I'm not sure how it happened, but I managed to win the blonde/Virgin league last night and with it a seat in the Blackpool GUKPT. I don't have anything specific to say about the game as I didn't really do much. One key hand I was all in for my last 420 chips on 200/400 blinds and somehow won a pot with king high against two other people which helped.

These league events have been great fun and it's been a pleasure to have such a great team for the competition. We all had great results over the past few months and with the exception of last month, have always been in contention. To Ripple, Sheriff, Moskvich and apart from the last month, Maldini, it's been a pleasure to be on the same team as you all. I'll do my best in Blackpool and will bring you home something, even if it's just a stick of rock!

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't gutted. In fact, I don't think I've ever been a bit disappointed having won over $1000 in an evening. Hell, I've only done it once before and that was last Sunday!

The reason for my disappointment was the poor showing in the last event of the Blue Sq league. I only managed 12th but I don't think there was anything I could have done about it. I was dealt two nice hands all tournament. Firstly AKo utg. I flat called but the next to act raised to 360. Blinds were only at 40/80 so there was no need to panic yet and after calling and losing with AKs the other day, I chose to fold. The total rubbish came my way until I had only 400 chips left. The blinds increased to 150/300 and I saw JJ so I shoved them in....along with AA, TT and 66. 66 took the pot after hitting trips and my GUKPT quest was over. Matey I needed to finish above went on to finish 6 and take the seat.

On the plus side, I did get 2nd spot which is good for $500. I also cashed in the Mansion $150k for $495 and made the money in the Stars lottery $10 $100k.

Overall though, it was a great night. The second week in a row I've collected more than $1000 which is amazing.

I'm not sure I'm destined to qualify for a major live poker tournament. Without a doubt, I was in the driving seat for two seats to the GUKPT but sort of blew the blonde league one last Tuesday but was in good shape in the Blue Sq league. Last night I settled down to the $5 rebuy PLO penultimate BSQ event, the APAT mtt, the blonde penultimate event and was also scheduled to play in the $50 rebuy on Mansion. All going ok when I recieved a call from my best mate. He became a father for the first time over the weekend, but the poor wee fella has jaundice quite badly and has been taken back to hospital. Anyway he called to see if I fancied a pint or two as he didn't want to be alone really and just wanted a chat. Obviously I went but sadly that was it for the tourneys. Thankfully I managed to double up in the blonde one and blinded out in 8th, but the APAT one did nothing and the Blue Square one I blinded out in 20th. The unfortunate thing being that the one person in the league I didn't want to do well either, won the event and I think we're now level on points with one event left and now it's really all to play for, but to be honest, I'm not feeling that confident either. I've seen a lovely 22 point lead vanish in two or three events.

I have my own Mastercard advert

3 tickets to The Tweenies - £45
Parking, petrol and food - £22
Time out to drive to oxford and back - 2.5 hours
Heather deciding she really didn't like the Tweenies live from the 1st minute - priceless :(

Yep, as soon as they came on stage, she didn't like it and bless her, she was really upset about it too. She did manage to make it to the interval though when she whispered "can we go home now" all sadly again, so we left. We were talking to another Mum with her children and she said they either love it or hate it. It's apparently common for the children to hate it live and in fact there were quite a few kids crying in the theatre. I enjoyed what we saw anyway! Obviously we finished early so Amber decided that, well, she asked and I said yes, to a visit to John Lewis on the way home. Mistake No 1. By the end of that, I was shopped out. Then it was off to Asda, Mistake No 2. We spent 20 mins finding a parking space (this is a bad sign) 10 minutes shopping and half a bloody hour in a queue to pay. I hate Asda, it ranks higher up my hate list than Ikea, it's just a grotty place.

Thankfully I'm home now. Hoping to go to the cinema tonight.

Just give me a break!!!

Made the final table of the Blue Sq event tonight but was so card dead it was unbelievable. It didn't help having the chip leader immediately to my left who had a habit of calling raises and raising calls. When I finally decide I have to make a stand, it folds to me on the button with 76 but the BB had AK and I'm out in 7th. It's just annoying watching people go in massive underdogs and lucking out when I can't even get decent hole cards, yet alone luck out. The one time I do, I run into a monster.

Also dropped $100 playing cash. KK v AA for most of it but 99 v 87s for the rest. Matey just couldn't fold middle pair no kicker on the flop and when he hit trips on the river, I of course paid him off. I hate cash games. If it weren't for the promo, I wouldn't bother.

Right Blue bloody Square. I'm still leading the league and thee's two events to go. I'm going to be so pissed off if I lose out. Doesn't help that there's still 3 people at the table I could have done with finishing above. Now my lead will be cut again.

