For various reason (mainly slightly tilting) I've not been playing too well recently but I've cut back on the amount of poker I've played in the last few days and tonight I've had a better evening. I managed to cash in the $5 turbo on Star - not great and only really my buy in back but I still managed about 110th out of 1200ish. I made the donkment stage of the $12 rebuy on Tribecca and I had to make a move sooner or later so I did it with AT and ran into AK - nothing could be done about that but in the $8 Omaha tourney on Stars, I'm currently in 9th out of 19 (bubble time) so I'm doing something better today and I'm hoping I've found some of my "A game" back.

My live game starts again tomorrow. I'm off to The Western Club in London for the £20 double shootout. I'm going to try and play live once a week for a bit. Not sure how long it will last due to family commitments but all I can do is try. I'm going to try and avoid rebuys so unfortunately Pokernitez and the Stanley at Reading are out for now. Once I get more confident playing live, I may give the rebuys a bash but at the moment, I'm sticking to a limited buy in game. Tourney report to follow!

edit: the .com Western site has it down as a rebuy DC tourney but the .co.uk doesn't mention rebuy, I'd better call I think.

I've managed another cash in the $5k on Tribecca. Sadly only $65 this time and I actually went out on 27th - first money spot! Seem to be having a good run in this tournament at the moment. I've also played a couple of $10 stt's and came 2nd in both - not too shabby and I did make moves to win HU but lost to lesser hands a couple of times - no moaning (for a change) but just saying I did go for it!

Profit from all games played tonight - very pleased.

Oh and........I won a Poker Player competition!

There was an issue with some poker hypnosis articles on a bit back and there was a competition to win a cd with some hyponosis sessions on and I won one! Go me! Haven't had chance to listen to it yet but I'm open to ideas and hope that it will improve my mtt game - it's a Getting to the Final Table one.

I think some of my problem was playing 3 tables at once. Trouble is, all the tourneys I want to play in a night tend to start at the same time! Anyway, today I was off again so I tried to qualify for the Crypto £8k. First attempt, I bubbled - 6 spaces, I came 7th. Still a couple of quid profit. Second attempt, I came 12th - 10 spaces, but again a couple of quid profit. Third time (sigh) I just didn't do it but at least I ended up a couple of quid overall.

Tonights tourneys saw a 400 fpp sat at 8pm but didn't do much. The $5k rebuy on Tribecca at 9pm which I managed 17th in for just over $140. Quite pleased with that. I seem to be doing ok on Tribecca and with last nights result in the Stars rebuy, I seem to be going ok in rebuys worryingly! I play them quite tight usually, although the last few, I've been loose the first buy in, then played tight the second. This obviously tells me to not bother playing loose at all but you never know eh! I don't end up spending much on them though which is the main thing.

I'm also currently in another 400 fpp sat that starts at 10pm which I quite like and it's going, well ok I guess. I'm in my usual struggling for cards and chips spot but I'm used to the position and I do have 3.5k in chips to play with and the blinds are only 100/200 so I need to do something soon, but I'm not in immediate danger. So far I've seen 10% of flops!

I've also been reflecting on last nights hands. The AA losing in the fpp sat was just unlucky. I can't fold them preflop and it was a chance to take a massive lead. If someone wants to go in with AJo then it's down to him.

The cash hands were just bad play by me. I just didn't spot the straight in the AA loss and didn't respect the raise, despite my notes telling me he was a solid player. The other one, I played badly too - just calling bets isn't good when I feel I'm ahead, raise and he probably folds. Bad play, hopefully I've learnt from it. I did end the cash session just down the one buy in after I made back my second loss not letting someone draw for the flush cheaply - lesson learnt then and hopefully I wont do it again.

More upbeat mood today and also my camera came :) Happy times, I just need to work out how it all works now.....oh and pay for it!

Annoyances.

OK first example, it's early on in a 1000 fpp sat to the MC EPT.

Next, Playing quite well in a cash game, AA again. Matey boy is quite tight and I have him down as a solid player. I've put him on Kings or Queens in all honesty. Alas no, the mightly 9Ts and it cant' be shaken off by a pot raise preflop and then it's the perfect flop. This, I can see looking back is my fault. The reraise should have told me something was up but I just didn't have him on T9. I guess being PL it was too cheap to fold for him.
Anyway, it's still annoying.

