An update at last

Its been ages since my last update. Poker went well in April and May online, then i had a month off during Vegas. The last 4-6 weeks have been pretty bad. I'm sure i've been on the positive side of variance for most of the time i've played online, but i've run terrible recently. I've become obsessed my Poker Tracker 3 and it just tilts me so much now when i play a session where i run $50k below EV.

I'm at a weird stage with poker really. I can't be bothered to play small, as grinding doesn't really change my financial position at all. With all my money i've tied up in a couple of houses, i can't afford to play big and lose. Bleh... so if someone out there wants to bankroll me for $100/$200+ action on Full Tilt i'm open to offers :-). I'm up $2 million ish in the last 2 years with my current backer at 25/50 - 50/100.

I've also lost my Poker Tracker and the 300,000 odd hands i had on my computer. I had a major problem with it and had to restore it to its original state to fix the problems. I thought i'd saved the hands on an external disk drive, but obviously not. I'm pretty gutted about that. Someone also just keyed my Audi R8 as well for the second time this year - arrrrrrggggghhhh

Not sure when i'll next update the blog. I'm in two minds about retiring it. If i start playing big i'll update again.....

Veeeegas

Only a few weeks now before i fly to Vegas. I'm staying at Encore and plan playing 5 or 6 of the bigger buy in events, not staying for the main, so i'll have to buy some percentages in some friends.

Hardly been playing at all online. Its been going well when i have, and i've been playing smaller (25/50 down to 10/20), as the games are so much easier than even 50/100. I've been running at about 25 big blinds/100 HU in the last six weeks, which pretty unsustainable, but very enjoyable while it lasts.

I've put/am putting a huge chunk of my bankroll into a house in London that i'm doing a full refurb on (basement, gym, cinema room, bar etc). That money will never be going back into the poker communuty :-) ... organising the work that needs doing is far more stressful than poker has ever been. Its a pretty steep learning curve, and i hope the place will be awsome when its finished in around a year. So many decisions to make......

I really now can't afford to go on a high six figure downswing now, but i think its refocused me and i'm playing good at the moment. A big tournament score would be amazing at the moment. Fingers crossed.....

Random Stuff

This post may be a bit waffly.....

I played the SCOOP $5k PLO... no good. I got it all in on the turn with top two and open ender, against middle two and two flush draws, river a flush... pretty standard really. I skipped the $10k main, the time zone for Euro players is terrible unless you get into a rhythm of staying up all night, and i would have begun to tire only 5 hours into the tourney, which would have made it extremely tough to do well.

Getting into the zone. For me anyway, there is such a difference in how i play after i've had a shower, gone to the gym and eaten before i even consider playing. Often my worst days are when i roll out of bed and start playing before i've even grabbed a glass of water. I'd love to see the actual stats, but the difference it makes is huge.

I read the poker forums a bit, but thats about the only poker stuff i ever read. I don't have a HUD (i think thats the term)... don't even know what it is really. I've never read a poker strategy book, i've never studied statistics on my opponents, and never sat out/quit a player even when they have beaten me over a decent sample. I'm a pretty competitive person, and i hate to lose so much at anything, that sitting out against someone just seams so weak so i never do it. I wander if i'd be a much better player if i spent hours studying hand histories, had a HUD running etc. I don't really get how all the big game selectors expect to get any better if they never even play anyone competant.

Durrrr challenge. I've actually considered giving this a go.... the offer of $1.5 million if i beat him, compared to paying out $500,000 is really appealing. I'd definitely do it if i could sell a big enough percentage. I'd guess the worse case scenario would be losing $2 million ish, then having to pay up $500k. I'm way to much of a bankroll nit to take the chance of that kind of loss. It would be interesting, i'm not ruling it out under the right circumstances.

An Upswing

Online poker has been going much better in the last month. Below is the graph of my year so far. I had a really frustrating first 10,000 hands this year, but its been going alot better since that. I've been sticking to a stringent $40k a day stop loss in the last month, which i think has helped my results and sanity alot....

Monte Carlo

Got back from Monte Carlo a couple of days ago...

