End of year review

As I am winding down operations and hardly playing between now and the New Year, I thought it would be a good time to look back on 2007.

This year has definitely been a lot tougher than 2006. When I gave up my job in March 2005 with a small bankroll, I just couldn’t stop winning for most of 2005 and 2006.

Between January and June I definitely got close to going busto. I had losing day after losing day, and I never thought it was possible to run so bad, for so long. Of course alot of it was my fault. Playing games that were too big when out of form. Poor game selection, and lots and lots of tilt. I think at one point in April I was about $400,000 down for the year… yikes.

Tournament form throughout the entire year hasn’t exactly been good either. I’ve gone deep in a couple of EPT events without making the final. The lowest point of the year came when I bubbled in the $5000 rebuy PLO in Vegas. My bankroll was battered and I had a massive chance to win the tournament being in the top five in chips with twenty players left. My AAxx failed to beat KKxx and that was that. Tournaments have huge variance though, and I don’t play very many, so I have to hope 2008 brings better luck on that front.

As terrible as the first six months of the year were the next six months have been amazing. I’ve been running the opposite of the first six months of the year, and when I’m confident and winning I play better.

I just calculated that I am over $1 million up in PL Omaha cash games for the year, and about half that down in NL Hold’em cash games. Most of the Omaha profit coming at $25/$50 and $50/$100 … with some wins at $100/$200 as well. If only I hadn’t played Heads Up Hold’em big stakes at the start of the year, then a very good year would have been an amazing one.

I definitely feel like I should be playing the $200/$400 PL Omaha game on Full Tilt. I just can’t face putting my entire bankroll on the line so we shall see.

Some aims for 2008

- 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.
- Crush the big PL Omaha games online.
- Have a winning year at NL Hold’em cash.
- Play less poker.
- Don’t lose over 50% of my bankroll in January as I have for the last two years.

Playing the big tables!

I have had a big rollercoaster in the last 4/5 days. Been playing $50/$100 up to $250/$500 PL Omaha and NL Hold'em. Here is a pot i played in $250/$500 NL Hold'em...

Big Call

I played Heads Up $100/$200 PL Omaha yesterday and reached my biggest ever stack on a poker table, as you can below. I did lose $55000 on a couple of other tables but won $130,000 on the session. A nice Xmas bonus!

I was going to go to EPT Prague, but am so busy over the next week i just don't have the time. Was looking forward to it as well, as i have never been to Prague.

GUKPT Final

It didn't go to plan! We started with 15000 chips and i lost a fair chunk on the opening hand. Blinds 25/50... i faced a raise and reraise to 600 to play before i looked down at AsKs in the big blind. I called and the flop was Qs4s5h... opponent checked and i bet 1000. He made it 2000. I considered reraising but i was a little concerned he had QQ. Turn was an offsuit J. So i had a Gutshot too now. He bet 2500 which obviously priced me in. River was a blank and if he checked i was going to push, but he bet 3000 and i folded.

After that without really hitting very much i managed to get up to 25000 practically playing every hand. I won a big pot on a 9T37A board with 68... that was the high point.

My exit hand was slightly bizarre. I pushed when i really shouldn't have with Kc2c after floating on a Ac3d3s flop the 4c on the turn, seemed a good spot to check raise all in. My opponent was probably pot committed though and called with A4. If the 4 hadn't arrived on the turn i'm sure my plan would have worked!

Back to the old days

I have been having huge swings just as i did at the start of 2007, when i was playing a fair bit of 50/100 and 100/200 PL Omaha and NL Hold'em. Had quite a few +/-$50k days lately without doing too much damage to the bankroll.

Here are some of the bigger pots i have played lately!

Big pot from back door flush
Move on the turn works out well against my old enemy
Didn’t really know whether I was winning in this hand
Most of my outs were covered here
This tilted me
Running good in a Hold’em hand
Making a big move that works out

I'm playing the GUKPT final which is at the Vic later this week... haven't played a tournament in a while so looking forward to it!

There is only a couple of days to register through this blog for the rake challenge (see a couple of posts below details)

Omaha Tourney

Hehe you can now take me on in an Pot Limit Omaha tournament - exclusively on Betfair Poker.
ALL admirers of this fantastic four-card game thinking that their Christmas has come early.