Interestingly enough, just watching PNL and someone just folded AA on a Ten high board to a reraise. He was behind too to trip 6's - great fold.

I am a fish. I had him down as a decent player, and he showed strength in reraising so I should have twigged on. Even if it wasn't KK or QQ, could have been on trips already. Man, I am a fish.


Lost to another straight calling bets when he was betting on a draw and hit on the river. Unfortunatly, it also gave me my two pairs and I lost another $100 pot. Should have raised his bets.
I'm pretty annoyed at this as I was building my losses back up



Likes me

It's not really a liking me to the same extent, but I did hit wiht AK and beat pocket 5's and doubled up in the $35k gtd. If I win this, I'll forgive Stars! Would post hand but pokerhand is down again.

Another nice one. In BB and I've got ATs. Folded to small blind who moves in for 8k. I have 13k and think about it. I've called for two reasons - 1, it's more than likely a blind steal attempt as he's short stacked and 2, I don't have the worst hand in the world and I'm not exactly in contention yet myself - winning it would put me on above average chips. I call and manage to hit a flush, but my AT would have held anyway.

Came 123rd in the $10 rebuy tonight for $80ish, something like that anyway. Kinda helps with all the money I've donked off in cash games anyway. Doesn't make up for all my losses but I'm pleased to have made the money. In nearly 4 hours of play, I didn't have AA, KK or QQ once. Not even sure I had jacks, infact, the best starting hand I had was AK I think. Even my exit hand in this was a bit unlucky though, had to push with A5s for 10k(1.5k/3k blinds) called by K6 and the 6 hit. Still, pleased with making the money.

What a bloody annoying night,

Out of the APAT sat in about 7 mins with the below hand, then in a 400 fpp sat I was playing, my QQ was no match for JTo despite a nice raise preflop when JT came on the flop, then my TT ran into KK in a Crypto sat I was playing. Out of all games by 8:30pm :(

Gutted, I was really looking forward to wining my APAT seat tonight and taking down a couple more fpp sat's but it's all gone tits up.

Stars

definately has it in for me,

PokerStars Game #8085580467: Tournament #40765432, $10+$1 Hold'em No Limit - Level I (10/20) - 2007/01/23 - 15:05:35 (ET)
Table '40765432 4' 9-max Seat #9 is the button
Seat 1: Aln_The_Kid (5050 in chips)
Seat 2: Graham0573 (5010 in chips)
Seat 3: wolfy bad (4970 in chips) is sitting out
Seat 4: calcount (5030 in chips)
Seat 6: Purr Of Aces (4980 in chips)
Seat 7: Mr Carps (4960 in chips)
Seat 8: Temperance (4970 in chips)
Seat 9: Clairep75 (5030 in chips)
Aln_The_Kid: posts small blind 10
Graham0573: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Graham0573 [Jc Jd]
wolfy bad: folds
calcount: folds
Purr Of Aces: calls 20
Mr Carps: folds
Temperance: folds
Clairep75: folds
Aln_The_Kid: calls 10
Graham0573: raises 60 to 80
Purr Of Aces: calls 60
Aln_The_Kid: folds
*** FLOP *** [Qd 9s Js]
Graham0573: bets 100
Purr Of Aces: raises 260 to 360
Graham0573: raises 340 to 700
Purr Of Aces: raises 4200 to 4900 and is all-in
Graham0573: calls 4200
*** TURN *** [Qd 9s Js] [Kh]
*** RIVER *** [Qd 9s Js Kh] [7s]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Graham0573: shows [Jc Jd] (three of a kind, Jacks)
Purr Of Aces: shows [6s Ts] (a flush, Jack high)
Purr Of Aces collected 9980 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 9980 | Rake 0
Board [Qd 9s Js Kh 7s]
Seat 1: Aln_The_Kid (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 2: Graham0573 (big blind) showed [Jc Jd] and lost with three of a kind, Jacks
Seat 3: wolfy bad folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: calcount folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: Purr Of Aces showed [6s Ts] and won (9980) with a flush, Jack high
Seat 7: Mr Carps folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: Temperance folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: Clairep75 (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)


I'm telling you, it's got it in for me. I'm never winning the hand once he moves all in with the mighty T6s

Lasted a whopping 9 minutes in the APAT sat.