Played the main event. Had the best starting table anyone could imagine in a 10k euro buy in event. Finished Day 1 with 58k ish chips. There were three terrible players on the table. Limp calling 3 bets with Q6 off, and crazy stuff like that. It was a race to get their chips.

Second day i busted level 2 all in pre with KK v TT. T was the door card and that was that. You can't push on and do well in these big events if you can't win those.

Other than that, Monte Carlo was great. Weather for once was amazing throughout. Had some good meals. Lost credit card roulette for 3 meals with 6 people, 5 people and 5 people. 150/1 to lose all three FML. Needless to say everyone enjoyed me losing them all immensely.

Vegas is only 6 or so weeks away, and i'll be playing about 8 events there i guess....

Everything changes

There were times many times over the last five years of playing online PLO, that i felt unbeatable. I never played nosebleeds, apart from the odd tilt shot, and was happy getting the lot at $50/$100. I used to win maybe 7/10 days, and i once remember a streak of 28 winning days. The easy days seem over for the time being.

There are many problems with the games at the moment. Online HU PLO has become full of "game selectors", basically nits that sit around all day waiting for one or two super fish. They don't even play the bad regulars....

The games are dry on the Euro sites, and most of the players on Full Tilt who will play me HU $50/$100 or higher are at least competent. I don't have the patience to sit around for 8 hours waiting for a fish to arrive.... so often end up playing big winners.

This is a bit of a rambling post. Anyway, i'm not losing this year, but my goals have drastically changed. I'll be ecstatic if i make $1 million this year in online poker, i have very little chance of the $10 million online poker graph i was aiming for by the end of 2010. I will get there before i retire though.....

Just kinda bored of poker at the moment, though i am looking forward to Monte Carlo and Vegas. Maybe i'll luckbox some tournament and love poker again

Tech Help

I need some computer advice.

Basically i have a decent set up. Computer/two giant monitors. I have major problems with my connection. It lags all the time/often disconnects. My main computer is wireless through a Belkin dongle. I have two wireless providers BT and Sky.... whichever i'm connected to i get the same issues.

Anyone recommend a company that can give me a 100% reliable connection? Even if it means getting my set up wired in/paying alot of money. Disconnections cost me a fortune.

February Update

February has been a bit better than January, at least i'm up for the year now. I seem to have slipped into winning and losing on alternate days which is very frustrating, as its hard to get a run going. Every time i win $100k i seem to lose it the next day, i'm sure the run good will return sometime soon.

Some of the hands that tilted me lately....

Must be nice to run like Cole South

Well played Durrrr

Hmmmmmm

I'm off skiing next week, then Berlin for the EPT.... after that San Remo and Monte Carlo, and even the WSOP in Vegas doesn't seem that far away.

New Year

Haven't posted for about six weeks or so, i pretty much took most of December off apart from a profitable drunken session at midnight on Xmas Eve when i didn't remember any hands....

I'm slowly getting back into playing. I find the desire/motivation you need to win at high stakes in this game burns a little less than it did a few years ago, after five years of doing any job i guess thats inevitable.

I've been having $50-$100k swings at 25/50 and 50/100 PLO games which is pretty standard for me. I've made a sluggish start to 2010 running about $150,000 below EV. I had two disasterous sessions where i won a total of 7/40 odd all ins, when i should have won around 22/23... hopefully i'll save my run good for when i start hitting 100/200 again.

A few people suggested my $7.8 million PLO graph was fake. Of course, yes its possible to purge sessions on Poker Tracker, but to this day i've never purged a single session. Below is a screenshot of my worst 11 sessions which total about $800k is losses... with my profit still at $7,695,980






















I've been looking at the various EPT's coming up and have decided to play Berlin and Monte Carlo. I've already booked my room for the WSOP, and always look forward to the annual trip to Vegas in the summer.

My next blog i promise to analyse some hands because i haven't done that for ages.....

End of year stuff

I played the $25000 HU PLO Championship on Full Tilt. I was on tilt before i even played it, because i was in a $500 satelite for a free seat, which i made the final of, and got all in on a coin flip when i had a 3.8k/2.2k chip lead, and didn't end up getting the seat. This happened less than 5 minutes before the start of the tournament, which wasn't good timing.

