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.

Back in action

After my third in the HA $2500 event i haven't even been to the Rio, as i've been entertaining family and friends. I still have three more PLO tournaments for the rest of the trip ranging from a $2500 - $10000 event. Hopefully i'll run deep in one of them, i'm looking forward to playing again.

I'll also probably drag myself into some high stakes live cash game before i go home as well just for the experience.

Vegas

A few hours ago i finished 3rd in the $2500 HA (half Pot Limit Hold'em/Pot Limit Omaha), for around $140,000. My bustout hand was pretty grim getting all in pre with AAA7 v JQK5 and the flop being 47T rainbow... i only had to fade runner runner. Anyway, i can't complain, i had my fare share of luck that you need to go deep in a tourney, and the guys who finished 1st and 2nd both played great. Got family and friends over so having a break for 10 days, then playing the three PLO tourneys, i'll see what i can do in them!

200k Day

I had one of my best ever sessions yesterday winning around $200k.... mostly playing 200/400 HA on Full Tilt. Highstakes database has me as a $90k loser in 2009 on Full Tilt, when i fact i'm up close to $400k... guess they don't track most of my sessions, and they missed yesterdays one too.

Its cool to book a big win before Vegas as well.... i kind of wish i'd gone out to play the $40k NL, but 3 weeks in Vegas is long enough, hopefully i can run good in one of the PLO events.

A few hands...

Get it in good in $100k pot

Set over set in another $100k pot

Catching a bluff

Not really sure about this one but i get away with it

$25k HU NL Championship

After my bubble bustout in the $25k PLO Championship a few months ago, i entered the $25k NL Championship a few nights ago.... i drew Brian Townsend in round 1

Here is my exit hand

Not sure if its standard to get on 150bb with KJ there...... hmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Been doing ok apart from that, my target to win $2 million online this year is looking a bit optimistic, unless i step up to 100/200 or bigger, i can't really be bothered with the stress, my $200k swings at 50 100 are fun enough.

Just a week till Vegas, so i guess my next update will be from there!

Swings

After losing the $300,000 in 36 hours a few weeks ago i've been running pretty hot, i'm up about $550,000 in two weeks. I've played from 50/100 to 300/600 in that time, and i've got some money on Full Tilt again and hopefully i won't bust me roll on there.

A few hands because i haven't posted any in a while....

Pretty easy call after good river card

Flop the wrap

Nice flop for my hand

One i lost - standard

Another i lost - This one was real tough. I three bet pre and flopped the second nuts, and i have two eights as blockers against the nuts. I think my play gets worse throughout the streets. I think folding the flop is a bit weak.... bleh i spewed on the river, but i guess i was check calling anyway....

Tough spot again - I full timebanked the river. I changed my mind so many times about calling in the thirty seconds i had to make a decision. In the end i decided he was capable of a three barrel with air, and getting over 5/2 on the river i made the call.

Fck my trainers

Well last Wednesday i went to the gym and realised i'd forgotten my trainers, so i went home to collect them. I had a quick look online and saw a new name with a big stack at 50 100 and decided to sit in.... 36 hours later i'd done $300k. Definitely my biggest loss in a short period i think, i ran insanely bad including 3 pots over $40k when i was over 85% favourite, i played pretty terribly too especially after i was about $150k down...... so ridiculous that if i'd never forgotten my trainers i wouldn't have played. Tilt.

Anyway, i spent the last week recovering and have got back about 80% of what i lost. The $300k loss threw my plans to chill before Vegas. Definitely no more sessions like that for a while!

WSOP 2009

Just a month to go till the WSOP now, and looking at the schedule i'll be playing the events below during my stay, i was going to play a bunch more but have family/friends over and don't really want to play whilst they are there.