The tournament will carry a big old $5,000 Guarantee as well as a bounty worth $100 for knocking me out on my home soil!

TOURNEY DETAILS

What: MILK THE KID - $5,000 GTD PLO
When: Every Monday at 7:30pm (GMT)
How much: $55 with rebuys in the first hour and add-on available
Finer details: 2,500 starting chips, 20 minute levels
Bounty you say? Indeed, Ben “Milkybarkid” Grundy will have $100 on his head!

Had a pretty sick week online. Had a stack of over $100k on a $50/$100 table and still ended the week down due to a two hour session of $100/$200 NL Holdem where i didn't win a single decent pot!

Blog rake challenge with prizes

1st Prize - Package to EPT San Remo in Italy - Entry plus £500 spending money. Worth about £4000.

2nd Prize - Entry to a GUKPT event - Entry into event of your choice in season two. Worth £1000.

3rd Prize - Mystery prize to be decided.

Competition information!

Whoever rakes the most between December 1st - March 15th on Betfair Poker can win the prizes. You are already eligible if you already signed up for an account through this blog.

All new sign ups between now and November 30th who sign up through this blog or on this link can also win the prizes.

If you rake a decent amount on Betfair you have a great chance of taking down the first prize. I will put the leaderboard on this blog of the top five rakers at the end of each month, until the competition ends on March 15th. So the prizes are decided by who rakes the most over a 16 week period.

If you do sign up and want to take part in this promotion drop me an email (bengrundy@hotmail.com) to confirm your new Betfair username. Just so i can double check that you registered through this blog. You will also receive 30% rakeback.

I get 10% in you in the tournaments as an interest, as i am giving away these free entries out of my pocket!

If you cannot make EPT San Remo for some reason then the prize can be swapped for a tournament of a similar value. It can't be exchanged for cash.

Any questions post in the comments......

EPT Dublin

I just busted on Day 2. Had a below average stack going into the second day and was looking to make some moves early to try and get some more chips.

Two hands led to my bust out. Blinds 400/800. I had 17000 stack. Mid position pushes all in for 7300. I look down at AhQh on the button and push. He has A9 and a 9 comes on the flop. My stack would have been ok if i won that hand.

Then i was down to 8000 and i pushed all in from the cut off with A5 and got called by AQ. No help from the board and i was out. I keep making Day 2 of these events so hopefully a decent result isn't too far away!

MTT's arrghhhh

I played the $150k guaranteed on Betfair yesterday, which actually ended up with a $174k prize pool! Wow i was steaming by the end. I was in the top 5 chips all the way to the bubble. Then in 20 hands i had KK v AA, then JJ v QQ on JQx flop, then QQ v JK to a fishy Rob Sherwood! lol

From hero to zero in no time at all.

Joey Lovelady won and Rob came third. Congrats. Joey was a total card rack in the final and the result was never in doubt. He only played because i told him it was on without twenty minutes till the start!

Off to play EPT Dublin this week. I play Day 1(b), which is Wednesday!

LAG

Since WPT Barcelona i've been playing aload online including two 16 hour sessions last week. I've managed to get some monster stacks at $25/$50 PLO ... my biggest was $78k and i lost a flip to make it very close to $100k so called it a day. Mind you i think in that particular session i was in for $40k anyway!

Here are a few hands i've played lately.

Donkish draw that was winning all the way! lol

Bad misread

A much better read

One word - TILT

Next up on the tournament circuit is EPT Dublin. After that the GUKPT final and EPT Prague. Hopefully i can get a result in one of them!

Also i forgot to blog about this before, congratulations to Dusk Till Dawn on securing their license to open a poker club in Nottingham. Hopefully there will be some big festivals held there. It will definitely be good for all poker players, as they will run tournaments for all buy in ranges.

WPT Barcelona day 2

Steaming... just busted out.

Playing 16k stack (blinds 200/400) ... I called the BB with 67 suited after two callers to a raise. Flop 67T with two clubs. I led out for 2500. Guy who raised preflop called. Turn a T. I bet 3000. He called. He seemed weak and its tough to put hom on a T. He may have an overpair in distress. River a Jack and i pushed all in. He dwelt for ages and i was sure he would fold. He finally called with 88. lol. I found a calling station.