I'm hanging in there in the fpp sat - 22nd out of 26 now.

I'm amazed at some players. Two nice stacks have just gone for it. MateyBoy1 has called the bb, BB has checked. Flop came T 2 Q, BB checked, MB1 raised, BB moved all in, MB1 calls and shows TQ, BB has KQs. Anyway, he's gone from having 13k and more than likely 4000 fpp's to finishing 27th and got nothing for 2 hours 20 minutes hard work.

IDIOT!!

Still, I like people like this. I'm very short stacked and want people to go for it so I can scrape in to a place. I'm still going to have to push at some point I think, but if I can wait until there are 25 left, I at least get my 400 points back

edit: more crazyness. 35k stack just called an 11k all in with A5o, only to run in to AA lol.

I've moved up to 9th after my Ah Qc made a heart flush on the board! Not playing much now.

edit again: made it, another 4000fpp to the collection, I'm up to 29k now.

I can't seem to win any money any more on Stars. I don't really know what it is, but something isn't going well for me at the moment. I seem to do ok at fpp sats though. I'm currently in one and am 32 out of 45 (20 seats) but I'm going to need some nice cards real soon to make it. Still, I've built my fpp collection up from 9k to 25k via these sats so something is going ok here.

My T$ have pretty much all gone. I think I have about $50 left. Managed to lose a few tonight in a $11 rebuy when two hands in a row I didn't hit with decentish hands and also in a $5 sng, I ran into trips twice and went out in 9th! I can't remember the last time I was first out in a sng. I just can't seem to do it when cash is involved on Stars. I wonder if I've played too many sats and my game has adjusted to the requirements of them and it's not helping in rebuys and mtt's.

On the other hand, I've been playing the $18 rebuy and $12 rebuy on Tribecca and have been doing ok. Well, I haven't done ok since the last post re the $20k but in the $12 rebuy ($5k) I've cashed 3 times in a row now and my Tribecca account is looking lovely at the moment, I just need the dollar to come back down to earth!

I've treated myself today to the Canon EOS 400D I was going to wait a bit but then I started reading about DSLR's. Then I picked two to choose from, the 400D and the Nikon D40. Then I bought a digital camera magazine. Then I went to see them....then I chose the Canon. After all these thens, I was too excited and rather than keep looking at it, I thought I'd order it! I've done it on a 9 months free credit thing so sadly I have to wait a couple of days for the credit checks to all go through before I'll get it, but I'm hoping to have it for the weekend and I can't wait!

Bit of a disapointing night overall but I did manage to come 18th in the Tribecca $5k gtd for $122, at least I finished up overall. I've been pretty card dead all evening on all games, managed to get a bit lucky at times in the $5k but when we made it to two tables left, I just thought that I could use the $2k first prize. Then next hand I'm dealt QQ............and run into AA.

Also came 26th in a 400 fpp sat when spaces at 24 but at least I managed to get my 400 points back so not a total loss.

Other than that, I've played in the Tribecca $20k but nothing came my way and I ended up moving in for my last 3.5k in the hand before the break with 99 and ran into AK and lost. Also in the APAT sat to the Welsh event I went out to a smaller pair hitting trips on the flop.

It's been a funny day overall though, not just in poker. Went to the dogs last night for Pauls birthday and was a bit hungover this morning - the old wishy washy tummy feeling all day. Sod all on tele except waiting for the football and thankfully we beat Man U - 6 points from them this season! Anyway, nothing again on the tele in the evening, Heather has a temperature and isn't feeling good so she went to bed early, the missus went to bed early because she was bored, I was bored not getting any decent cards to play with and overall, it's just been a funny day.

Going to bed now, not much else to do! I'll probably read for a bit.