Well it was for me anyway. It was the final event of the week in the Blue Square league - a $25 freezeout with $500 added and I managed to take it down for $540. I was very pleased with my 3 way and heads up game play. It's quite often been a weakness of mine. I was short stacked when there was three left but I made some great plays (even if I do say so myself) and managed to become the CL when it was heads up and didn't really look back. I managed to continue my aggression and took it down. This extends my lead at the top of the league with only 5 events to go. I'm easily catchable so I must make sure I have some more good results this week. I'm determined to win the GUKPT seat in either this or the Blonde poker league.

Also made 79th in the Mansion $110k for $405, not to bad considering I was freerolling into it. I lost one key hand in this with KK against 99 and AQ. The pot would have moved me into 2nd but the ace showed on the flop and I was down to dangerous levels, but I held on through the bubble and somehow lucked 79th. Incidentally, I noticed Zpaceman just missed out of the money. I guess he wasn't fussed about just squeezing in like me, but nice to notice him. I'd have watched him for a bit had I noticed earlier, it was only when I was watching for other shorties I noticed him.

Also made a bit on the cash tables tonight and I think it's the most money I've made in one night for me tonight. I'm certainly pleased with my results tonight. So pleased with taking down the Blue Sq event, even if it was only a low runner tournament, the points mean lots to me (as does $540!)

Nothing too exciting to report about tonights league happenings. We're still top of the blonde poker league. Didn't have a great set of results tonight but two of us made the FT so we did ok. We're 31 points clear with 3 events to go so it's all going down to the wire.

I think I have moved top in the Blue Square league after my 5th (again) in the PLO rebuy. I was a bit disappointed with my exit hand as I even called his hand. I had AKT9 on a AKJ flop and basically didn't let go. Needless to say he had the QT and my hand didn't improve. That said, if I'd won the hand, I'd have been Chip Daddy. It was a bad push by me though, I had plenty of chips. Still, I think as things panned out, I should move top with 6 events to play. Hopefully I'll get a win soon, I'd like to cement the top prize!

I'm sort of running good again at the moment. Even though I still think they are an excellent way of building a bankroll, I've decided against playing the turbo sats. I've failed in too many recently and I'm not sure the turbo structure is my game at the moment. This brought me back to normal length tournaments and so far it's not going too bad. Blonde Poker run a team competition each month in conjunction with Virgin. Top prize is for the person in the winning team with least points (low scores are good) is entered in to the GUKPT for that month and we're currently top of the league with 4 events left and I'm top of our team. I'm not getting overly excited yet because I've been in this situation a couple of months ago with one game left, then I ran aces into 10's who hit twice on the flop, then JJ into 44 who hit 4's on the flop - that was my GUKPT dreams over - two bad beats away from going. Still, this month, I'm more focused.

Blue Sq also run a league with entry and I decided to have a bash at this a week or so ago mainly for the added money they put in, but I've played 5 events and made 4 final tables so far. I'm not going to be far of leading that either when tonights points are added. Not sure how many events are left in that, but I'll keep playing them. Aside from the lovely bonus prizes (entry for 1st, money for 2nd, 3rd & 4th) they're turning in to a nice little earner

I'm still plugging away for the Mansion promo. Playing cash right now and was down a buy in and a half after playing only 3 hands in about an hour, but thankfully someone decided pocket 2's were monsters against my AA and doubled me up then paid me off again on a bluff when I had trip 3's. He's just gone from about $140 to $30 (this is only at NL50) from playing like a donkey!

God bless the fish.

Betting

hmmmm rubbish. I did give up and unless Ernie wins, I'll probably be giving up again. I seem to back things that lose a lot. This week, I've lost a bit on Taylor losing to the unknown Gray in the Darts and also tonight had over 2.5 goals in the U21 match. I wouldn't mind so much but it's not like I was making a fortune if they came in, they were such short odds. I really don't know why I bother anyway, I can make more money playing poker than betting the odd few quid here and there. I just like to have winning bets, the amount doesn't really matter, I just can't help it.

That said, I'm not betting like I was before. I've managed to kick that habit - stupid one goal or more bets, trying to trade the (rigged) tennis, all -EV in the long run for me.

It's a weakness, it's probably not too good for me. I'd say I'd stop, but I know I'll have something on Engand v Estonia and again in the Russia game midweek, then it's back to the Premiership/other leagues. I only punt for small change though - that's my only defence.

Neverends!

Not so good is the answer :D

Probably the most enjoyable betting idea I had was to be on every market Betfair offered. I started at the top and worked my way down. I didn't actually make it that far but it was fun. Stuff like Pelota turned in to a nice earner compared to the football bets and I know nothing about it! I didn't even know what it was at the time, but it was interesting looking into things like that - bandy was another one, it was a good 'project' and one I may do again, if I get the urge to deposit again!