Another Tourney

Heading over to Barcelona to play the WPT tournament this weekend. I love Barcelona so never mind travelling there for a tournament. Kind of recovered from my tilt from EPT london. These tournaments are so big now, that you don't get that many opportunities for a top three finish, and i definitely think that was one that past me by.

Still its kind of a consolation that cash games have been going so well. My $25/$50 PLO stats have been really good for the last few months. I've played about 30000 hands with a BB/100 hands of over 20, which is definitely unsustainable long term. But i can enjoy the rush while it lasts :-)

WSOPE articles

Before the WSOP Europe main i did an hour or so coaching for a Telegraph journalist Martin Johnson. They make a good read and the links are here Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

lol i sepecially like this extract:

I told him about the Oriental, and Kirk said: "Oh no, that's Kenny Tran. He's not someone to mess with. Just don't talk to him. Don't talk to him at all. He's trying to read you, and if you've got him as baffled as you got me on the first day, we wanna keep it that way."

It proved to be an impossible tip. I was involved with Kenny again after everyone else folded on the pick-up, and he bet 5,000. I had King-Five unsuited, and thought I'd at least see the three flop cards. Nothing to help there, but something told me Kenny's urge to nail me might have outweighed him waiting for a decent hand, and I stayed with him until his final bet of 10,000.

I called. "You've got me man, if you can call me, you got me." I flipped in my K-5, and the entire table gasped. Kenny had indeed been bluffing, and, as he said, I'd got him. But the sight of the K-5 made his eyes pop. His mouth opened, but nothing, for once, came out. If I never played another hand, I could dine out on that one.

EPT London Bustout

I made day three of EPT london 2nd in chips with 40 left. Anything short of making the final table and i was always going to be very disappointed but the way i went out was the worst way yet.

I had just under 190000 chips... blinds 2500/5000. Player who had me just about covered made it 17000 from the button. Tony Cascerino was in the big blind and had been playing very tight so i knew he was auto raising the button. I looked down at AQ. I reraised 17000 with 41000 more so 58000 to play. He thought for five minutes then the clock was called. I was going to pass if he pushed and was just hoping he passed. He eventually said call and threw in 14000 more chips. The dealer told him it was 41000 more and now he wanted to fold. The floor was called and because he announced call he had to put the 41000. I knew it wasn't a moody as he genuinely wanted to fold when he realised it was 41000 more.

So now i knew he was weak. He either had a couple of pictures or a medium pair. So i decided i would push any safe looking flop because there was 130000 available in the middle. It flopped 823 and i pushed, he insta called with 88. Sick. Only way i could go out at that point.

If he genuinely calls the 41000 i don't push the flop. If he hears the dealer i never go out of the tournament at that stage..........

Home

Its good to have some time back in the UK. For the last three months i think i've been away playing poker or on holiday about 80% of that time. Its hard to get into a run of putting decent results together online. My results have been quite good of late... in the last 20 sessions i have played i've won 17 times. That makes my pokertracker look a bit healthier :-)

The WSOPE is over and i really hope that next year there will be at least 6 events. I think the fields will get bigger when people have more chance to plan and qualify online.

Its EPT London next week and i'll probably play the £1000 PL Omaha tournament this Sunday as well. The WCOOP is also running and i'll probably play 2/3 events including the main event that i final tabled in last year.

Also Tillerman has started blogging again. It's one of the best blogs when he updates it!

WSOPE £5000 Omaha

Had a massive rollercoaster day going down low in chips then up to about 65000... felt like i was in good shape with double the average the took two big coolers.

400/800 - Durrrr from Full tilt made it 2000 to go i called with A6QT double suited and the small blind called too. Flop A63 giving me top two and the second nut flush draw. Small blind went bet 3500. Durrrr called. I reraised the pot as the small blind had just 3000 more and i wanted the pot HU. Durrrr called with AAxx. Main pot was 22000. Side pot 35000 ish. Turn brought me the flush though the small blind had the nut flush... i was happy to win the side pot. River paired the board!

