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.

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!