A bit of poker and a challenge

I managed to find myself in an internet cafe when the blondepoker tournament started a few days ago and it looked like fun. Lots of players i knew and 500 quid added to the prize pool. Well i lasted about 20 minutes. Blinds 15/30. I call in middle position with AJ and a player in late position makes it 90 to play and i call as does one other. Flop JJ6. All of my 2000 chips were in the middle on the flop (I'm not slowplaying this monster i thought) Opponent has 66. Whoops... glad that happened in a £10 tournament and not a biggie. Not sure if i could get away from that hand regardless of the situation.

Meanwhile i was playing on the $10/$20 PL Omaha. I wasn't playing my A game but most of my decisions were +EV but i soon found myself stuck for $5000. Oops all when i was meant to be on the beach in Cancun. Dammit.... solution? All in pre flop for $500 v five players and on a raggy looking board i made Aces up which won. I then called a preflop raise with 4566 double suited and it flopped 236 rainbow ( damn lucky flop) It all goes in on the flop against AA89 and i end up a few hundred dollars down but happy. Back to the beach.....

The Challenge

Just to add some interest to the updates from Vegas. Anyone who reads this has a chance of winning $100.

Here is how it works. As i said before i will be running a profit/loss on all games played in Vegas. Whoever gets closest to the final profit/loss for my 17 days there wins the cash.

Factors to consider:

I am staking myself in the $10000 PL Omaha and $1000 NL Holdem with rebuys.
I am sponsored for the $10000 NL Holdem main event.
Other than that it will be a variety of cash (Omaha and Dealers Choice) and a few of the daily tournaments at the Bellagio.

Its just a bit fun and i will take no offense at people estimating a $50000 loss. ;-)

Strange date...

I was working something out and just realised that it was the 30th June 2004 that i played in my first ranking tournament - A £200 PL Omaha event that Sonny Nijran knocked me out in and i finished 9th. I can still remember the hand. By some bizarre coincidence it happens to be the day that i fly to Vegas to to play in the WSOP. It made me realise what a mad year it has been.... so my official Year 2 on the tournament circuit starts when i arrive in Vegas.

I have decided from the day that i arrive that i will be writing daily updates. These will include my profit/loss each day in tournaments/cash games and online.

Ready to rumble

Its not too long now to Vegas. I have been checking out Pokerpages and Cardplayer most days to find out what has been going on. The best performance of the Brits so far has come from Harry Demetriou who has managed a couple of final tables in massive fields. I think i may miss out the $3000 No Limit Holdem from my schedule because if by chance i reach Day 2, along with numerous others, then i will have to give the $10000 PL Omaha a miss as it starts at 2pm, and that is the one i am really looking forward too. There is a chance i may get to play in the $5000 Omaha Hi/Lo if i arrive from Mexico in time on the 30th.

I have had it on good authority that the PL Omaha cash games at the Rio where i am staying are hot. I have to decide what level to jump in at. I guess i may start at $10/$20 and see how i go.... i think i will be an amazing experience my first few days there.

I have had chance to play a bit of poker. Played a couple of hours of £5/£10 No Limit Holdem and ended up around £200 down. I have a poker challenge that i have thought up that will require some reader participation when i return from Vegas which should be fun. Its a 4 week challenge with a prize (yet to be decided) for the winner.

One of my fellow bloggers Mike Lacey has set up a new poker site called Antes Up... click here to check it out.

Vegas missing

Despite the fact i have never even played in the WSOP i really am looking on jealously at all the updates and tournaments that are going on. The Brits have come close in three events with Devilfish, Jeff Duvall and Harry Demetriou all coming close to winning bracelets. I am sure we should get a bracelet before the events run out. Maybe one of the Brits is saving themselves for the biggie.

Its good to see the Camel is back blogging. He has just arrived in Vegas and should have some interesting updates in the next few weeks.

Also i did break my no poker rule and played for nearly an hour on the $10/$20 Omaha on Betfair. Somehow i ended up with my $2000 in on a Tc9c2h flop with 9h9s7sKh. The turn a Jc and the river a Qh. Every straight and flush was out there and my hand was good, my opponent showed one pair. That was good for me and it has paid for my trip around Mexico so far. If you still have not qualified for the WSOP Betfair has one last chance for $300 this Sunday on Betfair. Click here to sign up. 10 seats are guaranteed and last week attracted just 266 runners so there is some extreme value there if you still have not qualified. The package includes accommodation, travel and $2000 spending money.

The one thing that travelling does give you alot of is time. I have thought about how my poker year has gone so far and one thing i definitely need to improve on is my Live cash performances. I have lost the last four times i have played which is a record number of consecutive losses. Playing so much online has definitely had a negative impact when i play cash games. I think its due to my patience. When i played far more regularly live last year i was always patient and looking for a very good spot to commit all my money. Now when i play i seem to be in a hurry. Its because i am so used to playing 2 or 3 tables at a time on the internet and quickly get bored when there are only about 10 hands an hour. I am going to play a fair bit of cash in Vegas so will hopefully play with far more patience and concentration.......

Mexico

Amazingly one of the first things i saw when i arrived here was an advert in a shop window for the Mexican series of poker. First prize was 25000 Pesos which if you have ever been here is alot of money.

I did forget to mention on my blog before i set off that my run on 21 consecutive wins on the Omaha tables came to a crashing halt in Barcelona. To be fair it was due and even in that session i was up to $10000 from $2000 and decided to play on..... i haven't played a hand of poker in about 12 days now which seems like a famine. I guess i could play a bit in one of the internet cafes but i rarely play well/properly if i am not fully focused. I have managed to read Super System 2 which i brought away with me already. I did enjoy learning about Triple Draw Lowball and all the other chapters contained some useful information.

I have just been looking on the Blondepoker forum and i see that the first proper event today was sold out with hundreds being turned away. I just can't see how these events are going to finish in two days.... be interesting to see how much prize money will be paid out of the entire event but it has to be well over $100 million... probably closer to $150 million. Hopefully at least one Brit will win a bracelet.

Right i am off to get a Corona.......