400/800 - I made it 2000 from early position with AA57 with one ace flush draw in clubs. Two callers. Flop 2c4sKc. First guy to speak leads out for the pot. I reraise the pot to 24000 as i am at least 40% against any had he can have plus i've got fold equity. He calls with a set, and pairs the board on the turn.

Was really low after that and couldn't make a comeback.

Congrats to Buzzer on winning the £2500 HORSE.....

WSOPE £2500 HORSE

I busted out late in the evening of day one in level five....

I started well and by the end of level 2 i must have been one of the chip leaders with around 20000 chips. It was fun to play all the games as well..... i had a disastrous level three i went an entire orbit of the games without winning or chopping a single pot it was brutal. That put me back to my starting stack.

I got back up to 20000 chips again in level 4 and here is how i lost a chunk of them...

Razz 400/800

(A)(2)3 i three bet against a (x)(x)6

I pull a Q... he gets a K

I bet again and get called

I pull a 9... he gets a J

I bet again and get called

I pull a 6... he gets an 8

I bet and get called

Last card no improvement for my 9 low and my opponent made an 8 low on the river!

I also lost a big pot in the same level when i three bet prelop in Omaha Hi/Low with AA3T double suited. It flopped what appeared a monster for my hand 5s6s7h as i had the As3s.. I bet and got called. Turn a 5d.. i bet and got raised. I called. River a blank 3 which was the worst card in the pack for me and i got scooped by 248J lol.

Both those pots were around 10000-12000 and i didn't recover after them.

Its the £5000 PL Omaha tomorrow. Please can i run good just one time......

WSOPE begins

The World Series of Poker Europe starts this week in London. Its an exciting time for poker and hopefully this event can go on to match the WSOP in Vegas. I'd love to see even more events next year! I'm sure the first prize for the NL Hold'em tournament will be the biggest ever paid out in Europe.

I'm only able to play the £2500 HORSE which starts Thursday and the £5000 PLO which starts on Saturday. Wish i could play the main but too committed to stuff which was organised before the WSOPE was announced. I've been playing some HORSE online, and its always fun to play mixed games so i am looking forward to it all starting now....

I played a qualifier on Sunday with a bounty on my head for $1000 if you knocked me out. There were about 250 runners with 8 seats guaranteed. I was doing good and then walked AK into KK, and a bit later busted out with AK into QQ! The guy who got the bounty also won a seat. They have a last chance qualifier scheduled for Wednesday with five seats guaranteed. Details are here.

I've aslo been playing a fair bit online! Had a really sick spell at $50/$100 when i didn't win a pot for like 150 minutes even though i managed to get all in with the best hand a load of times. Was in for $50000 at one point and ended the day $14000 down which was ok considering i thought i was losing my mind!

Some hands... looks like a only play Aces from these!

Aces part 1

Gutshot only way to lose stack

Aces part 2

Aces part 3

EPT Barcelona

Yuck

Had a decent table and reached 14000 towards the end of level 4.

Then this hand happened. Tight ish player opened mid position for 650 (blinds 100/200). I decided to call with QQ. Flop QT7 rainbow. He checks. I bet 1000. He made it 2300. I pushed all in. He pondered for a while and called another 6000 with JK. 5 on turn, Ace on the river of course.

Got back up to 6500 and got all in preflop with TT v AK. Board 222K9.

If I can't win a big pot in the early stages with top set then its probably not going be my day!

EPT Season 4 - Barcelona

I play in a few hours. I see the beginning of the EPT season as the start of the poker season. There is a exciting programme of tournaments in the next few months... hopefully i can get off to a decent start!

Random Stuff

I've just got back after a three week holiday in Cuba. Really interesting country to visit with loads to see... only played a few hours poker whilst i was away. Nothing interesting to report on that front!

Before i went away, I did some travelling around the UK to some pubs where the winner of each single table tournament got an entry to a satellite for the WSOPE main event ... its called the Betfair Poker Hit squad! Here are a selection of the clips! Part 1 and Part 2. I do like the Midlands really! God i hate watching myself on TV.

I'm excited about the next couple of weeks. I'm off to Barcelona for the start of EPT season 4 on Tuesday. I am playing Day 1(b). It will be interesting to see how much the bigger buy will affect the numbers.