We got to the final 2 tables right at the end of hour 3.

Seven players on my table, I picked up 10s and grabbed the blinds to propel me to 60k then picked up Ks the very next hand.

This time the shortstack before raised all in in 1st position with A3o, I dodged an A, and was now in the top 9, 13 left, with over 110k. I then got As (how many times is that?) and knocked out the last shortie on our table with his all-in 3s.

Five players on each table now, and I had 165,000 which was 3rd on my table and 5th overall and I knew I would make the final table.

HOUR 5

It slowed right down after the break with no-one wanting to bubble the final table and we were playing hand for hand for quite a while. 10th paid $150 but 9th paid $270.

It took 20 mins to get there (the bubble boy incidently was the player who cracked my AKo with his A10o earlier) but I made it with 123k and in 7th, big stack 400k.

To be honest, I was hanging on in there rather trying to win the thing. I folded AQs the very first hand in late position after big stack pot raised pre-flop. I didn't know this player and with such a big difference between places I didn't want to crash out on a 50/50 the very first hand.

Blinds were huge 5k/10k, ante 1k, that one pre-flop raise and I was almost pot-committed.

Yet I had enough to let the shorties push and test their fate first.

Pay-outs from 1 to 9 were: $3510.36, $2185.02 , $1611.90, $1253.70, $931.32, $680.58, $444.17, $343.87, $272.23

I managed to tread water for 20 mins, raising twice and winning without showing, and 4 players came and went, and I was left as the short stack for fifth.

My next post shows the last two hands, all in with K8o to beat A4o and then all-in with A10o which lost to big stacks A9o.

$931.32 for five hours work and a profit of $925 as I won the token in a satellite.

That post took me TWO HOURS!

Small post

Not sure if anyone will finish my last post. Got kinda carried away!
If you do, you will see I had a lot of very good hands and very opportune moments.

Holy Cow!

Played the $24+$2 $14,000 guaranteed and finished 5th for....wait for it...$931.32!
592 entrants, 63 paid. O the joys.
Took five hours, finished just after midnight, had some great cards, a couple of bad beats - one to knock me out.
If I could have hung on a little longer and could have really reaped it - 1st was over $3,000, but it was not to be.
My A10o re-raise all in from the SB as the short stack to the Button's A9o steal lost when a 9 hit the turn.
My read was right, the poker gods however decided I had played enough and it was time for bed.
A few rounds earlier, five left and I had raised all in with k8o as a very low stack. Called by A4o and hit a king on the flop.
Anyway, will update tonight fully, but needless to say the roll is now looking pretty healthy!

Easter

No play over Easter until a short session on Monday night.
I was away up north again, trying to sort out my flat to either sell or find new tenants, not decided yet.
It wasn't as in much of a mess as I thought it would be but will require one more trip up there next weekend.
Not a lot happened really when I played, piddled about on Interpoker and Pokerstars with my peewee bankrolls, and tried 2 SNGs on Stars (didn't cash in either).
Couldn't face playing a FT cash game and there were no $24+$2 tournies starting up so I watched Phil Ivey play for a bit on the $100/$200 NL tables.
I plan to use these two tokens up before I play cash games again.
GL