Luck is sometimes on my side. Yesterday in the 400fpp sat, I qualified again after a couple of lucky suck outs, one where my A4 push ran into AQ and I hit the 4 on the river, there was another too but it doesn't matter. Got a nice hand when the big stack who was playing everything but just calling preflop called my bb. I held QT but wasn't going to play to a raise as I was just in the money so to speak. Anyway, the flop came 7 T T so I checked, he bet, I moved all in and he called and showed J9 - I was very safe after that - 4000 more fpp's to my name.

Now I'm really not sure what I'm going to do with them all as I'm going to buy the Canon camera out of real money! I don't want to wait that long so I'm going to fork out the money and get it soon :)

The below isn't really a moan, it's a bugger, but it's not my old complains. I am over it, I was a hand later, but I think I'm going to play no limit again and play extra tight for a bit.

OK, this is why limit poker really can suck at times. I mean, who the hell calles raises with K7 off bloody suit?

I was on the verge of breaking even for the night, even making a small profit but there are too many callers with bad hands and my good hands aren't connecting with the flop.

Well, it's been a few days. Made a final table on Blonde poker a few days ago for $280ish, but went out in 8th. Always sad to go out even though it's a nice little earner. I'm still waiting for my big win and the $2.7k first prize would have been nice. Came 3rd in a £2 mtt earlier on Crypto but sadly it was only £42.

Other than that, I've come 10 short of my 400 fpp sats twice and I think that's about it.

Currently playing $2/$4 with only 6 people. WOW that's a quick way to lose my buy in! Been down to next to nothing when some idiot was happy to call my raises with Q6 off suit only to hit trips on the river, sadly my QQ couldn't beat that. I'll keep plugging away but if I can get back level, that's good enough for me and I'll quit the table!

APAT announced the Wales event today and I'm hoping to give it a go. I'll try and qualify online but failing that, I think I'll give it a bash if I can get a seat. It's about time I played some more live poker and this would be excellent.

Nice end to the night

Earlier I played in a $10 rebuy Omaha tournament and whilst I didn't really think I played that well at any point, I made it to 21st out of 180something but annoyingly it was 3 short of the money! 3 hours for zero cash and -$31

The evening session saw 2 $5 stts, which I came third in one, nothing in the other, some $2/$4 limit cash which I am up $27 at the moment but I must stop calling silly calls. I called a hand earlier with a low straight (8,9,10, J board and I had 7) Obviously matey had the Q as he raised my bet but I still called and it ended up costing me $20 when it didn't need too (can't spell unnecessarly - is that correct lol) anyway, a couple of these bad calls cost me probably about $50 in total, I'd be nicely up if it wasn't for them. I think I'm getting ok at limit poker, I just need to cut these calls out.

Also played a $10 rebuy turbo sat to the nightly $150 and won a seat! Spent $31 in total for this and came out with $162 T$! I did get a bit lucky though. With blinds of 3000/6000 and me on 5,500ish and next in the big blind, I was moved table and to the opposite end of the table - another 5 people in the BB before me! When it was finally my time for the bb, it was 6000/12000 and I only had 4.4k ish and 45o, one of the chip leaders called (he was calling for value really, both to the person all in and to help knock out players - can't complain) anyway, he had K4 and the lovely flop came 6 5 5 and my trips held up. That was the last hand and I was in. I was grateful for the flop too as it really was bubble time - 75 left, 74 spaces to be won!

The satellite trail continues, now with added T$'s.

Night night

Someone's been commenting in my blog and I haven't looked for a while!

Firstly, the last post wasn't really a moan so the 14th is still on ;) although I am keen not to moan properly.

I think I know most of the things I have moaned about are mostly my own fault, I just find it hard at the time to shrug it off. I don't carry the feelings over to my next session but if I run bad again, I do start to take it personally.

Thankfully, I may have reached my limit in the effects of beats and am hopefully concentrating on playing a decent game, although I do slip out of it now and again (like tonight when card dead) but I am aware that it's my fault when I do go out and it's not really playing on my mind (other than the fact that I can't believed I pushed with the cards I did!)

I'm going to continue to play cash games, probably back to limit and after I earn my Silver level for next month on Stars, I'm going to try and play $2/$4 to earn the $600 bonus available on Full Tilt. Not sure why I'm so keen to save Silver on Stars, probably because I have it now and it seemed like one hell of a goal for me only 5 months ago, now I can earn it in a week with some good sessions. Anyway, I like being Silver and want to keep it, although playing on FT for a bit, it may go next month.