I then played Harrington25. He played like a super nit, limping every button etc. Plus he showed every bluff, and i admit, i was tilted. I ended up going out with two pair v bottom set. People can play how they want i guess, but i was looking forward to some fun matches, which wasn't what i got....

I know its a bit early to early to do my end of year review, but i'm taking the rest of the year off, so i may as well. My aims at the start of the year were:

- Win $2 million+ online
- Win $500k+ in tourneys
- Cash in a WSOP event in Vegas
- Get involved in some 500/1000 action
- Have a winning year staking
- Play 25000 hands minimum at 100/200+

I only managed the two aims i highlighted. I kind of feel like i've had a bad year at poker, but i had a really good first seven months, followed by a very bad few months in September and October, which i had my worst downswing, which i since just about recovered. The highlight of the year was getting 3rd in the WSOP $2500 event for $150,000.

Time for some graphs.

50/100 Lifetime

Total Lifetime Omaha

I'm pretty shocked by my lifetime Omaha graph shows me $7.8 million up. I added a bunch of aliases from old Crypto days like 4 years ago, which i hadn't used in my results before, which put about $500k on to the total. I must also be around a $500k loser on various laptops when away on poker trips and holidays. It's pretty sick because i'm wandering where all my money has gone......

Time for some aims for next year.

- Update my blog more
- Reach $10 million in lifetime winnings
- Win a WSOP or EPT event
- Play more on Full Tilt

- Try and not play so badly so often

- Not lose over $100k in a day (unless playing 200/400+)

Heads Up $25000 PLO Championship

This is on later. Hopefully i can run better than last year when i won my first two matches, then bubbled for $93000 when i had my opponent down to 1k to my 11k... then i ran bad.

I remember now why i don't play on Full Tilt. I deposited and have since sat with around 10 people who have all sat out. Not so long ago everyone played everyone in PLO, now its as bad as NL Hold'em with a load of players just sat not playing anyone, especially on the US sites.

Doh

Haven't updated for ages.... had a huge downswing about six weeks ago and just about dug myself out of it.

I've reached some conclusions about online PLO at the moment. The players who were bad a while ago (2/3 years ago), are now average/good. The good players are now very good, the very good players are excellent etc. 10/20 - 25/50 is still pretty easy to beat, but i don't have the motivation to play those stakes anymore. 50/100 100/200 is very tough now. I rarely get to play players i think i have a massive edge on, most of the time i'm battling with top top players. To beat these players you need to have insane discipline, always play your best, never tilt, have a stringent stop loss, not play drunk etc

The last six months i've had bad discipline, tilted very easy, no stop loss, often played my C game, tried to win too quickly because i can't be bothered in having long sessions. I'm lucky that i've managed to win over the last six months really. I've had like 6-8 £100k+ losing days, which at the stakes i play is very hard to get back.

Anyway i haven't got any tournaments on the horizon, i may got to the PCA as i've never been before. Going to have some time off online, got some holidays coming up, and December is always a busy month.

WSOPE bleh

WSOPE was a wipeout... in the HA i lost two flips, in the Omaha i lost a chunk to Dave Shallow in a pretty standard hand, and tilted off the rest. In the main event, i thought i played pretty good, my biggest pot i won was calling a 9k river bet with Ac6c on a 9cKc2s4dKd board, and it was good. I lost with KK three times, and then flipped for a decent stack against Jason Mercier with JJ v AK and busted. I ran good in % swaps and buys so recouped my £17500 outlay.

I'm playing EPT London on Saturday and may play some live cash. I haven't played so much online because i've been tilting like a monkey when i've played, so its best to have a bit of time off. I normally have two bad months a year so hopefuly January and September are the lot for the year :-)

WSOPE

Cool its almost time for some decent tourneys in London... i'm playing the £2.5k HA, £5k PLO and the £10k NL main event. I haven't played a tourney since Vegas so looking forward to it. I was going to play some of the WCOOP's but the structure is too slow and boring. The $2k Omaha you start with 10k chips and blind 10/20 and a 30 minute clock... complete snooze fest. 500bb deep in Omaha, there is no need.... plus the timing means it all nighters in the UK.