My grand plan went horribly wrong last week. It was one of those weeks where nothing goes right and you just suffer bad beat after bad beat.

I thought I'd have a bash at the live APAT event, partly to get my mind of the bad form on line but also to play live again as it's been a while. I thought that the seats for the APAT were going to sell out quickly so wanted to make sure that I was up there in time, as it turned out, an hour before the casino opened which I had to spend dodging the traffic warden. Got in, got registered and the massive queue turned out to only be 4 people and registering wasn't a problem. Pint and lunch later, and I'm back for the game, along with 47 others. Won't bother rushing next time!

Started off quite loose, making a few iffy calls here and there, but managed to grab hold of myself and tighten up after only spending 400 of the 3000 chips. Patience seemed to pay off when a bit later I was dealt AA and managed to get it all in against an Aussie guy who had 99. The 9 on the flop didn't help me much and I was down to under half my chips. Picked up a few more small pots and at the first break, I was just over the starting stack at 3500. Tried to steal a few blinds after another level but it didn't come to much, then I had QQ and made a standard 3xBB raise to 600. It left me 1400 back and the BB decided to put me in for the rest of it. Obviously I called and was quite pleased when he flipped 66. The flop of Q78 made me smile even more, but the turn of 9 and the river T soon wiped that off my face and also took all my chips and dumped me out.

Lady luck was continuing to piss on me and even by escaping to the Vic didn't help.

The misery continued that night at home and again on Sunday. Actually last night I was pretty low about the whole poker thing. I think I've lost to more hands like the last one at the Vic this week than ever before all added up, it all seems to be going wrong.

The last of my T$ went on the $22 with one rebuy and add on last night where my AK was beat by A9 who hit 4 clubs to match is 9c. Fired up a couple of $4 180 man sng's and did nothing in one, but the turning point was getting 18th in the other. Yes it was only 18th and I only got double the buy in back, but it proved that I can make the money still and more importently, it was my first cash in about a week!

But, my post isn't to moan, mearly to embrace the situation. I woke this morning, not dreading poker, but looking forward to it again. I think I need to avoid rebuys on Stars for now because I can't afford them and I also need to steer clear of turbos for now. Not sure what I'll do on Stars, but it will have to involve proper length tourneys.

Onwards and upwards. We'll get there, it's just going to take a little bit longer.

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: 5360029

Started on the new scheme to build my fortune and take the poker world by storm last night but sadly it wasn't as exciting as I had first hoped. It was a couple of hours before my cheap rebuys were due to start and just about to start was the $10 rebuy to the nightly $162 comp - easy eh! Well, there were 22 spots available and the bottom line is that I came 26th! I ended up all in on my BB with 72o and if that wasn't bad enough, I had hit two pair on the cards but someone hit trip 5's and that was that. Not really sure I could have done much more about the tourney but the main error was spending 1/4 of my current Stars roll on a tourney. Thankfully I made the grade in one of my usual events later on and made a slight profit for the day, albeit a small one.

On another site I'm playing, I managed to qualify for three nice tourneys this week. They run a promo where the highest rakers in the previous week get entry to two $100 events and a $50 rebuy, although it's only the initial buy in paid for this. Somehow I qualified last week and made $100 playing 50NL. The first event is tonight so a cash would be nice. I did this before back in April/May time and managed to get around $1000 from the whole experience so I'd be pleased if I could do the same again this time. Played some more 50NL there last night to try and qualify for next week. I only sit down with $30 and really only play premium hands, literally, the top hands, and I still managed to get around $60 for my troubles. I think I played about 4 hands last night starting with AJs from the BB. I'd blinded down from my $30 to $25 and was dealt the AJ. UTG+2 raised to $1.50 and it all folded to him so I called for the extra buck, two spades for the flush draw and an ace on the board saw me crack his pocket kings and take about $25 for my troubles. Next hand I have pocket aces in the CO. Crazy loose man raises UTG to $2.5 (standard from him), Someone else raises to $6.50 so I just repop to $20. I'd have been happy to take the cash here but crazy loose man pushes for all my stack, matey that raised to $6.5 folds and I obviously make the call and thankfully take the pot as his AQo are no match! Clearly he'd not been watching me fold fold fold for about an hour. I also took a couple smaller pots and called it a night when the satellite I was playing finished.

This promo is great for me and I know that buying in short isn't recommended but to be honest, I don't care. The main aim for me is to qualify for the following weeks tourneys and I play when I'm playing other tourneys so it works out nice enough.