I'm going to definately try and win some more satellites. I like the idea of not spending hard cash and winning something worth having. I'm hoping for a nice roll of fpp's and W$ coming up and hopefully will save my real $'s for other occasions and small tourneys.

Nothing to report recently. I don't really think I've been as patient in tournaments as I should be, for example, with blinds of 75/150 and on 1150 in chips, I moved in (opportunity to get in first) with KJs. Unfortunately I ran in AK and an ace came on the flop, me out. Usual stuff really, I think in tourneys, I'm on a bad run, in cash , I must be betting weak because hands like J5s are beating my QQ when the 5 comes on the river, I just can't shake the loons off.

Bankroll going slowly down this week. I did win another 400 fpp tourney so it's another 4000 to the account but I'm in one at the moment and it's not going too well, I just can't get decent starting hands to match with the flop for hands like AK, and pocket pairs above 10's? Well, what are they?

Another royal flush though, nice to get, but only a half one and I didn't get any pay off. Not posting the hand (as Pokerhand is down again) but I held TcTd and the AKQJ of clubs all showed on the board.

In the mean time, I'll keep plugging away.

I've taken to satellite tournaments recently and a few days ago I won a sat in a 400 fpp to a 4000 fpp. With those I entered a 300 rebuy sat which I did nothing in, another 400 sat which I didn't win and my lastish bash was tonight in a 1000 fpp to an 8000 fpp sat for the Monte Carlo EPT. I've been short stacked all tourney but managed to hold in there. I've just been patient and waited and waited and I think finally, it's paid off. Didn't get any decent hands for ages then I managed to get pocket aces twice in a short period and went from being 17 out of 17 to chip leader! It's pretty crazy at the moment, if someone in 7 th doubles up, he'll be chip leader. I'm currently 2nd out of 14 (12 spaces) and am not playing a hand unless I have too!

Well the bubble to 13th (for 1000fpps) seemed to last forever but it happened, then the proper bubble so we'd be left with the 12 went pretty quick, but we made it - another 8000 fpp.

Happy days.

Right, no more miserable bastard from me. It's been grim the last few days so I'm not going to moan anymore. I don't like getting bad beats but moaning isn't going to help. I'll find the venting thread on Hattrick and post them there - that will do. I feel better after a moan about them so I have to do it somwhere and as the missus doesn't care, it's got to be the net.

Going to play some stt's to get my bankroll back up a bit. Yesterday

$5 stt's

2 x wins, 1 x 3rd, 1 x bubble, 1 x nothing

$10 stt

1 x 2nd

Just got another Royal, nlhe this time

But it doesn't just happen to me

Why does it keep happening? I'm not complaining for the sake of it, but it's happening all the time. It's the only hand I've had in this tourney and have only made a few calls and ended up folding, other than that, I've been blinded down to 800 odd chips.

% of winning preflop
me - 65%
him - 35%

% of winning flop
me - a whopping 85%
him - 13 %
draw - 2 %

% of winning on turn
me - 85%
him - 15%

So why do I keep losing these? I wouldn't have minded if an ace had come up but it's always to shitty outs for my opponant.

also, this is the 2nd time (out of two tourneys I've played today) that I've gone out like this, something similar happened earlier which I didn't bother posting about because it's getting a bloody miserable place to be at the moment.

Also, I don't care about if it happens 5 times, I'll win 4 of them - I'm not winning 4 of them at the moment, it's bollocks. Please give me my 4 in a row now before hitting me in the goolies again.

Somethings are going well though. The sat with the QT incident, I managed, through good solid poker to make it though. It was touch and go for a while with me running 20 out of 21, then 18 out of 18, but then two average stacks went for it and I scrapped though - 4000 fpp thank you very much.

Also the QQ hand with the KKK community cards is going well too. Currently on 8.3k in 50 out of 80 and there is 58 seats in the VIP monthly $100k freeroll.

I do actually think I'm an ok player. When I get busted out, most of the time, it's either making a move and running into a monster (earlier had to move in a Laddies tourney with T9s and ran into KK) or a beat as posted previously. OK the QQ one, I was lucky to hit trips, but I'm sticking by that KKK on the flop/turn/river is a real cooler.