Online has just been like usual. Daily $50k swings... hopefully the action will pick up in the next few months. I'm going to have a couple of weeks off to chill while the WSOPE and EPTs are on. No point in playing a £2500 event after i've been up all night and lost £50k.

Boredom Zzzzz

Ych i remember when (midnight UK time), i could just fire up my accounts on various sites and be playing 2/3 games within a few minutes. It seems 50/100 100/200 PLO, has less and less players, and even those who are about are just nits who sit around for a few people, who they deem super fishy.

The one thing i have never done in poker is permanently quit a player who wants to play me Heads Up. I guess that’s why it’s so tilting to sometimes see 4/5 people that i’d happily play, and they just sit out and say No Thanks... right now there is one person sitting on Betfair at 50 100 (who doesn’t play anyone) and not one person on Full Tilt. I can’t even be bothered to sit down, as i often have to wait hours for a game.

Surely anonymous tables, where you can just choose a name before you sit down could create action for regulars.

Rant Over...

I’ve been doing good since i got back apart from that. Up $100k ish on Betfair and level on Full Tilt. This pot against Gus earlier was fun.....

Looking forward to breaking the online grind to play the WSOPE, EPT and some of the WCOOP events. Its cool to be able to play 7/8 big tournaments without having to travel.

Action time

Seems ages since i last played... well three weeks is a pretty long break. I'm to to concentrate on playing mainly Full Tilt, and maybe stop being a nit and have a bash at the 200/400 and 300/600 games that have been going if i run ok at the medium stakes.

September/October also has a bunch of live tournaments that i'm going to play, so hopefully i'll update the old blog a bit more often!

Just got sent a link to an article about me in Inside Poker

Not much news

July has been a bit grim pokerwise. I'm pretty much even for the month, having been down about £200,000 at one point. I've been running terribly in $40,000+ pots, which are obviously crucial when you mainly play 25/50 50/100 stakes.

August will be a slow month as well as i'm having a few weeks off. Then it will be full steam ahead into EPTs and the WSOPE.... bring them on!

Also please don't message me in the comments offering advertising or anything rubbish like that.... :-)

2009 so far

I just got around to doing my graphs for 2009 (there are even some downswings on these ones) to see how i was doing at the half way mark in the year. I'm actually doing better than i expected, and feel like i've had a pretty tough year. I guess its because i didn't do too great between Jan-March, but since then things have been going mostly well. I'm also not enjoying poker as much as i used too, but i guess that inevitable after playing alot for the last 5 years.

2009 so far

50 100 in 2009

25 50 in 2009

TiltMeNot

Sick... entered day two 6th in chips in the PLO. I had a fun pot that would have put me massive chip leader on over 400,000 when i held J9xx v 8TJJ v 8TKA on a 8TQ flop after alot of preflop action. The case J hits the turn and back door diamonds came, as well to make sure i lost the main pots and side pots. TILT.

I fought back up to 220,000. Then i called a 12k raise with TdQhQdKh against two opponents. Flop came T75 rainbow and it was checked round to me. I checked. Turn the Kd to give me top two, and second best flush draw. Guy who raised pre now bets the pot of over 40k. I reraise the pot and we get it all in. He has KKxx .... no one outer K to get me involved, and i'd still have chips.

I steam won $40,000 online to make my tilt factor a 7/10, rather than the 9.5/10 it was!

GG Vegas, fly home tomorrow.....

Last Vegas chance

I've got the $10k PLO in a few hours, which is my last tournament at this years WSOP.

I've played a couple since my last update. In the $5k PLO i went Ace cracking with 48TQ DS and saw a great 445 flop and was quickly all in v AAxx. Turn the A to send to to the rail - tilt. I also played one of the $2k NL donkfests and was up to 20000 in chips when i held AK v KK on a K45 flop, which i couldn't get away from.

I've hardly played online at all, and i've enjoyed the break. I plan on playing some bigger stakes online as soon as i get home.