June 3rd - $2500 Pot Limit Hold'em/Omaha
June 13th - $10000 Heads Up NL Hold'em
June 14th - $2500 PL Omaha
June 17th - $5000 PL Omaha
June 20th - $10000 PL Omaha

Yuck

Busted out of Monte Carlo with a set of Jacks all in on a 4TJ7 turn... and found 89. Sick cooler...

The next month i'm going to play a bunch online before Vegas, hopefully i'll go on a heater like i did this time last year. I also intend on playing some 500/1000 soonish as well.

Time for a graph to make me feel better. My lifetime PLO... well since Jan 2006 anyway.

On to Monte Carlo

I busted out in San Remo in the last level of day one. I was about average stacked and after just calling a raise preflop with QQ, i couldn't find a pass to a check raise on a J64 flop. My opponent had JJ, so even if i'd played my hand faster preflop i would have gone out anyway, as he wouldn't have folded it pre against me.

There was one amusing hand from earlier in the day. I called a bet of 600 when blinds were 100/200 with 7cTc and the flop came 4cQcQd. I checked to the Italian guy who opened, and he bet 1200. I had an 8k stack and didn't want to just call, so made it 4000. Obviously i'm committed now, and he shoves and i call. Expecting to see like 77-AA or maybe a higher flush draw, or a Q. He slams A8 off on the table and looks really pleased with his play, even though i'm a 54/46 favorite. The T peels of on the turn to leave him drawing to 2 outs, and he goes mad and storms off outside for like 15 minutes to cool off.

Apart from that Remo was ok. After an opening night out i managed to think i'd lost the 10k euro cash in a bar i had on me as we had a fairly heavy night. After turning my room upside down i gave up, only to return a few hours later and it was sat on top of my laptop. My cleaner got a nice tip!

Looking forward to Monte Carlo in a few days, the venue is my favorite place for playing poker anywhere, and i expect a huge field of 800+ runners. Hopefully i'll at least make day 2. I'll stay around anyway as there is some decent side events including a 5k euro PLO.

Remo

I'm off to San Remo in a couple of days for my first EPT event of the year, be nice to break the online grind anyway. I've been doing alot better lately, and am finally up a decent chunk on the year... been playing about 6 different sites and its good to mix it about. Must get some money back on Full Tilt soon!

I missed the two SCOOP events that i was going to play. Had uni mates down for the weekend, and was too knackered/hungover to even contemplate an all night tournament.

SCOOOP

I played my first NL Hold'em tourney in about 6 months, the $3k event on Pokerstars. I managed to cash, coming like 98/900 or something like that, going out with AK to Timex's AJ.... my key pot was losing AdQd v 99 all in pre for me to be top 5 in chips with 150 left.

It was so gruelling though staying awake to 8am, and playing for 10 hours, i'm not sure how the tournament pros can do it.

I'll probably play the $10k NL main event and the $2.5k NL HU, and depending on how my Omaha spin up goes on Stars, the $25k HU.

I just don't get Pokerstars sometimes. My deposit limit is set at $2k a day, and the hassle i have to go through just to get it increased by a few thousand $$ just isn't worth it. I'd probably play on there alot if i could deposit/withdraw $25k a day, like i can on every other site i play.

Finally, i can't get into the Royal Hotel in San Remo, as its full of Stars qualifiers, if anyone wants to sell me there room drop me a message here :-)

Its April

Wow this year has gone fast, and judging by my results so far i've got no chance of matching my $2.5 million+ year that i had last year, though i had a month off so it makes it even harder. Especially if i stick around the 25 50 and 50 100 level that i've been playing....

Obviously when i'm running good its all easy blah blah blah. My main problem is that i just don't have the patience anymore when i play these stakes. There isn't too much pain when i lose, and i don't give my opponents enough respect and try and beat them way too quickly, rather than wait for good spots. Probably playing my A game 30% of the time, then straight to D/E game oops.

Anyway i'm pretty excited about the next couple of months. I'm off to San Remo in a couple of weeks, then on to Monte Carlo for the EPT championship, then i'm going for my longest stint in Vegas for three weeks.