Made it!

With blinds of 1.5k/3k and me on 1.4k in chips, I made it through to the $100k freeroll!

Not a totally bad night, overcame my bad beats and still qualified in the tourneys that they happened in.

Oh and again

In all seriousness, I may have to quit Stars, I seem to be on a roll of losing to amazing community cards. The latest example is from the 400 fpp to the 4000fpp EPT sat. Flop was called for pot odds really, 2.7/1 isn't that bad in the early stages but KK on the river to give the chancer with A7 the hand is taking the piss.

I'm trying to work out if I play better on other sites than Stars and that's the reason why I'm on an a downward spiral there, but things like this just don't help me. Perhaps I haven't played enough on other sites to have a fair analysis of hands yet, but at the moment, I'm pretty upset with the site.

Average night really. Went out of the $50 $25k guaranteed on Stars with AA against a TTT board and matey held QTo. Played on a cash table and lost my buy in when someone with AT kept calling my pot sized bets on a QJ4 flop (I had QJ) and then the 7 turn and got lucky when the K came on the river. Few hands later he kept calling again for a straight (gutshot) and hit on the river again! Had 2 pairs in both but couldn't shake him so I decided to cut my losses for the night there.

Played the $18 rebuy on Blonde and made the money though, $235 (I think) so it pays for the night. I may give Stars a miss for a bit, I can't seem to do much there at the moment. I'm going to give cash games a miss for a bit for sure and I think I'll just play tourneys. It's nice to have Silver status on Stars but it doesn't do much for me. The VIP FPP freerolls are usually at bad times for me and I'm not sure what else I actually get out of it. The points are ok, but I don't really know what I'm going to do with them. I'd like the Canon EOS camera but it's 54,000 and I'm only on 9.5k so it's miles off, so I think I'll let my Silver status go this month, although I am only 598 points away from it - that's only 2/3 good nights cash playing really, trouble is I don't want to lose any more money! Actually thinking back, it was PL I lost at tonight, NL I can just bet more and he'd piss off hopefully. Maybe I'll take a couple of days off the cash and see how I get on. I was going to work the FT bonus off this month so it would be a shame to give up completely.

I quite like the $20k on Tribecca. If I can get through the rebuy cheaply, then I'm well away. It's the tourney I had my biggest cash on earlier in the year and the decent cash tonight all helps. Perhaps I'll play it more often and see how we go.

The new year started off ok. 3rd day and I'm a third of the way to retaining silver already and I have worked off the bonus requirement too!

I had made a slight profit for the games too, probably a couple of hundred up which I was well happy with.

Tonight started off badly with my KK preflop raise to $8 being called by A5 off suit and then I lost a buy in when he obviously called my bet on the 243 flop. I had grinded most back and got up to $140 on one table and $40 on the other. Then I lost the biggest pot I've ever lost

Shit, I've just bust out of the $5 rebuy to some wanker that had too many chips and liked his Jack Two Sooted to much.

A night of beats and annoyance. I'll be over it tomorow. Good job I got that $150 bonus because it's gone already!

Happy New Year.

edit: Two hands have gone my way. My $40 table was down to $20 and I hit trip 5's and got paid off, back to $40, then this hand paid off
I was pushing it with the flush draw and wasn't risking it again on the turn. When he raised on the river, I thought I'd blown it but thankfully he didn't have anything to worry about. I'm not so sure I played it that well though to be honest.

lol and the guy that's paid me off then has just done it again for another $20. Back up to $100. At least I can go to bed happier now!

Edit again: Pleased, really pleased. My last hand of the night and I get AA utg! I'm only hoping for a couple of dollars extra and would have been pleased if I just took the blinds really (it's been one of those nights!) but thankfully I got paid off again. I was pleased the guy with the big stack got out, I was a bit worried about losing all my cash to him and leaving with nothing but once he folded, I was still leaving with $60 minimum.

Anyway, finished the whole night only down about $50 from cash games, pretty bloody good considering. Shame about the losses though, I'd have been up about $300 otherwise! Not arguing though, it's been a great finish.