Next time i'll post some hands. I've got some fun 500bb pots, but i'm on my laptop so i'll have to search for them on my main computer.

Monthly Update :-)

Not much has been happening in terms of winning and losing... i've been playing 25/50 and 50/100 PLO when i've had chance, and had some time off to go skiing in Zermatt which was awsome.

I'm still on a pretty indifferent run, mainly due to not playing so good and running terribly in big pots. I think i've played 10 pots over $50k this year and lost 8. I was favorite in like 7 of them so if i'd won 5 or 6 of them i'd be having a decent year.

I'm pretty excited about the next few months anyway. I'm coming out of tournament retirement to play EPT San Remo and Monte Carlo. At Monte Carlo there is a 5000 Euro PLO tournament and a 25000 Euro high stakes event, so there will be some big money to play for.

I've also decided pretty much on my dates for the WSOP. I'm going to go for the middle bit (like the 8th-23rd) as there are a bunch of events that i want to play then, and i'm too lazy to hang around for the main event. Two weeks is enough time in Vegas anyway.

Lack of Updates

Hmmm well not that much has been happening lately. I'm running bad, but breaking even which i guess is ok. Its really frustrating to have a spell like this... but i guess i normally run good so its to be expected.

As soon as i start to do better i'm going to play some higher stakes, so hopefully the blog will become more interesting then.

Full Tilt is really tilting me at the moment. All the regulars sit out against me at 25/50 and 50/100 HU PLO which is kind of boring, because i give action to anyone. The Americans seem to have the tightest game selection ever....

Back

I've been back playing for about a week, and my year has started pretty good. I'm mainly playing 25 50 and 50 100, just till i get a decent chunk up on the year, then i'll play bigger... :-)

I've been four betting alot preflop lately, and its alot of fun and creates great action. I've had a $24k stack at 10/20, a $38k stack at 25/50, and a $50k stack at 50 100... though not much profit because it took me alot of buy ins to get them.

I see the schedule for my yearly donation at the WSOP has come out. I'll book to go out in the middle section for a few weeks as thats when most of the events i want to play are, i'll probably miss the $40k opening NL Hold'em event and the main event.

A few of the hands/luckboxes that i've played this year so far:

Couldn't put AKxx in his range so jammed river rather than called

oops

Not sure what i was doing, maybe it was jetlag

I also got randomly sent a link from the London Review of books here, which mentions me and Dave "Dubai" Shallow.....

New Year

Its been a while since i've posted and i've hardly played at all. Its been a long break from poker (maybe the longest since i started playing for a living), but i'm looking forward to starting again in the next week or so....

Hopefully i will get a lot of action at Heads Up and no one sits out against me :-)

I've also booked my hotels for EPT Copenhagen and Monte Carlo, so they will be my only tournaments in the first few months of the year!

End of Year stuff

I have virtually retired from playing for 2008, so thought i'd do my usual end of year review.

Here were my aims for 2008 that i blogged at the end 2007:

- Number one aim to practice better bankroll management and game selection. I will not allow myself to make the same mistakes that I did this year
- Play some high stakes cash games in Bobby’s room at the Bellagio

- Get luckier in tournaments fail
- Crush the big PL Omaha games online

- Have a winning year at NL Hold’em cash

- Play less poker fail
- Don’t lose over 50% of my bankroll in January as I have for the last two years.

Well 5/7 isn't too bad... Its been a really amazing year overall. I had just one small losing month. I lost over $50k a day 4/5 times this year. Whereas in 2007 it must have been around 10 times.

Tourneys sucked in 2008. I didn’t play many but i ran/played bad for most of the ones i played. Bubbling in the $25k Full Tilt Omaha tournament and coming 3rd in my Poker Million heat were the worst days.

Anyway here are some stats/graphs of my year.

25/50 in 2008

50/100 in 2008

I'm going to set myself some tough targets for 2009:

- 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+